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Hawaii Five-O began in 1968 and ran for an amazing 12
seasons. Jack Lord led the show as Det. Steve McGarrett,
and James MacArthur as Det. Danny "Danno" Williams was the
faithful and dependable side-kick. Together with the rest
of the Five-O team, crimes are solved and criminals captured
against the beautiful backdrop of Hawaii. This show has
probably contributed more to Hawaii's tourist industry than
an other single source! This is the crime show that set
the standards for all those to come. Interesting and likable
characters combined with a vintage edginess, thrilling crimes,
and the lush exotic setting of Hawaii made for an irresistable
show. *
Harold Gould, James Hong, Ricardo Montalban, Leslie
Neilson, and Martin Sheen can all be spotted in season three's
episodes. Whether the actors are big names or big question
marks though, one can't help wondering how lucky they felt
to be working in such a relaxing and beautiful setting!
Magnum P.I. was built upon the ashes of Hawaii Five-O, but
plans to include Jack Lord as a guest star never reached
fruition as Lord retired from acting with the death of Hawaii
Five-O. Both shows were wildly popular though and ran for
ages; proving that crime serials with appealing characters
set on the Island is simply a winning combination for viewing
audiences. *
In season three we find; a priceless violin stolen
from a Russian violinist, Kono (a regular member of the
Five-O team) held for ransom when he corners kidnappers,
a clever insurance investigator gone bad, Danno loosing
his grip when his girlfriend is brutally murdered, an innocent
man freed from a life in prison, and the return of the devious
Chinese agent Ho Fat. A two-part episode highlights McGarrett's
arch-enemy as Ho Fat and a wealth of other criminals tussle
over a set of perfect counterfeit plates. The bitter rivalry
between McGarrett and Ho Fat ran through all 12 seasons
of the show. The tension between these two characters is
visible even from Ho Fat's first appearance though. Season
Three's addition to the competition between these polarized
alpha personalities is one of the season's best offerings.
*
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