“Ted Danson Faces Off Against Magnum P.I. in an Unexpected Clash”

In 1981, Ted Danson experienced quite a rollercoaster year. Not only did he capture Hollywood’s attention with his role in the sultry thriller Body Heat, but he also had a memorable showdown on Magnum P.I.—a true double whammy.

Danson’s Magnum P.I. appearance was notable for two key reasons, as Tom Selleck recounted on this week’s Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast. First, it was the day Danson arrived on set that Selleck learned his show had been renewed for a second season. “We were doing well,” Selleck said, “but it wasn’t a sure thing.”

The second reason the episode was significant was because it marked a departure from the show’s usual formula. Danson played the week’s villain, a “murderous, wimpy husband.” Selleck described how the scene unfolded: “We were on a boat, and you got a little overconfident with your gun. Naturally, I kicked it out of your hand, and then we had a fight.” In this encounter, Danson’s character gets thoroughly beaten by Magnum. But it wasn’t just a straightforward fight. “You pulled out a grappling hook, and Andrea Marcovicci, playing your wife, was behind me. You were giving it your all with that grappling hook,” Selleck recalled.

Selleck decided to bring some realism into the scene, suggesting, “Why not just grab her, dive into the water, and escape?” Despite being unarmed, Magnum could have used the keys to the boat to make a quick getaway. This impromptu change in the plot was a departure from the usual scripted clichés and surprised the crew, who were used to adhering strictly to the original scripts, especially since the writers were in Los Angeles and Hawaii, where the show was filmed, was three hours behind.

Selleck reflected on how these changes helped the show stand out: “By poking fun at these clichés, we made a unique mark.”

However, the aftereffects of that episode might have impacted Danson’s early film career. He recounted a meeting with Steven Spielberg, who was considering him for Poltergeist. “Spielberg saw the episode with me getting pummeled by you and probably didn’t see me as the strong leading man he was looking for,” Danson speculated.

Adding to the awkwardness, Danson noted an overhead shot in the episode that made him realize he was starting to bald. “It was a tough year for me, seeing that bald spot on screen.”