Shark Bytes

Nice novel Mr Hammond. Can you get it published? Geez All sources say Jack Lord was a bastard to work with. He ruled with an iron fist. He would get crewmen fired if he turned and saw one simply looking at him. He got the actor know as Zulu fired because the local fire department was honoring him and Lord was so jealous he concocted a fake reason to fire him. None of the cast members ever visited him after the series. Neighbors of Lords said he was a recluse and had virtually no visitors or friends. His last years were aimlessly walking the beaches while suffering from Alzheimers. Sad way to end ones life. Hey, you treat people like pricks, you get treated back the same way later.

Hawaii Five-O had a draw all its own. As others have noted, it captured the zeitgeist of the late 60s and early 70s with its hippies, Vietnam allusions, mod fashions, and McGarrett’s obsessive law-and-order approach (including Nixonian taping of every conversation). As these features became passé in the late 70s and in 1980, the show waned considerably. Sure, it was replete with poor camera work (boom microphones in the frame, etc.), continuity gaffs, far-fetched scenarios, McGarrettisms (like “Kono, get me a list of everyone who bought a carton of milk in that last month”), geographical errors, and bad acting. Occasionally, it even had McGarrett in ludicrously flamboyant attire. But these campy touches made the show all the more endearing.

The most compelling episodes of Hawaii Five-O usually had a concoction of at least three of these ingredients: (1) a decent plot (usually with a surprise ending); (2) a creepy but credible villain with an unusual motivation; (3) a display of McGarrett as 24/7 uber-cop—crafty, monomaniacal, and uptight; (4) a distinctly Hawaiian setting or issue; and (5) great incidental music. As the show aged, the writers and producers lost sight of these qualities. Plots became less compelling, villains had trite or scant motivation, and McGarrett began wearing leisure suits. The show further lost much of its potency as its distinctive and edgy background music of Mort Stevens (the theme song’s composer) and Don Ray was abandoned for more bland and syrupy orchestrations. Moreover, the show suffered greatly as it lost touch with its Hawaiian-ness. Some episodes in the latter seasons could have been set anywhere, having only tired references to the same old places (e.g. Ala Wai Yacht Club).

Certainly, James MacArthur’s departure marked the death-knell of the show (how could it endure without the by-then requisite “Book ‘em, Danno”?), But, if the definition of “jump the shark” is the point-of-no-return, when a show will never be the same, then I say that Five-O jumped the shark at Episode 228, “A Short Walk on the Longshore,” which aired on 2/2/78 toward the end of the 10th season. Yes, there are a few good shows after that point; however, Episode 228 has too many jarring moments where McGarrett is woefully out-of-character. For starters, he goes undercover as a merchant sailor, but he doesn’t let his staff know. Instead, McGarrett lies to Danno about going back to the mainland (no good reason is given for McGarrett’s gambit). McGarrett, who is usually paternalistic toward his men, here not only deceives them, but he even clocks his protégé, Danno. These uncharacteristic behaviors, coupled with a dorky disguise and a boring plot about the murder of a candidate for president of the longshoremen, cause one to wonder if Five-O has come off its wheels. No further proof is needed when McGarrett, who throughout the series trumpets his own tee totaling (lest in a moment of weakness Hawaii slip into a morass of degradation, no doubt), gets sloshed and gives soliloquies from his barstool. It is conduct unbefitting the implacable head of Five-O. In short, the coach turns back into a pumpkin. From that point on, even the most diehard fans (including me) have a hard time suspending disbelief that Five-O is on duty.

love this show and there are no actors with the tv screen presence of jack lord...i do think the show bit a little shark after danno left...sorry i still think it was good bit lost a lot...i also have all the shows including the banned episode called bored she hung herself in case someone is looking of it...email me at napo396@yahoo.com

I think that Jack Lord was the best Steve McGarrett ever because he really got into the role. Jack Lord dyed his hair black because he either wanted to cover up the grey hair (couldn't blame him. Then I heard that he dyed it black because it had to do something with James Bond. I don't care how old Jack Lord was during "Five-0", I still think he was cute no matter what. In "The Ninety-Second War Part I", I didn't like the part when the 2 HPD guys found Steve upside down in Benny Jalore's car b/c I never saw him like that. The 1 episode I definently cannot watch again is "Nine Dragons" because that's when Wo Fat brainwashed McGarrett and I could NOT standing seeing him brainwashed.

Book 'em, Danno!!"

How about day the first regularly produced ep as a jumper. In the pilot they had the sexy, beautiful and talented Nancy Kwan as a college student dating McGarrett. She was perfect to have been in more eps as his girl but alas it wasn't to be! I saw this pilot recently on the dvd to the first season. As much as I love my own everyday girlfriend, someday a long time from now when I go to heaven I want Nancy Kwan by my side for eternity! Please God make it happen!

This show never jumped! And as for this no-life Bobo person, let me just say it's funny how you "Misty" dorks love to roam the internet criticizing every other show in the world but you become such crybabies whenever anyone points out the many, many, many ways that Mumbling Mike Nelson and that stupid Sci Fi Channel puppet show sucked! We won't go to that show's entry and make snotty remarks about how lame that show was if you and your fellow Comic Book Guy types go watch your copies of that stupid show that got canned after just a couple years and leave a quality show like Hawaii 5-0 to people who are grown up enough to appreciate it. Deal?

jack lord was the best actor! hawaii five-0, imo, was the best crime/drama series. IMO, all of the actors were great. i think no one else can replace jack lord, james macarthur, zulu and kam fong as mcgarrett, daano, kono, and chin.

be there. aloha

aloha to jack lord! we all miss you.

This was an utterly brilliant show that never jumped the shark! And to that immature Bobo dork just let me say they need to get a life and stop fixating on some long canceled Sci Fi Channel puppet show that sucked! Even the worst 5-0 episode was far better than that stupid show that always sucked even worse than the movies being shown!

A comment I have NEVER seen mentioned on JTS, or ANY 5-0 site is something I had to travel to Honolulu (in 1995)to find out. They must have filmed 95% of that show's 12-year run in an area of about the size of 15 square miles! I swear, if I had seen Honolulu and its area before or while the show was on, I would never have been able to believe any of it. When a villan robs a bank, watching the show you'd think it was like L.A., where he had 30 directions to go in! In reality, there was like 2 ways outta town! And that tunnel always used in scenes? It goes in/out of Diamond Head, and is like 20 feet long. Man o man, they made good use out of little space. If you been to Honolulu, ya know what I speak of!

This sounds odd, but it's always bothered me McGarrett was not given a new black Mercury Marquis sedan to drive when the downsized Marquis went on sale for the 1979 model year. Perhaps whomever oversaw providing vehicles for the series knew the show was on it's way out, and didn't bother worrying with getting a new car to use.
It is surprising the series lasted the amount of time it did, considering how many cast changes it underwent during its run. And I never understood why Wo Fat, who was featured in the series pilot in 1968, and also appeared on the series off and on through 1977, did not appear during 1978 and 1979, but then returned for the series finale in 1980! The writers did do a good job of keeping the scripts fresh for as long as they could, though the episodes featuring military related crimes were not as interesting as the episodes where they just had regular criminals to track down. Too bad Danno left the series at the end of the 1978/79 season and then the network decided to run the series for one last season. They were all good actors, though.

I have the first two seasons worth of "Hawaii Five-O" on DVD, and I don't regret purchasing either of them, not just because of its opening and closing titles and music, but because it was a great series all around. Other "pretenders" like "Seinfeld," "Friends," and "Raymond" don't compare to it, and as such, I would have regretted purchasing them-- "Friends" mainly because of its very unpleasant opening theme called "I'll Be There For You" by The Rembrandts, which just doesn't cut it with me as compared to Morton Stevens' superbly orchestrated and composed theme of "Hawaii Five-O."

IMHO Five-0 upped and died after season 11 when James MacArthur left but the signs were there before. With the exit of the other team members it wasn't the same. For the person who mention Danno's `perm' it was his real hair and for those of you who think James was a bad actor try checking out his website and seeing the reviews of his other work and his award nominations. He was once pitched as the new James Dean! Danny Williams's character was limited only by the scripts and by Lord's cut of the pie - they got worse as the show went on but in some classic episodes he did a better job of appearing human than McGarrett did.

"Does anyone know why the episode BORED, SHE HUNG HERSELF wasn't included in the 2nd season collection?"

Early news indicated it would be, but it wasn't, probably for the same reason it never airs: According to Leonard Freeman's widow, early on someone died after imitating the hanging technique portrayed in the show.

2 words: wo fat

Normally, I don't watch cop shows, but Mcgarrett is the MAN. He not only catches the bad guys, but his hair is never out of place. The suspense is great on the show and the theme is outstanding. Many great actors got their start on Hawaii Five O or kept their career going. Definitely one of the all-time great shows.