Hawaii Five-O
Book 'Em, Danno!
Created by Leonard Freeman
On CBS
A classic police procedural set in Hawaii that balances action and investigation with the reassuring weekly reset of solved cases and iconic catchphrases.
Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for 12 seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. Jack Lord portrayed Detective Lieutenant Steve McGarrett, the head of a special state police task force which was based on an actual unit that existed under martial law in the 1940s. The theme music composed by Morton Stevens became especially popular. Many episodes would end with McGarrett instructing his subordinate to "Book 'em, Danno!", sometimes specifying a charge such as "murder one".
Clusters
Genres
Where to watch
Questions people ask
Is Hawaii Five-O sad? Not especially. Less sad than 68% of series.
Is Hawaii Five-O easy watching? Somewhat. More comforting than 66% of series.
Is Hawaii Five-O violent? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
Is Hawaii Five-O scary? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
Does Hawaii Five-O leave you hopeful? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
These describe how the series comes across across its whole run, compared with other well-known series. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked episode by episode, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Written about
- The Opposite of HBOFinding
Cinnamon Score
How much this series gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Familiar shape, done well.
How unlike any other series this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Everything like Hawaii Five-O, and what each one shares →
Like Hawaii Five-O
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as Hawaii Five-O
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like Hawaii Five-O, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like Hawaii Five-O, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like Hawaii Five-O, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
