CBS’ action crime drama Magnum P.I., starring Jay Hernandez, is targeting a mid-August tentative production start date for its upcoming third season, I have learned. The reboot of the classic CBS series films in Hawaii where the show is set.
While a spike in coronavirus infections throughout the continental U.S. is raising doubts about production restart plans in COVID-19 hot spots like California and Georgia, and New York’s slow reopening timeline would likely not allow for filming to begin before September, Hawaii and Vancouver have emerged as appealing alternatives.
Both the state of Hawaii and the British Columbia province imposed strict measures, including travel restrictions and 14-day self- quarantine for anyone flying in from the outside, which have kept the outbreak in check. Both areas have been posting single-digit to teen new cases a day recently and rarely new deaths.
Hawaii has the lowest rate of infection and death of any U.S. state. According to the state’s department of health, 926 total positive COVID-19 cases have been identified, and 18 people have died. The state still has a mandatory 14-day self-isolation until end of July. After that, out-of-state visitors can avoid quarantine with a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of arrival.
With low coronavirus levels in Hawaii, making for a safe production environment, Magnum P.I. could be the first U.S. broadcast series on American soil to emerge from the coronavirus-related shutdown. (There are a number of broadcast shows eying a July-August start in Vancouver.)
Magnum P.I. follows Thomas Magnum (Hernandez), a private investigator and former Navy SEAL, who solves crimes in the state, after returning home from Afghanistan and repurposing his military skills. Perdita Weeks, Zachary Knighton, Stephen Hill, Tim Kang and Amy Hill also star. Peter M. Lenkov, Eric Guggenheim, Justin Lin, John Davis, John Fox and Danielle Woodrow are executive producers for CBS TV Studios and Universal TV.