Happy Throwback Thursday! This week, our throwback year is 1980, the year Hawaii Five-O went off the air after 12 seasons. It wasn’t just the longest-running police drama of its time; it was the last scripted primetime show that debuted in the 1960s still on the air by the time it signed off.
At the center of Hawaii Five-O was Jack Lord, who portrayed the stern but magnetic Detective Captain Steve McGarrett, leader of a fictional elite state police unit. McGarrett’s signature line — “Book ’em, Danno!” — quickly became part of the American pop culture lexicon. The show stood out from its contemporaries with its distinct tropical setting, riveting plots, and groundbreaking use of real-life Hawaiian locations.
The title itself was a nod to Hawaiʻi’s status as the 50th U.S. state, which was still relatively new to many Americans at the time. As a result, the term “Five-O” quickly entered everyday slang as a nickname for the police, a legacy that still persists.
With a cast that was ethnically diverse by the standards of the time and stories that highlighted local culture and issues, Hawaii Five-O introduced millions to the people and spirit of the islands. It was estimated that at its peak, the show reached more than 400 million viewers worldwide.
Its economic impact on the state was equally impressive. The show poured an estimated $100 million per year into Hawaiʻi’s economy, fueling its growing tourism industry and laying the groundwork for future productions. In fact, the facilities and infrastructure developed for Five-O were later used to create Magnum, P.I., which picked up where Five-O left off — even referencing the series in its early episodes. Learn more in the audio below!