SYNOPSIS

Although the men of Hawaii Five-O were based in the Iolani Palace in downtown Honolulu, they were not members of the Honolulu Police Department. They worked as part of the Hawaiian State Police and were accountable directly to Governor Philip Grey.

Steve McGarrett was the head of the Five-O and worked with his own men and the local police in solving crimes and fighting the organized groups of the Hawaiian underworld. The most hated man on any of the islands was the criminal genius Wo Fat. He would pop up every now-and-then to make life difficult for McGarrett, who was determined to put him in prison. Although he did manage to interfere with Wo Fat's illegal activities, he could never get enough evidence to put him away for good.

There was very little turnover among the lead characters. Steve had several secretaries - May was replaced by Jenny, and Luana took her place. One of his assistants, Kono, left the show after four seasons. After ten seasons, Kam Fong tired of his role as Chin Ho Kelly and was written out by having his character killed in the final episode of the 1977-78 season. But for most of the cast, the working conditions in Hawaii were too nice to give up!

At the end of the 1978-79 season, James MacArthur decided he had enough of playing McGarrett's top assistant, Danny Williams. That fall, three new members were added to the cast, including former policewoman Lori Wilson. The ratings were falling and the new cast members didn't help - this would be Hawaii Five-O's last season.

Near the end of it's run, on April 5, 1980, McGarrett's toughest rival was finally brought to justice. Disguised as a scientist, McGarrett sprung a trap that sent Wo Fat - seen for the first time in five years - to jail.

Hawaii Five-O was filmed entirely on location and it was the action and the beautiful scenery of Hawaii that made it so popular. It was the longest continuously running police show in the history of TV. Reruns from the last season's episodes aired under the title McGarrett on CBS Late Night.