
113: "The Chinese Typewriter"
From Magnum, podcast - revisiting "Magnum P.I." by Jason Snell, Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr
December 19, 2025 · 1h 17m · Episode 113
About this episode
The hosts discuss the failed 1979 pilot 'The Chinese Typewriter' and its various shortcomings and unique aspects.
The Magnum, podcast holiday special is here! We watched the failed 1979 pilot for Boston and Kilbride, “The Chinese Typewriter,” starring Tom Selleck (as Tom Boston) and James Whitmore Jr. (as Jimmy Kilbride). The dubbing! The fake signs! The weird casting! The original Al’s Automotive and Muffler King Tigers! We break down everything that makes this pilot a fitting failure, though with some admiration about how it does a lot with almost zero budget. Also: you, the listeners, introduce many segments. See you next year!...
People in this episode
Hosts: Jason Snell, Philip Michaels, David J. Loehr
Topics covered
- failed pilot
- 1979 television
- Magnum P.I.
- holiday special
- film reviews
- casting analysis
Keywords
- Magnum P.I.
- The Chinese Typewriter
- Tom Selleck
- James Whitmore Jr.
- failed pilot
- holiday special
- film analysis
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Al’s Automotive and Muffler King
Books & works: The Chinese Typewriter
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