Magnum, P.I. (TV Series) Dead Man's Channel (1981) User Reviews

Underseas action for Thomas

[DVD_Connoisseur · 8/10 · 14 October 2018]

An action packed, subaquatic episode with Magnum on the hunt for a missing father and possibly lost treasure.

Wendy Girard plays the very attractive college student who hires Magnum.

Jeff MacKay makes a light hearted, ice cream shovelling appearance as the reoccurring character Lieutenant McReynolds or "Mac".

8 out of 10. A fun episode.

A solid detective story.

[mm-39 · 8/10 · 2 August 2021]

Dead Man's Channel is less a character installment an more a detective story. A missing professor an a worried daughter has Magnum on the case. There is characters with different opinions, curses, protestors, and Magnum has many suspects creates a good mystery. Magnum needs T C and friends, and there a few plot twists and surprises. Dead Man's Channel keep the viewer guessing. A decent budget and a surprise ending. 8 stars.

Guest starring Wendy Girard as Marion Hammond

[safenoe · 7/10 · 20 July 2023]

This second season episode, Dead Man's Channel, is kind of a sly nod to Tom Selleck missing out on the role of a lifetime, yes Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Much has been made about what could have been, like Tom could have been the next Harrison Ford if that makes sense.

But let's consider what would have happened if Tom's movie career had exploded with Raiders of the Lost Ark. I'd say that Magnum, P. I. could have ended prematurely because Tom was starring in the Raiders sequels, or another actor would have become the new Magnum.

Anyway, T. C. isn't in this episode. I wonder if regular cast members still get a paycheck if they don't appear in an episode.

The Kudu Buck episode

[mlucas-94288 · 10/10 · 4 May 2020]

One of my favorite episodes - love the humor the early episodes had..

" . . or a goat - he's a pet and his name is Horace and now that you know his name, you can't shoot him"

Slow to develop but worth seeing for the underwater footage

[Jon-nel · 6/10 · 4 January 2014]

A grad student hires Magnum to find out what happened to her father, Captain Hammond, an archaeologist who vanished while diving at a site in the sacred Nehoa Channel.

Several times Magnum is warned by a Hawaiian priestess against venturing into the channel. According to legend, the waters of the channel are forbidden to "haoles" (foreigners) because they are the sacred waters of Ta'aroa. In actuality Ta'aroa is a Tahitian, not Hawaiian, diety. I believe the Nehoa Channel is fictitious as well.

Captain Hammond was working on a competing theory against another archaeologist, Professor Martinez, who believed that the Spanish Conquistadors had made contact with Hawaiians pre-dating Captain Cook. Some of this controversy has a basis in reality.

Despite the best attempts of someone to keep Magnum from getting on a boat, we finally get out to sea at about the 30 minute mark in. The underwater footage of Magnum and Marion Hammond scuba diving among Hawaiian coral reefs is the best thing going for this episode. The story is too slow in developing and when it unfolded turned out to be rather preposterous. A mystery at sea in need of a tighter storyline. A story about buried treasure in forbidden waters should have been more fun. 6.5/10.

Cast me off Thomas!

[dd-66056 · 5/10 · 10 April 2021]

I loved the underwater photography and filming overall that was done for this particular episode (but I thought it ran slow/borring) , and I do believe this is the first episode of a few repeats of the ole throw off the bow line / cast me off Thomas (you're about ta get soaked brother!) routine for Magnum, P. I. ?? PLEASE, someone, feel free to correct me IF I am wrong? Thank you!