Television series

Hawaii Five-0

Name: Hawaii Five-0
Genre: Drama, Action, Crime
Released: 2010
Cast: Alex O'Loughlin, Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park, Chi McBride

A glossy, big-budget reboot of the 1968 original, trading grit for helicopter shots and beachside explosions. Steve McGarrett's federal task force chases killers, smugglers and conspiracies across Oahu while bantering like an old married couple. It's comfort-food TV — case of the week, family drama simmering underneath, gorgeous scenery doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Ten seasons of dependable, undemanding fun for anyone who likes their crime with a tan.

TVMaze rating

3.9

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you want a long-running, banter-heavy crime procedural where the ensemble's friction and easy rapport matter as much as the case, and the island setting gets its own showing off.

Skip it if you find episodic cop shows wearing thin, since its formula of a crime, a chase and a quip rarely varies much, and its tone stays brisk rather than probing.

What it asks of you: Ten seasons of hour-long episodes, so settling in means accepting repetition for a bright, easygoing rhythm even when the crimes turn ugly.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Magnum, P.I.1980

Same island, same sunburnt charm — a private investigator and his ex-military crew solve cases with genuine warmth between them. If you loved the McGarrett-Danny chemistry, this scratches the exact same itch.

But It's softer and slower, with less gunfire-per-episode than Five-0, so action junkies may find it a touch too laid-back.

NCIS: Hawaiʻi2021

Literally filmed in the same waters with the same federal-task-force DNA, this spinoff swaps McGarrett for a new lead and keeps every beach chase and boat explosion you'd expect.

But It leans harder into standard NCIS procedural formula, so the family-drama heart of Five-0 feels thinner here.

Lethal Weapon2016

Mismatched cops, wall-to-wall one-liners, and stunts that never quite let the plot slow down — buddy-cop television doing exactly what it says on the tin.

But Behind-the-scenes drama shook up the cast mid-run, and the tonal whiplash between comedy and grief can feel uneven.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Hawaii Five-0

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Miami Vice1984

Five-0's whole visual DNA — glamorous violence against tropical postcards — descends directly from Miami Vice; watching it is seeing where the template was actually invented.

Two detectives in linen suits chase drug lords through a neon-lit, synth-scored Miami that basically invented the sun-and-crime aesthetic Five-0 borrows wholesale, right down to the boat chases.

But The pacing is slower and moodier than modern TV, and the 80s fashion and soundtrack will either delight or baffle you.

Burn Notice2007

A blacklisted spy in sunny Miami solves cases with gadget-y cleverness and a permanent smirk — breezy, plot-of-the-week fun with the same sun-and-crime cocktail Five-0 pours.

But The voiceover narration and constant tradecraft explainers can feel gimmicky if you prefer straight drama over cute exposition.

Blue Bloods2010

Another CBS institution built on family loyalty wrapped around a badge — less beach, more dinner table, but the same comfort-food reliability and decade-plus run.

But It trades Hawaii's sunshine for New York procedural grit, so the vibe is considerably less vacation, more sermon.

White Collar2009

A con man and his FBI handler trade barbs while solving glossy, high-stakes cases — same easy banter and case-of-the-week rhythm, dialed toward charm instead of muscle.

But It's lighter on action and heavier on con-artist cleverness, which may leave shootout fans a little underserved.

CSI: Miami2002

Sun, speedboats, sunglasses put on dramatically to camera — this is the granddaddy of glossy sun-drenched crime TV, and Five-0 clearly studied its homework.

But The forensic-science angle and early-2000s style dating it can feel corny compared to Five-0's slicker modern polish.

Chuck2007

A regular guy accidentally recruited into a secret agency, mixing spy-thriller stakes with genuine warmth and comedy — good if you love Five-0's team-family feel more than its violence.

But It's a tonal left turn — nerdier, funnier, far less interested in gritty crime than in geeky charm.

The Mentalist2008

A wisecracking consultant and his exasperated partner crack cases with charm rather than force — a gentler cousin to Five-0's odd-couple energy over a satisfying seven-season run.

But No beaches, no explosions — it's a courtroom-adjacent procedural, considerably calmer than anything Five-0 offers.

Reno 911!2003

Same premise — a ragtag law-enforcement unit with big personalities and looser-than-usual rules — played for parody instead of drama, exposing how silly the formula always secretly was.

A mockumentary about a hapless Nevada sheriff's department that's pure improvised chaos — if Five-0's task-force banter ever made you laugh, this takes that same ensemble dynamic and detonates it into absurdity.

But It's a straight comedy with zero real stakes, so anyone wanting actual crime-solving tension will be disappointed.

Death in Paradise2011

Both use paradise as ironic backdrop for murder and both hinge on a fish-out-of-water lead adjusting to island life; Death in Paradise just plays it as a puzzle box instead of an action movie.

A British detective stuck on a gorgeous Caribbean island solves a murder every episode, wrapped in the exact tourist-brochure scenery Five-0 trades on, but with tea instead of gunfights.

But It's a cozy whodunit at heart — gentle, formulaic, almost bloodless compared to Five-0's action-movie energy.