MovieChat Forums > Simon & Simon (1981) Discussion > Before this board ends for good... SIMON...

Before this board ends for good... SIMON vs MAGNUM

posted 7 years ago by ringfire211
2 replies | jump to latest

I've been wondering which show (MAGNUM PI or SIMON & SIMON) do you folks prefer?

I'm pretty sure most folks who are fans of one show probably like the other as well. Not only are they both in the PI genre but they also both have a similar 80s flavor (unlike something from the late 60s/early 70s like MANNIX, for instance). On top of that both shows ran back to back on the same night (Thursday) on CBS. So it's very likely that if someone watched MAGNUM at 8 they might stick around for the SIMON brothers at 9.

Growing up in the 90s and watching 80s reruns I actually had more exposure to S&S than I did MAGNUM. So I watched S&S more but I was only a casual viewer. I didn't consider it a particularly great show, the way I considered HAWAII FIVE-O which I watched religiously. Or other shows like KNIGHT RIDER or THE A-TEAM. S&S for me tended to be hit-and-miss. For every "Quint is Out" or "John Doe" or "Double Play" there was a "Skull of Nostradamus" or "C'est Simon" or "Simon Without Simon" or "Art for Arthur's Sake" or any number of episodes that didn't do much for me.

Years later I tried to get into MAGNUM PI but couldn't. It seemed too juvenile for me. The constant bickering between Magnum and Higgins I found very grating. Grown men arguing about the tennis court or the wine cellar or other insignificant details seemed to me ridiculous and the "humor" forced. Also Magnum's cases seemed pretty dull and unexciting. I had also been watching my DVDs of FIVE-O at the time which I had purchased, and I fell in love with that show more than ever! Compared to that MAGNUM seemed like such insignificant fluff. I really wanted to like it because of Hawaii and the Ferrari and the show's reputation but I began to think that maybe the show really is way overhyped. I began to think S&S was a more interesting show with more interesting cases. Then I saw the much-lauded 3rd season premiere "Did You See the Sun Rise?" and I was shocked by how great that episode was. I saw a few more of the darker episodes (the pilot, "Memories are Forever", "Laura", "Death and Taxes") and discovered that it really is a fantastic show, when the stories are more serious and more gripping. Slowly I began to watch more episodes and before I knew it I found myself falling in love with the show. Before I knew it I was enjoying both the serious and the light-hearted episodes equally. I fell in love with the characters, the laid-back vibe of the show, and the humor. Now I absolutely love the bickering between Magnum and Higgins. That which used to drive me up the wall I now absolutely adore! Funny how things change, eh?

These days I can confidently say that I prefer MAGNUM to SIMON. When it comes to the darker themes MAGNUM has SIMON beat hands down. And when it comes to the lighter moments nothing can beat the laid-back Magnum going head to head with the very British and very stuffy Higgins. No amount of squabbling between the Simon brothers can compare to the Magnum/Higgins dynamic. John Hillerman really was the key to the show's success. Without him the show wouldn't be half of what it was. Tom Selleck also just has more charisma than either Jameson Parker or Gerald McRaney. On top of that he also has that macho star quality about him. Then there's the Hawaiian locale, the gorgeous red Ferrari 308, TC's helicopter, Robin's Nest (which has to be the coolest pad ever on TV), and that rocking Mike Post/Pete Carpenter theme - all better than what S&S had to offer.

What say you folks?

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

[–] tenement-funster 7 years ago

I prefer S&S, although my experiences of both are different to yours. Here in the UK, they stopped showing S&S after season two. "Magnum", on the other hand, ran all the way through, so it was on for a long time. I liked the characters, particularly Rick, and as you say, it has a lot to recommend it.

There's just something about S&S though. The central performances (Cecilia as well, and also Downtown in S3-6). And I don't like Magnum himself, which is a big point in the boys' favour. I'm never sure if we're supposed to find his schtick charming, or if we're not really supposed to like him, but either way it doesn't work for me. His constant laziness, and the way that he gets Rick and TC to do everything for him, make for a central character that I don't find myself wanting to spend time with. In contrast, Rick, AJ and Cecilia are a family that are fun to while away fifty minutes with.

Love that we got that crossover though. The first half is much better than the second, but either way, it was great that it happened.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I find concussion quite invigorating.

[–] ringfire211 7 years ago

You said you particularly liked Rick? On MAGNUM?

I thought all 4 were great characters but Rick was probably my least favorite. Tom's easygoing demeanor and sometime laziness is kinda charming actually. He's a grownup catching up on some of those younger years that he missed out on when he went to Vietnam. Higgins of course is probably the best character of them all! And TC is usually pretty funny, plus he's got the chopper. That leaves us with Rick, who just isn't as funny or amusing as TC. Plus I think Roger E. Mosley was a better actor than Larry Manetti. Or maybe he just played his character better than Larry did. But ultimately all 4 had great chemistry with each other.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!