Revised ratings

[Mr. Mike]

I'm almost finished my re-viewing of episodes which has gone on for over two years now. There are only about half a dozen left to do.

The season ratings are now like this.

Season 12 went down quite a bit, I was giving out "BOMB" ratings like hotdogs at a picnic.

The ratings are pretty consistent except for the last three seasons.

Where there is a 2-part show, the ratings only apply to it once, except for The 90 Second War, where there are separate ratings for each part.

3.11 – Season 3
3.02 – Season 1
2.98 – Season 5
2.94 – Season 6
2.93 – Season 9
2.92 – Season 7
2.91 – Season 8
2.79 – Season 2
2.71 – Season 4
2.23 – Season 10
2.20 – Season 11
1.45 – Season 12

[Mr. Mike]

Actually, I made a goof, season 3 should be 3.00, so season 1 and season 3 should be reversed...

[haoledw]

When you were revising your scores, did you have very many "I can't believe I rated this episode so high" moments?

[Mr. Mike]

I don't think I had any major changes in opinion, though after watching the reboot for 10 years, I became horribly cynical about reviewing the old H50 shows in general as well as other TV shows. You should hear what I have to say about Mission: Impossible season 5 which I've borrowed from the library recently, though this series is definitely a "fantasy show," something which I cannot say about Classic H50 with the exception of a few episodes.

In some of the early seasons of the reboot I began to get worried about how negative my opinion was, and I actually had an alternate set of ratings which was called something like "It's Just A TV Show Rating." These were usually 1/2 point (or more!) higher than the "regular" rating. I think if you look at the HTML of some of the early reboot season pages, where these alternate ratings were commented out, they are still there.

With the old show, you sometimes have to make allowance for the fact that it was difficult to produce the show in Hawaii and there was a several thousand mile gap between the filming locations and the production locations where the film was developed, the show was edited, etc., etc. But how should this affect the rating?

For example, I am hard pressed to give Hookman 4 stars, even though it is one of my faves because there are several really obvious "mistakes." Ditto for Nine Dragons, which has that horribly sexist line of McGarrett's which, by the way, is not in the script of the show that I have, though that is not the final draft. And Nine Dragons also has "mistakes" and the show itself is kind of lopsided with the beginning like a huge teaser and the ending very rushed to wrap everything up.

I was trying to find old ratings pages for the original show on my computer and web site, but I gave up, because some of the files were dated 2014 or 2015 and the date at the top of the page was like 2019. There was no logic to this. However, if you want to see the oldest version of my site available on archive.org with ratings for the shows, you can see it here:

https://web.archive.org/web/19981206...mjq.net/fiveo/

Jeff Herman also has a comparative look at my ratings from 5 of 6 years ago with IMDb ratings and his own ratings, I may post this somewhere soon. It gives ratings for individual shows plus seasons.

[Mr. Mike]

Here is a file (based on Excel) which contains everything (I couldn't figure out how to make a separate file for the stuff on the right, because it has links to stuff on the left):

http://fiveohomepage.com/ratings/Rat...arison-All.htm

You may have to scroll right to see everything.

This just contains the shows in the individual seasons:

http://fiveohomepage.com/ratings/Rat...ison-Shows.htm

[Todd]

The most surprising thing is that Season 8 got ratings about Seasons 2 and 4. In general, I found Season 8 to be foreshadowing the decline which was coming. A lot of mediocrity there. For the most part, I enjoyed Seasons 2 and 4 a lot more.

I still liked the show best mid-run from seasons 5-7. After that, I kinda got the impression that they were running out of ideas.

[ringfire211]

I agree, Todd. Season 4 is very strong and I would say probably about on par with season 5. Season 4 is when the show really started getting edgy! It has the incredible “Rest in Peace, Somebody” which is my absolute favorite!!

Candy and a Gun
Wednesday, Ladies Free
R & R & R
Cloth of Gold
Didn’t We Meet at a Murder?
Bring in the Moon
Odd Man In
Good Night Baby
Bait Once, Bait Twice
Skinhead
Any Way to Run a Paradise?
No Bottles No Cans
3,000 Crooked Miles
Highest Castle

All excellent episodes!!

In fact there’s only 3 episodes that I don’t care for too much. But even those have their moments.

White Brick Road
Two Doves and Mr. Heron
Ninety Second War, Part II


In comparison season 8 has quite a few that are “just there”, nothing too special. Even the Vashon episode somehow lacks the punch of the earlier trilogy. I always expect to enjoy it more than I actually do. It’s got nothing on the excellent prison drama of season 1 - “The Box”.

[Bobbi]

And this proves...to each their own.

Season 9 happens to be my favorite season. There's nothing wrong with the earlier shows, I quite enjoy them. I like it when we get a peek at what makes everybody tick. As the series progressed, we got a bit more of that. Season 9 was the perfect example of the cast being comfortable with their parts, expanding on them a bit and having some fun along the way. Unfortunately, that momentum began to falter Season 10 on.

I took a look at the comparisons Mr. Mike provided and once again, everyone can agree on one thing: Season 12 stinks!

[Bobbi]

On the opposite side, Mr. Mike; did any ratings go up?

[Mr. Mike]

I don't know, because as mentioned above, the file creation dates and dates at the top of the page don't line up. The earliest ratings on my site came from around 2014 or 2015 as far as I can determine.

This one says January 2014 at the top, but a date on the URL says some time in 2015.

If you want to see individual show ratings relating to what is below, you can go to

https://web.archive.org/web/20150906...%20Ratings.htm

(This page is not in an Excel type format, no idea why...)

3.27 Season 1
3.25 Season 3
3.04 Season 6
3.02 Season 5
2.94 Season 2
2.90 Season 4
2.90 Season 7
2.87 Season 8
2.87 Season 9
2.33 Season 11
2.27 Season 10
1.92 Season 12

Here is the list from the first message I posted above:

3.11 – Season 3
3.02 – Season 1
2.98 – Season 5
2.94 – Season 6
2.93 – Season 9
2.92 – Season 7
2.91 – Season 8
2.79 – Season 2
2.71 – Season 4
2.23 – Season 10
2.20 – Season 11
1.45 – Season 12

[Mr. Mike]

Based on the above, it looks like the only seasons where the score (the overall score) went up were seasons 7 and 8. Don't ask me to do further anal-ysis right now, I am more focused finishing my re-viewing of all the shows, which includes only FOUR more episodes:

I'm a family crook
Tricks are not treats (boy, that should be fun!)
The bells toll at noon
Number one with a bullet

Ratings have already been established for these episodes to be included in the totals above.

[ringfire211]

Bobbi, season 9 isn’t my favorite season. I think seasons 1-6 were the show’s glory years personally. That said, I think 9 has stronger episodes than 8. A Capitol Crime, The Bells Toll at Noon, Target-A Cop, and Man in a Steel Frame are all stronger than any episode from season 8. So that already says a lot. On the other hand season 8 doesn’t have a turkey like See How She Runs. I used to also really dislike Let Death Do Us Part but at least there’s a good mystery somewhere in there. If you can make sense of it. See How She Runs is just baaaaaad.

I used to also like 9 better 7 but I can’t say that anymore. 7 still has a good dose of that season 6 edge to it. 3 of its first 4 episodes are pretty terrific! The Young Assassins, A Hawaiian Nightmare, and I’ll Kill ‘Em Again. Just like season 6 opened with the stellar Hookman, Draw Me a Killer, and One Big Happy Family.

[Bobbi]

Bobbi, season 9 isn’t my favorite season.

I got that and I'm the opposite. I'm also in agreement that 5-7 (as Todd mentioned) were the highlight seasons of the series.

On the other hand season 8 doesn’t have a turkey like See How She Runs. I used to also really dislike Let Death Do Us Part but at least there’s a good mystery somewhere in there.

Again, we'll disagree. Let Death Do Us Part is just stupid. See How She Runs makes far more sense sense to me. But I will agree on one point: they are not the best episodes of the series.

As I said, to each their own and this is what makes the show timeless and appealing after 50 years. Good grief, I didn't become a fan until 2017! That says a lot if a show can still pick up fans long after its original run. We, as fans, like what we like. We can point all the faults of every episode we dislike while looking at the ones we like (or love) and not see any. However, every episode has its faults and it's still good! To me, that's half the fun. It shows just how together things were. What we get in the last three seasons is a dose of reality when it ran its course and off the rails.

[haoledw]

I have not watched one single second of the reboot. I just assumed it would be stupid and never gave it a chance.

I don't think I had any major changes in opinion, though after watching the reboot for 10 years, I became horribly cynical about reviewing the old H50 shows in general as well as other TV shows. You should hear what I have to say about Mission: Impossible season 5 which I've borrowed from the library recently, though this series is definitely a "fantasy show," something which I cannot say about Classic H50 with the exception of a few episodes.

In some of the early seasons of the reboot I began to get worried about how negative my opinion was, and I actually had an alternate set of ratings which was called something like "It's Just A TV Show Rating." These were usually 1/2 point (or more!) higher than the "regular" rating. I think if you look at the HTML of some of the early reboot season pages, where these alternate ratings were commented out, they are still there.

With the old show, you sometimes have to make allowance for the fact that it was difficult to produce the show in Hawaii and there was a several thousand mile gap between the filming locations and the production locations where the film was developed, the show was edited, etc., etc. But how should this affect the rating?

For example, I am hard pressed to give Hookman 4 stars, even though it is one of my faves because there are several really obvious "mistakes." Ditto for Nine Dragons, which has that horribly sexist line of McGarrett's which, by the way, is not in the script of the show that I have, though that is not the final draft. And Nine Dragons also has "mistakes" and the show itself is kind of lopsided with the beginning like a huge teaser and the ending very rushed to wrap everything up.

I was trying to find old ratings pages for the original show on my computer and web site, but I gave up, because some of the files were dated 2014 or 2015 and the date at the top of the page was like 2019. There was no logic to this. However, if you want to see the oldest version of my site available on archive.org with ratings for the shows, you can see it here:

https://web.archive.org/web/19981206...mjq.net/fiveo/

Jeff Herman also has a comparative look at my ratings from 5 of 6 years ago with IMDb ratings and his own ratings, I may post this somewhere soon. It gives ratings for individual shows plus seasons.

[Brian]

I find I am biased to like the seasons that I have seen most regularly in syndication over the years. I also think seasons 3 through 7 have a certain feel or swagger to them. Possibly this is the edge others are referring to above. I think we all agree that season 12 belongs in the basement.

Mr. Mike you mention a review of season 5 of the original Mission above. I know I am on the wrong side of discussion fence but have you reviewed the original Missions? I could only find the reboot reviews and your excellent tape scene analysis by episode.

[Mr. Mike]

Mr. Mike you mention a review of season 5 of the original Mission above. I know I am on the wrong side of discussion fence but have you reviewed the original Missions? I could only find the reboot reviews and your excellent tape scene analysis by episode.

No, and I doubt that I will. This is a show that I will just watch and put my pencil and clipboard away...