The actors talk to ET from the Hawaii set about the flurry of emotions after the show was resurrected following four seasons on CBS.
Magnum P.I. is back in action! After being canceled by CBS following a four-season run in May, NBC swooped in less than two months later and saved the action drama by picking it up for two seasons. A reboot of the 1980s series with Tom Selleck, Magnum P.I. is headlined by Jay Hernandez as the titular hero, a former Navy SEAL who solves crimes as a private investigator.
"It's kinda strange, very unlikely, but we are here," Hernandez told ET's Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner on the Hawaii set of Magnum P.I. of the roller-coaster journey of the show getting axed, then resurrected.
The actor credited the passionate fans for using their voice in expressing their desires for the series to continue. "We found a new home and it was very unlikely and very humbling the way the audience rallied around the show," Hernandez said. Co-star Perdita Weeks, who plays Higgins, even mentioned the fan-funded billboard in New York City's Times Square.
"And NBC stepped up. It's kind of impressive," Hernandez said.
As a producer on Magnum P.I., the 44-year-old "was privy to those backroom conversations" about whether the show could be saved on another network.
"I knew there were things happening and I didn't want to say anything because you don't want to get people's hopes up if it doesn't happen," he recalled. "But obviously I had to give the green light. Like, let's do this. Let's try to make it happen. And it took some time, but we figured it out."
Weeks revealed that Hernandez reached out to her to give her a hint that the show was likely on the brink of a return. "Yeah, you told me," the actress confirmed when Hernandez asked.
"I was kind of feeding them crumbs. Just, 'Hey, sit down. Sit back, we got this,'" he shared. "It's funny. I was very, like, 'It's gonna happen.' I was saying that forever. And it was a very circuitous route there and we eventually got there. So I was right at the end of season 4."
That first day back on set was filled with a flurry of emotions, Hernandez and Weeks recalled. "Bizarre!" Weeks described. Hernandez echoed her sentiments, admitting "it was a bit strange."
"It was good, it was so good 'cause it was all just supposed to be over, and it was just lovely [to be back]," added Weeks, who shared that past directors and many of the crew members came back for season 5.
Hernandez agreed, saying, "I think everyone's just really happy, to be honest."
Magnum P.I. returns in 2023 on its new home, NBC.
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