People have different ways of winding down after a long day at work. Some people take naps. Other people have an adult beverage or two. There are also people who spend time at the gym. Through time, I have had several winding down habits. The treadmill is always waiting for me, but there are times when I cannot get on it until later in the evening. Blogging has also proven useful as a relaxation tool.
Lately, I have found another way of getting my mind off the events of the day. It takes me to the days of my childhood when I would come home from school and watch afternoon reruns. Each afternoon, Magnum, P.I. comes on, and it is awesome. I kick back on the couch and watch one of my all time favorite shows. Daisy Dog sits beside me and watches, too. I think she is a fan of Zeus and Apollo, otherwise known as the Lads.
I already know what is going to happen in each episode, but that is not the point. For 45 minutes without commercial interruption, I can disappear into the world of Magnum, Higgins, T.C. and Rick and let my mind go free. Of course, most television shows are means of escape, but how can you go wrong with a private investigator who gets to live in a mansion and drive and Ferrari for free. On top of that, he gets to do it in Hawaii.
Magnum, P.I. is one of the classic shows from the 1980s and, with a run from 1980 to 1988, took up most of the decade. This decade was filled with characters trying to solve crimes, but none did it better than Thomas Magnum. He did it with a laid back style and with a lot of help from his friends.
As I have been watching the episodes, I have wondered what happened to the gang in the years after the show went off the air. Tom Selleck has gone on to other series and a bunch of made-for-television movies. However, he never made it as a huge star on the silver screen. There were a few decent movies scattered through the years, but most of his work has been on television. This tends to happen to a lot of television stars. They never reach the glory of that one great series, and they never gain a foothold in the theaters. Despite that, I am sure Tom Selleck has made a nice living. He is now 69 years old.
John Hillerman, the Texan who could do a great British accent, was a character actor in a few great movies before Hawaii came calling. They Call Me Mister Tibbs. The Last Picture Show. High Plains Drifter. Blazing Saddles. Chinatown. However, he is best known as Higgins. After the show’s run, he was in a couple of television shows and a few made-for-television movies, but that was about it. He is now in his early 80s and, I assume, retired.
Roger E. Mosley was the helicopter pilot. Everyone needs a friend who can fly a helicopter. Heck, I even bought a “Island Hoppers” t-shirt. It is very fashion forward. If you do not believe me, then ask my wife. Anyway, he has also been in a few series since Magnum, P.I. went of the air. In the last one, he played a character called Grandpa Faison. Mosley is 75 years old.
Larry Manetti played Rick, the friend with underworld connections. Everyone needs a friend with underworld connections. He recently showed up on Hawaii 5-0 but has also been in some movies where the plot is built around several sex scenes. Oh yeah, there is also a book about his days on Magnum, P.I. The youngest of the group, he is 67 years old.
Watching the reruns, it is hard to realize that the show went of the air 26 years ago and that the actors are older now. When Magnum revs up the Ferrari in the opening credits, it is as if that scene was filmed yesterday. I guess the same can be said for all of the old movies that I watch.
Anyway, I watch a show that aired over a quarter of a century ago to wind down after a day of work. While I watch, I wonder what happened to the people on the screen. Now, I have a few questions for you. Why do you think actors in popular shows have a difficult time regaining that fame? What do you do to wind down at the end of the day?
SBI: A Thinning Crowd 