Hawaii Five-O
Encyclopedia
Hawaii Five-O is an American
police procedural
drama
series produced by CBS Productions
and Leonard Freeman
. Set in Hawaii
, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in rerun
s. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett, portrayed by Jack Lord
. The theme music
composed by Morton Stevens
became especially popular. Most episodes would end with McGarrett instructing his subordinate to "Book 'em, Danno" sometimes specifying a charge such as "murder one."
television network produced
Hawaii Five-O, which aired from September 20, 1968 to April 4, 1980. Currently, the program is broadcast in syndication
worldwide and via on-demand streaming media
from CBS Interactive.
(CBS
also has uploaded every episode of this show via its YouTube
account.)
Created by Leonard Freeman
, Hawaii Five-O was shot on location in Honolulu, Hawaii
, and throughout the island of Oahu
as well as other Hawaiian islands
—with occasional filming in other locales such as Los Angeles
, Singapore
and Hong Kong
.
Hawaii Five-O was named in honor of Hawaii's status as the 50th State
, although the show's name ends with the letter "O" instead of the number zero. The show centers on a fictional state police force led by former U.S. naval officer Steve McGarrett (played by Jack Lord
), who was appointed by the Governor
, Paul Jameson (played by Richard Denning
, though Lew Ayres
played the Governor in the pilot
). In the show, McGarrett oversaw State Police officers—a young officer, Danny Williams (played by Tim O'Kelly
in the show's pilot but replaced in the regular series by James MacArthur
), Chin Ho Kelly (played by Kam Fong Chun
) and Kono Kalakaua (played by Zulu
) for seasons one through four. Also, Honolulu Police Department
Officer
Duke Lukela (played by Herman Wedemeyer
) joined the team as a regular, as did Ben Kokua (played by Al Harrington
), who replaced Kono beginning with season five. Occasionally, McGarrett's Five-O team was assisted by other officers as needed: medical examiner Doc Bergman (played by Al Eben), forensic specialist Che Fong (played by Harry Endo
) and a secretary. The first secretary was May (played by Maggi Parker
), then Jenny (played by Peggy Ryan
) and later Luana (played by Laura Sode-Matteson).
For twelve seasons, McGarrett and his team hounded international secret agents, criminals, and organized crime
syndicates plaguing the Hawaiian Islands
. With the aid of District Attorney
and later Hawaii's Attorney General
John Manicote (played by Glenn Cannon
), McGarrett was successful in sending most of his enemies to prison
. One such Mafia syndicate was led by crime family patriarch Honore Vashon (played by Harold Gould
), a character introduced in the fifth season. Most episodes of Hawaii Five-O ended with the arrest of criminals and McGarrett snapping, "Book 'em." The offense occasionally was added after this phrase, for example, "Book 'em, murder one." In many episodes this was directed to Danny Williams and became McGarrett's catchphrase, "Book 'em, Danno."
Other criminals and organized crime bosses on the islands were played by actors such as Ricardo Montalbán
, Gavin MacLeod
, and Ross Martin
as Tony Alika. By the 12th and final season, series regular James MacArthur had left the show (in 1996, he admitted that he had become tired and wanted to do other things), as had Kam Fong. Unlike other characters before him, Fong's character Chin Ho, at Fong's request, did not just vanish from the show but instead was murdered while working undercover to expose a protection ring in Chinatown in the last episode of season 10. New characters Jim 'Kimo' Carew (played by William Smith
), Lori Wilson (played by Sharon Farrell
), and Truck (played by Moe Keale
) were introduced in season 12 alongside returning regular character Duke Lukela.
The Five-O team consisted of three to five members (small for a real state police unit), and was portrayed as occupying a suite of offices in the [[ʻIolani Palace|Iolani Palace]]. The office interiors were sets on a soundstage. Five-O lacked its own radio network, necessitating frequent requests by McGarrett to the Honolulu Police Department dispatchers, "Patch me through to Danno." McGarrett's tousled yet immaculate hairstyle, as well as his proclivity for wearing a dark suit and tie on all possible occasions (uncommon in the islands), rapidly entered popular culture. While the other members of Five-O also "dressed mainland" much of the time, they also often wore local styles, such as the ubiquitous "Aloha shirt
."
In many episodes (including the pilot), McGarrett was drawn into the world of international espionage
and national intelligence. McGarrett's arch-nemesis was a rogue intelligence officer of the People's Republic of China
named Wo Fat
. The Communist rogue agent was played by veteran actor Khigh Dhiegh. The show's final episode in 1980 was titled "Woe to Wo Fat," in which McGarrett finally saw his foe Wo go to jail.
This television show's action and straightforward story-telling left little time for personal stories involving wives or girlfriends, though a two-part story in the first season dealt with the loss of McGarrett's sister's baby. Occasionally, a show would flash back to McGarrett's younger years or to a romantic figure. The viewer was left with the impression that McGarrett, at that point in his life, much like Dragnet
's Joe Friday
, was wedded to the police force and to crime-fighting. The altruistic teetotaler McGarrett often worked very late at the office, long after his colleagues had gone home, and he also worked a lot of weekends.
In the episode "Number One with a Bullet, Part 2," McGarrett spat at a criminal, "It was a bastard like you who killed my father." His 42-year-old father had been run down and killed by someone who had just held up a supermarket. Since Steve McGarrett was also a commander in the Naval Reserve
, he sometimes used their resources to help investigate and solve crimes. Hence the closing credits of some episodes mentioned the Naval Reserve. A 1975 episode involving Danno's aunt, played by MacArthur's adoptive mother Helen Hayes
, provided a bit of Williams's back story.
Hawaii Five-O would use actual phone numbers instead of the fictional "555" exchange for the first half of the series' run. In the 1969 episode, "Blind Tiger," McGarrett, who had been temporarily blinded by an attempt on his life (a criminal bombing his car), asked a hospital operator to connect him to 732-5577, which was the phone number at Five-O headquarters.
Hawaii Five-O survived long enough to overlap with reruns of early episodes, which were broadcast by CBS in their late night schedule while new episodes were still being produced. Once the program entered syndication after the original run of the series, CBS broadcast reruns of the 12th season in late night under the title McGarrett to avoid confusion with the episodes in syndication broadcast under the title Hawaii Five-O.
. Another source instead claims that Freeman wanted to set a show in San Pedro, California
until his friend Richard Boone
convinced him to shoot it entirely in Hawaii. A third source claims Freeman discussed the show with Governor Burns only after pitching the idea to CBS. Before settling on the name "Hawaii Five-O", Freeman considered titling the show "The Man".
Freeman offered Richard Boone
the part of McGarrett, but Boone turned it down; Gregory Peck
and Robert Brown
were also considered for the part. Ultimately, Jack Lord
—then living in Beverly Hills—was asked at the last moment. Lord read for the part on a Wednesday and was cast for the part and flew to Hawaii two days later. On the following Monday, Lord was in front of the cameras. Freeman and Lord had worked together previously on an unsold TV pilot called Grand Hotel.
Kam Fong Chun
, an 18-year veteran of the Honolulu Police Department
, auditioned for the part of the lead villain Wo Fat, but Freeman cast him in the part of Chin Ho Kelly instead. Freeman took the name Wo Fat from a restaurant in downtown Honolulu. The name Chin Ho came from Chinn Ho
, the owner of the Ilikai Hotel
where the penthouse shot of Steve McGarrett in the opening title sequence was taken. Richard Denning
, who played the governor, had retired to Hawaii and came out of retirement for the show. Zulu was a Waikiki beach boy and local DJ when he was cast for the part of Kono, which he played for the next four years.
in Pearl City
, which the various cast members quickly nicknamed "Mongoose Manor." The roof tended to leak, and rats would often gnaw at the cables. The show then moved to a Fort Ruger
location for seasons two to eight. A third studio was built at Diamond Head
, and was used during the last four seasons.
A problem from the beginning was the lack of a movie industry in Hawaii. Therefore, much of the crew and cast, including many locals who ended up participating in the show, all had to learn their respective jobs as they went along. Jack Lord was known as a perfectionist who insisted on the best from everyone. His temper flared when he felt that others did not give their best, but in later reunions they admitted that Lord's hard driving force had made them better actors and made Hawaii Five-O a better show. Lord's high standards also helped the show last another seven years after Leonard Freeman's death from heart trouble during the sixth season.
To critics and viewers, there was no question that Jack Lord was the center of the show, and that the other actors frequently served as little more than props, standing and watching while McGarrett emoted and paced around his office, analyzing the crime. But occasionally episodes would focus on the other actors, and let them showcase their own talents, such as Danno defusing bombs in "The Clock Struck Twelve".
Very few episodes were shot outside of Hawaii. At least two episodes were shot in Los Angeles, one in Hong Kong and one in Singapore. Episodes shot in these locations were the only ones not to bear the "Filmed entirely on location in Hawaii" legend.
. Early shows began with a cold open
suggesting the sinister plot for that program, then cut to a shot of a big ocean wave and the start of the theme song. A fast zoom-in to the top balcony of the Ilikai
Hotel followed, showing McGarrett turning to face the camera, followed by many quick-cuts and freeze-frames of Hawaiian scenery, and Hawaiian-Chinese-Caucasian model Elizabeth Malamalamaokalani Logue turning to face the camera. A grass-skirted hula
dancer from the pilot episode was also included, played by Helen Kuoha-Torco, who later became a professor of business technology
at Windward Community College
. The opening scene ended with shots of the supporting players, and the flashing blue light of a police motorcycle racing through a Honolulu street.
At the conclusion of each episode, Jack Lord narrated a teaser for the next episode, often emphasizing the "guest villain", especially if the villain is a recurring character, such as that played by actor Hume Cronyn
. The line he spoke was, "This is Jack Lord inviting you to be with us next week for" and then, "Be here. Aloha." The teasers were removed from the syndicated episodes but most have been restored in DVD releases from the second season onward. Most of the teasers are slightly edited to remove references to "next week."
This tradition has been continued in the 2010 version of Hawaii Five-0, but is not limited to Alex O'Loughlin
. All of the primary cast members take turns with the iconic "Be here. Aloha." line at the end of the preview segment.
There were two versions of the closing credits portion of the show. During the first season, the theme music was played over a short film of a flashing blue light attached to the rear of a police motorcycle in Waikiki
heading west (the film is shown at twice the normal speed, as can be seen from people crossing a street behind the police motorcycle). In later seasons, the same music was played over film of outrigger canoeists battling the surf.
In a 2010 issue of TV Guide
, the show's opening title sequence ranked #4 on a list of TV's top 10 credits sequences, as selected by readers.
surpassed it in 2003. The popularity of the Hawaii Five-O format spawned various police dramas on all the major television networks.
Known for the location, theme song, and ensemble cast, Hawaii Five-O is also noted for its liberal use of exterior location shooting throughout the entire twelve seasons. A typical episode, on average, would have at least two-thirds of all footage shot on location, as opposed to a "typical" show of the time which would be shot largely on sound stage
s and backlot
s. It is also remembered for its relatively unique setting, notable during a time when most crime dramas of the era were set in or around the Los Angeles
or New York City
areas.
The Hawaiian-based television show Magnum, P.I.
was created after Hawaii Five-O ended its run, in order to make further use of the expensive production facilities created there for Five-O. The first few Magnum P.I. episodes made direct references to Five-O, suggesting that it takes place in the same fictional universe
. (A few attempts were made by Magnums producers to coax Jack Lord out of retirement to do a cameo appearance
, but he refused.)
The vast majority of characters in the show were non-Hispanic Caucasian, whereas only 40% of the population of the state identified themselves as such. However, many local people were cast in the show, which was ethnically diverse by the standards of the late 1960s. The first run and syndication were seen by an estimated 400 million people around the world.
Mad Magazine's lampoon of the show appeared in March, 1971 (issue number 141). Mad's parody was called "How-Are-Ya Five-O", with the characters renamed Steve "McGarrish" and "Dummy" Williams.
A one-hour pilot for a new series was made in 1996 but never aired. Produced and written by Stephen J. Cannell
, it starred Gary Busey
and Russell Wong
as the new Five-O team. James MacArthur briefly returned as Dan Williams, now governor of Hawaii. Several cameos were made by other Five-O regulars, including Kam Fong as Chin Ho Kelly (even though the character had been killed off at the end of Season 10).
The slang expression "Five-O", meaning police or the presence of police activity in a given area, has been used in New York City and other mainland urban areas since the show's television run.
The one-hour pilot for a revived show, called Hawaii Five-0 (the last character is a zero instead of the letter "O"), aired 20 September 2010 on CBS
, and as of October 2010, the series now airs Monday nights at 10 PM Eastern, 9 PM Central time. The reimagined Hawaii Five-0 uses the same principal character names as the original, and the new Steve McGarrett's late father's vintage 1974 Mercury Marquis
is the actual specimen driven by Lord in the original series's final seasons. The new series's opening credit sequence is an homage to the original; the theme song is cut in half, from 60 to 30 seconds, but is an otherwise identical instrumentation; most of the iconic shots are replicated, beginning with the helicopter approach and close-up turn of McGarrett at the Ilikai Hotel penthouse, the jet engine intake, a hula dancer's hips, the quickly stepped zoom-in to the face of the Lady Columbia statue at Punchbowl
, the close-up of the Kamehameha Statue
's face, and the ending with a police motorcycle's flashing blue gumball light.
, who also composed numerous episode scores. The theme was recorded by The Ventures
, whose version reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100
pop chart, and is particularly popular with college and high school marching band
s, especially at the University of Hawaii
where it has become the unofficial fight song. The tune has also been heard at Robertson Stadium
after Houston Dynamo
goals scored by Brian Ching
, a native of Hawaii. Because of the tempo of the music, the theme gained popularity in the UK with followers of Northern soul
and was popular on dance floors
in the 1970s.
Although the theme is most widely known as an instrumental, it has been released with at least two different sets of lyrics. The first, by Don Ho
, starts with the familiar tempo, then settles into a ballad style. The second, by Sammy Davis, Jr.
, titled "You Can Count on Me (Theme from Hawaii Five-O)", maintains the driving style of the original instrumental throughout.
Australian new wave
band Radio Birdman
also quoted Stevens' theme at length in the closing section of their 1977 single "Aloha, Steve & Danno", a tongue-in-cheek punk 'tribute' to the series.
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1976
as Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Scott Caan
as Detective Danny "Danno" Williams, Daniel Dae Kim as Detective Chin Ho Kelly, Grace Park
as Detective Kono Kalakaua, and Jean Smart
as Governor Patricia "Pat" Jameson. It premiered on CBS
on Monday, September 20, 2010.
In 1997, CBS ordered a pilot for a revived version of the series. It included James MacArthur reprising his role as Danny Williams, now the Governor of Hawaii. The series was not picked up.
streaming media.
As of September 2009, selected episodes are available at CBS.com.
These are full-length episodes available free of charge, but with ads embedded into the stream of each episode.
Netflix
also streams complete episodes without ads. The episodes can be viewed via computer as well as the Wii & Xbox 360 consoles.
) has released the first eleven seasons on DVD in Region 1. The first eight seasons have been released in region 2 and region 4. The Twelfth and final season will be released in Region 1 on January 10, 2012.
NOTE: The Season 2 episode "Bored She Hung Herself" is not included in the 2nd season set. The omission is mentioned on the back of the box. Only some Australian bootlegs have had the episode. Seasons 2–8 contain episode promos by Jack Lord
.
featuring Morton Stevens
' theme and incidental music was issued by Capitol Records
in 1970. One of the instrumental pieces on the album, "Call to Danger", was excerpted as background music accompanying a "Special Presentation" logo that CBS
used to introduce its prime time television special
s throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The album was re-issued on compact disc by Film Score Monthly
in 2010.
Hawaii Five-O was the subject of six novelization
s. Each one had a plot line written for the book and was not based on a television episode. The first two books were published by Signet Paperbacks in 1968 and 1969. After that were two juvenile hard covers published by Whitman publishing in 1969 and 1971 and finally two more books were published in England.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
police procedural
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
series produced by CBS Productions
CBS Productions
CBS Productions is the production arm of the CBS television network now a part of CBS Corporation, formed in 1952 to produce shows in-house, instead of relying solely on outside productions. Its first production was CBS Television Workshop, a drama anthology series...
and Leonard Freeman
Leonard Freeman
Leonard Freeman was an American television writer and producer whose most famous achievement was the creation of the CBS television network series Hawaii Five-O in 1968. The show ran for twelve seasons. At the time that was a record for a crime drama. In 1960, he wrote for the series Route 66; in...
. Set in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in rerun
Rerun
A rerun or repeat is a re-airing of an episode of a radio or television broadcast. The invention of the rerun is generally credited to Desi Arnaz. There are two types of reruns—those that occur during a hiatus, and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Reruns can also be, as the...
s. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett, portrayed by Jack Lord
Jack Lord
John Joseph Patrick Ryan , best known by his stage name Jack Lord, was an American television, film, and Broadway actor. He was known for his starring role as Steve McGarrett in the American television program Hawaii Five-O from 1968 to 1980. Lord appeared in feature films earlier in his career,...
. The theme music
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
composed by Morton Stevens
Morton Stevens
Morton Stevens was an American film score composer from Newark, New Jersey. In 1965 Stevens became director of music for CBS West Coast operations...
became especially popular. Most episodes would end with McGarrett instructing his subordinate to "Book 'em, Danno" sometimes specifying a charge such as "murder one."
Overview
The CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television network produced
CBS Productions
CBS Productions is the production arm of the CBS television network now a part of CBS Corporation, formed in 1952 to produce shows in-house, instead of relying solely on outside productions. Its first production was CBS Television Workshop, a drama anthology series...
Hawaii Five-O, which aired from September 20, 1968 to April 4, 1980. Currently, the program is broadcast in syndication
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
worldwide and via on-demand streaming media
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
from CBS Interactive.
(CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
also has uploaded every episode of this show via its YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
account.)
Created by Leonard Freeman
Leonard Freeman
Leonard Freeman was an American television writer and producer whose most famous achievement was the creation of the CBS television network series Hawaii Five-O in 1968. The show ran for twelve seasons. At the time that was a record for a crime drama. In 1960, he wrote for the series Route 66; in...
, Hawaii Five-O was shot on location in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, and throughout the island of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
as well as other Hawaiian islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
—with occasional filming in other locales such as Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
Hawaii Five-O was named in honor of Hawaii's status as the 50th State
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
, although the show's name ends with the letter "O" instead of the number zero. The show centers on a fictional state police force led by former U.S. naval officer Steve McGarrett (played by Jack Lord
Jack Lord
John Joseph Patrick Ryan , best known by his stage name Jack Lord, was an American television, film, and Broadway actor. He was known for his starring role as Steve McGarrett in the American television program Hawaii Five-O from 1968 to 1980. Lord appeared in feature films earlier in his career,...
), who was appointed by the Governor
Governor of Hawaii
The Governor of Hawaii is the chief executive of the state of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state...
, Paul Jameson (played by Richard Denning
Richard Denning
Richard Denning , was an American actor who starred in such movies as Creature from the Black Lagoon and An Affair to Remember , and on radio with Lucille Ball as her husband George Cooper in My Favorite Husband , the forerunner of television's I Love Lucy, for which Denning was replaced by Ball's...
, though Lew Ayres
Lew Ayres
Lew Ayres was an American actor, best known for starring as Paul in All Quiet on the Western Front and for playing Dr...
played the Governor in the pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
). In the show, McGarrett oversaw State Police officers—a young officer, Danny Williams (played by Tim O'Kelly
Tim O'Kelly
Tim O'Kelly is an American actor best known for playing the sniper "Bobby Thompson" in the Peter Bogdanovich cult film Targets. He was cast because of his boy-next-door looks and his similarity in appearance to killer Charles Whitman, on whom the character was loosely based. Tim also played the...
in the show's pilot but replaced in the regular series by James MacArthur
James MacArthur
James Gordon MacArthur was an American actor best known for the role of Danny "Danno" Williams, the reliable second-in-command of the fictional Hawaiian State Police squad Hawaii Five-O.-Early life:...
), Chin Ho Kelly (played by Kam Fong Chun
Kam Fong Chun
Kam Fong Chun , born Kam Tong Chun, was an American actor whose claim to fame was his 1968 to 1978 star performance as Chin Ho Kelly, a police detective on the CBS television network series Hawaii Five-O.-Life:...
) and Kono Kalakaua (played by Zulu
Gilbert Lani Kauhi
Gilbert Francis Lani Damian Kauhi , also known by the stage names Zulu and Zoulou, was an American actor and comedian. He is remembered largely for his portrayal of "Kono Kalakaua" on the long-running television program Hawaii Five-O.-Career:Kauhi was born in Hilo on the "Big Island" of Hawaii...
) for seasons one through four. Also, Honolulu Police Department
Honolulu Police Department
The Honolulu Police Department is the principal law enforcement agency of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawai'i, headquartered in the Alapa'i Police Headquarters in Honolulu CDP....
Officer
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
Duke Lukela (played by Herman Wedemeyer
Herman Wedemeyer
Herman John Wedemeyer was an American actor, football player, and politician. He is best known for portraying 'Sergeant/Detective "Duke" Lukela' on the crime drama Hawaii Five-O ....
) joined the team as a regular, as did Ben Kokua (played by Al Harrington
Al Harrington (actor)
Al Harrington is an American television actor. He is best known as his role as "Det. Ben Kokua" on the CBS television series Hawaii Five-O, He had previously appeared in five episodes of the series as other characters Al Harrington (born Tausau Ta'a on December 12, 1935 in Pago Pago, American...
), who replaced Kono beginning with season five. Occasionally, McGarrett's Five-O team was assisted by other officers as needed: medical examiner Doc Bergman (played by Al Eben), forensic specialist Che Fong (played by Harry Endo
Harry Endo
Harry Endo was an American actor best known for his role playing Che Fong, a forensic scientist on the television series Hawaii Five-O.Endo was born in Colorado, but spent most of his life living in Hawaii...
) and a secretary. The first secretary was May (played by Maggi Parker
Maggi Parker
Maggi Parker is an American actress, born in Nashua, New Hampshire. She also starred in 14 episodes of the US crime drama Hawaii Five-O during the years 1968 and 1969, playing the secretary. A teacher and school principal for 17 years with a B.E. and M.E. in education. Has lived in Hawaii for 48...
), then Jenny (played by Peggy Ryan
Peggy Ryan
Margaret O'Rene "Peggy" Ryan was an American dancer, best known for starring in a series of movie musicals at Universal Pictures with Donald O'Connor and Gloria Jean....
) and later Luana (played by Laura Sode-Matteson).
For twelve seasons, McGarrett and his team hounded international secret agents, criminals, and organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
syndicates plaguing the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
. With the aid of District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
and later Hawaii's Attorney General
Attorney General of Hawaii
The Attorney General of Hawaii is the chief legal and law enforcement officer of Hawaii. In present-day statehood within the United States, he or she is appointed by the elected governor with the approval of the state senate and is responsible for a state department charged with advising the...
John Manicote (played by Glenn Cannon
Glenn Cannon
Glenn Cannon is a Hawaii-based actor and educator best known for his roles on Hawaii Five-O and Magnum, P.I. More recently, he has been featured on Lost in a pair of different roles....
), McGarrett was successful in sending most of his enemies to prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
. One such Mafia syndicate was led by crime family patriarch Honore Vashon (played by Harold Gould
Harold Gould
Harold V. Goldstein , best known by his stage name Harold Gould, was an American actor best known for playing Martin Morgenstern in the 1970s sitcoms Rhoda and The Mary Tyler Moore Show and as Miles Webber in The Golden Girls...
), a character introduced in the fifth season. Most episodes of Hawaii Five-O ended with the arrest of criminals and McGarrett snapping, "Book 'em." The offense occasionally was added after this phrase, for example, "Book 'em, murder one." In many episodes this was directed to Danny Williams and became McGarrett's catchphrase, "Book 'em, Danno."
Other criminals and organized crime bosses on the islands were played by actors such as Ricardo Montalbán
Ricardo Montalbán
Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG was a Mexican radio, television, theatre and film actor. He had a career spanning six decades and many notable roles...
, Gavin MacLeod
Gavin MacLeod
Gavin MacLeod is an American actor most notable for playing Happy Haines on McHale's Navy, Murray Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Captain Merrill Stubing on The Love Boat...
, and Ross Martin
Ross Martin
Ross Martin was a Polish-born American Emmy-nominated actor known for playing Artemus Gordon in the western TV series The Wild Wild West, starring Robert Conrad, and Andamo on Mr...
as Tony Alika. By the 12th and final season, series regular James MacArthur had left the show (in 1996, he admitted that he had become tired and wanted to do other things), as had Kam Fong. Unlike other characters before him, Fong's character Chin Ho, at Fong's request, did not just vanish from the show but instead was murdered while working undercover to expose a protection ring in Chinatown in the last episode of season 10. New characters Jim 'Kimo' Carew (played by William Smith
William Smith (actor)
William Smith is an American actor who has appeared in almost 300 feature films and television productions.Smith began his acting career at the age of 8 in 1942...
), Lori Wilson (played by Sharon Farrell
Sharon Farrell
Sharon Farrell is an American television and film actress.-Career:Born as Sharon Forsmoe in Sioux City, Iowa, she made her acting debut in the 1959 film Kiss Her Goodbye...
), and Truck (played by Moe Keale
Moe Keale
Wilfred Nalani "Moe" Keale was a musician of Hawaiian music, ukulele virtuoso, and an American actor. He was uncle to Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.-Career:...
) were introduced in season 12 alongside returning regular character Duke Lukela.
The Five-O team consisted of three to five members (small for a real state police unit), and was portrayed as occupying a suite of offices in the [[ʻIolani Palace|Iolani Palace]]. The office interiors were sets on a soundstage. Five-O lacked its own radio network, necessitating frequent requests by McGarrett to the Honolulu Police Department dispatchers, "Patch me through to Danno." McGarrett's tousled yet immaculate hairstyle, as well as his proclivity for wearing a dark suit and tie on all possible occasions (uncommon in the islands), rapidly entered popular culture. While the other members of Five-O also "dressed mainland" much of the time, they also often wore local styles, such as the ubiquitous "Aloha shirt
Aloha shirt
The Aloha shirt commonly referred to as a Hawaiian shirt is a style of dress shirt originating in Hawaii. It is currently the premier textile export of the Hawaii manufacturing industry. The shirts are printed, mostly short-sleeved, and collared. They usually have buttons, sometimes as a complete...
."
In many episodes (including the pilot), McGarrett was drawn into the world of international espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
and national intelligence. McGarrett's arch-nemesis was a rogue intelligence officer of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
named Wo Fat
Wo Fat
Wo Fat is the name of a fictional villain in the long-running CBS series Hawaii Five-O. On the show, Wo Fat is the arch-nemesis of Steve McGarrett , the head of Hawaii's state police force. The character appeared in eleven episodes of Hawaii Five-O including the TV-movie pilot and the final...
. The Communist rogue agent was played by veteran actor Khigh Dhiegh. The show's final episode in 1980 was titled "Woe to Wo Fat," in which McGarrett finally saw his foe Wo go to jail.
This television show's action and straightforward story-telling left little time for personal stories involving wives or girlfriends, though a two-part story in the first season dealt with the loss of McGarrett's sister's baby. Occasionally, a show would flash back to McGarrett's younger years or to a romantic figure. The viewer was left with the impression that McGarrett, at that point in his life, much like Dragnet
Dragnet (series)
Dragnet is a radio and television crime drama about the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners...
's Joe Friday
Joe Friday
Detective Sergeant Joe Friday is a fictional detective of the LAPD.-Original Series:The Joe Friday character was created and played by American actor, television producer, and writer Jack Webb on Dragnet...
, was wedded to the police force and to crime-fighting. The altruistic teetotaler McGarrett often worked very late at the office, long after his colleagues had gone home, and he also worked a lot of weekends.
In the episode "Number One with a Bullet, Part 2," McGarrett spat at a criminal, "It was a bastard like you who killed my father." His 42-year-old father had been run down and killed by someone who had just held up a supermarket. Since Steve McGarrett was also a commander in the Naval Reserve
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
, he sometimes used their resources to help investigate and solve crimes. Hence the closing credits of some episodes mentioned the Naval Reserve. A 1975 episode involving Danno's aunt, played by MacArthur's adoptive mother Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes Brown was an American actress whose career spanned almost 70 years. She eventually garnered the nickname "First Lady of the American Theatre" and was one of twelve people who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award...
, provided a bit of Williams's back story.
Hawaii Five-O would use actual phone numbers instead of the fictional "555" exchange for the first half of the series' run. In the 1969 episode, "Blind Tiger," McGarrett, who had been temporarily blinded by an attempt on his life (a criminal bombing his car), asked a hospital operator to connect him to 732-5577, which was the phone number at Five-O headquarters.
Hawaii Five-O survived long enough to overlap with reruns of early episodes, which were broadcast by CBS in their late night schedule while new episodes were still being produced. Once the program entered syndication after the original run of the series, CBS broadcast reruns of the 12th season in late night under the title McGarrett to avoid confusion with the episodes in syndication broadcast under the title Hawaii Five-O.
Creation of the show
Sources differ on how the show came to be. One source states the idea for the show may have come from a conversation producer Leonard Freeman had with Hawaii's then-Governor John A. BurnsJohn A. Burns
John Anthony Burns served as the second Governor of Hawaii from 1962 to 1974. Born in Fort Assinniboine, Montana, Burns was a resident of Hawaii from 1913....
. Another source instead claims that Freeman wanted to set a show in San Pedro, California
San Pedro, Los Angeles, California
San Pedro is a port district of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. It was annexed in 1909 and is a major seaport of the area...
until his friend Richard Boone
Richard Boone
Richard Allen Boone was an American actor who starred in over 50 films and was notable for his roles in Westerns and for starring in the TV series Have Gun – Will Travel.-Early life:...
convinced him to shoot it entirely in Hawaii. A third source claims Freeman discussed the show with Governor Burns only after pitching the idea to CBS. Before settling on the name "Hawaii Five-O", Freeman considered titling the show "The Man".
Casting
Richard Boone
Richard Allen Boone was an American actor who starred in over 50 films and was notable for his roles in Westerns and for starring in the TV series Have Gun – Will Travel.-Early life:...
the part of McGarrett, but Boone turned it down; Gregory Peck
Gregory Peck
Eldred Gregory Peck was an American actor.One of 20th Century Fox's most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s, Peck continued to play important roles well into the 1980s. His notable performances include that of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he won an...
and Robert Brown
Robert Brown (US actor)
Robert Brown , is a television actor from the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:Brown was born in Trenton, New Jersey...
were also considered for the part. Ultimately, Jack Lord
Jack Lord
John Joseph Patrick Ryan , best known by his stage name Jack Lord, was an American television, film, and Broadway actor. He was known for his starring role as Steve McGarrett in the American television program Hawaii Five-O from 1968 to 1980. Lord appeared in feature films earlier in his career,...
—then living in Beverly Hills—was asked at the last moment. Lord read for the part on a Wednesday and was cast for the part and flew to Hawaii two days later. On the following Monday, Lord was in front of the cameras. Freeman and Lord had worked together previously on an unsold TV pilot called Grand Hotel.
Kam Fong Chun
Kam Fong Chun
Kam Fong Chun , born Kam Tong Chun, was an American actor whose claim to fame was his 1968 to 1978 star performance as Chin Ho Kelly, a police detective on the CBS television network series Hawaii Five-O.-Life:...
, an 18-year veteran of the Honolulu Police Department
Honolulu Police Department
The Honolulu Police Department is the principal law enforcement agency of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawai'i, headquartered in the Alapa'i Police Headquarters in Honolulu CDP....
, auditioned for the part of the lead villain Wo Fat, but Freeman cast him in the part of Chin Ho Kelly instead. Freeman took the name Wo Fat from a restaurant in downtown Honolulu. The name Chin Ho came from Chinn Ho
Chinn Ho
Chinn Ho was an entrepreneur, businessman, philanthropist, and self-made millionaire who pioneered Asian involvement in the Hawaiian business community.-Career:...
, the owner of the Ilikai Hotel
The Ilikai
The Ilikai is a landmark oceanfront high rise hotel and condominium at the western end of Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawai'i. When it opened in 1964, the Ilikai was the first luxury high rise hotel in Hawai'i....
where the penthouse shot of Steve McGarrett in the opening title sequence was taken. Richard Denning
Richard Denning
Richard Denning , was an American actor who starred in such movies as Creature from the Black Lagoon and An Affair to Remember , and on radio with Lucille Ball as her husband George Cooper in My Favorite Husband , the forerunner of television's I Love Lucy, for which Denning was replaced by Ball's...
, who played the governor, had retired to Hawaii and came out of retirement for the show. Zulu was a Waikiki beach boy and local DJ when he was cast for the part of Kono, which he played for the next four years.
Production
The first season was shot in a rusty military Quonset hutQuonset hut
A Quonset hut is a lightweight prefabricated structure of corrugated galvanized steel having a semicircular cross section. The design was based on the Nissen hut developed by the British during World War I...
in Pearl City
Pearl City, Hawaii
Pearl City is a census-designated place located in the Ewa District and City & County of Honolulu on the Island of Oahu. As of the 2010 Census, the CDP had a total population of 47,698. Pearl City is located along the north shore of Pearl Harbor. ʻAiea borders Pearl City to the east, while Waipahu...
, which the various cast members quickly nicknamed "Mongoose Manor." The roof tended to leak, and rats would often gnaw at the cables. The show then moved to a Fort Ruger
Fort Ruger
Fort Ruger is a fort on the island of Oahu that served as the first military reservation in the Territory of Hawaii. Named after Civil War General Thomas H...
location for seasons two to eight. A third studio was built at Diamond Head
Diamond Head, Hawaii
Diamond Head is the name of a volcanic tuff cone on the Hawaiian island of Oahu and known to Hawaiians as Lēahi, most likely from lae 'browridge, promontory' plus ahi 'tuna' because the shape of the ridgeline resembles the shape of a tuna's dorsal fin...
, and was used during the last four seasons.
A problem from the beginning was the lack of a movie industry in Hawaii. Therefore, much of the crew and cast, including many locals who ended up participating in the show, all had to learn their respective jobs as they went along. Jack Lord was known as a perfectionist who insisted on the best from everyone. His temper flared when he felt that others did not give their best, but in later reunions they admitted that Lord's hard driving force had made them better actors and made Hawaii Five-O a better show. Lord's high standards also helped the show last another seven years after Leonard Freeman's death from heart trouble during the sixth season.
To critics and viewers, there was no question that Jack Lord was the center of the show, and that the other actors frequently served as little more than props, standing and watching while McGarrett emoted and paced around his office, analyzing the crime. But occasionally episodes would focus on the other actors, and let them showcase their own talents, such as Danno defusing bombs in "The Clock Struck Twelve".
Very few episodes were shot outside of Hawaii. At least two episodes were shot in Los Angeles, one in Hong Kong and one in Singapore. Episodes shot in these locations were the only ones not to bear the "Filmed entirely on location in Hawaii" legend.
Credits
The opening title sequence was created by noted television director Reza S. BadiyiReza Badiyi
Reza Sayed Badiyi was an Iranian-American film director. Badiyi was well known for directing episodes of many popular television series...
. Early shows began with a cold open
Cold open
A cold open in a television program or movie is the technique of jumping directly into a story at the beginning or opening of the show, before the title sequence or opening credits are shown...
suggesting the sinister plot for that program, then cut to a shot of a big ocean wave and the start of the theme song. A fast zoom-in to the top balcony of the Ilikai
The Ilikai
The Ilikai is a landmark oceanfront high rise hotel and condominium at the western end of Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawai'i. When it opened in 1964, the Ilikai was the first luxury high rise hotel in Hawai'i....
Hotel followed, showing McGarrett turning to face the camera, followed by many quick-cuts and freeze-frames of Hawaiian scenery, and Hawaiian-Chinese-Caucasian model Elizabeth Malamalamaokalani Logue turning to face the camera. A grass-skirted hula
Hula
Hula is a dance form accompanied by chant or song . It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visual dance form....
dancer from the pilot episode was also included, played by Helen Kuoha-Torco, who later became a professor of business technology
Business Technology Management
Business technology management is a management science that seeks to unify business and technology decision-making at every level in an enterprise. BTM delivers a set of guiding principles, known as BTM capabilities. These capabilities are combined to form BTM solutions, around which a company's...
at Windward Community College
Windward Community College
Windward Community College is a public, co-educational commuter college in Kāneohe CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii on the island of Oahu...
. The opening scene ended with shots of the supporting players, and the flashing blue light of a police motorcycle racing through a Honolulu street.
At the conclusion of each episode, Jack Lord narrated a teaser for the next episode, often emphasizing the "guest villain", especially if the villain is a recurring character, such as that played by actor Hume Cronyn
Hume Cronyn
Hume Blake Cronyn, OC was a Canadian actor of stage and screen, who enjoyed a long career, often appearing professionally alongside his second wife, Jessica Tandy.-Early life:...
. The line he spoke was, "This is Jack Lord inviting you to be with us next week for
This tradition has been continued in the 2010 version of Hawaii Five-0, but is not limited to Alex O'Loughlin
Alex O'Loughlin
Alex O'Loughlin is an Australian actor, currently starring in CBS's Hawaii Five-0 as Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett. His best known earlier roles include Kevin Hiatt in The Shield, Mick St. John in Moonlight, Dr. Andy Yablonski in Three Rivers, and Stan in The Back-up Plan...
. All of the primary cast members take turns with the iconic "Be here. Aloha." line at the end of the preview segment.
There were two versions of the closing credits portion of the show. During the first season, the theme music was played over a short film of a flashing blue light attached to the rear of a police motorcycle in Waikiki
Waikiki
Waikiki is a neighborhood of Honolulu, in the City and County of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oahu, in Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is the shoreline fronting Waikīkī....
heading west (the film is shown at twice the normal speed, as can be seen from people crossing a street behind the police motorcycle). In later seasons, the same music was played over film of outrigger canoeists battling the surf.
In a 2010 issue of TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
, the show's opening title sequence ranked #4 on a list of TV's top 10 credits sequences, as selected by readers.
Legacy
The show was the longest running crime show on American television until Law & OrderLaw & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
surpassed it in 2003. The popularity of the Hawaii Five-O format spawned various police dramas on all the major television networks.
Known for the location, theme song, and ensemble cast, Hawaii Five-O is also noted for its liberal use of exterior location shooting throughout the entire twelve seasons. A typical episode, on average, would have at least two-thirds of all footage shot on location, as opposed to a "typical" show of the time which would be shot largely on sound stage
Sound stage
In common usage, a sound stage is a soundproof, hangar-like structure, building, or room, used for the production of theatrical filmmaking and television production, usually located on a secure movie studio property.-Overview:...
s and backlot
Backlot
A backlot is an area behind or adjoining a movie studio, containing permanent exterior buildings for outdoor scenes in filmmaking or television productions, or space for temporary set construction....
s. It is also remembered for its relatively unique setting, notable during a time when most crime dramas of the era were set in or around the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
or New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
areas.
The Hawaiian-based television show Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I. is an American television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from 1980 to 1988 in first-run broadcast on the American CBS television network....
was created after Hawaii Five-O ended its run, in order to make further use of the expensive production facilities created there for Five-O. The first few Magnum P.I. episodes made direct references to Five-O, suggesting that it takes place in the same fictional universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
. (A few attempts were made by Magnums producers to coax Jack Lord out of retirement to do a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
, but he refused.)
The vast majority of characters in the show were non-Hispanic Caucasian, whereas only 40% of the population of the state identified themselves as such. However, many local people were cast in the show, which was ethnically diverse by the standards of the late 1960s. The first run and syndication were seen by an estimated 400 million people around the world.
Mad Magazine's lampoon of the show appeared in March, 1971 (issue number 141). Mad's parody was called "How-Are-Ya Five-O", with the characters renamed Steve "McGarrish" and "Dummy" Williams.
A one-hour pilot for a new series was made in 1996 but never aired. Produced and written by Stephen J. Cannell
Stephen J. Cannell
Stephen Joseph Cannell was an American television producer, writer, novelist and occasional actor, and the founder of Stephen J. Cannell Productions.-Early life:...
, it starred Gary Busey
Gary Busey
William Gary Busey , best known as Gary Busey, is an American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a large variety of films, as well as making regular appearances on Gunsmoke, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order, and Entourage...
and Russell Wong
Russell Wong
Russell Girard Wong is an American actor and photographer, as well as the brother of actor/model Michael Wong.-Biography:...
as the new Five-O team. James MacArthur briefly returned as Dan Williams, now governor of Hawaii. Several cameos were made by other Five-O regulars, including Kam Fong as Chin Ho Kelly (even though the character had been killed off at the end of Season 10).
The slang expression "Five-O", meaning police or the presence of police activity in a given area, has been used in New York City and other mainland urban areas since the show's television run.
The one-hour pilot for a revived show, called Hawaii Five-0 (the last character is a zero instead of the letter "O"), aired 20 September 2010 on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, and as of October 2010, the series now airs Monday nights at 10 PM Eastern, 9 PM Central time. The reimagined Hawaii Five-0 uses the same principal character names as the original, and the new Steve McGarrett's late father's vintage 1974 Mercury Marquis
Mercury Marquis
These were known as the "Continental Styling" years, as Mercury was trying to market itself as an affordable Lincoln, rather than a more expensive Ford...
is the actual specimen driven by Lord in the original series's final seasons. The new series's opening credit sequence is an homage to the original; the theme song is cut in half, from 60 to 30 seconds, but is an otherwise identical instrumentation; most of the iconic shots are replicated, beginning with the helicopter approach and close-up turn of McGarrett at the Ilikai Hotel penthouse, the jet engine intake, a hula dancer's hips, the quickly stepped zoom-in to the face of the Lady Columbia statue at Punchbowl
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is a cemetery located in Honolulu, Hawaii that serves a memorial to those men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces...
, the close-up of the Kamehameha Statue
Kamehameha Statue
Several Kamehameha Statues honor the monarch who founded the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Gould's work:One stands prominently in front of Aliiolani Hale in Honolulu, Hawaii. The statue had its origins in 1878 when Walter M. Gibson, a member of the Hawaiian government at the time, wanted to commemorate the...
's face, and the ending with a police motorcycle's flashing blue gumball light.
Theme music
Another legacy of the show is the popularity of the Hawaii Five-O theme music. The tune was composed by Morton StevensMorton Stevens
Morton Stevens was an American film score composer from Newark, New Jersey. In 1965 Stevens became director of music for CBS West Coast operations...
, who also composed numerous episode scores. The theme was recorded by The Ventures
The Ventures
The Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
, whose version reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
pop chart, and is particularly popular with college and high school marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
s, especially at the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii at Manoa
The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii system...
where it has become the unofficial fight song. The tune has also been heard at Robertson Stadium
Robertson Stadium
John O'Quinn Field at Corbin J. Robertson Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, located on the campus of the University of Houston. It is the home of the Houston Cougars football and women's soccer teams...
after Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
goals scored by Brian Ching
Brian Ching
Brian Ching is an American professional soccer forward currently playing for the Montreal Impact of Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
, a native of Hawaii. Because of the tempo of the music, the theme gained popularity in the UK with followers of Northern soul
Northern soul
Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged from the British mod scene, initially in northern England in the late 1960s. Northern soul mainly consists of a particular style of black American soul music based on the heavy beat and fast tempo of the mid-1960s Tamla Motown sound...
and was popular on dance floors
Performance surface
A performance surface is a flooring suitable for dance or sport. Performance surfaces are normally laid on top of, or are part of, a sprung floor to produce a complete dance floor or sports floor....
in the 1970s.
Although the theme is most widely known as an instrumental, it has been released with at least two different sets of lyrics. The first, by Don Ho
Don Ho
Donald Tai Loy "Don" Ho was a Hawaiian and traditional pop musician, singer and entertainer.-Life and career:Ho, of Chinese, Hawaiian, Portuguese, Dutch, and German descent, was born in the small Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako, but he grew up in Kāneohe on the windward side of the island of Oahu...
, starts with the familiar tempo, then settles into a ballad style. The second, by Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
, titled "You Can Count on Me (Theme from Hawaii Five-O)", maintains the driving style of the original instrumental throughout.
Australian new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band Radio Birdman
Radio Birdman
Radio Birdman was one of the first punk bands in Australia along with The Saints. Deniz Tek and Rob Younger formed the group in Sydney, Australia in 1974...
also quoted Stevens' theme at length in the closing section of their 1977 single "Aloha, Steve & Danno", a tongue-in-cheek punk 'tribute' to the series.
Withheld episode
"Bored She Hung Herself", the 16th episode of the second season, depicted a Five-O investigation into the apparent suicide of a woman by hanging, which she was supposedly practicing as part of a health regimen. A viewer reportedly died trying the same technique, and as a result, the show was not rebroadcast, was never included in any syndication packages, and was not included in the DVD set of the second season released on July 31, 2007.Emmys
The show was nominated for the following Emmy Awards throughout its run (wins are in bold):1969
- Outstanding Cinematography: Frank Phillips, "Up-Tight"
- Outstanding Musical Composition: Morton Stevens, the pilot
1970
- Outstanding Musical Composition: Morton Stevens, "A Thousand Pardons, You're Dead!"
1971
- Outstanding Film Editing: Arthur David Hilton, "Over Fifty? Steal"
- Outstanding Directing: Bob Sweeney, "Over Fifty? Steal"
1972
- Outstanding Cinematography: Robert L. Morrison
1973
- Outstanding Drama Series: Leonard Freeman, executive producer; Bob Sweeney, supervising producer; William Finnegan, producer
1974
- Best Cinematography: Robert Morrison, Jack Whitman and Bill Huffman
- Best Music Composition - Series: Morton Stevens, "Hookman"
- Best Music Composition - Series: Don B. Ray, "Nightmare in Blue"
- Best Music Composition - Series: Bruce BroughtonBruce BroughtonBruce Broughton is a film, video game, and television soundtrack composer who has composed several highly acclaimed soundtracks over his extensive career, including American music classics such as "Homeward Bound," "Silverado", "Tombstone," and wonderfully lyric music for "Miracle on 34th...
, "The $500,000 Nickel"
1976
- Outstanding Actress, Single Performance Drama or Comedy Series: Helen HayesHelen HayesHelen Hayes Brown was an American actress whose career spanned almost 70 years. She eventually garnered the nickname "First Lady of the American Theatre" and was one of twelve people who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award...
, "Retire in Sunny Hawaii ... Forever"
2010 version
On May 19, 2010, CBS announced that a new re-imagined version of Hawaii Five-O, this one set in present-day Hawaii and called Hawaii Five-0 with the last character a zero instead of a capital letter, would join the network's 2010–2011 fall lineup. The updated version stars Alex O'LoughlinAlex O'Loughlin
Alex O'Loughlin is an Australian actor, currently starring in CBS's Hawaii Five-0 as Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett. His best known earlier roles include Kevin Hiatt in The Shield, Mick St. John in Moonlight, Dr. Andy Yablonski in Three Rivers, and Stan in The Back-up Plan...
as Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Scott Caan
Scott Caan
Scott Andrew Caan is an American actor. He stars in the CBS television series Hawaii Five-0, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe award. He is the son of actor James Caan.-Early life:...
as Detective Danny "Danno" Williams, Daniel Dae Kim as Detective Chin Ho Kelly, Grace Park
Grace Park (actress)
Grace Park is an American-born Canadian actress. She gained recognition as Sharon Valerii on Battlestar Galactica, as well as Shannon Ng in the Canadian television series teen soap Edgemont...
as Detective Kono Kalakaua, and Jean Smart
Jean Smart
Jean E. Smart is an American film, television, and stage actress. She is known for her comedic roles, one of the best known being her role as Charlene Frazier Stillfield on the CBS sitcom Designing Women. She later gained critical acclaim for dramatic work, with her portrayal of Martha Logan on 24...
as Governor Patricia "Pat" Jameson. It premiered on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
on Monday, September 20, 2010.
In 1997, CBS ordered a pilot for a revived version of the series. It included James MacArthur reprising his role as Danny Williams, now the Governor of Hawaii. The series was not picked up.
Cast
- Steve McGarrett, played by Jack LordJack LordJohn Joseph Patrick Ryan , best known by his stage name Jack Lord, was an American television, film, and Broadway actor. He was known for his starring role as Steve McGarrett in the American television program Hawaii Five-O from 1968 to 1980. Lord appeared in feature films earlier in his career,...
- Danny "Danno" Williams, played by James MacArthurJames MacArthurJames Gordon MacArthur was an American actor best known for the role of Danny "Danno" Williams, the reliable second-in-command of the fictional Hawaiian State Police squad Hawaii Five-O.-Early life:...
- Kono Kalakaua, played by Gilbert Lani KauhiGilbert Lani KauhiGilbert Francis Lani Damian Kauhi , also known by the stage names Zulu and Zoulou, was an American actor and comedian. He is remembered largely for his portrayal of "Kono Kalakaua" on the long-running television program Hawaii Five-O.-Career:Kauhi was born in Hilo on the "Big Island" of Hawaii...
(credited as Zulu) - Chin Ho Kelly, played by Kam Fong ChunKam Fong ChunKam Fong Chun , born Kam Tong Chun, was an American actor whose claim to fame was his 1968 to 1978 star performance as Chin Ho Kelly, a police detective on the CBS television network series Hawaii Five-O.-Life:...
(credited as Kam Fong) - Attorney General John Manicote, played by Glenn CannonGlenn CannonGlenn Cannon is a Hawaii-based actor and educator best known for his roles on Hawaii Five-O and Magnum, P.I. More recently, he has been featured on Lost in a pair of different roles....
- Ben Kokua, played by Al HarringtonAl Harrington (actor)Al Harrington is an American television actor. He is best known as his role as "Det. Ben Kokua" on the CBS television series Hawaii Five-O, He had previously appeared in five episodes of the series as other characters Al Harrington (born Tausau Ta'a on December 12, 1935 in Pago Pago, American...
(1972–1975) - Duke Lukela (HPD police sergeant promoted to Five-O), played by Herman WedemeyerHerman WedemeyerHerman John Wedemeyer was an American actor, football player, and politician. He is best known for portraying 'Sergeant/Detective "Duke" Lukela' on the crime drama Hawaii Five-O ....
(1971–1980) - Governor Paul Jameson, played by Richard DenningRichard DenningRichard Denning , was an American actor who starred in such movies as Creature from the Black Lagoon and An Affair to Remember , and on radio with Lucille Ball as her husband George Cooper in My Favorite Husband , the forerunner of television's I Love Lucy, for which Denning was replaced by Ball's...
(original cast) (1968–1980) (Lew AyresLew AyresLew Ayres was an American actor, best known for starring as Paul in All Quiet on the Western Front and for playing Dr...
in the pilot) - James (later "Kimo") Carew, played by William SmithWilliam Smith (actor)William Smith is an American actor who has appeared in almost 300 feature films and television productions.Smith began his acting career at the age of 8 in 1942...
(1979–1980) - Truck Kealoha, played by Moe KealeMoe KealeWilfred Nalani "Moe" Keale was a musician of Hawaiian music, ukulele virtuoso, and an American actor. He was uncle to Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.-Career:...
(1979–1980) - Frank Kamana, played by Douglas Mossman (1975–76)
- Lori Wilson, played by Sharon FarrellSharon FarrellSharon Farrell is an American television and film actress.-Career:Born as Sharon Forsmoe in Sioux City, Iowa, she made her acting debut in the 1959 film Kiss Her Goodbye...
(1979–1980) - May (secretary), played by Maggi ParkerMaggi ParkerMaggi Parker is an American actress, born in Nashua, New Hampshire. She also starred in 14 episodes of the US crime drama Hawaii Five-O during the years 1968 and 1969, playing the secretary. A teacher and school principal for 17 years with a B.E. and M.E. in education. Has lived in Hawaii for 48...
(original cast) (1968–1969) (Mitzi Hoag in the pilot) - Jenny Sherman (secretary), played by Peggy RyanPeggy RyanMargaret O'Rene "Peggy" Ryan was an American dancer, best known for starring in a series of movie musicals at Universal Pictures with Donald O'Connor and Gloria Jean....
(1970–76) - Other original first season characters portrayed by Nancy KwanNancy KwanNancy "Ka Shen" Kwan is a Eurasian-American actress, who played a pivotal role in the acceptance of actors of Asian descent in major Hollywood film roles...
, Leslie NielsenLeslie NielsenLeslie William Nielsen, OC was a Canadian and naturalized American actor and comedian. Nielsen appeared in more than one hundred films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying more than 220 characters...
and Andrew DugganAndrew Duggan-Career:During World War II, Duggan was in the 40th Special Services Company, led by actor Melvyn Douglas in the China Burma India Theater of World War II. His contact with Douglas later led to his performing with Lucille Ball in the play Dreamgirl. He developed a friendship with Broadway...
(original cast)
Recurring characters
- Wo FatWo FatWo Fat is the name of a fictional villain in the long-running CBS series Hawaii Five-O. On the show, Wo Fat is the arch-nemesis of Steve McGarrett , the head of Hawaii's state police force. The character appeared in eleven episodes of Hawaii Five-O including the TV-movie pilot and the final...
(Chinese agent and criminal mastermind), played by Khigh Dhiegh in the pilot, and occasionally throughout the series, including the final episode. - Che Fong (the forensic specialist), played by Harry EndoHarry EndoHarry Endo was an American actor best known for his role playing Che Fong, a forensic scientist on the television series Hawaii Five-O.Endo was born in Colorado, but spent most of his life living in Hawaii...
- Joey Lee (former gang leader turned undercover informant for McGarrett), played by Brian TochiBrian TochiBrian Keith Tochihara , better known as Brian Tochi, is a U.S. actor, screen-writer, movie director and producer. He was widely recognized as the most popular East Asian child actor working in U.S. television during the late 1960s through much of the 1970s having appeared in various T.V. series and...
- Doc Bergman (the medical examiner), played by Al Eben
- Lieutenant Kealoha, played by Douglas Mossman (season 1)
- Jonathan Kaye (from the State Dept.), played by James GregoryJames Gregory (actor)James Gregory was an American character actor noted for his deep, gravelly voice and playing brash roles such as McCarthy-like Senator John Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate , the audacious General Ursus in Beneath the Planet of the Apes, and loudmouthed Inspector Luger in Barney Miller...
(pilot), Joseph Sirola (season 2–5), Bill EdwardsBill Edwards (actor)Bill Edwards was an American film/television actor, championship rodeo rider and a multi talented artist....
(seasons 6–9), and Lyle BettgerLyle BettgerLyle S. Bettger was a character actor known most for his Hollywood roles from the 1950s, typically portraying villains...
(season 10) - "Doc" (full name never used), played by Newell Tarrant (season1), and Robert Brilliande and Ted Thorpe (season 2), and Robert Costa (season 3)
- Che Fong, played by Danny Kamekona (seasons 1 and 2)
- Luana, played by Laura Sode
- Attorney General Walter Stewart, played by Morgan WhiteMorgan White-Career and film information:Best known to a generation of Hawaii viewers as "Pogo Poge" in the locally-produced Checkers & Pogo show, White also wrote and produced several episodes of the show. Checkers & Pogo, which ran from 1967 to 1982 and produced by KGMB/Honolulu, is considered the...
(season 1) - Mildred, played by Peggy RyanPeggy RyanMargaret O'Rene "Peggy" Ryan was an American dancer, best known for starring in a series of movie musicals at Universal Pictures with Donald O'Connor and Gloria Jean....
(season 1) - Sandi Wells, played by Amanda McBroomAmanda McBroomAmanda McBroom is an American singer, songwriter and cabaret performer. One of the songs she has written is "The Rose", which Bette Midler sang in the film of the same name...
(season 8,9) - Nick (Tom Kellog), played by Danny Kamekona (seasons 5–7, 12)
Streaming media
CBS Interactive had presented the entire first season of the show online via Adobe FlashAdobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
streaming media.
As of September 2009, selected episodes are available at CBS.com.
These are full-length episodes available free of charge, but with ads embedded into the stream of each episode.
Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
also streams complete episodes without ads. The episodes can be viewed via computer as well as the Wii & Xbox 360 consoles.
DVD releases
CBS DVD (distributed by ParamountParamount Home Entertainment
Paramount Home Entertainment is the division of Paramount Pictures dealing with home video founded in late 1975.-History:...
) has released the first eleven seasons on DVD in Region 1. The first eight seasons have been released in region 2 and region 4. The Twelfth and final season will be released in Region 1 on January 10, 2012.
NOTE: The Season 2 episode "Bored She Hung Herself" is not included in the 2nd season set. The omission is mentioned on the back of the box. Only some Australian bootlegs have had the episode. Seasons 2–8 contain episode promos by Jack Lord
Jack Lord
John Joseph Patrick Ryan , best known by his stage name Jack Lord, was an American television, film, and Broadway actor. He was known for his starring role as Steve McGarrett in the American television program Hawaii Five-O from 1968 to 1980. Lord appeared in feature films earlier in his career,...
.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Dates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | ||
| The First Season | 24 | March 6, 2007 | April 16, 2007 | April 12, 2007 |
| The Second Season | 24 | July 31, 2007 | October 29, 2007 | November 8, 2007 |
| The Third Season | 24 | January 22, 2008 | May 5, 2008 | May 15, 2008 |
| The Fourth Season | 24 | June 10, 2008 | September 1, 2008 | November 6, 2008 |
| The Fifth Season | 24 | November 18, 2008 | February 9, 2009 | March 5, 2009 |
| The Sixth Season | 24 | April 21, 2009 | September 14, 2009 | December 24, 2009 |
| The Seventh Season | 24 | October 20, 2009 | March 22, 2010 | December 24, 2009 |
| The Eighth Season | 23 | March 16, 2010 | TBA | TBA |
| The Ninth Season | 24 | August 3, 2010 | TBA | TBA |
| The Tenth Season | 24 | December 14, 2010 | TBA | TBA |
| The Eleventh Season | 22 | September 20, 2011 | TBA | TBA |
| The Twelfth Season | 20 | January 10, 2012 | TBA | TBA |
Other media
A soundtrack albumSoundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
featuring Morton Stevens
Morton Stevens
Morton Stevens was an American film score composer from Newark, New Jersey. In 1965 Stevens became director of music for CBS West Coast operations...
' theme and incidental music was issued by Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
in 1970. One of the instrumental pieces on the album, "Call to Danger", was excerpted as background music accompanying a "Special Presentation" logo that CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
used to introduce its prime time television special
Television special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...
s throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The album was re-issued on compact disc by Film Score Monthly
Film Score Monthly
Film Score Monthly is an online magazine founded by editor-in-chief and executive producer Lukas Kendall in June 1990 as The Soundtrack Correspondence List...
in 2010.
- Hawaii Five-0 (1:32)
- Call to Danger (1:48)
- McGarrett's Theme (2:25)
- Front Street (2:42)
- The Long Wait (2:18)
- Blues Trip (3:14)
- The Floater (2:23)
- Interlude (1:53)
- Operation Smash (2:05)
- Beach Trip (2:30)
- Up Tight (2:05)
- The Chase/Hawaii Five-0 (4:36)
Hawaii Five-O was the subject of six novelization
Novelization
A novelization is a novel that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work.Novelizations of films usually add background material not found in the original work to flesh out the story, because novels are generally longer than screenplays...
s. Each one had a plot line written for the book and was not based on a television episode. The first two books were published by Signet Paperbacks in 1968 and 1969. After that were two juvenile hard covers published by Whitman publishing in 1969 and 1971 and finally two more books were published in England.
External links
- Hawaii Five-O Home Page at mjq.net
- Hawaii Five-O theme song and opening sequence (audiovideo)
- Hawaii Five-O selected First Season episodes at cbs.com
- Hawaii Five-O Episode Guide' at TV Favourites
- Jack Lord and Hawaii Five-0 Website