About Christmas TV History

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Christmas in July 2021: Magnum P.I. (1983)

L to R: Rick, Higgins, TC and center is Thomas Magnum.

 

Happy Christmas in July! It's Day #21 of the Christmas in July party. All month long I'll be celebrating Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies with a FUN IN THE SUN attitude. Expect a run of Christmas in July stories, tropical yuletides, and island themes. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition being released later this year). 

This week I'm sharing Hawaiian yuletide programs. Today's Christmas in July discussion is on the 1983 episode "Operation: Silent Night" from the TV series Magnum P.I. Fans of the series remember that this series takes place in Hawaii so it perfectly fits in with our tropical Christmas theme this week.

In this episode, TC, Higgins, Rick, and Magnum crash land their malfunctioning helicopter on a deserted island. Not sure how long they may be stranded, they each busy themselves with ways to be rescued. The men miss out on their holiday plans but it becomes the least of their problems when the small island is shelled by the Navy during a training exercise. 

 

 

The cast includes Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, Larry Manetti as Rick, Roger E. Mosely as T.C., and John Hillerman as Higgins. Don't miss Magnum dressed in a Santa Claus suit. In the final scene, the men share in singing “Silent Night.”

 

The first season's holiday episode.

There's also an earlier episode, 1980's "Thank Heaven for Little Girls and Big Ones Too" from the first season. Magnum is hired by five little girls to find their missing school teacher and her boyfriend. However, the investigation is a scam in order for the girls to steal a valuable painting from the Masters' estate that Magnum is responsible for protecting. The episode's story takes place at Christmas too.

Our Christmas in July party discussions will continue all month long. Got another favorite tropical, Christmas in Hawaii program? There's more to come. Feel free to leave comments down below.

 

Joanna Wilson is a TV researcher and book author specializing in Christmas entertainment. More about the TV programs mentioned on this website can be found in her book "Tis the Season TV: the Encyclopedia of Christmas-themed Episodes, Specials, and Made-for-TV Movies." Her latest book "Triple Dog Dare: Watching--& Surviving--the 24-Hour Marathon of A Christmas Story" was released in 2016. She is currently updating and expanding the encyclopedia for a 2021 release. Her books can be found at the publisher's website: 1701 press.com

*Support this website and its research by purchasing the books at 1701 press.com

 

 

1 comment:

  1. Didn't watch this Magnum when it aired. Would love to watch it now, will have to see where it is streaming, if anywhere.

    ReplyDelete