‘Magnum P.I.’: Jay Hernandez and Perdita Weeks on Being Saved by NBC, ‘Lovely’ Reunion on Set (Exclusive)

Magnum P.I. is back in action! After being canceled by CBS following a four-season run in May, NBC swooped in less than two months later and saved the action drama by picking it up for two seasons. A reboot of the 1980s series with Tom Selleck, Magnum P.I. is headlined by Jay Hernandez as the titular hero, a former Navy SEAL who solves crimes as a private investigator.

“It’s kinda strange, very unlikely, but we are here,” Hernandez told ET’s Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner on the Hawaii set of Magnum P.I. of the roller-coaster journey of the show getting axed, then resurrected.

The actor credited the passionate fans for using their voice in expressing their desires for the series to continue. “We found a new home and it was very unlikely and very humbling the way the audience rallied around the show,” Hernandez said. Co-star Perdita Weeks, who plays Higgins, even mentioned the fan-funded billboard in New York City’s Times Square.

“And NBC stepped up. It’s kind of impressive,” Hernandez said.

As a producer on Magnum P.I., the 44-year-old “was privy to those backroom conversations” about whether the show could be saved on another network.