Seth Leibsohn e-mails:

There are several reasons why every man loved Magnum: first, the associative connection-every man wanted to be Magnum, with the car, the looks, the setting of one’s hours…but second, the reality principle-every man was Magnum, for all the good looks (with rare exception), Magnum never could ‘get’ the girl, she was just out of reach or elusive for complex reasons. Third, his friends-every man had friends in the roles of TC and Rick. Fourth, the anti-communism, the one scene where he’ reading National Review, and Higgins (the ‘man’ or boss whose reality and occasional buzz-kill we all had to face).