Tom Selleck Breaks Silence on Magnum P.I. Cancellation — Nobody Wanted It to End!

Tom Selleck Reveals Why Magnum P.I. Ended – And How Blue Bloods Continues to Thrive

Tom Selleck, beloved for his role as Commissioner Frank Reagan on CBS’s hit drama Blue Bloods, has opened up about the surprising reason Magnum P.I. came to an end—revealing that it wasn’t the network that pulled the plug.

While Blue Bloods continues its incredible run, recently airing its 250th episode and drawing in over 6 million viewers per episode, Selleck reflected on the early days of his TV career and the bittersweet ending of Magnum P.I., where he played the iconic private investigator Thomas Magnum.

“Magnum could’ve kept going—no one wanted to cancel it,” Selleck admitted. “But I was the one who caused the divorce. I had just starred in Three Men and a Baby, which became the number one film in the U.S., and I wanted to start a family.”

Despite walking away at the height of the show’s popularity, Selleck’s career continued to thrive—culminating in the rare success of Blue Bloods, which debuted in 2010 and remains one of CBS’s top-performing shows.

“I never thought I’d be lucky enough to do a show that had such a long run,” Selleck shared. “The number of series with as many episodes as Blue Bloods is incredibly small. It’s a testament to the dedication of the entire cast.”

As for what makes Blue Bloods resonate with fans after more than a decade, Selleck believes it’s the characters, not just the crime-solving. “It’s a character-driven show. The police work is the backdrop—what really matters is the dynamic of the Reagan family.”

He added, “The audience is deeply invested in these characters. Our best scenes are the family dinners—especially when there’s conflict. Viewers know what each character is going through, so when tensions rise at the table, they feel it too. The key is, they want the Reagans to stay strong.”

While Magnum P.I. ended after eight seasons in 1988, it was later rebooted by CBS with Jay Hernandez stepping into Selleck’s legendary role. Meanwhile, Selleck remains at the heart of Blue Bloods, grateful for a second chance at TV success—and this time, he’s not walking away.