Hawaii Five-0 – why it was really cancelled
Hawaii Five-O has almost reached the end of the road.
The CBS police procedural, which is currently in its tenth season, is not being renewed for an 11th chapter.
"It's never easy to say goodbye to a hit franchise that carried on the legacy of the original with such distinction while establishing its own signature style," said Kelly Kahl, president of CBS Entertainment.
"From episode one, Hawaii Five-0 has been a huge success for us. Thanks to the amazing talents of the producers, writers, cast and crew, it has played a key role for a decade on our schedule and helped establish our powerhouse Friday night.
"We cannot be prouder of its quality, longevity and are thankful for the passionate fan-devotion it inspired."
The show has experienced a slight drop in the number of people tuning in, but it's still banking impressive numbers, with a season average of just over seven million viewers per episode.
So, if it isn't ratings, what is it?
According to Deadline, both Alex O'Loughlin's (Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett) and Scott Caan's (Detective Sergeant Danno Williams) contracts expire at the end of season ten, which leaves both actors free to move onto pastures new.
But even if the option to renegotiate fresh contracts were an option – Deadline suggests that it was – we can't imagine O'Loughlin would have said yes.
O'Loughlin picked up a back injury in the show's first few seasons that has made his life difficult ever since.
"I've been hurt really badly on this show," he told Collider in 2016. "I've now got some serious back issues, which I'm going back and forth to California to deal with.... I'm getting stem cell treatments in my spine so that I can pick my kids up."
Chatting to TV Line back in 2018 before season nine had been confirmed, O'Loughlin said: "I'm all f**ked up, man. I mean I've blown both shoulders, one knee. I've had my elbow tendon reattached. I've got bulging discs in my neck and my back. I don't know where to start. I'm a mess, and a lot of it's been really, really hard.
"I think back to when I was doing most of my own stunts in the first few years – that was not a great idea. But the physical exhaustion of working with injury and working huge hours day after day, year after year...the whole show has been extremely physically daunting.
"That's one of the things I'm trying to figure out at the moment now; I don't know how much longer I can do it."
He added: "It is an action show, I'm the main guy, and I defy anybody to do what I've done for as long I've done it and hold out the way I have.
"I was a fit, strong, healthy guy when I started the show, and I still am, but you sustain what you sustain. It’s part of the gig."
But he did end up committing to both seasons nine and ten, despite his initial reservations.
"If you had asked me [about re-signing] two years ago, my answer would have been, like, 'No f**king way,'" he told TV Line.
"I want a quality of life, and I want to be with my family.
"I am still very tired at the end of the season, and after almost 200 episodes of television. But I can sort of quietly and sensibly sit back and go, 'There's a version where if CBS can make a deal and be reasonable, then I'm prepared to be reasonable, too.'"
According to Deadline, CBS did consider continuing the series by assigning Danno a new partner, but that idea was scrapped.
And so, we await the finale with bated breath.
"This show has been pretty much every waking moment for the last 10 years of my life," said O'Loughlin in a statement. "Everywhere I go on this planet, in every language, I am McGarrett to all these people. What we've done, what we've accomplished, it's extraordinary.
"I can't really put words to express my level of gratitude. I'm just glad to have been a part of this, a part of history and I'm going to miss it.
"And to the fans, I don't know how to thank you guys. Thank you for following us the way you have. I'm going to miss you. Aloha."
No, YOU'RE crying.
Hawaii Five-O's final ever episode (#240, to be precise), will be two hours long. Catch it on CBS on Friday, April 3.
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