Magnum, P.I. (Tom Selleck Shirtless Graphic)

Magnum, P.I. — Vintage 1980s TV Tee

Premiering in 1980, Magnum, P.I. gave America eight glorious seasons of Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a ridiculously handsome private investigator living the good life in Hawaii while occasionally finding time to solve a crime.

Magnum was a former Navy SEAL and Vietnam veteran who somehow managed to live rent-free in a spectacular beachfront estate, drive a borrowed red Ferrari 308 GTS, and spend an extraordinary amount of time swimming, drinking beer, and arguing with the estate's perpetually irritated caretaker, Jonathan Quayle Higgins III.

And then there were his friends: helicopter pilot T.C. and bar owner Rick, fellow Vietnam veterans who regularly found themselves dragged into Magnum's increasingly dangerous adventures. Together, they made the whole thing feel like a tropical vacation interrupted by occasional gunfire.

But let's discuss the real star of the show. That mustache. Thick, luxurious, and practically a supporting character in its own right. Paired with Selleck's chest hair, impossibly short athletic shorts, and collection of spectacularly loud Hawaiian shirts, it helped establish one of the most recognizable masculine looks of the entire decade.

And while Magnum, P.I. was ostensibly a straight man's action-adventure series, its appeal to gay audiences wasn't exactly mysterious. Selleck spent eight seasons looking like the world's most handsome 1980s Castro clone, often wearing considerably less clothing than the plot required.

Beneath the sunshine and sex appeal, the series also explored friendship, loyalty, and the lasting emotional consequences of the Vietnam War, giving it more depth than your average detective show.

Running from 1980 to 1988, Magnum, P.I. became a defining piece of 1980s television, turning Tom Selleck into an international sex symbol and making a red Ferrari, a Detroit Tigers cap, and a magnificent mustache instantly recognizable.