The TV Zone

What else do you need? The new “Magnum, P.I.” Season 7 DVD release (Universal, list price $50) includes Frank Sinatra’s last substantial acting role. But you’d never know it from the packaging, which fails to mention Sinatra on both the slipcase and the inside episode guide.

Ol’ Blue Eyes guest starred in 1987’s “Laura” episode as a retired New York police sergeant who comes to Hawaii and enlists Tom Selleck’s local private eye to help him on what seems to be a missing-persons case. Sinatra was 71 at the time but still spry playing a hardboiled tough guy (with bad taste in Hawaiian shirts).

This seventh season was to have been the last for “Magnum, P.I.” which explains how the season finale seems to be a series finale. Magnum gets shot in the episode titled “Limbo,” and ends up in that divine locale with other spirits. Then CBS decided to order another year, so it all became a “near”-death ordeal. Nonetheless, fans consider this season one of the series’ strongest.

[Photo from MPTV.net: Selleck and Sinatra flanking costar Larry Manetti.]