Lenkov-verse
Peter M. Lenkov
Created by	Peter M. Lenkov
Original work	Hawaii Five-0
Owners	CBS (Paramount)[a] NBC (NBCUniversal)[b]
Years	2010–2024
Print publications
Book(s)	The Official MacGyver Survival Manual: 155 Ways to Save the Day
Films and television
Television series	Hawaii Five-0 MacGyver Magnum P.I.
Audio
Soundtrack(s)	Hawaii Five-0: Original Songs from the Television Series Hawaii Five-0 Original Series Soundtrack
Miscellaneous
Related TV series	NCIS: Los Angeles

TheLenkov-verse (sometimes written as theLenkoverse)^[1][2][3][4] is amedia franchise that consists of a group of three interconnectedtelevision reboots that share afictional universe, and their related media. All three of the television series,Hawaii Five-0,MacGyver, andMagnum P.I., were developed byPeter M. Lenkov who also served as theshowrunner on the series. They are each American crime dramas that aired onCBS.^[c]Hawaii Five-0 revolves around a task force, led bySteve McGarrett, that investigates crimes inHawaii.MacGyver centers aroundAngus MacGyver who uses nonviolent methods to keep the world safe, with the help of a team of undercover government agents.Magnum P.I. followsprivate investigatorThomas Magnum, who solves crimes in Hawaii with the help of his friends. The universe is also connected to the so-calledBellisario-verse, which consists of the entireNCIS franchise andJAG, via two directcrossovers betweenHawaii Five-0 andNCIS: Los Angeles.

Three television series make up theLenkov-verse franchise:Hawaii Five-0,MacGyver, andMagnum P.I.. All series in total amount to 430 episodes across 20 seasons of television. On May 6, 2020, the remaining series in the franchise,MacGyver andMagnum P.I., were renewed for their fifth and third seasons, respectively, for the2020–21 broadcast season.^[5] On July 7, 2020, it was reported that Lenkov was fired from his role as executive producer and showrunner onMacGyver andMagnum P.I, following an investigation into allegations that he created a toxic work environment.Monica Macer andEric Guggenheim replaced Lenkov as showrunner, onMacGyver andMagnum P.I, respectively.^[6] On November 9, 2020, it was announced that thefifth season ofMacGyver and thethird season ofMagnum P.I, would premiere on December 4, 2020.^[7] In April 2021, CBS announced thatMacGyver would end after its fifth season.^[8] Later that month,Magnum P.I. was renewed for afourth season,^[9] which premiered on October 1, 2021.^[10] In May 2022,Magnum P.I. was cancelled after four seasons,^[11] however, on June 30, 2022, the series was picked up byNBC with a two-season, twenty-episode order, which was later clarified to be split as a two-part fifth season rather than two separate seasons.^[12] Thefifth season premiered on February 19, 2023^[13] and the 2-hour series finale aired on January 3, 2024.^[14]

Up until the reboot ofMacGyver in 2016, CBS'sHawaii Five-0 was the only show in theLenkov-verse. Debuting in September 2010, the show had enjoyed solid ratings and had helped to boost Hawaii's economy with increased tourist visits to local businesses and cultural sites featured on the show.^[16] Despite solid viewership during its first season and the ability to hold its own against powerhouses like ESPN'sNFL Monday Night Football and ABC'sCastle,Five-0 wasn't pulling the same ratings as CBS's flagship police procedural,NCIS. As such, Peter Lenkov outlined that the second season would have a lot more to it, promising new cast members and an expanded setting, stating, "...we wanted to explore the other islands, and I think we just never got the chance. We're going to do that this year. We have these little ambitions, and that's one of them. Because it'sHawaii Five-0 and not Oahu Five-0, they can go to the other islands. And ultimately we want to explore off the islands. It's a task force, and the idea is there are no real boundaries for them."^[17] But an even bigger surprise came two months later on August 18, 2011, just prior to the 2nd season premiere, whenNCIS: Los Angeles star Daniela Ruah tweeted, "Aloha hoaloha! Read my lips closely... Kensi will make her way toHawaii Five-0 this season! Stay tuned... #H50 #NCISLA", hinting thatFive-0 would not only expand to other islands, but to other shows. It also leftNCIS fans to speculate that Ruah was leaving her show for greener pastures. Shortly after the news was confirmed, however, Ruah tweeted that it was a one-time crossover and that she would be coming back to her regular show^[18][19] whileNCIS producer Shane Brennan mused "Interestingly, Daniela has never been to Hawaii, so it took no convincing," Brennan also stated that the visit to the show wasn't gratuitous and would have a purpose, jokingly adding, "I'm a bit concerned they might not give her back!"^[15]

Five-0 viewers would not have to wait long for a second crossover withNCIS. At the beginning of 2012, CBS approached Brennan with the idea of a two-part crossover event for May Sweeps involving bothHawaii Five-0 andNCIS: Los Angeles to which Brennan agreed. While Brennan was thrilled about the "high-octane story" that would bring out the best in both shows,Five-0 producer Peter Lenkov was excited about exploring the relationship between the two main characters of both shows: Five-0 Task Force leader Steven McGarrett and NCIS'sSam Hanna, who became friends during their military service.^[20] "Chris and LL are going to come to Hawaii" Lenkov said. "There's a bit of a history there."^[21] The two-part episode, titled"Pa Make Loa (Touch of Death)", drew big ratings for both shows.Five-0 saw over 14 million viewers(Live/Delayed DVR figures combined)^[22][23] whileNCIS: Los Angeles saw over 18 million viewers(Live/Delayed DVR figures combined).^[24][23] NCIS producer Shane Brennan remarked that the reaction with fans and critics seemed largely positive and added "Crossovers are not easy to pull off when you're working in the same town, and when you've got the other show being shot a five-hour flight away, it's particularly challenging."^[25] Nonetheless, Brennan again expressed optimism for a future crossover withFive-0, stating, "I think the audiences are willing to accept crossovers when both shows operate in the same world and that was certainly the case with NCIS and Hawaii Five-0. Having them overlap in terms of crimes was very easy for us to do. Whether or not we'll do more is up to CBS. It's something I'd be very happy to do again." Lenkov was equally acquiescent, stating, "It just seemed like a natural to continue the relationship."^[21]

Despite the seemingly good rapport between the production crews ofFive-0 andNCIS, the two shows would not see another crossover again nor was there a single crossover betweenFive-0 and another show until 2016, when viewers saw the debut of Lenkov's second "universe" offering, the CBS reboot of the 1985 ABC series,MacGyver. Immediately, Peter Lenkov hinted thatMacGyver was not only in the same universe asHawaii Five-0 but that he was forced to cut a scene in the pilot episode ofMacGyver whereJack Dalton's sniper rifle had "ALOHA" painted on the barrel of the gun as a nod toFive-0's Steve McGarrett. "...the idea was that he knew McGarrett...in the military. I still would like to take advantage of that," Lenkov told the press, adding, "Somehow we'll do a cross-over and those two guys knew each other. I'm hoping."^[26] While Lenkov's wish for a McGarrett/Dalton crossover never came to fruition (Hawaii Five-0 ended in 2020 andGeorge Eads who plays Dalton leftMacGyver in the middle of season three), the first season ofMacGyver officially and firmly placed the series in the same fictional universe asFive-0 with the episode, "Magnifying Glass".^[27] In the episode, MacGyver and the Phoenix Foundation travel to Northern California to track down a copycat serial murderer who has been mimicking San Francisco's infamousZodiac Killer. When they find out that the killer has been mentored and trained remotely from Oahu byDr. Madison Gray (a serial killer who fled Hawaii for California in a precedingFive-0 episode^[28]), Jack Dalton notifies Steve McGarrett of the 5-0 Task Force that Gray has returned to Hawaii.^[29] This plot thread continued intoFive-0, with the episode, "Hahai i na pilikua nui (Hunting Monsters)"^[30] in whichChin Ho Kelly follows up on Dalton's tip-off, telling McGarrett "that call from your friends at the Phoenix Foundation wasn't wrong".^[31] After this set-up,Five-0 actors Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park, and Taylor Wily crossed over into theMacGyver episode "Flashlight". In the episode, The Phoenix Foundation is sent to Oahu to help the Hawaii Police Department and Five-0 with rescue and recovery efforts and ends up working closely with Chin Ho Kelly and Kono. The episode closes out with Kamekona traveling to California to cater MacGyver's birthday party with a shrimp buffet.^[32] The Phoenix Foundation was subsequently mentioned in theFive-0 episode that aired immediately following "Flashlight" when Steve McGarrett tells Kono that The Phoenix Foundation appreciated the help from herself and Chin Ho Kelly.^[33] After Henry Ian Cusick joinedMacGyver as the new owner of The Phoenix Foundation, Cusick tweeted a selfie of himself and actor Jorge Garcia (ofFive-0), proclaiming, "Look who came out to playyayy!!!" Immediately, fans speculated on whether this meant that Garcia was coming toMacGyver and reprising his role as Jerry Ortega or as a completely new character. CBS would later confirm that Garcia was going to reprise his role as Jerry in the 5th season with a Tweet which read, "Anyone call for a conspiracy theorist? @jorgegarcia (Jerry Ortega from @HawaiiFive0CBS) will guest star on an upcoming episode of #MacGyver!", confirming the next crossover event betweenMacGyver and the cancelledHawaii Five-0.^[34]

NumerousFive-0 characters guest starred in the first season ofMagnum, most notably Kimee Balmilero and Taylor Wily who had recurring roles before afull crossover aired between the two shows in their tenth and second seasons, respectively.^[35][36][37] In a third season episode ofFive-0, McGarrett, Williams, Bergman, and Kamekona, have a discussion about the television showMagnum, P.I. and its theme song, causing a continuity issue when the two series later crossover. Lenkov said "That was at a time when I had lost hope that I could get [my Magnum reboot] launched. I had been trying to do it for so long, I thought there was just no way it was going to happen, so I did a little tribute in that episode. But we'll take that one out of rotation."^[38]

Other actors, such asHenry Ian Cusick,Corbin Bernsen,Lance Gross,Elisabeth Röhm,Patrick Monahan,Andre Reed, andJanel Parrish have played various characters in the different series, also causing continuity issues that were not addressed.^{[39][40][41][42]} In March 2021,Katrina Law was cast in the recurring role of Jessica Knight inNCIS, the parent series ofNCIS: Los Angeles, furthering the continuity concern.^[43]

Hawaii Five-0 is the first series in the universe and is a reboot of the1968 TV series of the same name. The rebooted series uses the numerical zero in place of the letter O (Five-0 instead of Five-O).^[44] It premiered on September 20, 2010, and aired 240 episodes over a ten-season run before concluding on April 3, 2020. The series focuses on a fictionalstate police task force, known as "Five-0" led bySteve McGarrett, that is set up by theHawaiian governor to fight major crimes inHawaii including murder, kidnapping, and terrorism. The series is filmed on location in Hawaii.

MacGyver is the second series in the universe and is a reboot of the1985 TV series of the same name. It premiered on September 23, 2016, and aired 94 episodes over a five-season run before concluding on April 30, 2021. The series focuses on the fictional "Phoenix Foundation" which is a covert organization masquerading as a think tank. Thetitular character,Angus MacGyver uses a talent for problem solving along with an extensive knowledge in science to solve problems. The series is set inLos Angeles, California, but is filmed inAtlanta, Georgia.

Magnum P.I. is the third and final series in the universe and is a reboot of the1980 TV series of the same name. It premiered on September 24, 2018, and ended on January 3, 2024. The series focuses on aNavy SEAL turnedprivate investigator namedThomas Magnum who investigates various crimes around Hawaii. LikeHawaii Five-0, the series is filmed in Hawaii.

The universe is also connected to theNCIS franchise series,NCIS: Los Angeles, which had two directfictional crossovers withHawaii Five-0. Potential crossover opportunities betweenMagnum P.I. andNCIS: Hawaiʻi were considered possible as both series film in Hawaii.^[45]

Two of the television series have also spawned other media that are related to the series' themselves. On October 4, 2011, atelevision soundtrack entitledHawaii Five-0: Original Songs from the Television Series was released featuring music that was used inHawaii Five-0.^[46] In addition, asurvival manual was released on September 17, 2019, entitledThe Official MacGyver Survival Manual: 155 Ways to Save the Day that gives instructions on how to "MacGyver" things as seen inMacGyver.^[47] An additionaltelevision score fromHawaii Five-0, featuring music written for the series by Brian Tyler and Keith Power was released in July 2023.^[48]

Lenkov has been noted on his use of gender flipping of characters in his reboots. The character of Kono Kalakaua was portrayed byZulu as a male character in the originalFive-O but byGrace Park as a female character in the rebootedFive-0.^[68]Jean Smart was cast to play Governor Pat Jameson in the reboot as opposed to Paul Jameson in the original,^[69] andLarisa Oleynik was cast to play Jenna Kaye in the reboot as opposed to Jonathan Kaye in the original.^[70] InMacGyver, the character of Peter Thornton was renamed to Patricia Thornton, while inMagnum the character of Jonathan Higgins was renamed to Juliet Higgins to allow for gender flipping.^[71][72] Names of originalFive-O cast members and characters although changed but non-gender swapped serve as thenamesake for rebootedFive-0 characters, actorsRichard Denning andDanny Kamekona from the originalFive-O serve as the namesake for Governor Richard Denning and confidential informant Kamekona Tupuola in the reboot; while characters Doc Bergman and Che Fong serve as the namesake for Max Bergman and Charlie Fong, respectively, in the reboot.. NumerousFive-0recurring characters who never receivedmain billing have also appeared inMagnum as the same character includingLarry Manetti as Nicky "The Kid" DeMarco,^[73] Shawn Mokuahi Garnett as Flippa,^[74]William Forsythe as P.I. Harry Brown,^[74] andWillie Garson as Gerard Hirsch.^[75] In addition a few actors who portrayed characters on original versions of the series have returned to portray the same or different characters in their respective reboots. Although not officially portrayed by the original actor who played the original Steve McGarrett,Jack Lord appeared in a seventh season episode of the reboot as an unnamed character; the episode replicated the appearance of Lord by usingCGI effects along with a body and voice double.^[76] Dennis Chun, the son ofKam Fong Chun who played the originalChin Ho Kelly, who stars as Duke Lukela inFive-0 andMagnum, previously portrayed minor characters on both the originalFive-O andMagnum.^[77]Al Harrington portrayed series regular Ben on the originalFive-O as well as other minor characters on the originalFive-O andMagnum series, in the 2010 reboot ofFive-O he stars as recurring character Mamo Kahike.^[78]Ed Asner portrayed August March in the 1968Five-O and also reprised his role in the second and third seasons of the rebooted series.^[79] Manetti previously starred as the original Rick in the originalMagnum before portraying DeMarco in the rebootedFive-0 andMagnum.^[73] The universe has also been cited for causingLost reunions between cast members.Daniel Dae Kim,Jorge Garcia, Henry Ian Cusick, andFive-0's recurring starTerry O'Quinn and guest starsRebecca Mader,Tania Raymonde and others all appeared onLost as well asFive-0 with Kim, Garcia, and Cusick, also appearing onMacGyver.^[80]

This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(September 2020)

The first crossoverFive-0 had actually occurred outside the Lenkov-verse and occurred betweenFive-0 andNCIS: Los Angeles. During the second season episode "Ka Hakaka Maikaʻi",Daniela Ruah made a guest appearance as herNCIS: LA character Kensi Blye.^[81]

A second crossover event with the two series happened with "Touch of Death" later in the same season.^[82]

Note: Due to the amount at which Five-0 actors crossover into Magnum, guest-appearances by Five-0 actors in Magnum are listed in a separate table.

Lenkov, Guggenheim, and David Wolkove have all written forHawaii Five-0 andMagnum P.I, with Lenkov also having written forMacGyver. Lenkov wrote fifty-eight episodes ofHawaii Five-0, seven ofMacGyver, and fifteen ofMagnum P.I. Guggenheim has written twenty-five episodes ofHawaii Five-0 and sixteen ofMagnum P.I. Wolkove has written forty-eight episodes ofHawaii Five-0 and two episodes ofMagnum P.I. The series have also used many of the same directors.

• Lenkov-verse
• Mass media franchises introduced in 2010
• NCIS: Los Angeles
• Paramount Skydance franchises
• Television franchises
• Television controversies in the United States

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Articles to be expanded from September 2020
• All articles to be expanded
• Articles with hCards