It was the question this morning – whether to say anything or not. And if so, which article to run here or not.
We actually already had a post ready for today, that might have been a good fit for this news – but we will let is stand over for tomorrow and you can be the judge.
We are not in a habit of running stories that are not about Alex. But this news involves Alex and his work for the last 10 years. Regular readers would have gotten the drift of how we felt about it all, over the years – or maybe not.
In any case, there are a lot we as the audience (fans) don’t know and most of us form a perspective with the limited information we got over the years, from the corner in the fandom we sat it.
These are the two of articles that cover the story:
‘MacGyver,’ ‘Magnum P.I.’ Boss Peter Lenkov Fired at CBS
by
for The Hollywood Reporter
7 July 2020
Following an investigation into multiple claims that top showrunner Peter Lenkov created a toxic work environment, CBS has fired the Hawaii Five-0, MacGyver and Magnum P.I. showrunner, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Lenkov was dismissed despite having a year left on his rich overall deal with CBS TV Studios, which produces MacGyver and Magnum P.I.
“Peter Lenkov is no longer the executive producer overseeing MacGyver and Magnum P.I., and the studio has ended its relationship with him,” a CBS TV Studios spokesperson said in a statement to THR. “Monica Macer will be the showrunner on MacGyver and Eric Guggenheim will run Magnum P.I. Both are currently executive producers on their respective series. Our studio is committed to ensuring safe and respectful production environments. Over the past year, we have assigned human resource production partners to every show, expanded staff training and increased reporting options. We will continue to evolve our practices with continued focus on building trust with all who work on our sets. Every complaint is taken seriously, every claim is investigated, and when evidence is clear that policies were violated and values not upheld, we take decisive action.”Added Lenkov in a statement of his own to THR: “Now is the time to listen and I am listening. It’s difficult to hear that the working environment I ran was not the working environment my colleagues deserved, and for that, I am deeply sorry. I accept responsibility for what I am hearing and am committed to doing the work that is required to do better and be better.”Sources say Lenkov had been the subject of at least three complaints alleging that he was manipulative and abusive during Hawaii Five-0‘s 10-season run and on the current hit MacGyver (with the latter heading into its fifth season in the fall). He allegedly had a “boys club” that included favored male employees who regularly gathered, smoked cigars and inappropriately judged the appearance of women in Hawaii. Others allege that he accommodated special work-schedule requests from male actors without offering similar consideration to actresses on Hawaii Five-0. The series, a reboot of the iconic procedural, concluded its run in April.
“It was a hard place to be a woman on that set,” one source said of the former Oahu set of Hawaii Five-0.
Behind the scenes, sources allege Lenkov would routinely talk down to writers — particularly women and people of color. In one incident, he allegedly mocked a disabled fan and, after a writer objected to his behavior, attempted to have her fired.
“He isn’t racist or sexist or classist singularly — it’s all of it,” says an insider. “He’s anti-woman, anti-POC, anti-gay, and everything you’d expect. But he’d also torture straight white men if he felt like it.”
Lenkov is one of CBS’ top showrunners, having successfully rebooted Hawaii Five-0 into a global syndicated hit as well as reviving procedurals Magnum P.I. and MacGyver. The latter two series are set to air back-to-back on Fridays in the fall; Lenkov is one of a small handful of showrunners to control a night of programming.
Hawaii Five-0 made headlines in July 2017 when original series stars Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park made the shocking decision to depart the CBS drama after filming its first 168 episodes. Both actors, who had appeared in all seven seasons as series regulars, asked for salary parity with co-stars Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan. CBS and CBS Television Studios could not come to terms that worked for the two stars. Sources at the time noted that the duo’s offers came in at less than those of O’Loughlin and Caan, who both had a rich cut of the show’s lucrative backend.
Lenkov is the latest CBS showrunner to be dismissed as the media titan continues to address its own culture issues. Brad Kern, the former showrunner of NCIS: New Orleans, was dropped by CBS TV Studios after multiple sources on the show alleged he harassed and unfairly penalized women and made racially insensitive statements. CBS comedy Fam let showrunner Bob Kushell go after finding that he used “inappropriate language” on the set of the 2019 midseason show. CBS All Access’ Star Trek: Discovery dismissed showrunners Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts amid allegations of abusive behavior, along with budget overruns. Vinnie Favale, a CBS Studios executive, was placed on leave in 2018 after allegations of misconduct.
CBS also fired 60 Minutes exec producer and former news division head Jeff Fager after he sent a threatening text message to a CBS reporter who was covering sexual misconduct allegations against him. In 2017, the network dropped CBS This Morning host Charlie Rose amid allegations of sexual harassment. CBS also was rocked by the September 2018 departure of CEO Leslie Moonves, which took place a month after The New Yorker published allegations of harassment and abuse by the top executive.
and
‘Magnum P.I.,’ ‘MacGyver’ Showrunner Peter Lenkov Fired Over Toxic Work Environment Claims
Peter Lenkov’s relationship with CBS has been terminated due to accusations the producer and showrunner created a toxic work environment on his sets, Variety has confirmed.
Lenkov developed and was the showrunner on the CBS revivals of “Magnum P.I.” and “MacGyver,” but has now been fired from those shows. In addition, his overall deal with CBS Television Studios has been ended. Lenkov was previously the showrunner on the CBS revival of “Hawaii Five-O,” which ended earlier this year.
“Peter Lenkov is no longer the executive producer overseeing MacGyver and Magnum P.I., and the studio has ended its relationship with him,” a CBS TV Studios spokesperson said. “Monica Macer will be the showrunner on MacGyver and Eric Guggenheim will run Magnum P.I. Both are currently executive producers on their respective series. Our studio is committed to ensuring safe and respectful production environments. Over the past year, we have assigned human resource production partners to every show, expanded staff training and increased reporting options. We will continue to evolve our practices with continued focus on building trust with all who work on our sets. Every complaint is taken seriously, every claim is investigated, and when evidence is clear that policies were violated and values not upheld, we take decisive action.”
The investigation into Lenkov’s behavior is said to have just concluded recently. Multiple sources who spoke with Variety said that Lenkov was known to be misogynistic and to make crude jokes on set. He is also said to have a “boys club” with whom he would regularly gather to smoke cigars and judge women’s appearances. Sources also allege his abusive behavior pre-dated his work on the CBS revivals and was also prevalent during his time on “CSI: NY.” In one incident described to Variety, Lenkov had gathered several writers in his office and circulated a New York Magazine story from 2007 about women being a “depreciating asset” and expected the women present to laugh. During his time at “CSI: NY,” when Lenkov once got a note he didn’t like from a CBS executive, he joked that the writer who was dating the executive wasn’t doing her job in bed because the executive was cranky, according to one source.
“Women were definitely second-class citizens, as far as he was concerned,” says one insider. “I drank myself to sleep for a month because of him.”
Lenkov responded to his termination in a statement, which reads: “Now is the time to listen and I am listening. It’s difficult to hear that the working environment I ran was not the working environment my colleagues deserved, and for that, I am deeply sorry. I accept responsibility for what I am hearing and am committed to doing the work that is required to do better and be better.”
Lenkov is now the latest producer or executive at CBS to be terminated in recent years due to allegations of misconduct. Perhaps most famously, longtime CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves exited the company amid multiple allegations of sexual assault and harassment in 2018. Other examples include “NCIS: New Orleans” producer Brad Kern, who was fired from that show due to allegations of racist comments and verbal harassment of women. Longtime “60 Minutes” executive producer Jeff Fager was also terminated, with CBS saying Fager had “violated company policy.” Fager was accused of ignoring allegations of harassment and abuse during his time at CBS News.
We all had our points of view even before the news broke. I would warn those who are tempted to comment – don’t be too hasty in judgment. Those in glass houses should not throw stones.
Some even suggest the show would’ve had a different ending if it all came to light sooner. My question is – would the show even have run until now, if this happened sooner? Who were victims and who not?
What is in the bag is in the bag – no do-overs …
It is so interesting to see how everybody is spinning the story to suit their own narrative. Most “heroes” have feet of clay at some stage. It all lies in the perspective of those involved.
For many, the show (Hawaii Five-0) provided an income for a decade. Many got opportunities because of it. It seems, others were victims. Some maybe both victim and benefactor. Isn’t it all part of life in general, you could ask?
In the end, I think it can be a lesson for us all, to do better ….. or not.
Alex O´Loughlin ~ An Intense Study 
Gives new meaning to “Ohana”.
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Yes, not the word, but maybe sometimes the misuse of it, or the easiness with which o the word is used in general
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I am sorry for Peter Lenkov. I see what happens to him, what happens all over America. The BLM.
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They only thing we can feel sorry for Peter about, is that a system allowed him to continue with misuse of power for too long.
Peter has actually been a big advocate of the BLM movement.
His case is more in the line of what has been generally accepted behaviour in Hollywood for years, and now being looked at closer.
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If PL. supported the BLM, then it was just a game on his part as he was accused of being racist, himsovist. He is definitely a lying man.
I wonder what Alex and Scott are saying about these now.
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Hopefully, Alex and Scott will remain silent. Many others are still afraid to come forward. People can lose their careers if they speak out. You have to be very careful (and basically a coward) if you want to work in Hollywood. It’s been like this for 120 years. Let’s hope that this is the beginning of a transformation. If monitors are now stationed on sets, watching the environments closely and receptive to complaints, this kind of behavior should stop. The poor writers are still in a rotten situation, sequestered somewhere else and at the mercy of their producers and show runners.
The “old boys” who run Hollywood are finally being dragged into the 21st century!!
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And just when we thought it was safe to go back in the water!
Without facts, commenting or assigning blame is pointless.
In every relationship there are the three elements–the truth according to you, the truth according to me and the real truth somewhere in between.
I am reserving any opinion until I either know more verifiable facts or lose interest— whichever comes first.
Hope everyone is safe and healthy.
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Very wise words Mama!
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Yeah, finally, FINALLY, the transgressions and transgressors of Hollywood are slowly but surely being outed. Women in the bizness must have steel interiors to have waded thru this muck for so many decades.
I think many of us were always worried about Michelle, who eventually rose above and got her career on a better track. I hope Grace (my avi’s namesake) is also ok.
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What worries me about Michelle is that she’s been to PL’s house. Good lord, what did he subject her to?
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When did she do to his house? Why?
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I have always thought he had an inappropriate infatuation with her.
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This is kind of how false rumours and such bullshit starts.
I doubt is any of these implications against Peter implies that he ever acted sexually inappropriate to individuals one on one.
To imply anything inappropriate between Michelle and Peter is an insult to his wife, Michelle, and himself, based on nothing but fans trying to make it so.
If Peter really had any infatuation with her, she would not have left the show as permanent cast and she would have gotten a better story and more than one episode a season for her. AND he would have defended her better against malicious fans!
And if there was anything inappropriate about her at his home office, he would not share the news of it on his IG account for all to see, as he did.
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This is kind of how false rumours and such bullshit starts.
I doubt is any of these implications against Peter implies that he ever acted sexually inappropriate to individuals one on one.
And I should have said something about this yesterday already
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Seems to me (my opinion) that he put himself in company with Spielberg and Scorsese and he is actually more than Weinstein. Pig.
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I just hope that too many women are not crying wolf – and with it, mess stuff up for those who really have serious claims of misconduct against them.
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Always a valid concern. And, I always bring this up in these situations. I actually remember pointing this out when Sophia Bush left Chicago P.D., and no other female cast member has had a similar issue before or since then. I also brought it up with Mark Schwann and One Tree Hill when that was revealed a few years ago, until literally the entire female cast and the entire crew (men included who witnessed it all, writers, everyone) pretty much all said the same thing.
In this case, you’re right about needing to be careful. These are unnamed sources (unlike the other two situations I mentioned, I mean the female writers were detailing it all over Twitter, so their names were out there), and so far only seems to be a few. However, there does seem to be some semblance of truth to them. If a lot more crew members come out about this from multiple PL shows, that’ll be hard to dismiss IMO. I mean, Variety detailing a report from CSI:NY is disconcerting. PL should have been reined in a while ago, if this has been going on that long.
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Well said. I have so many thoughts.
Sadly, this does not surprise me. When Justin Sundquist sued CBS and Peter over Jeff Cadiente’s behavior, I always believed he was telling the truth. There’s a reason they settled with him out of court, and part of that settlement was hiring him as a stunt coordinator/stunt double on MacGyver.
Jeff was fired, Eric Norris was brought on, Paul LaCovara started co-coordinating, safety meetings and rehearsals were actually held, and stunts got safer. It was too little too late though, since both Alex and Justin had already been sacrificed. Alex had already gone to rehab, injured pretty much every bone/muscle in his body and was nearly paralyzed; Justin almost got killed and suffered nerve damage.
A year or two after Justin was almost killed, Justin got hurt again on MacGyver. They hired Jeff as the stunt coordinator for Magnum P.I (WTH?), and he had to be fired again. Three shows all run by PL with one common problem – the same stunt double getting nearly killed on two of those shows; a drug addicted stunt coordinator not being fired earlier on one show; then being hired to coordinate stunts on another reboot and having to be fired again, etc.
We all know about the DDK and GP situation.
None of the revelations about PL are surprising. He allowed bullying of a certain female actress to go on unchecked for years. Every attempt at “defending” her and saying she didn’t deserve all the hate she got was lame. It was never sincere. He acted like he loved her so much, yet completely ruined her character to the extent Alex wanted nothing to do with that storyline anymore, when he originally loved it. Thankfully, Alex is a professional. So, he still spoke very highly of her, even after he’d soured on the storyline.
PL didn’t seem to care about Alex’s health or well-being, so of course he treated everyone else like crap too. He’s just a jerk, for lack of a better word. As one source said in the original article, he wasn’t “singularly” anti-anything, he was “all of it. He’d torture a straight, white male if he wanted to.” I do not think Alex was exempt from the toxic work environment.
Considering Alex is married to a Hawaiian woman and has Hawaiian kids, PL’s treatment of women and Hawaiians in particular is disturbing. Malia, Spike and Lion visited set often. They went to SOTB for years, and Malia’s brothers even attended as well. Spike was even in 8.21, however brief. How much more disrespectful can he be towards his lead, knowing Alex’s family dynamics? I feel sad for Alex, knowing that PL couldn’t even respect Alex and his beautiful family by treating Hawaiians, Asians, etc. decently.
Alex is constantly talking about being married to a Hawaiian girl, having Hawaiian kids, being blessed into the islands, having a Hawaiian name, how his kids have Hawaiian names, how much he loves the culture and the people, etc. Meanwhile, PL is treating them like crap behind closed doors? PL actually sat there at Paley Fest last year, saying all the same things, acting like he had the same values and respect towards the Hawaiian culture that Alex does. And, it’s the exact opposite. What a fraud. SMDH
I always wondered why Alex and Scott never went to PL’s house or hung out with him, when a lot of the crew and some cast members did. Now, it makes sense. They distanced themselves, and were right to do so. Scott stepping back and doing less episodes; Alex spending his off time with his family. They not only had their priorities straight, they avoided this mess by not getting too close to PL.
Alex talked about dropped storylines in 2016, and he sounded aggravated. I know McRolls were disappointed with Alex’s comments about Catherine/McRoll back then, but I always found it really odd how PL kept contradicting Alex publicly. It didn’t look good. And since Alex was so frustrated, while also dealing with his back issues, that’s something that should have been dealt with privately. All PL should have said is that Alex had a different interpretation of the storyline.
When Alex joked to Watch! Magazine in May 2017 that Peter knew he’d change his mind about leaving; and then was talking highly about Peter last year at Paley Fest, it came off to me like Alex was being professional and diplomatic. But, I felt the change between them.
I’m glad Alex got a producer credit and more control in the final season, but I also think that was a concession to keep him from walking away after season nine. Obviously, Alex made it clear that season ten was going to be his last season, and that was the negotiation. You could see the exhaustion on Alex’s face all season.
While Alex has said himself he left, because he wanted to be with his kids more and work in his garden, I always felt there was more to it than that. I think there were deeper issues with PL that caused Alex to leave. So, I do wonder if Alex finally just had enough of the whole thing. He was done. I’m not going to speak for him and speculate about what they might be, but I think us Alex fans can sort of come to our own private conclusions with what we know about Alex.
I’m sure Alex has stories, but he’s such a private person and so professional, he’ll probably never say. Ever since the show ended, Alex seems so relieved to be rid of it. PL’s behavior goes all the way back to his time running CSI: NY. That is a LONG TIME. I’m sure more is going to come out.
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Agree with the bulk of your comment, although there are here and there a few wild assumptions among most of what is well said.
Not sure Peter can be called a racist as much as just maybe being your run of the mill male chauvinist that got away with too much.
One situation that you did not mention here is the Jake Downer harassment claims. Think that is much more relevant to these claims against him now, than maybe the stunt debacle.
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I wouldn’t call him racist, but the source talking about him talking down to women writers did say he also talked down to writers who weren’t white. That’s where my perspective on that comes from, and the “wild assumptions” you’re probably referring to.
I wouldn’t call him anti-gay either, even though he was constantly queer baiting. I’ve always maintained he did that for ratings and buzz. Obviously, it’s all a matter of personal perspective. However, I do think the people who worked on that set would know better than us. Or, they at least are privy to more details than we are and have a different experience. They were witness to the behavior.
I’m the complete opposite of politically correct, so I’m not really saying he’s racist, misogynist, homophobic, etc. I hope it didn’t come off that way that I was assuming that. If it did, that wasn’t my intention. I actually agree with you that his behavior is primarily what’s been accepted in Hollywood for decades that is now not being tolerated anymore. My bottom line is that he’s a jerk. And, that source did say he’d be a jerk to anyone.
That being said, I do still maintain that PL didn’t have much regard for Alex’s health and safety after all his injuries. So, I think Alex was a casualty of the toxic work environment in a different way. And, I feel Alex was as much a victim as anyone else of the unsafe working conditions under Jeff Cadiente as stunt coordinator. Jeff should have been able to tell that Alex was sick, and it never should have gotten to the point where Alex needed rehab. There’s no way of knowing it would have turned out differently, but I do wonder what if Jeff wasn’t on pills himself? Would he have noticed? Would they have helped Alex get help earlier?
When I say that I think there was more to Alex leaving besides his family, I just mean that Alex was frustrated with dropped storylines and lack of creative control. He was obviously tired of playing out the same storyline, which we were all sick of seeing repeated. He said the same thing about Wo Fat in season 3, when he wouldn’t die. lol There seemed to be a little tension between Alex and PL the last 3-4 seasons. So, I meant that creatively. Not in regards to all these allegations.
Honestly, this all reminds me a little too much of Mark Schwann and One Tree Hill. Hence, the knee-jerk reaction. Imagine growing up on that show (one of the best teen dramas, if not the best of the 2000-2010s), and then finding out years after it ended that the creator who was an excellent writer pretty much harassed every single female on the show; fired them or deliberately wrote crap for them if they spoke up; punished anyone who spoke up (man or woman); publicly humiliated female writers in the writers room in front of male writers who were absolutely horrified; etc.
Anybody who spoke up was fired or given crap assignments. Specifically, the allegations about judging women’s looks and mocking disabled fans is eerily similar to Mark Schwann. Literally the entire female cast of OTH, as well as the entire crew (men and women) signed the letter of accusations. He was fired from The Royals (the show he created), and that was the end of that show.
Hope I clarified a little.
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No clarification needed – I get and agree with most of what you said.
Just not sure about the Hawaiian culture and Alex’s family part that you mentioned.
I think Peter for the most part of it, showed great respect for Hawaiian culture – hence the Blessing Ceremonies etc,
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You actually said most of it better than I could have wanted to do.
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Can you speak to this? I’m not sure who you mean. There was a revolving door with women who I believed stemmed from fans not liking the girl.
Okay, even following the show, I missed this:
“None of the revelations about PL are surprising. He allowed bullying of a certain female actress to go on unchecked for years. Every attempt at “defending” her and saying she didn’t deserve all the hate she got was lame. It was never sincere. He acted like he loved her so much, yet completely ruined her character to the extent Alex wanted nothing to do with that storyline anymore, when he originally loved it. Thankfully, Alex is a professional. So, he still spoke very highly of her, even after he’d soured on the storyline.“
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You’re right. The same faction who hates this actress hated Lori in S2. Luckily, Lauren German went to Chicago Fire and then Lucifer.
Michelle Borth. She has been relentlessly bullied on social media for years, and PL never did anything to stop it. A certain faction of the fandom has been very cruel to her, blames her for everything, makes up lies about Alex not getting along with her, etc. All because Catherine got in the way of their ship. And what’s ironic, is that she even tweeted something in like season 3 joking about how she was Team McDanno. lol
In the early seasons of the show, Alex was very pro-Catherine/McRoll. At SOTB 3, he said that Michelle was a great actress, a great friend, had a great sense of humor and a great energy on set. He said everyone loved her, and that it was exciting to have her promoted to series regular, since she was “in and out the first couple of seasons.” He loved that storyline. Yet even back then, these people were ignoring that and claiming he hated her.
In season 7, Alex changed his tune on Catherine/McRoll and made some very valid points as to why. Certain fans used that as an opportunity to gloat, then claim Alex was being disrespected if McRoll reunited. Alex still spoke highly of Michelle when promoting 8.20, saying it was great to see her again and work with her again. Yet, they all ignored that. And after the finale, are back to claiming Alex was “disrespected” and “stabbed in the back” when he hasn’t even commented on McRoll/Catherine since Paley Fest last year. lol And, he’s never badmouthed Michelle.
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Michelle essentially lost her job, by losing her regular cast contract. And for some reason, her haters still thought she somehow got something from all of this, by being in one episode a season? Always found it weird.
Her character’s story was made ridiculous for the most part, and her haters still maintained she gained from it? Not sure how?
She got 2 minutes at the end of the series and somehow she was this big beneficiary of something.
And this was perfectly said:
“He allowed bullying of a certain female actress to go on unchecked for years. Every attempt at “defending” her and saying she didn’t deserve all the hate she got was lame. It was never sincere. He acted like he loved her so much, yet completely ruined her character to the extent Alex wanted nothing to do with that storyline anymore, when he originally loved it. Thankfully, Alex is a professional. So, he still spoke very highly of her, even after he’d soured on the storyline.”
BUT most don’t seem to get it
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I’ve never liked Peter Lenkov, only because of his incompetence as show-runner for HF-O.
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I read the news early this morning and it came like a shock.
I know very little of PL and have never heard him interviewed. In fact I have only heard him speak in the DVDs extras or bonus (or whatever the English term is), and he sounded respectuful and full of praise for his colleagues, employees, actors, Hawaiian culture and the rest. Of course it may have been only a politically correct attitude.
But this I will say. I don’t know about Jeff Cadiente and the other stunts, but I can’t help feeling that he was concerned about Alex’s injuries and health. After all, Alex was his main asset for H50. I really can’t believe that he would have consciouly put Alex’s health in jeopardy, even if only for an insurance question. And let’s not forget that Alex himself has said time and again that he enjoyed doing his own stunts himself. Let’s not forget either that Alex is not exactly a faint-hearted, timorous man who would do anything that was asked from him just to please the boss.
When GP and DDK left H50, Alex said that he was trying not to go into politics about their decision, or some words to that effect. At the time, I understood that he did not want to give his opinion about the fact that his colleagues wanted to earn the same as him and Scott, supposing Scott has been earning the same, at least when he was in all epis. Now of course I wonder. Did GP and DDK earned less because they were not stars on the same level as AOL and SC, only the two co-stars? Did they earn less because they were Asian, not white?
A one time, I really hated PL on account of his having said rude things about Alex. I don’t remember when or why, but it was commented in this site. Lately, though, I have read several tweets from him about a number of subjects, and he sounded such a sensible, fine man.
Well, who knows? I think the news will bring many comments from people in this business, so I will form an opinion when I have more information. But only because I am interested in knowing how PL’s attitude may have affected Alex who is, after all, my chief interest.
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My mind can be slipping, but as far as I can recall, Alex always refrained from saying anything at all about the departure of those two at the time. Apart from the fact that the new additions were a breath of fresh air, and at Paley, that they had big shoes to fill.
Yes, Alex was to blame for his own injuries. But at the time Peter kept denying that there was anything wrong with Alex and by doing that they kept up the facade that all was well too long maybe.
And sad to say, but it is true that Peter kept praising everybody’s performances, including Scott. Only at last after the finale, did he give Alex any praise for his acting at all.
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You’re right. That’s all Alex said about it.
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I actually found the interview again where Alex talked about it:
ET: Could there be a situation where former stars Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park returned at some point for a final farewell? Has there been any internal talk about that?
Alex: I haven’t listened to any talk about any of that stuff. All I know is they left and we got two new fantastic young actors who want to be here. It’s sort of made a massive difference on the show.
We had a long relationship with those other guys and they decided they didn’t want to be here anymore and now we’ve got two people who want to be here.
I don’t know what it’s like on the outside and I don’t read all the news either, but from the inside, it’s been a charming adjustment. That’s probably part of why I’m more open to coming back as well.
ET: So you’d be interested in discussions for a potential ninth season?
Alex: I’m way more open than I used to be but again, I don’t know if we’re even close to making a deal so it still might not happen. So we’ll see.
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So, DDK. GP. he didn’t leave because of Lenkov, and when I read Alex’s statement, he also welcomed the new cast. He even continued because of the new players.
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Yes, Exactly
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Jeff was high on pills when he was stunt coordinator. That resulted in Justin Sundquist (Alex’s stunt double) getting run over during a stunt, because Jeff was high at the time and didn’t make sure the person driving was a stunt driver. It was an extra who was a real estate agent. He never held safety meetings and stunt rehearsals, which are required. Justin was almost killed and suffered nerve damage.
If you read Justin’s lawsuit, he complained repeatedly. He sued CBS, PL and Jeff Cadiente personally. They never did anything about it, and covered it up for years. The minute Justin went to someone in charge the FIRST time, Jeff should have been fired on the spot. Instead, they brushed it under the rug until their lead’s stunt double got nearly killed and suffered severe nerve damage. They settled with Justin out of court for a reason.
I believe Jeff’s wife Jacqui ended up divorcing him, since she talks about being a single mom on her IG. And, she was a stunt double on the show. She continued getting work on the show, even after Jeff was fired. Alex helped Jeff propose to her in 2014, shortly before Alex married Malia.
Jeff certainly shouldn’t have been hired to be the stunt coordinator on Magnum P.I., after he was fired from Hawaii Five-0 because of Justin’s lawsuit detailing the unsafe work environment created by a stunt coordinator who was a drug addict. It’s bad enough CBS and PL covered it up. But then, PL hires him again for Magnum P.I.? And, CBS lets him? That didn’t last long. Shortly into the first season of Magnum P.I., Jeff was fired and replaced. History repeating itself, except it was nipped in the bud earlier this time.
Jeff should not be working as a stunt double anywhere, until he can prove he’s sober and committed to staying that way. A stunt coordinator who is high puts his entire cast and crew in danger. It’s an unsafe work environment. Justin spoke very highly of Jeff in season one, so he didn’t just turn on him for no reason. The fact Jeff was hired and fired twice on two reboots run by the same show runner is unacceptable, dangerous and incredibly concerning.
If Jeff cared about Alex’s safety, he wouldn’t have been proving stunt doubles with work to get painkillers for himself. He wouldn’t have been high while coordinating stunts. He had a responsibility to protect the cast and crew, and create a safe working environment. Instead, he created the opposite. Alex doing his own stunts and getting injured doesn’t take away from the fact that Jeff was using stunt doubles to obtain drugs on the job.
That’s just my opinion, though.
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Sounds like a bunch of whiners. All you people who think the world can be perfect and a Utopia is sure ruining it for everyone else. The TV shows are sure going to be boring. You can’t even joke any more without people losing their minds.
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It’s not whining. It’s intolerance for unacceptable, disrespectful behavior. This is about common decency. Mocking disabled fans isn’t a joking matter. Demeaning women and people of color in your writers’ room isn’t harmless fun. Gathering a bunch of men around to judge women’s bodies isn’t respectful to women. Allowing rampant bullying of an actress on your show by a certain faction of the fandom and doing nothing to stop it or at the very least call it out is why this fandom is toxic.
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So, Jackie, you are , in essence, implying that to make an interesting TV show a showrunner should act like a male chauvinist and create an unsafe environment for those who work under him?
Fantastic world we live in …..
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Really Peter L has nobody to blame but itself. The show fell after GP and DDK left. And really lost the story focus on the core four.
Despite it not being the fault of the younger actors like Megan and Beleauh there, really the show lost a lot of respect. Had GP and DDK had gotten what they deserved, the show could had gone on before a tenth year.
But still, Alex really Peter did not give a crap about even though AOL gotten a producer credit but really needed to happen earlier than the last season.
AOL was hurt but Peter thew a lot of money as the main character of the show.
But kind of wonder had Peter would had been fired earlier, AOL could had been EP there. And would keep the show and may had kept GP and DDK.
But GP is on A Mllion LIttle Things and DDK has been in a tons of stuff since then.
Know the feeling of working in a toxic and hostile environment where the bosses have their heads up their rear ends for a “nicer” term. No matter how many times you work very hard, still nothing is evern good for them.
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To be honest jppt1974, I am getting tired of this rhetoric about DDK and GP.
The show already lost focus when they stopped writing Steve’s personal story and left his family out of the show.
The show already lost focus when Scott Caan decided that working halftime for a lead on a show is okay – and when that was allowed by the Network (not Peter as such)
GP and DDK leaving, had less to do with Peter and more to do with their contract negotiations with the Network. And their need to be validated with money.
Alex so much as said that the only thing that made him go on longer than S8, was Beulah and the other new cast breathing life and fresh air in on the set. So without Alex, would the show have gone on longer than S8, with GP and DDK there?
“AOL was hurt but Peter thew a lot of money as the main character of the show” <<<< Not sure what you mean by this? Does not make sense to me?
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I’m shocked and not shocked. There were many problems swirling around the HAWAII FIVE-O production for years. The stunt coordinator issue is deeply troubling to me because it endangered people’s lives and contributed to Alex’ injuries. Perhaps if Jeff hadn’t been high on drugs, he would have made safer decisions and wouldn’t have allowed Alex to perform extremely dangerous stunts which ultimately injured him. From the articles I read several years ago, the environment was chaotic, reckless, macho and dangerous. And the relentless pressure to complete each episode on a tight schedule may have contributed to those dangerous decisions to “just do it!”
I’ve read many articles describing the CBS network as a “good ole boys network”, creating a toxic environment openly hostile to women (actors, directors, writers, producers, etc.), paying female actors lower wages than male counterparts, writing less interesting roles for women (seen as arm candy and accessories to men in storylines,) openly harassing female writers, producers and production staff and repeatedly dismissing all complaints brought to management. Once victims brought complaints to management, often they would be punished by being fired. So, the toxic environment continued to flourish. I believe that this environment starts at the very top. I believe that these reports are true. There are too many of them NOT to be true.
I’m glad that CBS is finally addressing the situation. They have installed staff on every production who will closely monitor activities on sets, evaluate complaints and fire anyone who engages in this kind of behavior. I hope they can begin to address the inequities in salaries offered to male and female actors as well.
Both Daniel and Grace have gone on to do great work after they left the show, so perhaps it was a blessing for them to leave.
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“The stunt coordinator issue is deeply troubling to me because it endangered people’s lives and contributed to Alex’ injuries. Perhaps if Jeff hadn’t been high on drugs, he would have made safer decisions and wouldn’t have allowed Alex to perform extremely dangerous stunts which ultimately injured him. From the articles I read several years ago, the environment was chaotic, reckless, macho and dangerous. And the relentless pressure to complete each episode on a tight schedule may have contributed to those dangerous decisions to “just do it!”
Thank you! This is what I’ve been saying. If Jeff hadn’t been an addict himself, maybe he would have noticed something was wrong with Alex. Maybe he would have said no to Alex doing certain stunts, or noticed Alex was hooked on painkillers earlier. Maybe he would have helped Alex get help earlier, so Alex wasn’t entering rehab when his girlfriend was pregnant.
It never should have gotten to the point where Alex had a problem that required rehab. Alex eventually checked HIMSELF into rehab. He kicked the addiction, because he chose to get professional help on his own. And once he got out of rehab, committed to powering through without drugs. I remember when fans started noticing Alex looked sick. PL and other crew members covered it up, claiming Alex was “overworked” and “tired.” Nobody with half a brain bought that excuse, and everyone speculated about what was REALLY going on.
It wasn’t until Alex announced his decision to enter rehab that CBS said anything about it, pledging their support and hope he’d get better. Nobody was really surprised, because it explained everything. CBS’ support was too little too late. What they cared about was their bottom line. Without Alex, there was no show. That’s why they were invested in Alex getting better, not because they cared about his health and acknowledged they covered up a serious problem until Alex chose to be honest about it himself.
Instead of covering it up, they should have helped Alex get help earlier. Why didn’t PL and Co. go to CBS and express concerns about Alex’s health? Why did Alex himself have to make the decision that he had a problem and needed professional help to fix it?
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I especially remember that Peter Lenkof contributed to the success of Hawai 5-0, Magnum and McGyver. Not sure if Magnum and MC Gyver survive his departure.
Finally relieved because Hawai 5-0 is now over and far from this controversy
je retiens surtout que PL a contribué au succès de Hawaii 5.0, Magnum et MC Gyver. Pas certain que Magnum et MC Gyver survive à sont départ. Heureuse finalement que Hawaii 5-0 soit terminé et loin de toute cette polémique.
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Have you seen this yet?
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Thank you for sharing this, Szuzy. Yet another reminder that things are not black or white.
I am not saying that PL has had a perfectly correct behaviour during all these and past years. He himself has apologized for his attitude. But I feel he should not be lynched in social media by people who have not known him personally and have not dealt with him. It is so easy to give a push to a falling man, especially if you work in this business and have a professional grudge.
In any case, I hope he will have learned the lesson if all that has been said is true, and that he will work again. He is a brilliant producer and writer no matter what.
Sorry if the more radical feminists think that I am a traitor. Making men aware of their mistakes as regards women is more my cup of tea than destroying them.
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As I have said before, without knowing verifiable facts, It is unfair to take everything we read on line as gospel. People refer to “sources”, but I wish those “sources” would come out of hiding and own publicly what they are saying privately, so we can judge the merits of the situation for ourselves.
Mind you, I am not defending anyone, nor will I condone bad behavior but I would like to know who is saying what and if they will stand up publicly and defend what they say with concrete examples. So far, I am willing to accept that some male actors were given special treatment regarding their work schedules since we witnessed that. I don’t know if there was a justifiable reason for it but I would like to see that addressed instead of the hate by some super fans who still having gotten over the season finale.
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That last line should read “who still haven’t gotten over the season finale”.
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