GOODBYE TO ‘MAGNUM, P.I.’

The roller-coaster ride of “Magnum P.I.” is finally over.

Or is it?

CBS originated the procedural, which made Tom Selleck a star a few decades ago.

The show was revived by the Eye Network  in the past decade, which enabled Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum, to take flight with Perdita Weeks as the reimagined Higgins, this time a female, as the pair fought crime in Hawaii, kindling a romantic bond at the end of Season 4.

Then CBS axed “Magnum,” despite a loyal fan base, and left the lovebirds like flotsam at sea.

Jay Hernandez (Magnum) and Perdita Weeks (Higgins) of “Magnum P.I.”

NBC, the Peacock Network, surprisingly stepped in, offering a safety net to rescue not just the sleuths but the franchise, ordering two seasons amid speculation on what night and how many shows would be filmed.

The romantic relationship was able to simmer again, alongside the policing duties.

Then auwe, the balloon deflated at the end of an abbreviated Season 5, with 10 episodes aired and reportedly 10 more already in the can.

Can the on-again, off-again resilient  “Magnum, P.I.”  soar again?

Hernandez was effusive when “Magnum” hit its 100^th episode. He’s been mum with the death sentence again.

However, Weeks recently took to Instagram to express gratitude and aloha to all, saying “After one hell of an encore, it’s time for us at ‘Magnum P.I.’ to ride off into the sunset. Thank you so much for all the support and huge thanks to the whole cast and crew for half a decade of fun. Mahalo nui loa.”

Clearly, Weeks found her niche in the islands, finding her cadence while adopting snippets of Hawaiiana.

The Writers Guild of America strike hasn’t helped anyone in TV land and complicates efforts of all productions till there’s a settlement.
For now, ‘NCIS: Hawaii” remains the lone network series still anticipated in the upcoming fall season.

But one wonders: “Magnum” could make history again, if ABC, the Alphabet Network, chimes in to save the show again. It would make “Magnum” the only series to air on the three major networks, though realistically, aloha here seems to be goodbye, finally. Not welcome…

Next stop, Netflix???

Assaggio Hawaii Kai to close

Sorry to report that another Hawaii Kai restaurant will  be closing soon: Assaggio at the Koko Marina Shopping Center.

Assaggio Hawaii Kai will be shutting down on July 31.

Last day of business will be July 31, the Italian restaurant is telling patrons. Lease rent is likely the reason for the shutdown.

Earlier this year, Zippy’s – also at Koko Marina –closed its dining room on the water, now doing only take-out business. Also shuttered: Fatboy’s.

Outback Steakhouse terminated operations at the Hawaii Kai Towne Center, but Scratch Kitchen moved in.

Hawaii Kai lacks a family breakfast place, with affordable prices. You know, the eggs-and-Spam kind of a menu.  The nearest destination for this kind of fare is Jack’s in Aina Haina.

Sure, there are a couple of options: Moena Café at Koko Marina (too pricey for most, and not the venue for a second or third cup of coffee, since there’s constantly a crowd waiting for a table) and Koa Pancake House at Hawaii Kai Towne Center lacks that coffee shop vibe and is more take-out than dine-in….

And that’s Show Biz. …