Lenkov-verse

Up until the reboot of MacGyver in 2016, CBS's Hawaii Five-0 was the only show in The Lenkov-verse. Debuting in September of 2010, the show had enjoyed solid ratings and had helped to boost Hawaii's economy with increased tourist visits to local businesses and cultural sites featured on the show.[9] Despite solid viewership during its first season and the ability to hold its own against powerhouses like ESPN's NFL Monday Night Football and ABC's Castle, Five-0 wasn't pulling the same ratings as CBS's flagship police procedural, NCIS. As such, Peter Lenkov outlined that the second season would have a lot more to it, promising new cast members and an expanded setting, stating, “…we wanted to explore the other islands, and I think we just never got the chance. We're going to do that this year. We have these little ambitions, and that's one of them. Because it's Hawaii Five-0 and not Oahu Five-0, they can go to the other islands. And ultimately we want to explore off the islands. It's a task force, and the idea is there are no real boundaries for them."[10] But an even bigger surprise came two months later on August 18, 2011, just prior to the 2nd season premiere, when NCIS: Los Angeles star Daniela Ruah tweeted, "Aloha hoaloha! Read my lips closely... Kensi will make her way to Hawaii Five-0 this season! Stay tuned... #H50 #NCISLA", hinting that Five-0 would not only expand to other islands, but to other shows. It also left NCIS fans to speculate that Ruah was leaving her show for greener pastures. Shortly after the news was confirmed, however, Ruah tweeted that it was a one-time crossover and that she would be coming back to her regular show[11][12] while NCIS producer Shane Brennan mused “Interestingly, Daniela has never been to Hawaii, so it took no convincing,” Brennan also stated that the visit to the show wasn't gratuitous and would have a purpose, jokingly adding, "I’m a bit concerned they might not give her back!"[8]

Five-0 viewers wouldn't have to wait long for a second crossover with NCIS. At the beginning of 2012, CBS approached Brennan with the idea of a two-part crossover event for May Sweeps involving both Hawaii Five-0 and NCIS: Los Angeles to which Brennan agreed. While Brennan was thrilled about the "high-octane story" that would bring out the best in both shows, Five-0 producer Peter Lenkov was excited about exploring the relationship between the two main characters of both shows: Five-0 Task Force leader Steven McGarrett and NCIS's Sam Hanna, who became friends during their military service.[13] “Chris and LL are going to come to Hawaii” Lenkov said. "There’s a bit of a history there.”[14] The two-part episode, titled "Pa Make Loa (Touch of Death)", drew big ratings for both shows. Five-0 saw over 14 million viewers(Live/Delayed DVR figures combined)[15][16] while NCIS: Los Angeles saw over 18 million viewers(Live/Delayed DVR figures combined).[17][16] NCIS producer Shane Brennan remarked that the reaction with fans and critics seemed largely positive and added "Crossovers are not easy to pull off when you're working in the same town, and when you've got the other show being shot a five-hour flight away, it's particularly challenging."[18] Nonetheless, Brennan again expressed optimism for a future crossover with Five-0, stating, "I think the audiences are willing to accept crossovers when both shows operate in the same world and that was certainly the case with NCIS and Hawaii Five-0. Having them overlap in terms of crimes was very easy for us to do. Whether or not we'll do more is up to CBS. It's something I'd be very happy to do again." Lenkov was equally acquiescent, stating, “It just seemed like a natural to continue the relationship.”[14]

Despite the seemingly good rapport between the production crews of Five-0 and NCIS, the two shows would not see another crossover again nor was there a single crossover between Five-0 and another show until 2016, when viewers saw the debut of Lenkov's second "universe" offering, the CBS reboot of the 1985 ABC series, MacGyver. Immediately, Peter Lenkov hinted that MacGyver was not only in the same universe as Hawaii Five-0 but that he was forced to cut a scene in the pilot episode of MacGyver where Jack Dalton's sniper rifle had "ALOHA" painted on the barrel of the gun as a nod to Five-0's Steve McGarrett. "...the idea was that he knew McGarrett...in the military. I still would like to take advantage of that." Lenkov told the press, adding, "Somehow we’ll do a cross-over and those two guys knew each other. I’m hoping."[19] While Lenkov's wish for a McGarrett/Dalton crossover never came to fruition (Hawaii Five-0 called it quits in 2020 and George Eads who plays Dalton left MacGyver in the middle of season three), the first season of MacGyver officially and firmly placed the series in the same fictional universe as Five-0 with the episode, "Magnifying Glass".[20] In the episode, MacGyver and the Phoenix Foundation travel to Northern California to track down a copycat serial murderer who has been mimicking San Francisco's infamous Zodiac Killer. When they find out that the killer has been mentored and trained remotely from Oahu by Dr. Madison Gray (a serial killer who fled Hawaii for California in a preceding Five-0 episode[21]), Jack Dalton notifies Steve McGarrett of the 5-0 Task Force that Gray has returned to Hawaii.[22] This plot thread continued into Five-0, with the episode, "Hahai i na pilikua nui (Hunting Monsters)"[23] in which Chin Ho Kelly follows up on Dalton's tip-off, telling McGarrett "that call from your friends at the Phoenix Foundation wasn't wrong".[24] After this set-up, Five-0 actors Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park, and Taylor Wily crossed over into the MacGyver episode "Flashlight". In the episode, The Phoenix Foundation is sent to Oahu to help the Hawaii Police Department and Five-0 with rescue and recovery efforts and ends up working closely with Chin Ho Kelly and Kono. The episode closes out with Kamekona traveling to California to cater MacGyver's birthday party with a shrimp buffet.[25] The Phoenix Foundation was subsequently mentioned in the Five-0 episode that aired immediately following "Flashlight" when Steve McGarrett tells Kono that The Phoenix Foundation appreciated the help from herself and Chin Ho Kelly.[26] After Henry Ian Cusick joined MacGyver as the new owner of The Phoenix Foundation, Cusick tweeted a selfie of himself and actor Jorge Garcia (of Five-0, proclaiming, "Look who came out to playyayy!!!" Immediately, fans speculated on whether this meant that Garcia was coming to MacGyver and reprising his role as Jerry Ortega or as a completely new character. CBS would later confirm that Garcia was going to reprise his role as Jerry in the 5th season with a Tweet which read, Anyone call for a conspiracy theorist? @jorgegarcia (Jerry Ortega from @HawaiiFive0CBS) will guest star on an upcoming episode of #MacGyver!", confirming the next crossover event between MacGyver and the cancelled Hawaii Five-0.[27]

Numerous Five-0 characters guest starred in the first season of Magnum, most notably Kimee Balmilero and Taylor Wily who had recurring roles before a full crossover aired between the two shows in their tenth and second seasons, respectively.[28][29][30] In a third season episode of Five-0, McGarrett, Williams, Bergman, and Kamekona, have a discussion about the television show Magnum, P.I. and its theme song, causing a continuity issue when the two series later crossover. Lenkov said "That was at a time when I had lost hope that I could get [my Magnum reboot] launched. I had been trying to do it for so long, I thought there was just no way it was going to happen, so I did a little tribute in that episode. But we’ll take that one out of rotation."[31]

Other actors, such as Henry Ian Cusick, Corbin Bernsen, Lance Gross, Elisabeth Röhm, Patrick Monahan, Andre Reed, and Janel Parrish have played various characters in the different series, also causing continuity issues that were not addressed.[32][33][34][35]

Hawaii Five-0 is the first series in the universe and is a reboot of the 1968 TV series of the same name. The rebooted series uses the numerical zero in place of the letter O (Five-0 instead of Five-O).[36] It premiered on September 20, 2010, and aired 240 episodes over a ten-season run before concluding on April 3, 2020. The series focuses on a fictional state police task force, known as "Five-0" led by Steve McGarrett, that is set up by the Hawaiian governor to fight major crimes in Hawaii including murder, kidnapping, and terrorism. The series is filmed on location in Hawaii.

MacGyver is the second series in the universe and is a reboot of the 1985 TV series of the same name. It premiered on September 23, 2016, and recently concluded its fourth season. The series focuses on the fictional "Phoenix Foundation" which is a covert organization masquerading as a think tank. The titular character, Angus MacGyver uses a talent for problem solving along with an extensive knowledge in science to solve problems. The series is set in Los Angeles, California, but is filmed in Atlanta, Georgia.

Magnum P.I. is the third series in the universe and is a reboot of the 1980 TV series of the same name. It premiered on September 24, 2018, and recently concluded its second season. The series focuses on a Navy SEAL turned private investigator named Thomas Magnum who investigates various crimes around Hawaii. Like Hawaii Five-0, the series is filmed in Hawaii.

The universe is also connected to the NCIS franchise series, NCIS: Los Angeles, which had two direct fictional crossovers with Hawaii Five-0

Two of the television series' have also spawned other media that are related to the series' themselves. On October 4, 2011, a television soundtrack entitled Hawaii Five-0: Original Songs from the Television Series was released featuring music that was used in Hawaii Five-0.[37] In addition, a survival manual was released on September 17, 2019, entitled The Official MacGyver Survival Manual: 155 Ways to Save the Day that gives instructions on how to "MacGyver" things as seen in MacGyver.[38]