Each week, I take a look back at a pilot from the 2010-11 season, first reviewed on my blog during that season. This week, I am looking at CBS's long-running remake of Hawaii Five-0!
The Details:
Premiered: September 20, 2010 on CBS
Starring: Alex O'Loughlin, Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park
Based on the original series Created by Leonard Freeman
What I Thought Then:
"It is certainly high energy if nothing else but the pilot played more like a shoot 'em up action movie with buddy comedy elements that was missing lots of important parts."
"The opening scene of the pilot was intense but not the knock out punch one would imagine for such a hyped series and it was more violent than I anticipated."
"The Hawaii backdrop makes for some excellent exterior scenes and some fun elements you can't get in other crime shows."
"It might be the type of show to drop in on from time to time but not a must-see every week. At least we get a theme song!"
What Others Said:
"The remake of Hawaii Five-0 is the best kind of throwback - to the buddy cop films of the 1980s. Think "Lethal Weapon" with a tropical twist." - Mark A. Perigard, Boston Herald
"It ain't deep but the new Five-0 has the setting, it has the style and it has the cast to work." - Alan Sepinwall, HtiFix
"It's an awfully attractive cast, and while the pilot has an often grim tone, it's enjoyable to watch and should fit comfortably into the NCIS network's schedule." - Matt Roush, TV Guide
"It is, by default, one of the better new shows o the big networks, and it does what it's trying to do very well. But what it's trying to do is very limited in its aims and upside." - James Poniewozik, Time Magazine
"CBS remakes Hawaii Five-0 as just another piece of turn-your-brain-off escapist fare, a loud action-packed pilot with little heart and less humor." - Rob Owen, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
What I Think Now:
My first thought watching this pilot was "dang, broadcast TV used to really pour money into their pilots." In the era of streaming, it's interesting to see such a big budget show wrapped up in all the procedural trappings that broadcast loves to do. The sheer amount of scenes and explosions made this a really good-looking pilot. I know this probably wasn't the norm for the show in later episodes, but you wouldn't see this production level on any broadcast pilot nowadays. However, this pilot was a perfect example of all style and no substance. Beneath the explosions and gorgeous Hawaii scenery, it was a pretty dull procedural pilot. It felt like so many other CBS crime dramas over the years. Sure, there was some fun dynamics between Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan, but there was nothing that made this pilot stand apart besides its looks. And if you knew the looks weren't going to last, then you knew it wasn't going to be a show worth sticking with. I was also pretty surprised at how dated so much of the technology, especially the cell phones, already seemed. On the plus side, it did have that great theme song - one of TV's all-time bests that was updated nicely, and the great Jean Smart showed up and showed authority in her brief appearance.
What Happened to the Show:
Hawaii Five-0 was the big ticket item for CBS in Fall 2010. It got the coveted Monday night timeslot that had been occupied by CSI: Miami for many years. It got an insane amount of promotion over the summer. It debuted to solid reviews (66 on Metacritic) and good but not gangbusters numbers. Hawaii Five-0 developed a reputation as a bit of an underperformer during its three years on Mondays. It wasn't a flop but it wasn't a giant hit either. Then it was sent to Fridays and the pressure came off. It suddenly became a perfect fit with Blue Bloods and found seven blissful years on Fridays. While it had been an underperformer on a higher profile night, it proved to be a really solid and steady performer for a long time on a lower profile night. That added up to ten seasons and 240 episodes before it ended its run on April 3, 2020. It managed to wrap up its run just before the COVID shutdowns of production. It doesn't seem to be a show that has had a lot of continued love after its run like Blue Bloods but a ten year run is definitely nothing to scoff at. During its run, it had crossovers with NCIS: Los Angeles, MacGyver and Magnum P.I. I remember watching a few episodes in its first season and maybe a couple after that but it was never anything I stuck with. And of course Scott Caan is returning to the CBS procedural world this fall with NCIS: New York.
Final Episode: April 3, 2020
Episode Count: 240
Where to Watch: Paramount+, entire series available on DVD
I'm excited to be contributing to The TV Ratings Guide! You can read my regular work at Benjamonster's TV!
