The original “Hawaii Five-O” aired from 1968 to 1980 on CBS. The hour-long police procedural was unique in that it was shot entirely on location in Hawaii, bringing the beautiful island scenery to viewers all over the world. The show is often credited with helping Hawaii’s tourism industry in the 1970s and 1980s.
Jack Lord portrayed Steve McGarrett, the head of a special state police task force that tackled a wide variety of crime and espionage on the islands.
“Hawaii FIve-O” was one of the top-rated TV programs of the 1970s. The theme music and fast-paced opening titles became popular, as well:
After a long, successful run in syndication, CBS revived the series in 2010. Episodes of the original series are widely available on streaming services.
The show also led to “Five-O” being used as slang to describe police. McGarrett’s catchphrase “Book’ em, Danno” also became part of America’s pop culture lexicon.
An interesting footnote: One episode of the series aired only once. “Bored, She Hung Herself” was the 16th episode of the second season, which aired January 7, 1970. It featured a storyline about the apparent suicide of a woman by hanging as part of a health regimen. A viewer reportedly tried the same technique and died. CBS pulled the episode from rebroadcast and syndication. It has not been made available on streaming or DVD releases. A poor-quality 16mm film version has circulated among collectors.
My Third Parent 