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Friday, April 9, 2021

This Day in TV History: Magnum Meets Digger

Mike here taking a crack at the history books and a quick look back at one of our favorite episodes of one of our favorite shows, featuring two of our favorite stars! 

Forty years ago, the Magnum P.I episode "J. Digger Doyle" premiered on CBS, bringing together Tom Selleck and his magical mustache with BOTNS four-timer(!) Erin Gray. I don't like peanut butter, but if I did, I imagine the fabled mixing of chocolate and peanut butter might go over as well as this pairing. As a bonus, the episode includes a good deal of Orson Welles as the voice of Robin Masters.

Of course, we discussed the episode at length on the podcast. In short, some bad guys want to steal Robin Masters' latest manuscript, and Gray's Digger Doyle arrives in Hawaii as an at-first undercover security agent. Digger and Magnum go through a whole range of emotions together, and Gray and Selleck play them all with great ease.


Flirtation


Intensity

Annoyance

Ooh-la-la-la

Partnership


Anger and betrayal

More ooh-la-la-la

More annoyance

Good times!


Some notable trivia courtesy Magnum Mania! (where they rate this episode number 11 in their top 40).

  • If things had worked out, this episode could have led to a Digger Doyle series for Gray. Alas, they didn't, and she went on to star in Silver Spoons, but we can dream.
  • The first use of Higgins' full name Jonathan Quayle Higgins III.
  • The first time TC called Higgins Higgy-Baby.
  • The episode complicates but--at least according to Magnum Mania!--doesn't put the kibosh on the Higgins is really Robin theory.
If you haven't seen the episode, we give it our highest recommendation! Rick has his dreams about making Ed McMahon a BOTNS five-timer, but personally, I'm more interested in finding a way to give Erin Gray that "honor." 

Hmm. Maybe we can find an episode of TV's Blooper's and Practical Jokes featuring Gray and Bill Lucking and make everyone happy!

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