New-wave ‘Hawaii Five-O’ not that bad

By TIM GOODMAN
San Francisco Chronicle

The entire point of remakes is that there are no good ideas on television anymore. No, wait, scratch that. The entire point is that by feeding you something you might be familiar with — and perhaps liked the first time around or in reruns — it’ll be that much easier to sell it to you again without all the explaining.

So, do you need “Hawaii Five-O” explained? Not the one from some years back with Jack Lord. The one from 2010 with, um, Alex O’Loughlin as McGarrett, and premiering Monday at 9 p.m. (on KGMB). Sure you do, so here’s what CBS says in an almost believable way:

” ‘Hawaii Five-O’ is a contemporary take on the classic series about a new elite federalized task force whose mission is to wipe out the crime that washes up on the islands’ sun-drenched beaches. Detective Steve McGarrett, a decorated naval officer-turned-cop, returns to Oahu to investigate his father’s murder and stays after Hawaii’s governor persuades him to head up the new team: his rules, her backing, no red tape and full-blanket authority to hunt down the biggest ‘game’ in town.”

OK, if you just threw up in your mouth a little bit, don’t worry. It’s not that bad. In fact, it’s almost impossible to mess up a series shot on location in Hawaii and featuring Grace Park in a bikini. You would have to make it turn it into a sci-fi comedy to really mangle it. Although the first 15 minutes may have you thinking they’ve overdone it on the action steroids, the show calms down after that. You’ll get Scott Caan as Danny “Danno” Williams and Daniel Dae Kim as Chin Ho Kelly. Park plays Kono Kalakaua. There appears to be no Wo Fat of yet, which almost kills it, but perhaps he’ll surface later.

“Hawaii Five-O” is nothing but entertainment. It’s eye candy. Waves, sun, island culture. A bad guy surfaces, McGarrett goes to work. Danno books him. End of story. Sometimes there are gun battles. Fists fly. That’s all there is, folks. It’s not rocket science. True, watching the original is more fun. And more cheesy. But waves are waves. Hawaii is still pretty. And if you’re looking for anything deeper than that, you’ve landed on the wrong island. “Lost” is over. Let your mind take a break.

This critic favors NBC show opposite ‘Five-0′

By Jonathan Storm
The Philadelphia Inquirer

Ten years ago, CBS came out with a ballyhooed remake of “The Fugitive,” the classic ’60s series in which a wrongly accused physician scrambled to stay ahead of his dogged pursuer. Few people paid much attention to the other show that premiered that night.

It was Bruckheimer’s first network show, a little thing called “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” It “has more hooks than a tuna boat,” wrote one of the critics (me) who noticed, relegating “The Fugitive” and all its hoo and bally to a distant second place: “Too contrived.”

Bruckheimer wins again. The unheralded show this time is NBC’s “Chase,” about not one, but many, chases, and it has the hooks. It faces off at 9 p.m. against “Hawaii Five-0″ the remake, and as remakes usually are, “Five-0″ is too contrived.

CBS pulls Alex O’Loughlin out of mothballs to play Steve McGarrett after the failure of “Moonlight” and “Three Rivers.” He’s still handsome, but no longer a vampire, nor a doctor. Now he’s the world’s greatest Navy action hero (hey, it works for “NCIS”), who returns to his home state of Hawaii, where Jean Smart has segued from interior decorator (“Designing Women”) and first lady (“24″) to governor.

She gives him carte blanche to round up the villains. But first he rounds up the new cop — after they meet cute, pointing guns at each other. Danny Williams is just in from Jersey so he can be closer to his daughter, who called him “Danno” because she couldn’t pronounce “Daddy.” See what I mean by “contrived”? James Caan’s son Scott, also handsome, plays the part.

They bicker incessantly, even after Daniel Dae Kim of “Lost” and his hot cousin, Grace Park from “Battlestar Galactica,” join the squad to give it a little local color, even if they both have Korean ancestry, and there are about as many Koreans in Hawaii as Puerto Ricans.

The only new guy in the “Chase” squad of Texas-based U.S. marshals is another East Coast kid, all buttoned down, D.C.-style. But he soon learns to untuck his shirt and run with the rest of ‘em: the appealing mixed bag of types that populates most Bruckheimer projects.

With a strong woman at the forefront, this one is slightly reminiscent of “Cold Case,” though Kathryn Morris was much more of a china doll than tough gal Kelli Giddish.

She plays the cowboy-booted Annie Frost and does most of her own stunts, which, though they don’t carry the highfalutin, techno-savvy baggage of ex-Navy action heroes, are exciting and fun.

Sure, they’ll run and run and run some more in every show and catch the fugitives at the end. This is meat-and-potatoes television. But if the baddies are as well-drawn as Travis Fimmel’s murderous character in the pilot, there’s also a tasty order of creamed spinach on the side.

‘Five-0′ remake a tropical treat

By CHUCK BARNEY
Contra Costa Times

When someone attempts to make over a successful television show, they almost always bungle it. “Bionic Woman.” “Knight Rider.” “Melrose Place.” They’re just a few notorious examples of recent reboots that quickly crashed and burned.

So when I heard CBS was going to remake “Hawaii Five-0″ — a show that I maniacally cherished as a kid — I instantly experienced a case of cold sweats. “How many ways are they going to screw this one up?” I wondered.

But consider my mind happily blown. CBS has presented viewers with an exciting gift this fall. Their “Five-0″ update not only doesn’t stink, it’s an action-packed, easy-on-the-eyes thrill ride that is slicker and sexier than the original series that aired from 1968 to ‘80. It also contains a sense of humor that the stone-cold serious Jack Lord version lacked.

Stepping into Lord’s shoes as Detective Steve McGarrett, Oahu’s crime-fighting Big Kahuna, is Alex O’Loughlin, who after two strikes with CBS (“Moonlight”; “Three Rivers”) is getting his third — and probably final — swing.

And what a contrast he brings. Gone are the lacquered black pompadour, steely stare and granite jaw. Yes, O’Loughlin’s McGarrett is still a stoic man on a mission, but there’s an engaging hang-looseness to him. He prefers T-shirts to dark suits and isn’t shy about stripping them off to show off his rippled abs.

In tonight’s high-octane opener, McGarrett, is introduced as a decorated Naval intelligence officer who is out to crack a terrorist cell. But the murder of his estranged father brings him home to Hawaii, where the governor (Jean Smart) persuades him to stay and head up a new elite police task force. Explosions ensue. And gunfights.

The most dramatic — and best — change is McGarrett’s relationship with his sidekick Danny “Danno” Williams (Scott Caan). In the original, Danny, played by James MacArthur, was little more than a stage prop, doing what he was told, no questions asked.

But in “Five-0″ 2.0, Danny has transformed from yes-man to wing man. He and McGarrett are more like equals — equals who engage in verbal (even physical) sparring matches. Their smack-talking banter helps to keep things playful, and Caan is a scene-stealing delight.

Rounding out the highly appealing cast are Daniel Dae Kim (“Lost”) and Grace Park (“Battlestar Galactica”). The latter brings a feminine touch that was virtually nonexistent in the testosterone-laced original. But better not cross her. This feisty surfer-chick packs a mean punch.

Even with all the updates, fans of the original will be pleased to see that some things haven’t changed. That iconic theme song is still intact. The Hawaiian scenery is still presented in all its blazingly beautiful glory. And we even get a heartwarming “Book ‘em, Danno” line before the first hour expires.

It helps that executive producer Peter Lenkov was a big “Five-0″ fan as a kid who watched the show religiously alongside his dad. With Lenkov at the helm, the franchise appears to be in good hands.

It also helps that the original wasn’t exactly “Masterpiece Theatre.” As much as some of us loved it, we can’t deny that it had its cheesy elements and was often stiff and stodgy. In its latter years, some episodes were just plain awful.

In other words, there was room for some contemporary improvement. And with that mission accomplished, “Hawaii Five-0″ just might be one remake with staying power.

‘Hawaii Five-0′ gets an upgrade to modern times

By MARK NIESSE
Associated Press Writer

HONOLULU — The elite crime-fighting team of “Hawaii Five-0″ is back in the islands — this time with more bikinis, fewer stiff suits and a remix of the series’ classic theme song.

The remake of the legendary series, which ran for 12 seasons from 1968 to 1980, debuts Monday at 9 p.m. on CBS with a legacy to live up to.

Like the original hit show, the new version’s cop team hunts down criminals, often ending with the catch phrase “Book ‘em, Danno!”

But the rebooted version aims to add more witty banter, character backstory and edginess to the formulaic detective work of the first series, which preceded a generation of crime dramas such as “Magnum, P.I.” and “Law & Order.”

“You can do great action, and we do,” said executive producer Peter Lenkov. “But what’s fresh and different is the character development and humor.”

Filmed in Hawaii, “Hawaii Five-0″ aims to appeal to viewers by taking them to island scenes shot at sun-soaked beaches and landmark locations including Pearl Harbor, ‘Iolani Palace and Waikiki.

Alex O’Loughlin is replacing the original Detective Steve McGarrett, played by Jack Lord. As a former Navy SEAL, the new McGarrett has been recruited by Hawaii’s governor to lead a task force against criminals and terrorists intruding into the United States through its Pacific islands.

“He’s part mercenary, and his tactics are pretty crazy. He does whatever he needs to do to get the job done,” O’Loughlin said during a break from filming on site in Honolulu. “We have respect for what came before us, but we’re not drawing from the old show.”

Unlike his predecessor, O’Loughlin is more likely to go into a suspect’s house wearing a bulletproof vest, guns blazing. The Australian actor has Lord’s big shoes to fill after previously playing the lead in “Three Rivers” and “Moonlight.”

Alongside McGarrett is sidekick Danny “Danno” Williams (Scott Caan), a by-the-book detective who’s less than pleased with McGarrett’s full-speed-ahead attitude.

“I don’t think that he’s a bad guy or anything,” said Caan, who has appeared on “Entourage.”

“I just think he’s crazy,” he said. “That sets up the butting of heads and the personality clash.”

Rounding out the four-member team are characters Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua. Both were part of the original series, but this time they should get more prominent roles because the show won’t rely as much on McGarrett alone.

Another big change: Instead of Kono being the burly man seen in the series’ first run, the character has been transformed into a swimsuit-wearing rookie cop played by Grace Park.

“To be able to have the experience all over again and revisit it with fresher eyes — that’s something people look forward to, to have a new different experience,” said Park, who previously starred on “Battlestar Galactica.”

“Otherwise, we would’ve just rereleased the old DVDs again.”

The show’s reinvention of itself will emphasize more teamwork rather than always making McGarrett the primary hero, said Daniel Dae Kim, who plays Chin Ho Kelly.

“Our goal isn’t as much to improve on the original series as it is to adapt it to modern audiences,” said Kim, best known for his role in “Lost,” which was also filmed in Hawaii. “There’s a different storytelling style now.”

The show’s premiere coincides with the 42nd anniversary of its first run, which started Sept. 20, 1968.

Its writers hope to avoid the mistakes that led to the cancellation of other recent remakes such as “Knight Rider” and “Bionic Woman,” Lenkov said. Both of those shows lasted only one season.

The characters in “Hawaii Five-0″ will be more three-dimensional than during the series’ first run, with their own troubled histories, unpredictable family ties and personal mistakes, he said.

Viewers shouldn’t expect the new McGarrett’s hair to always stay in place or for his decisions to always work out.

“Our Steve McGarrett — he’s a little more flawed than Jack Lord was,” Lenkov said. “That’s what makes him an interesting character. There’s a little grayness to him. I didn’t want him to be a superhero.”

———

Online:

http://www.cbs.com/

The Morning After: Red carpet and inside Nobu for exclusive ‘Hawaii Five-0′ party

By LACY MATSUMOTO
Special to the Star-Advertiser

You know when you meet someone and you instantly click? That’s what happened between Taryn Manning and me. I don’t know if it’s because we’re both Scorpios who love music, or if we’re wild girls, but the instant I met Taryn, I knew we’d be having some magical adventures together.

When Taryn Manning asked me to be her date to last night’s premiere of “Hawaii Five-O,” I thought, “Oh, fun! I wanna dress up!” Just as simple as that. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine the intensity of what actually took place.

Monday morning: I woke up, as usual checked online news and social media sites, and that’s when it hit me. The energy behind the event was really starting to build as fans, writers and people involved with the show were all buzzing about the night’s event. What really struck me was that some anticipated 10,000 people attending Sunset on the Beach.

I started to panic slightly and texted Taryn to get her impression on how the event would turn out — but she was on a plane from LA to Honolulu so we couldn’t chat. So I made a checklist, like when I was in high school getting ready for prom. It looked like this:

• Pack hair and make up (Check!)
• Pick up dress from Acid Dolls (Check!)
• Borrow clutch from Tiare (Check!)
• Match shoes to dress (These will have to do)
• Shave my legs (Check!)
• Paint my nails (Check!)

AFTER A SLIGHT DELAY and a problem at animal quarantine, I finally picked up Taryn from the airport. Now, if you don’t know anything about Taryn, I can tell you three things about her that make me adore her:

1. She is an animal lover, inside and out. And her dog Penguin is the light of her life.
2. She loves music.
3. She loves unicorns.

SHE HAS BEEN talking about how excited she was to bring her dog from LA ever since I’ve known her. And when the officers at the quarantine decided to keep Penguin overnight, Taryn was devastated. Her pretty eyes were red from crying, and she looked like her heart was in sheer pain. She left her sweatshirt to keep in the kennel with Penguin, and politely excused herself from the office.

“Penguin has to stay in jail overnight, and I’m just so worried because of the conditions in there. They don’t walk them to use the restroom, and I don’t want her to be traumatized because she’s just a sweetheart,” said Manning as we drove away from the airport.

I swallowed my fear of the event, and took this as a sign not to worry her. For the rest of the ride, we chatted about her trip to New York for another red-carpet event as part of the launch of the movie “Heaven’s Rain.”

We pulled up to her apartment and were already behind schedule. We had to be on the red carpet in an less than two hours, and we still needed to get Taryn showered and into hair and makeup. What took me all day to prepare, she whipped together in the short period of time.

MAKEUP ARTIST Doris Foltin from Maleana Cosmetics was already standing by with her kits full of magic, color, shimmer and every tool you could think of. Within a flash, and after sipping some Vueve Clicquot, we were downstairs and in the black SUV.

Taryn looked stunning in her strapless, shimmering dress by Collette Dinnigan, her Brian Atwood nude pumps, and her Amanda Pearl clutch that was tiny enough to be a tootsie roll.

OUR DRIVER was Ezra from Kapolei. He was wearing a brightly colored aloha shirt that he had to specify “was mandatory.” He was pretty awesome.

We pulled into Waikiki and into a loading area behind the zoo, where all the actors mingled and waited to start the procession of black SUVs. Every actor had a car and driver for their party. Taryn said hello to her fellow castmates, and we took the mellow opportunity to do a photo opt with the real Five-O.

As one of the organizers began instructing our driver in a heavy pidgin accent, I asked Taryn if she knew what they were saying. “Yeah, I understand it. I have to listen closely, but I get it.”

She’s a natural local girl.

AS WE PULLED OUT of the holding area and onto Kapahulu, we were given the No. 1 — yup, we were the first car to pull up to the red carpet. As the police escorts drove us through the barricades, we saw thousands of people pushed up against the metal barricades. They were screaming, waving, holding signs and snapping photos — every single person there looked excited.

We pulled up to the entrance of the red carpet and as I was on the passenger side, I was the first out the car. Then followed Taryn and the crowd went fanatic.

Grown men were screaming “Taryn, I love you! Marry me!” We both didn’t expect that big of a turnout.

“This is one of the biggest premieres I’ve been in,” said Manning. Three people rushed up to her, escorting her to the red carpet, while quickly briefing her on the media line.

SHE TURNED BACK and said, “Lacy, you’re going to be fine. Just hang back for a second and we’ll sit together. Hey, take care of her,” she instructed her agent, who stayed with me. And I clung to him. Like a nervous school girl.

As the actors each filed onto the red carpet, I lurked in the background. Yes, lurked. I didn’t know what to do, where to stand, who to talk to. But seeing Malika Dudley (a familiar face), made me feel a bit more comfortable.

Cast members took their places down the media line and we followed shortly after and caught up with Taryn just in time for me to see our local media — Gary Chun, Derek Paiva, Christa Wittmier and Tracy Chan. Ahhh, familiar faces. The only problem was that to hug them meant bending over a red velvet rope. But being near them calmed my nerves and made me feel a bit less nervous.

I couldn’t imagine what Taryn or the other cast members must have been feeling. To think just a few hours before, she was dealing with a heartbreaking experience, then had to pull it together, push her feelings aside and be in front of hundreds — no thousands — of cameras. It made me think, “Wow, these people are humans.” Imagine all the pressure to do these things. And to think of all the judgment they have to endure. I will never pick up an empty entertainment magazine again.

AS I WATCHED Taryn go from each interview to the next, her escort explained to each writer that they could ask two questions. I thought to myself, if I had two questions to ask each of these actors, what would I ask?

I started daydreaming and listing random questions in my head. Then within minutes, we were instructed to head back to the VIP tent, where there were refreshments and a restroom.

Well, there wasn’t really a restroom, there was a porta-potty. A lush one though, with carpet and air conditioning. As we stood in line behind two pretty girls, Taryn exchanged words. I turned around to see Daniel Dae Kim in line behind me. “Hey Lacy!” he said. “Wow, Taryn, you found the party girl,” he chuckled.

We lingered in the VIP tent, had a few bites of brie cheese and blueberries, and waited for the cast to be called onto the stage. Once the event began, and Taryn took her place on stage with the others, I sat in the reserved front-row seating. I don’t know why, but a feeling of sheer pride for my friend came over me. She is really a part of something that is going to be a huge success. I can feel it.

After a few words and photos, she took her seat next to me and the large flood lights dimmed and the opening scene of the first episode began.

There were large explosions, and the debut of the show was on. We quietly sneaked off. Grace Park and her husband followed. We wanted to make it to the after-party slightly early to get situated before the crowd rushed in. (Now that’s a superstar secret — be first to the party.)

EZRA ZIPPED US through Waikiki and pulled up to Nobu, where the media wall was brightly lit. Taryn was the first to grace the wall with her presence. We stepped into the empty restaurant and were greeted by servers carrying trays of wine and champagne. I graciously accepted my first — but not last — glass of champagne, and Taryn opted for a glass of red wine.

We settled in a semi-private room in the back of the restaurant and chatted. The waiters kindly brought out plates of food, and checked on us periodically. We must have chose the best table of the night because as each of the cast arrived, they came directly to the back room where we sat and snagged a few bites.

Grace Park showed me her radical gun bracelet. “It was supposed to be a necklace, but I thought it was neat as a bracelet,” she explained.

As Alex O’Loughlin approached, I think the champagne must have kicked in, because I boldly began a conversation with him. It was my chance to ask him those two questions! My big moment. You know what I asked?

“So, uh, Alex. Uh. Did they have to give you pidgin lessons?” Yup. I’m a dork.

He replied, “Well, heck yeah. I didn’t know how to talk like that. But I got it now. Eh, braddah, how much kala it goin’ take, buleh?” he said in his thick Australian accent. I laughed. I laughed hysterically.

“What? You say it then,” he said back.

“Eh, braddah, how much kala it goin’ take, buleh?,” I said with my inner Hawaiian.

“That’s what I said,” he said, laughing.

My big debut, and I had to bring up the pidgin. Oh, well. I’m pretty sure it was an original question.

THE PARTY WENT ON through the night. Champagne, sushi, more champagne, more sushi.

I think what took it over the top was Nobu — the actual Nobu — being there himself. In a room full of celebrities, extras, photographers, staff, there stood Nobu. Tray in hand, smile on his face. There’s just something about him that makes me think he must be a really neat guy.

People danced to DJ Eskae, others chatted.

Taryn carried herself with a classy and elegant way as she moved through the room. I people watched and chatted with the few people I knew.
I met the producers and writers of the show, the entire cast, and yet at the end of the day, I am still a girl raised in Palolo who loves music and dancing. How did I get here? Who knows — but when you’ve got good intent, a positive outlook, and do good deeds, there will always be magical nights like these.

The party began to clear out and wind down, and, of course, we were some of the last to close down the place. But I didn’t feel too bad, as Daniel Dae Kim and his wife were still entertaining fans. I looked over at Taryn, chatting to Nicole Fox, who was gushing with admiration. Whatever their roles are, whatever they do on their off nights, this cast is a part of history in the making and deserve every moment of admiration possible. I can only express my respect and excitement for the new things to come for each person involved in this show.

Our high heels kicked off, we pranced out of the restaurant and to our Kapolei-born driver, who took us home. Kind of like magic, the night was over and I was safe in my bed.

Review: ‘Hawaii Five-O’ pilot a winner

REVIEW BY BURL BURLINGAME
bburlingame@staradvertiser.com

This project has so much baggage attached it might as well be clinking chains like Marley’s ghost. “Hawaii Five-0″ was one of those seminal shows that helped define modern episodic television — snappy, colorful, unusual, exciting. The world it portrayed seemed bigger than the screen, unlike the backlot procedurals set, invariably, in Los Angeles. Even with our short attention spans today, it still plays well.

The world has changed. Networks no longer dominate the airwaves, and cable-channel shows can be made edgier and more colorful. No wonder CBS has looked back on the glory days of “Five-0″ as a way of regaining ratings momentum.

A previous attempt at a “Five-0″ reboot fizzled so mightily that it was cast down a well never to be seen again by human eyes. Now CBS has tried again, hoping the third time will have the charm of the first.

That they have largely succeeded owes a lot to the original show’s bizarre dramatic structure. Essentially, the only cast member allowed to have a personality was Jack Lord’s Steve McGarrett, and McGarrett — let’s be realistic about this — was essentially a fascist control freak, a steely-eyed megalomaniac, a Terminator with a badge, a dark mystery in an even darker suit. Everyone else in the show was a cipher, standing around saying “Yes, boss,” whilst McGarrett did all the crime solving and exposition. I’m convinced people tuned in every week to see if McGarrett would crack, oh, just a little bit. Or better yet, blow up like a nitro-enriched dragster. The fun characters were the criminals, all of whom were filmed with greasy, sweating faces. It was the show’s hallmark.

“Miami CSI’s” Horatio Caine is Steve McGarrett’s demon offspring.

Which means, of course, the new show can take the physical trappings of “Hawaii Five-0″ — the memorable theme song, the exotic locales, the colorful local characters, the rip-snortin’ action, the traditional escalating four-act plot, the faintly ominous opening kicker that jolts into a breaking wave and the theme music — and pump it all up into a modern high-def TV show, with more scenery and more grit and more action and way, way more volume.

That’s the easy part. When it comes to the characters, we’re dealing with blank pages.

Danny Williams, for example. We learn more about “Danno” in the first 10 minutes of the new pilot than we learned in 12 years of the series. That’s a good thing. We need to care about the characters. As played by Scott Caan, Danno is a divorced father trying to do right by his kid, and that means doing legitimate police work, the old-fashioned way. Right away, he’s shanghai’d by McGarrett, who’s some sort of Navy intelligence operative used to working outside the rules, and who has been charged by Hawaii’s governor (Jean Smart, looking quite Republican) to create a kind of quasi-official police task force.

McGarrett and Danno immediately butt heads over dueling procedurals. It’s fairly entertaining, and also illuminating, and that’s the idea. We have two personalities here, designed by committee to keep the dialogue snapping; Butch and Sundance — oops, I mean McGarrett and Danno.

As McGarrett, Alex O’Loughlin has a big, dark suit to fill, and to the show’s credit, it’s left hanging in the closet. My favorite quick shot here is McGarrett pulling back a cover on his father’s car, and it’s a big, black car like the original McGarrett used to drive, but the hood is off and the engine is missing. He tosses the cover back over the old car. It’s done.

O’Loughlin is skinny and stubbly in the modern anti-hero mode. He’s no stolid goosestepper like Lord’s McGarrett, but neither is he so anti- an anti-hero that you might question his moral compass. Judging by the pilot, he’s a decent sort who despises red tape. What’s not to like? And yes, that’s deliberate on the writers’ part.

Daniel Dae Kim, as Chin Ho Kelly, and Grace Park, as Kono, are introduced in such frankly ridiculous, cringeworthy ways that it’s best just to move on quickly. They are given just enough backstory to make them human, not enough to make them cartoons. Suffice to say they’re part of the team by the time the pilot wraps.

Will the “Hawaii Five-0″ reboot succeed? There’s no reason it won’t. After all, unlike something with sharply defined characters like “Star Trek” or “Gunsmoke,” the original show was a blank slate with a snazzy frame.

Much depends, however, on ratings and the patience of network executives.

What’s to like in the new show? It’s bright, it’s fast, it has wit and charm, plus some astounding action sequences. Best of all, although it’s simple and formulaic, it’s not stupid. The structure has some real potential to examine Hawaii’s diverse ethnic backgrounds. For example, McGarrett, even though he grew up in Hawaii, is still a “haole” to the perps he’s catching, and it’s frustrating for him, just as it is to local haoles. I think “haole” is uttered more times in this pilot than ever in the original series, if at all. Anyway, that’s a canny, writerly insight that illuminates the character, and I hope there will be more of that.

I also like that the police have to reload their guns during shootouts. And does anyone believe that the bad guy, played by James Marsters (Spike of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) won’t be back some day?

But some things never change. Like in the old “Five-0,” the cops in new “Five-0″ never Mirandize their arrests. And like the old show, viewers shouldn’t rely on the new show for driving directions. I didn’t know the way to the Honolulu waterfront was through Ford Island.

Message from original Danno Williams

Written remarks from James MacArthur, who played “Danno” Williams in the original “Hawaii Five-0,” on the world premiere of new “Five-0″ pilot, Sept. 13, 2010, Sunset on the Beach, Waikiki.

Good evening everyone! I hope you’re all enjoying a fine Hawaiian sunset and I’m sorry I can’t be there with you tonight.

Ever since I saw the scrip for the pilot, I’ve been very excited about this new “Hawaii Five-0.” From that first moment, I knew CBS had another winner on its hands.

I can remember back to when Lenny Freeman called to invite me to participate in the original version. My first thought was, “Great! If I’m lucky this is my free ticket to 13 weeks in Hawaii. Count me in!”

Little did I know that 40 years later, people would still be calling out to me to “Book ‘em, Danno!” wherever I go, and that “Hawaii Five-0″ would become a worldwide phenomenon, an indelible part of our modern culture, ready tonight to launch a bold new incarnation.

I think I can confidently speak for Lenny (Freeman), Jack (Lord), Kam (Fong), Zulu and the rest of the original gang, as well as myself, in saying that we’re all just delighted with the outstanding caliber and sheer talent of the people involved with the “Five-0.” It’s very heartening to see our legacy now in the hands of the terrific people you see before you tonight.

I’m looking forward to making an appearance in the new show when the time is right, and I can’t wait to see what the writers have in store for me. In the meantime, I’ll be watching each week, eagerly anticipating the further adventures of the new “Five-0″ team.

May you all enjoy Hawaii and its fabulous people as much as I continue to do to this day, and may your association with “Hawaii Five-0″ be as successful and fulfilling for you as mine has been for me.

And remember, “Be there! Aloha!”

‘Hawaii Five-O’ world premiere

By Gary C.W. Chun
gchun@staradvertiser.com

Photo by Bruce Asato
basato@staradvertiser.com

For the world premiere of the new “Hawaii Five-0,” thousands of visitors and local folks converged on Waikiki Beach on Monday to see the rebirth of a cop show that introduced the islands to millions of viewers around the world more than four decades ago.

Before the evening screening, one of the high points of the night was the stage appearances of Al Harrington, who played the character of Ben Kokua during “Five-0”’s original run, and the three daughters of show creator Leonard Freeman, who, in essence, handed over the legacy of their father and the iconic cast led by Jack Lord to the show’s new producers, Peter Lenkov, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.

Harrington joked that in response to McGarrett’s trademark show closer — “Book ’em, Danno” — he was often tempted to reply, “Book ’em yourself.”

“But the money was so good that I didn’t want to risk it,” he said.

While reading remarks from original cast member James MacArthur, who did not attend, Harrington became emotional when reeling off the names of those who have since died. “I speak for Lenny (Freeman), Kam (Fong), Jack (Lord), Zulu and the rest of the original cast to say it’s very heartening to leave our legacy in your hands,” he said, reading from MacArthur’s statement.

Harrington also said he hopes the spirit of the new show would keep in mind the state’s motto of “Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka Aina I Ka Pono” — the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness — “and may you all enjoy Hawaii and its fabulous people.”

One actor who enjoyed his stay in the islands was special guest Jorge Garcia. The former “Lost” cast member said he moved back to Los Angeles three months ago, and it just so happened his visit back to Hawaii coincided with the “Five-0” public screening.

Referring to fellow “Lost” actor Daniel Dae Kim, who plays the part of Chin Ho Kelly in the new “Five-0,” Garcia said he attended the event because “I wanted to support Daniel in his new adventures.”

Jason Scott Lee also was among the celebrities in attendance.

It was a night to celebrate all that was “Five-0.” The University of Hawaii Warrior Marching Band and Dancers performed their familiar rendition of the show’s iconic opening theme, and both Gov. Linda Lingle and acting Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell offered proclamations that honored the new show with their own month and day, respectively.

There were steady chants from fans close to the red carpet of “Grace!,” “Scott!,” “Alex!” and “Daniel!” as Grace Park, Scott Caan, Alex O’Loughlin and Daniel Dae Kim first spoke with members of the media, and then went to the fans behind the barricade to sign autographs and pose for photos.

Photos by Christie Wilson
cwilson@staradvertiser.com

‘Hawaii Five-0’ Sunset on the Beach Premiere

BY MIKE GORDON
mgordon@staradvertiser.com

CBS and the cast and creators of the new “Hawaii Five-0” plan to make a splash at the local premiere, Sept. 13 at Sunset on the Beach.

“It is the first time we are putting it out there for the people we care for,” said Peter Lenkov, the show’s executive producer. “I want them to love it. We are very proud and very excited to show it to people.”

The event at Queen’s Surf Beach starts with local entertainment and includes a red-carpet entrance by the principal stars: Alex O’Loughlin, Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park, Taryn Manning and Jean Smart. A welcome program starts at 7:30 p.m. and then the series pilot, which was shot here in March, will light up the screen.

CBS is expecting about 7,000 people at the venue, which in recent years has been a popular launch pad for TV series shot Hawaii.

Lenkov, who previously worked on “CSI: NY” and “24,” brought a fan’s perspective to the re-imagined series. Growing up in Montreal, Canada, he watched it regularly because it was his father’s favorite show. When he was first approached by CBS about a year ago, he felt he knew the series, but had questions, too.

“I wondered how I could add value to this franchise,” he said by telephone from Los Angeles, where he was refining scripts. “But the one thing was, you didn’t know who these characters were. You didn’t know their back stories.”

CBS will unveil it to the rest of the country a week later, on the 42nd anniversary of the original show’s network premiere. Until then, the Sunset on the Beach viewers will be the only ones to have seen it, besides reporters — and passengers on select Hawaiian Airlines flights.

Augie Tulba, the local comedian who performs as Augie T, landed a part as a helicopter pilot on episode three of the new series. The coming premiere has generated more excitement than he has seen in years, he said.

“It’s going to be an explosive show,” he said. “I’m hoping it is going to last for a long time. Guys like me need work.”

The real police will be at the premiere, including HPD’s top cop, Chief Louis Kealoha, a fan of the original series.
“I’m excited for it,” he said. “I saw those previews and it looks like it will be action oriented.”

‘Hawaii Five-0’ Sunset on the Beach Premiere
Where: Queen’s Surf Beach
When: 5 p.m. Monday; stars arrive at 6 p.m.; premiere to screen about 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
Parking: Street, Waikiki Shell and Honolulu Zoo stalls available, although most are metered
Note: Entertainment will include Willie K, Makana and Taimane Gardner

Note: Read more about the “Hawaii Five-0″ event in Friday’s TGIF, in print and online at www.staradvertiser.com/tgif.

CBS signs deal for new ‘Hawaii Five-O’ pilot

Courtesy Paramount Pictures

The Hollywood Reporter and Variety are reporting that CBS has inked a deal to bring back the iconic police drama “Hawaii Five-O.”

According to the reports, “CSI: NY” executive producer Peter Lenkov will oversee the project, with help from writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (who wrote “Transformers: Rise of the Forgotten” and “Star Trek”).

The original series, which ran on CBS from 1968 to 1980, still airs in syndication in a number of markets around the country including here in Hawaii. Paramount Pictures also plans to release the seventh season of the series on DVD on Oct. 20.

For more details about this breaking story, pick up a copy of tomorrow’s Honolulu Star-Bulletin.