Book 'Em Danno: CBS said to greenlight Hawaii Five-O Remake
Aloha. Tide’s back in for the hit-series Hawaii Five-O. CBS is reported to be bringing back the popular police drama that ran on the network from 1968-1980.
It’s been 30 years since Steve McGarrett, head of an elite branch of the Hawaii State Police, battled the mob and other crooks. This means CBS will have the tricky task of updating the show without alienating fans of the original series.
Word is that Alex O'Loughlin, of the short-lived CBS series Moonlight and Three Rivers, will play McGarrett’s son, taking up his father’s fight against organized crime on the island.
But Lost’s Daniel Dae Kim is said to be resurrecting the character of local detective Chin Ho Kelly, originally played by Hawaiian actor Kam Fong Chun, meaning there might be interesting crossover between the generations to explain. Jean Smart, of Designing Women fame, will play Hawaii’s governor.
Still, much of the show should transition into present day just fine. The crime drama continues to be a hit with viewers (five of the Top 20 network primetime series were police/crime dramas), and many of the issues explored in the original series are still relevant today. Check out this episode in which McGarrett is charged with protecting a general from anti-war demonstrators.
When the general explains an impending arms deal by saying he’s simply defending freedom, a student responds, “You’ve been using that excuse for centuries. Isn’t there a better way?”
Still timely, no?
No word on whether CBS executives in deciding to pick up the series said, “Book ‘em Danno.”
For your viewing pleasure, CBS's website offers full episodes of the original series.
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