Why Was ‘Magnum P.I.’ Canceled? CBS Boss Explains

CBS canceled Magnum P.I. after four seasons on May 12. And according to CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl, they did not make that decision lightly.

The reboot, starring Jay Hernandez, is one of the few network dramas to feature a Latino lead. Its cancellation was reportedly due to licensing fee disagreements between CBS and Universal Television, per Deadline. Despite the show’s popularity (it ranked No. 9 out of CBS’s 14 network dramas, per TVLine), CBS and Universal Television reportedly could not reach an agreement.

Universal and CBS’s other shows, the FBI franchise and The Equalizer, were renewed. As were CSI: Vegas and S.W.A.T., which had less viewership than Magnum P.I. Kahl said the licensing disagreement was one of the contributing factors behind the cancelation.

“You have some tough decisions to make and you have lots of factors — and I’m not going to rule [the licensing fee] out as one of them,” she told TVLine. “It was a great team to work with, and one of the tougher decisions we had to make.”

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'Magnum P.I.' & More Highest-Rated Shows Canceled This Season

Good Sam, How We Roll, United States of Al, and B Positive also got the axe from CBS last week. Over at NBC, Mr. Mayor, The Endgame, Ordinary Joe, and Kenan all got cut. According to data from TV Series Finale, Magnum P.I., The Endgame, Mr. Mayor, B Positive, and United States of Al were some the highest-rated series to get canceled ahead of the 2022–2023 season.

The Amazing Race, Blue Bloods, Bob ♥ Abishola, CSI: Vegas, FBI, FBI: International, FBI: Most Wanted, Ghosts, NCIS, NCIS: Hawai’i, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Neighborhood, Secret Celebrity Renovation, Survivor, S.W.A.T., The Equalizer , Tough as Nails, and Young Sheldon will all return to CBS this Fall.