If you needed any further proof that Archer is the greatest TV animated series currently on air, the team behind the show has released a teaser for its seventh season, recreating – frame for frame – the opening credits sequence of the 1980s TV series, Magnum P.I. For that alone, Academies and Guilds should simply give all their awards to Archer, right now.
For the edification of anyone under the age of 25, Magnum P.I was a hugely popular, award-winning action-adventure series that ran for eight seasons, from 1980 – 1988. Following the exploits of the titular private detective based in Hawaii, the show turned Tom Selleck into a household name, and the strains of its bouncy theme tune are sure to warm the heart of an entire generation of fans. It is not difficult to see why the team behind Archer chose Magnum P.I for homage, as the two shows share a penchant for the charming swagger of an alpha-male lead character – and it is that level of 1980s-skewering satire that makes Archer so great.
The relationship between Archer and Magnum P.I has been simmering for a while, with nods and tributes scattered throughout the previous six seasons. Now, it seems, Archer may have gone “Full ‘Stache”, and finally embraced the entirety of his challenging, unreconstructed masculinity – which would be the latest in a long history of re-vamps for the animated series. This is an approach that has kept the format fresh and funny in the face of stiff competition. Addressing an audience at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2015, series creator Adam Reed explained his excitement about plans for season 7.
“It’s not a reboot, but we are creating tons and tons of new elements: wardrobe, weapons, cars, the sets… So we’re drawing so much that were a little behind, and we don’t have the season premiere as we usually do. Not one to spoil it all, I can say that it’s more sexy and dangerous than ever. Or equally as sexy and dangerous.”
Equally sexy and dangerous, with new elements, and the potential for a full tongue-in-cheek Magnum P.I overtone? Sign me up. Archer – featuring the intimidating voice talents of H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, Amber Nash, Jessica Walter and Lucky Yates – returns to FX on March 27th, 2016.
