Tom Selleck’s Quintessential Crime Show’s Perfect Successor Breaks TV’s 5-Year Viewership Record

by

ABC has created a show that feels like a natural continuation of Tom Selleck’s classic series, nearly 40 years later. Crime dramas have always been popular on both TV and in movies, but television excels at developing characters and maintaining long-running storylines, particularly with procedural formats. There’s no shortage of these kinds of shows on network TV, and the 2025-2026 season will be no exception.

Traditional TV is full of crime shows and procedural dramas where police, paramedics, and lawyers solve mysteries each week. Shows like NCIS (currently in its 23rd season) and Law & Order: SVU (season 27) have remained popular for years. However, with so many shows competing for viewers, it’s hard to launch something new, which makes ABC’s reboot of Magnum, P.I. particularly noteworthy.

RJ Decker Is The Perfect Magnum PI Modern Successor

For eight seasons and 162 episodes, Tom Selleck starred as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living on a beautiful Hawaiian estate. He had a deal with the estate’s owner, Robin Masters: Magnum could live in the guest house and drive a red Ferrari in exchange for providing security. Each week, Magnum used his intelligence and personality to solve cases for his clients.

After 38 years, ABC seems to have found a worthy successor to the classic Magnum, P.I. with RJ Decker. While Magnum, P.I. did have a brief reboot, this new series starring Scott Speedman feels like a more successful update. It follows a former photographer who becomes a private investigator in South Florida. Although his past is different from Tom Selleck’s Magnum, Decker shares many of the same key traits – he’s clever, smart, and charismatic when solving cases. In fact, Decker’s style and background are reminiscent of the original Magnum, P.I.

ABC’s new show, RJ Decker, is quickly becoming a success! After only two episodes, it’s attracting 11.64 million viewers across all platforms – including ABC, Hulu, and other digital options. The premiere episode drew 3.69 million viewers, making it the most-watched 10 PM drama debut on ABC in over five years. RJ Decker airs on Tuesdays alongside seasons two of High Potential and four of Will Trent.

Can RJ Decker Replicate Magnum PI’s Success?

As a big TV fan, I’ve been really impressed with how well RJ Decker is doing – it definitely feels like ABC has another hit on its hands. It’s great to see ABC expanding its lineup, and they’re clearly finding a winning formula with these clever crime shows. Look at The Rookie, High Potential, and Will Trent – they’ve all taken off! Honestly, if RJ Decker just keeps telling good stories, I think it’s going to be around for a long time.

Look, I get it – matching the huge numbers Magnum, P.I. pulled in back in the day? That’s a tall order. Everyone watched network TV then! But RJ Decker doesn’t need to be that big a hit. I just want it to have a good run, maybe last as long as Magnum did, but without feeling like they’re dragging it out just to keep it on the air. And honestly, the way people are watching now, and the numbers we’re seeing, I think it’s totally possible. I’m really hopeful it’ll stick around for a while!

Like Screen Rant’s TV coverage? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get exclusive insights from your favorite show stars and creators – just be sure to select “Network TV” in your newsletter preferences!

Read More

2026-03-12 21:28