Why is Magnum PI ending after five seasons?

After five seasons, we’ve said goodbye to Magnum and Higgins. This time, Magnum PI isn’t going to be saved. At least, not by another network.

The ending isn’t the one anyone wanted. At least it’s better than the one we nearly got, after CBS canceled the show back in May 2022 due to licensing disagreements.

However, NBC opted to cancel Magnum PI after Season 5. It was a finale that had already been written and filmed. In fact, the 10 episodes that had been left over were pulled forward to the fall due to the strike action throughout the summer.

Was the strike the reason for Magnum PI being canceled?

While the show was expected to be a ratings hit for NBC, that wasn’t the case. However, NBC seemed to acknowledge that some of the scheduling decisions were part of that. The show aired following reruns of different shows instead of having a strong show like The Blacklist to lead it in. This was due to NBC changing the Thursday schedules when Found was pushed to the fall season.

NBC made a promise to improve the schedule to give the series a better chance, making it clear that it was open to Season 6.

Then the writers strike happened. Then there were talks of an actors strike. The negotiations with the SAG-AFTRA union were originally set to end on July 1, while the Magnum PI cast options came up for renewal on June 30. With NBC sure that the strike would happen (and it eventually did), it opted to cancel the show to avoid keeping the cast locked into contracts for the next season.

It was a disappointing decision. In fact, the cast sounds like they would have been happy to end up locked into deals during the strike period to be able to come back and tie up the loose ends in what became the series finale.

Magnum PI is available to stream on Peacock.