418 replies to this topic

[Ambler]

I haven't seen Five-O since I was a young boy in the 1970s, but I'd Just like to say how much I enjoyed reading this thread. Maybe there was more to the show than the music after all.

As an aside, reading all the comments about Jack Lord's megalomania may explain why Eon didn't bring him back as Felix after Dr No ...

[Napoleon Solo]

I'm almost finished viewing all the episodes of season 6. There are a few oddities/trivia items:

1. Does Jack Lord ever take his suitcoat off, even in the office? Earlier in the series, he'd hang his suitcoat and we'd see him sitting at his desk wearing his shoulder holster. I remember reading at the time, there were plans to cut down on having his shoulder holster visible. In season 6, he's always wearing the suitcoat.

2. In "The $100,000 Nickel," the Interpol policeman is named Hans Vogler. That's also the name of the German scientist back in season 4's "The Ninety Second War Part II." That episode also had an Interpol policeman named Karl Albrecht. Did somebody get mixed up on names? McGarrett and Vogler II talk as if they're old friends, but this is the audience's introduction to Vogler II.

3. Music wise, this is a transitional season. I've only seen Richard Shores credited once (and I'm not sure he'll be around in future seasons). Meanwhile, Bruce Broughton comes on board, and he'll be more prominent in upcoming seasons. Meanwhile, they must have liked Morton Stevens's "Hookman" score because snippets of it show up in several episodes. Also, they dig out his "Over Fifty? Steal" score for the season-ending episode (scripted by E. Arthur Kean, who wrote the two Lewis Avery Filer episodes of previous years) featuring David Wayne as another aging thief.

Edited by Napoleon Solo, 03 July 2009 - 04:15 PM.

[Brian Flagg]

Music wise, this is a transitional season. I've only seen Richard Shores credited once (and I'm not sure he'll be around in future seasons). Meanwhile, Bruce Broughton comes on board, and he'll be more prominent in upcoming seasons. Meanwhile, they must have liked Morton Stevens's "Hookman" score because snippets of it show up in several episodes. Also, they dig out his "Over Fifty? Steal" score for the season-ending episode (scripted by E. Arthur Kean, who wrote the two Lewis Avery Filer episodes of previous years) featuring David Wayne as another aging thief.

I believe that Shores has one more episode in the seventh season. And yes, it would seem that Stevens' "Hookman" score did get tracked often throughout this sixth year, much like Mission: Impossible used Lalo Schifrin's memorable music from "The Killer" in more than a few fifth and sixth season episodes of that program. As you no doubt recall from Jon Burlingame's Film Score Monthly Man From UNCLE CD liner notes, musician union laws would dictate that producers employ new music for subsequent programs beginning around 1975(?), and tracked, pre-existing scores were to be used only sparingly, and in emergencies.

[Brian Flagg]

Five-O's seventh season confirmed for October 20th!

[Brian Flagg]

Season Seven box art---snazzy night time shot!

[Napoleon Solo]

Interesting to see that Ben makes the cover art.

In real life, this is the season that Al Harrington gets eased out of the show, apparently because Jack Lord thought he was too tall (see the Hawaiian TV special that's an extra on the season 1 box set). Ben is there at the start but is abruptly gone (in one episode McGarrett talks to him on the phone but we never see him). Doug Mossman shows up as an apparent Five-O member, but he's not in the main titles.

It's also the first season with Leonard Freeman gone (after dying in January 1974). It's also the last season with Bob Sweeney and Bill Finnegan doing the producing duties.

Finally, we do get Wo Fat back after a one-season absence, in an episode penned by Jerome Coopersmith. In this story, Wo has apparently split from the Chinese government and is an independent operative who doesn't like what's going on in China.

[Brian Flagg]

Interesting to see that Ben makes the cover art.

In real life, this is the season that Al Harrington gets eased out of the show, apparently because Jack Lord thought he was too tall (see the Hawaiian TV special that's an extra on the season 1 box set). Ben is there at the start but is abruptly gone (in one episode McGarrett talks to him on the phone but we never see him). Doug Mossman shows up as an apparent Five-O member, but he's not in the main titles.

It's also the first season with Leonard Freeman gone (after dying in January 1974). It's also the last season with Bob Sweeney and Bill Finnegan doing the producing duties.

Would this be that awkward time where Ben is on his way out and Duke is still in uniform?

And the seventh season is 1974-75 (I'm matching this up with Kolchak: The Night Stalker, also on at this time), so we're already mid decade. These releases are flying out. I'm impressed at how long this show lasted and what an institution it was. Everyone going on with their lives in the 1970s while Five-O is there with them every step of the way...

[Napoleon Solo]

Would this be that awkward time where Ben is on his way out and Duke is still in uniform?

And the seventh season is 1974-75 (I'm matching this up with Kolchak: The Night Stalker, also on at this time), so we're already mid decade. These releases are flying out. I'm impressed at how long this show lasted and what an institution it was. Everyone going on with their lives in the 1970s while Five-O is there with them every step of the way...

Yes, this is that awkward time, re: Ben. At the start of the season, Ben is still there and still in the main titles. With no explanation, he's gone after several episodes. Doug Mossman is around as a Five-O plainclothes guy, hanging out with Danno and Chin, while Duke is still HPD and in uniform.

In the eighth season, Duke has apparently transferred to Five-O and is in plain clothes. Doug Mossman is gone from the office while being back to playing guest bit parts. Duke is not in the main titles, however. That doesn't occur until Season Nine.

[Brian Flagg]

For season five, I like how Duke was brought in as HPD's liasion officer, especially after hearing McGarrett instructing Chin Ho to "coordinate with HPD" time and time again. It just made more sense to actually show someone from the police department interacting with Five-O. This, plus the addition of Ben made the show all the more interesting.

As for Duke, I have mixed emotions about him. I like Herman Wedemeyer, as he came across as a genuinely nice guy and he had a likability quality about him. However, he was no actor, and at times he seemed somnabulant. I don't know if he just wasn't comfortable around Jack Lord, in front of the camera, or what, but I found myself rooting for him nonetheless.

[Napoleon Solo]

For season five, I like how Duke was brought in as HPD's liasion officer, especially after hearing McGarrett instructing Chin Ho to "coordinate with HPD" time and time again. It just made more sense to actually show someone from the police department interacting with Five-O. This, plus the addition of Ben made the show all the more interesting.

In Leonard Freeman's first draft script of the pilot, Chin Ho was described as an HPD officer based in the Five-O offices specicially to be the liasion between HPD and Five-O. I know this only because in 1996, at the LA fan convention, it was up for auction. I got outbid, but I did get a chance to read it.

Also, the original line up was this:

--McGarrett (naturally)
--Kono, but described as mid-20s Hawaiian and second in command.
--Lee (I forget the last name), a big burly Hawaiian.
--Chin Ho, HPD's liason with Five-O.

For some reason, between first draft and shooting script, the decision was to make the second-in-command a white guy and they transferred the Kono name to the big burly Hawaiian character. I wish I could shed more light on this, but I can't.

[Napoleon Solo]

A 5-minute 1968 promo promoting the upcoming new series, plus a 1981 pitch to television stations on why they should get Five-O in syndication:

http://hmssweblog.wo...-hawaii-five-o/

[Blofeld's Cat]

It seems that CBS have listened to the call from fans...

http://www.tvshowson...7-Box-Art/12423

[Brian Flagg]

It seems that CBS have listened to the call from fans...

http://www.tvshowson...7-Box-Art/12423

I don't blame CBS/Paramount on this one. As I posted earlier, Five-O's seventh season was definitely "awkward" when it cam time to decide who the fourth team member was!

[Brian Flagg]

Hawaii Five-O syndication sales reel. You WILL be amused.

[Brian Flagg]

The Seventh Season--out this coming Tuesday!

[Brian Flagg]

Received my seventh season DVDs today and watched the premiere, "The Young Assassins." Already I can see the shift in how Five-O is going. The mid-1970s styles like Danno's suit at the beginng, his frizzy hair, McGarrett's mannered way of speaking as well as his lecturing tone. The scene in the governor's office ("Never, never, never!") is typical during the eleventh and final years of the show, where McG enetered Quincy territory with his soapbox lectures. The color and film stock is also different than what came in the previous six years.

Picture and sound quality are both excellent.

[Brian Flagg]

This thread has become my personal Five-O journal...

Bomb, Bomb Who's Got the Bomb? isn't a good episode, but it sports a fine score by Jerrold Immel. Fuzzy electronics and a funky pursuit cue worthy of Dirty Harry made the whole silly story worthwhile.

I was able to suspend my disbelief for this one because of the novelty of the plot. However, Doug Mossman plays "Al Shatner" but in the previous episode broadcast, he's Five-O detective Frank Kemana! And to top it off, Danno instructs "Frank" to dust the office though Mossman's face is not seen during that line, yet it appears to be him in the background!

Bruce Broughton's mischievous score sounds like its channeling Morton Stevens' "Over Fifty? Steal!" vibe, as this is the most comedic episode since that legendary Hume Cronyn episode.

I've also noticed how little contact McGarrett actually has with Ben, this dating back to S6. For a show that was called Hawaii Five-O, they sure gave the Polynesian "bruddahs" the shiv, didn't they?

Presenting...in the Center Ring...Murder is the first dull episode in the Wo Fat saga. It's one of the shows that keeps us waiting for the denouement with much circus padding and barely any of the villain to keep the story interesting. James Hong is wasted, too.

The Computer Killer is a decent episode because of how prescient the technology is, with a phone modem and hacking, as well as the mentioning of software. Don B. Ray provides a snazzy electronic score that works well in the scenes with the computer jerk.

A Woman's Work is with a Gun is a good episode that almost veers into "so bad it's good" territory. In looking up the actresess who played the Thelma and Louise (and Friend) robbers, I see that the Patricia Wynand died in 1977 by drowning in Beverly Hills. I hate finding out things like this. The redhead, Patricia Hindy did an episode of "Emergency!" and apparently her episode was included in a 1978 TV special, "Greatest Rescues of Emergency."

Edited by Brian Flagg, 30 October 2009 - 11:47 PM.

[TheSaint]

As Brian pointed out on another site, the S7 episodes were really aired out of production sequence across the board, explaining how Ben popped in and out and then his last episode was held back until the final aired one of the season! Since I have way too much time on my hands I checked the production numbers on all 24 episodes from season 7. Here they are with the episode # from the set. You can watch them in the order filmed which will make more sense in regards to Ben's appearances and Duke taking his place...

1310-1729-0507 #1
1310-1729-0501 #2
1310-1729-0503 #3
1310-1729-0510 #4
1310-1729-0505 #5
1310-1729-0504 #6
1310-1729-0502 #7
1310-1729-0511 #8
1310-1729-0517 #9
1310-1729-0515 #10
1310-1729-0512 #11
1310-1729-0516 #12
1310-1729-0513 #13
1310-1729-0523 #14
1310-1729-0514 #15
1310-1729-0519 #16
1310-1729-0524 #17
1310-1729-0522 #18
1310-1729-0518 #19
1310-1729-0509 #20
1310-1729-0525 #21
1310-1729-0526 #22
1310-1729-0521 #23
1310-1729-0508 #24

Too late to help Brian but maybe it will help those few who actually check this thread.

[Brian Flagg]

My seventh season Top 10:

10) Welcome to Our Branch Office
9) Diary of a Gun
8) 6,000 Deadly Tickets
7) How to Steal a Masterpiece
6) And the Horse Jumped Over the Moon
5) Ring of Life
4) A Woman's Work is with a Gun
3) We Hang Our Own
2) Computer Killer
1) The Hostage

This season wasn't as strong as previous ones, but I'm warming up to it. This list will no doubt change as I go through them again. I think that Doug Mossman should've been on the DVD box cover, but seeing as he's not in the opening credits, I guess he's eliminated on a technicality; I don't think McGarrett would've liked that. Mossman's Frank Kamana character is a bit bland, but then they all were after Kono, IMO.

[Brian Flagg]

Eighth season due March 16, 2010. Artwork up as well. McGarrett smiles!

[Max-Zorin]

I actually ordered the complete collection from ioffer, it's been recorded from someone's TV and the quality is about 7/10, but I'm just impatient waiting for the release of each series.

[TheSaint]

I actually ordered the complete collection from ioffer, it's been recorded from someone's TV and the quality is about 7/10, but I'm just impatient waiting for the release of each series.

You should've waited. If the 8th season comes out in March, then 9 & 10 would possibly come out the same year, with 11 & 12 coming out in 2011. Also, it would be uncut and 10/10 quality.

[Brian Flagg]

I actually ordered the complete collection from ioffer, it's been recorded from someone's TV and the quality is about 7/10, but I'm just impatient waiting for the release of each series.

You should've waited. If the 8th season comes out in March, then 9 & 10 would possibly come out the same year, with 11 & 12 coming out in 2011. Also, it would be uncut and 10/10 quality.

Max-Zorin: Have you been purchasing the official sets as they're released? If you have, then why rebuy seven seasons in inferior quality just to get the final four? Are you that big a fan of the final years? Just curious.

[Napoleon Solo]

Eighth season due March 16, 2010. Artwork up as well. McGarrett smiles!

Excellent. I'm a laggard (haven't gotten season 7, hoping it's under the Christmas tree) but glad to hear season 8 is in the pipeline.

[Napoleon Solo]

My seventh season Top 10:

10) Welcome to Our Branch Office
9) Diary of a Gun
8) 6,000 Deadly Tickets
7) How to Steal a Masterpiece
6) And the Horse Jumped Over the Moon
5) Ring of Life
4) A Woman's Work is with a Gun
3) We Hang Our Own
2) Computer Killer
1) The Hostage

This season wasn't as strong as previous ones, but I'm warming up to it. This list will no doubt change as I go through them again. I think that Doug Mossman should've been on the DVD box cover, but seeing as he's not in the opening credits, I guess he's eliminated on a technicality; I don't think McGarrett would've liked that. Mossman's Frank Kamana character is a bit bland, but then they all were after Kono, IMO.

A few observations after watching some episodes:

1) Herman Wedemeyer wasn't in the opening titles this season (and wouldn't be until season 9) and Duke still isn't a member of Five-O yet. He's on the cover because of future status, it would appear, but it would have been fine with Doug Mossman on the cover.

2) I had forgotten how they sandwiched a Mossman appearance as a non-Five-O member character with appearances as Frank. Another oddity from showing episodes out of production order.

3)Morton Stevens's score for How to Steal a Masterpiece is quite good.

[Napoleon Solo]

I've also noticed how little contact McGarrett actually has with Ben, this dating back to S6. For a show that was called Hawaii Five-O, they sure gave the Polynesian "bruddahs" the shiv, didn't they?

This goes way back to among the first decisions made in developing the series. Freeman's first draft of the pilot script had only one haole -- McGarrett. No. 2 in command was Kono, but not the Kono we'd see in the series. As described in the script, Kono was a Hawaiian Danno (i.e. in his mid-twenties). The third member was another Hawaiian, a big, beefy guy who's first name was Lee (essentially the Kono we'd see in the show). Chin Ho was actually a member of HPD but he was in the office all the time as liason between HPD and Five-O.

I have no idea whether it was Freeman's decision or the network's to add another white guy to the cast or not. I only know about the script because I had five minutes to scan it prior to a charity auction at the 1996 fan convention in Los Angeles. I got outbid, unfortunately.

In the season 1 set, there's the 1996 TV special that aired in Hawaii. In it, Al Harrington says he was picking up bad vibes from JL, who didn't like the fact that Harrington was taller. Harrington quotes Freeman as essentially saying "I hired you, you're my guy," but knew he had it once Freeman passed away after season 6 wrapped up production (the show typically ended production just before Christmas and Freeman died in January 1974). Doug Mossman was probably too tall to continue as a regular Five-O member (that's strictly my speculation), hence Duke gets hired by Five-O in season 8 (but still doesn't make the main titles until season 9).

[Napoleon Solo]

A sample of what awaits when we get to season 11:

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

McGarrett sports a pink power tie (shades of Connery in Diamonds Are Forever) and Cyd Charisse tells the Big Kahuna, "I'd still like to do you sometime."

[Brian Flagg]

A sample of what awaits when we get to season 11:

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

McGarrett sports a pink power tie (shades of Connery in Diamonds Are Forever) and Cyd Charisse tells the Big Kahuna, "I'd still like to do you sometime."

Egyptology and King Tut were all the rage in the '70s, weren't they? I guess the world tour of the King Tut treasures captivated the world.

1979 must've been a rainy year because several episodes I've seen from the 11th season have rain-drenched streets.

I think my family abandoned Five-O around this time or even before because they began watching QUINCY, M.E. around 1977.

Still, I'm looking forward to having the entire Five-O series.

[Napoleon Solo]

Even the 11th and 12th seasons have their gems, just not as many as they did previously. I'm hoping the 11th season disco two-parter doesn't get cut because of music-clearance issues. I was in college at the time, so I didn't get to watch many episodes.

[Brian Flagg]

Even the 11th and 12th seasons have their gems, just not as many as they did previously. I'm hoping the 11th season disco two-parter doesn't get cut because of music-clearance issues. I was in college at the time, so I didn't get to watch many episodes.

I have a few recorded and they're not bad. Ross Martin as Tony Alika made for a good villain and Paul Williams was everywhere in the seventies, wasn't he?

As I've mentioned before, I'm sticking with this series to the (bitter) end.