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Magnum PI reboot debuts... but what did fans think?

The Editors
Updated
Photo credit: CBS
Photo credit: CBS

From Digital Spy

Warning: Spoilers for the premiere of the new Magnum PI follow.

The long awaited revival of Magnum PI finally premiered in the US last night and, naturally, fans had a lot to say.

Billed as an "update of the classic television series", the debut episode on CBS was filled with shock twists, including an explosion of the famous red Ferrari.

A deep dive into the Twitter hashtags reveals a good deal of positive reviews, especially considering the sky-high standards reboots are held to.

For some, just the idea of an old favourite returning to the small screen sparked those fuzzy nostalgia feelings.

Of course, following such a well-loved '80s staple, the reboot has a lot to live up to, and while most of the feedback was very positive, there were viewers who thought the 2018 effort didn't quite make the cut

One even branded it "hot garbage". Yikes.

Then there were also those who remained loyal to the original moustachioed heartthrob Tom Selleck.

The lead role of a Marine returning to his Hawaii home to become a private investigator is now played by Jay Hernandez, previously seen in Suicide Squad, Scandal and Bad Moms.

Photo credit: CBS
Photo credit: CBS

Unfortunately, Hernandez didn't quite capture the hearts of some fans still holding onto their teen crush.

In the lead-up to the reboot, there were also some accusations of 'whitewashing' levelled at the casting.

The Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) acknowledged that the show is "diverse", but insisted that it does not go far enough to include Asian/Pacific Islander actors given its setting.

CBS responded to the claims by highlighting that two of Magnum PI's series regulars are of Asian descent (Tim Kang, who's Korean-American, and Amy Hill, an American of Japanese descent), and stating: "Additionally, people of colour and women will represent 46% of our writers, and 43% of directed episodes."

And fans were split on the issue after seeing the first episode:

So now it's up to the next few episodes to keep fans watching – and change the minds of any doubters.

Magnum PI airs on CBS in the US.

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