Up The River -- With A Paddle This Time

Happy Summer (or winter where some are) Magnum Fans! After 6 months to the day of no work, I started last week on a fantastic new TV production called "The River." The what?? Well, 7 years ago people were saying what's "LOST??" It's a new series (mid-season January 2012) from Dreamworks (aka Steven Spielberg) and Disney. They have kept the lease on the Hawaii State Film Studio for another year after "LOST" and the recently cancelled "Off the Map." I have joked that on our show they are both lost and off the map as part of the plot so we are sure to be a hit! I believe there is a trailer on youtube that gives a little background to the story. I will say this, there is nothing like it on TV today and if you're tired of shows that have lots of abbreviations in the title (S.U.V., N.C.I.S., C.S.I. or even 5-0) this will be a real change. I've seen the pilot twice at the studio and I can pay it the highest compliment, I would actually watch this show!

The next great thing I can say is that the people I am working for are fantastic! Talented, creative, respectful, willing to listen and work things out and SMART enough to hire all of us who were fired off of "5-0" after 12 episodes. As a postscript to that, none of the people who replaced us are back for season 2......but enough on that dirty laundry.

So what does this have to do with Magnum? Well, the soundstage where all 8 seasons of Magnum were filmed is now the home to the set dressing warehouse! It's funny opening that same old metal door that still sticks and walking into that building each day. Unfortunately the building is no longer air conditioned and even with fans blowing, it's over 100 degrees in there by noon. The building is still divided by a wall that separates the back 1/3 for State owned set dressing from our front 2/3. but it is also one of the best collections of set dressing we've ever had--of course it's all technically owned by Disney. Other than a little of the falling insulation from the ceiling, there is really nothing left from Magnum days of interest. It's funny, though, because I can still remember seeing fog on the little window in that sticking metal door we all came through dozens of time a day because it was always so cold on that soundstage. They had to turn off the air conditioning whenever they yelled "rolling" because it was so noisy. So they kept it extra cold so when it was off the actors wouldn't cook in front of the lights.
Thanks again for all your kind thoughts, wishes, prayers, and encouragement! It was 28 years ago this month I got the call to work on Magnum full time and being back at the studio where it all began for me and looking forward to working with great people is a great feeling!