Opening with Morton Stevens's unforgettable theme music, Hawaii Five-0 followed the crime fighting adventures of Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord), who commanded a fictional Hawaiian state police force who reported to the governor. Many episodes would end with McGarrett telling his right-hand man Danny Williams to Book 'em, Danno! after they captured their quarry. McGarrett's archenemy was the Communist rouge agent Wo Fat, a criminal mastermind that McGarrett pursued for all twelve seasons.
Cast & Characters
- Jack Lord as Det. Steve McGarrett
- James MacArthur as Det. Danny Williams (1968-1979)
- Kam Fong as Det. Chin Ho Kelly (1968-1978)
- Herman Wedemeyer as Edward D. 'Duke' Lukela (1968-1980)
- Harry Endo as Che Fong (1969-1977)
- Gilbert Lani Kauhi "Zulu" as Det. Kono Kalakaua (1968-1972)
- Richard Denning as Gov. Paul Jameson (1968-1980)
- Al Harrington as Det. Ben Kokua (1969-1975)
- Al Eben as Doc Bergman (1968-1979)
- Peggy Ryan as Jenny (1968-1976)
- Glenn Cannon as DA John Manicote (1970-1977)
- Danny Kamekona as Nick (1968-1979)
- Moe Keale as Det. Truck Kealoha (1971-1980)
- Douglas Mossman as Det. Frank Kemana (1968-1979)
- Kwan Hi Lim as Tosaki (1970-1980)
- Seth Sakai as Batai (1971-1980)
- Tommy Fujiwara as Charlie Ling (1969-1980)
Broadcast History
First Telecast: September 20, 1968Last Telecast: April 26, 1980
Original Network:
CBS
Number of Seasons: 12
Number of Episodes: 278
Hawaii Five-O Episode Guide
Original Primetime TV Schedule:
- September 1968- December 1974, CBS, Thursday 8:00-9:00PM
- December 1968- September 1971, CBS, Wednesday 10:00-11:30PM
- September 1971- September 1974, CBS, Tuesday 8:30-9:30PM
- September 1974- September 1975, CBS, Tuesday 9:00-10:00PM
- September 1975- November 1975, CBS, Friday 9:00-10:00PM
- December 1975- November 1979, CBS, Thursday 9:00-10:00PM
- December 1979- January 1980, CBS, Tuesday 9:00-10:00PM
- March 1980- April 1980, CBS, Saturday 9:00-10:00PM
Theme Song & Opening Credits
Theme composed by Morton StevensWatch opening intro:
Listen to theme song:
Hawaii Five-O On DVD
Hawaii Five-0 Trivia
Contrary to popular belief, the Hawaii Five-0 team was not a part of the Honolulu Police Force. They were a part of the Hawaii State Police but they answered directly to the Governor.Steve McGarrett was a former Naval Intelligence investigator before joining the elite Hawaii Five-0 task force.
The first choice to play the role of Steve McGarrett was Gregory Peck but he didn't want the role. He starred in 18 more movies after rejecting the job so it's unlikely he was sorry about the decision! Who might have played his roles in movies like "The Omen", "The Boys from Brazil", and "MacArthur" if he'd taken the job?
There was a plan to have Jack Lord appear on the new TV series, "Magnum P.I." that started airing shortly after Hawaii Five-0 left the air since both series took place in Hawaii. That never happened but Magnum and his buddies did talk about "the guys over at Five-0" several times though in early episodes.
Jack Lord was the only cast member who stayed on Hawaii Five-0 throughout its full twelve year run.
The Hawaii Five-0 task force had to deal over and over again with a Red Chinese agent named "Wo Fat". They would always manage to stop his evil plans but they never caught him until the very last episode titled, "Woe to Wo Fat". It was obvious that a reunion show was on someone's mind though because Wo Fat was seen taking a file out of his boot, obviously intending to escape!
There was a Hawaii Five-0 TV movie in 1997. James MacArthur was in it but not as Detective "Danno" Williams. In the seventeen years since we saw him on the series for the last time, he had worked his way up to the Governorship of the state of Hawaii!
One of McGarrett's enemies who appeared in a couple of episodes was played by actor Gavin MacCleod. He played a pimp named "Big Chicken". Nearly a decade later, MacCleod would play the straight-laced character, "Captain Stubing" on the TV series, "The Love Boat".
