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TL;DR: 

  • Magnum P.I. won’t get a season 5 following surprise cancellation from CBS.  
  • The news comes just days after the Magnum P.I. Season 4 finale aired. 
  • Star Jay Hernandez had previously said he was confident the show would be renewed. 
Magnum kissing Higgins in the series finale of the canceled CBS series 'Magnum P.I.'
Perdita Weeks as Juliet Higgins and Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum in the ‘Magnum P.I.’ series finale | CBS ©2022 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Highest Quality Screengrab Available.

Thomas Magnum won’t be returning to CBS. The network has canceled its Magnum P.I. reboot after four seasons. 

‘Magnum P.I.’ canceled, season 4 finale was the show’s last episode 

The Magnum P.I. Season 4 finale aired May 6. That episode turned out to be the show’s swan song now that CBS has canceled the procedural, according to a report from TVLine. It averaged 7.4 millions viewers this season, which put it toward the button of the network’s drama lineup in terms of ratings. Magnum P.I. was a reboot of the popular 1980s series with Tom Selleck. 

In “Close to Home,” Higgins (Perdita Weeks) finally confessed that she had feelings for Magnum (Jay Hernandez). The episode ended with the will-they-or-won’t-they-pair finally locking lips for the first time. Unfortunately, fans won’t get a chance to find out what’s next for Magnum and Higgins. 

Star Jay Hernandez had predicted the show would be renewed  

Though CBS had already renewed other primetime dramas such as S.W.A.T., Blue Bloods, The Equalizer, and the entire FBI and NCIS franchises, it left Magnum P.I. viewers hanging going into the season (now series) finale. Still, series star Hernandez sounded confident that Magnum P.I. Season 5 was in the cards.  

“It’s gonna happen,” he told TVInsider. “You can take that to the bank.” 

“It’s solid,” he said in an April 2022 interview with TVLine. “The numbers are great, it travels well internationally…. So yeah, I think we’re in good shape. And you know what, they’re happy with the show. They loved this season.”

However, in the TVInsider interview, he admitted that a Higgins and Magnum romance could signal the end of the show. 

“In my mind, they can’t end up together – not yet,” he said. “If they do, that means it’s the end of the show!”  

Why was ‘Magnum P.I.’ canceled? 

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As fans took to social media to express disappointment about the Magnum P.I. cancellation, many also wondered why CBS would cancel what seemed to be a relatively popular show. 

According to Deadline, the network and production company Universal Television couldn’t reach an agreement on a new season. CBS also has a number of strong pilots on deck this season, which was reportedly a factor in Magnum P.I.’s cancellation.  

Loyal viewers were quick to show their support for the now-canceled series. Many began tweeting with the hashtag #SaveMagnumPI, with some calling on Netflix or another network to step in and rescue the show.  

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