It's the 'stache, maybe. Maybe not so much the hairy chest. I don't know. I do know that I've never received more email from women than when I reviewed the DVD set for Magnum P.I.: Season Five back in October, with almost all of them telling me that yes, Tom Selleck was far more handsome than their boyfriends and husbands (on behalf of all those men: thanks for that vote of confidence, ladies!). I was pretty shocked to receive all those emails; I really thought Magnum P.I. was strictly a guy's show, but evidently, women can't get enough of it. Now I already wrote pretty extensively on the appeal of Magnum P.I. and its place in the TV detective canon (please click here to read that review), so I won't bore you with a retread on the subject. Let's just dive right into Tom Selleck's big, hairy chest, and wallow around in all that Complete Season Six goodness, shall we?

Alas, things aren't so good here in Season Six. Magnum P.I., which had ended its previous fifth season at 15th for the year in the Nielsen ratings, was nowhere to be found in the Top Thirty this sixth season. The bloom on Magnum P.I. was over for the fans and critics of the show. A definite feeling of deja vu - not unlike Magnum's increasingly strange ESP moments - had set into the series, offering little or no original thrills to entice the audience away from their new TV pursuits. In particular, tough-as-nails Thomas Magnum just couldn't survive against those two cute little fuzzy bunny shows, The Cosby Show and Family Ties over on NBC. Familial love and rimshot one-liners trounced Selleck's island-hopping intrigue week after week in a punishing, elemental display of "Comedy" over "Action" (ABC's The Fall Guy ended its run opposite these creampuff powerhouses, too).

Not helping matters was the premier episode of Magnum P.I.: The Complete Sixth Season. Now, I can't stress this enough, particularly with a show that's starting to slide in the ratings, as Magnum P.I. had already done: the opening episode of a season is critical. It sets the tone with viewers who may be on the fence about continuing watching the show, as well as reassuring loyal viewers that the series hasn't strayed from the elements that made the show popular in the first place. It's imperative that the first episode of any season nails the series down for old and potentially new viewers. So what the hell is Magnum doing in a Murder, She Wrote episode for this season opener? It's obvious they wanted this two-parter, Deja Vu, to be an expensive, impressive opening for the season. Shot on location in London, Deja Vu has all the hallmarks of a producer's desperation to inject new life into a series that's failing rapidly. But how could they have been so far off the mark as to what makes Magnum, Magnum?

Saying Deja Vu is like a Murder, She Wrote is being incredibly generous; actually, that fine series would never have allowed such a lachrymose, stilted episode to make its schedule. Selleck appears dazed throughout the show, as if he can't quite believe he's in jolly old England, and not on a beach in Hawaii. And what a lethargic, slow-paced mystery story it is. The subplot involving Higgins is more depressing than enlightening, while the whole T.C. in Morocco subplot is embarrassingly bad, and poorly executed. A bit of stunt filming, taking Magnum to England, totally misses the point of the show's original appeal, and no doubt flummoxed regular viewers with its funeral pace. This was the season I started tuning out Magnum P.I. (certainly not in favor of the Huxtables or the Keatons, though -- I couldn't abide those shows); the stories seemed repetitive and the sense of fun seemed more forced and labored. As the ratings turned out for the year, I obviously wasn't alone.

Maybe that sense of dwindling interest filtered down from Selleck, as well. It's important to remember that at this point in Selleck's career, he was very much considered a popular TV star who had failed to cross over into big screen success. We all know the Indiana Jones story, but by the start of this sixth season of Magnum P.I., Selleck's belated excursions into feature films had all fizzled out. High Road to China, Lassiter (which I rather enjoyed), and Runaway (a forgotten sci-fi gem that needs to be rediscovered) all tanked at the box office in 1983 and 1984. Selleck was still a year away from his breakthrough box office bonanza, Three Men and a Baby, so perhaps that haunted look in Selleck's eye had as much to do with his box office prospects as with the increasingly familiar and tired scripts he was given on Magnum P.I.. Still, Selleck was too much of a pro to let his fans down, and he puts on a game face for this sixth season, but the writers, directors, producers, and the star, obviously aren't running at full speed here.

DISC ONE:

Deja Vu
In this thrilling two-hour episode, Magnum and Higgins travel to London on urgent business and uncover a mystery with unsettling connections to Magnum's dreams.

Old Acquaintance
An old friend has Magnum and T.C. in a political conundrum by chasing after a well-trained dolphin that's been loaded with explosives.

The Kona Winds
Magnum falls head over heels for a woman he saved from drowning, but her dangerous relationship with her wealthy industrialist husband soon surfaces.

The Hotel Dick
All that glitters isn't gold when Magnum is hired to prevent an elusive cat burglar from infiltrating an international convention of jewelry designers at an island hotel.

DISC TWO:

Round and Round
Tragedy strikes close to home when T.C.'s good friend is murdered, and it's up to Magnum to solve the mystery before an injustice is carried out.

Going Home
It's a bittersweet homecoming filled with remembrances and reprisals when Magnum attends the funeral of his beloved grandfather.

Paniolo
Magnum wrangles with dangerous cattle rustlers as they strike a struggling estate on the island of Hawaii.

The Treasure of Kalaniopu'u
It's time to read between the lines when Magnum's hired to protect a publishing company representative with the clues to a deadly treasure hunt.

DISC THREE:

Blood and Honor
A security leak concerning a top-secret nuclear submarine has Magnum plumbing the depths of the naval base's chain of communication.

Rapture
Magnum is haunted by a boy from the past when he thinks he sees the murdered child swimming off the coast of Kahuku Lagoon

I Never Wanted to Go to France, Anyway
The Inky Gilbert Traveling Carnival brings fun, glamour and tragic accidents to the island.

Summer School
Robin Masters' troubled nephew comes to spend the summer with Higgins, and he quickly puts Magnum's life in danger by impersonating him and taking on a dangerous case.

DISC FOUR:

Mad Dogs and Englishmen
Higgins suddenly announces that he is leaving Robin's nest, and Magnum becomes determined to find out why.

All Thieves on Deck
What begins as a luxury cruise turns into a dangerous adventure when Magnum's assignment is to guard a priceless wooden statuette of a Hawaiian god on its way to a museum.

This Island Isn't Big Enough
When Rick's boat returns empty from a cruise, Magnum, T.C., and Higgins set out to find those who were on board and are now presumed dead.

Way of the Stalking Horse
Magnum takes on a case to find a man's missing father, and soon finds himself the target of a ruthless hit man.

DISC FIVE:

Find Me a Rainbow
It's anything but child's play when Magnum searches for a missing boy and uncovers a black market baby business.

Who is Don Luis Higgins, and Why is He Doing These Terrible Things to Me?
Family ties bind Higgins as he tries to juggle the demands of an international chess tournament, a visiting dignitary and his flamboyant half brother.

A Little Bit of Luck, A Little Bit of Grief
Worlds collide when Rick becomes a millionaire after winning the lottery, and Magnum and T.C. fight to save a clubhouse for underprivileged children.

Photo Play
The picture's not pretty when Magnum's chance meeting with a photographer leads him to an embezzler who was believed to be dead.

The DVD:

The Video:
I saw a noticeable improvement in the full frame video image of Magnum P.I.: The Complete Sixth Season, over the fifth season. Colors were brighter, and there appeared to be less grain.

The Audio:
The Dolby Digital English 2.0 mono soundtrack accurately reflects the original television presentation, but man, it would sure be sweet to hear Magnum's kick-ass theme song in 5.1.

The Extras:
The only extra is again, Universal's rather curious habit of including an episode (Little Girl Who) from the upcoming seventh season. If I'm a fan who's bought all of the previous seasons, why would this be considered a bonus?

Final Thoughts:
I was just about to give Magnum P.I.: The Complete Sixth Season a "rent it" recommendation, but thinking back on what I've wrote, I still have to admit that when that theme music comes up, and Selleck flashes that ridiculously handsome smile, you get into the show big time. It's still a lot of fun, even though season six here is a disappointment. Fans will want it, so I recommend that you buy it. Others, rent it first, but you'll probably have fun. I recommend Magnum P.I.: The Complete Sixth Season.