For me, Hawaii Five-O still remains one of the coolest cop shows in television history. Though the series ceased production in 1980 after a very successful twelve-year run on CBS, Hawaii Five-O continues to run in syndication throughout the world and selected episodes of the show can be seen on demand via streaming media at CBS Interactive.
Hawaii Five-O was created by Leonard Freeman, who was a writer for the series Route 66 in 1960 and produced The Untouchables in 1962. In 1967, Freeman produced the Clint Eastwood western Hang 'Em High. Despite those impressive credits, few would argue that Hawaii Five-O stands as Leonard Freeman's biggest contribution to the entertainment medium. The opening title sequence has got to be one of the most memorable in television history. To put it to you straight — the pictures of the then fairly new state of Hawaii accompanied by what has to be one of the greatest television themes ever (composed by Morton Stevens) draws the audience right into the show.
As the fourth season of Hawaii Five-O began in 1971, the series remained a solid top-ten hit in the Nielsen ratings, with over 15 million viewers tuning in each week. The show was a phenomenon. People started booking vacations to Hawaii like never before, and those who couldn't visit Hawaii tuned in each week to get their dose of the tropical paradise. Catchphrases like "Book 'em, Danno" and "Whatcha got?" became a regular part of the American vernacular.
Hawaii Five-O centers on the fictional police force of the same name — in honor of Hawaii's status as the 50th state — led by Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord), who was appointed by the governor, Paul Jameson (Richard Denning). McGarrett was assisted by State police officers — the young Danny "Danno" Williams (James MacArthur), Chin Ho Kelly (Kam Fong), and Kono Kalakaua (Zulu). I don't think anyone would ever say that Steve McGarrett was Mr. Excitement. Jack Lord played the role with all the personality of a board, but somehow that worked. The rest of the cast was pretty wooden as well and kept things straight as an arrow.
Despite the wooden characters, Hawaii Five-O was, and remains, a highly watchable show. In the early 1970s, it was very unusual to see two non-Caucasian actors play leading roles on a television series. Both Chin Ho and and Kono were as valuable to the "Five-O" as the square-jawed McGarrett and the blue-eyed Danny, and that gave the show a unique appeal to television audiences.
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