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Beverly Hills, Calif. • Don't use the word "remake" around the producers of the new "Hawaii Five-0."
Yes, it's the same title as the original series. And the same setting. And you've got Steve McGarrett saying, "Book 'em, Danno" to Danny Williams.
But it is not a remake.
"For me, the word 'remake' suggests that we're doing exactly the same thing, just doing it again," said executive producer Alex Kurtzman, who prefers calling the new show a "reboot" or a "reimagining."
And he knows a little something about reimagining classic TV shows. Kurtzman and fellow executive producer Robert Orci rebooted "Star Trek" into the hugely successful 2009 theatrical release.
"In our experience in 'Star Trek,' we felt like you have to find the spirit of what that original franchise was about," Kurtzman said, "and you have to really be true to it. And then you have to expand on it and bring it into modern time."
In the original "Hawaii Five-0," which ran from 1968 to 1980, Jack Lord starred as iron-jawed, no-nonsense crime-fighter Steve McGarrett. The show was as by-the-book as its lead character, and there wasn't a whole lot of humor.
"I love Jack Lord's McGarrett," said Alex O'Loughlin, who stars as the new McGarrett. "I love Jack Lord's hair. … He's awesome. None of which I can get away with today in 2010 on television."
And, yes, the original looks very dated three decades later.
The new "Hawaii Five-0" remains a crime procedural, and McGarrett still leads a special crime unit that reports directly to the governor. But the new McGarrett doesn't always go by the book. He's an action-oriented guy who has a sense of humor.
"Look, our Steve McGarrett is a little different," O'Laughlin understated.
He's partnered with a fish-out-of-water detective from the mainland, Danny "Danno" Williams (Scott Caan), who's a far cry from the character originally played by James MacArthur.
"The show is very lighthearted," Kurtzman said. "A lot of it has to do with the banter between Danno and McGarrett."
Executive producer Peter Lenkov (whose credits include "CSI: NY" and "24") said he "bonded" with his father when they watched the original "Five-O" every week. And he has nothing but fond memories for the show he developed — or redeveloped.
"We were fans of the original show … and we didn't want to throw things out that worked," he said. "And I think the reason why some remakes or some reimaginings … work is if you understand and you're passionate about the source material."
So far, at least, the "Hawaii Five-0" reboot is working. The show is dominating its Monday-night time slot.
Just don't call it a remake.
"What we felt like we really had to do was make sure that we were staying true to the spirit of the show, but bringing something new to the table that a modern audience would recognize," Kurtzman said. "And for us, that's why the word 'reboot' just feels more appropriate."
"Hawaii Five-0" returns
The reimagined version of the classic TV series airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBS/Ch. 2.