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Hawaii Five-O star Kam Fong had this to say about violence in television
Fong argued that violence was necessary.
Though violence isn’t a necessity in a television series, it certainly increases the chance of growing an audience. Many viewers clamor for action-packed television, which is what makes police procedurals so popular on television.
One of the most captivating crime shows of all time is Hawaii Five-O. The CBS series, which aired for 12 years, starred actor Jack Lord. Lord portrayed Steve McGarrett, commander of a police task force set in Hawaii. As one of the longest-running police dramas in television history, Hawaii Five-O had a knack for knowing what kept an audience interested and what made viewers tune in.
According to one series star, audiences gravitated more toward the harsher storylines of the series. Kam Fong, who played Chin Ho Kelly for a majority of the series, explained that, in his opinion, critics and viewers had a love-hate relationship with violence on television.
“Violence is what the public wants,” Fong said during an interview with The Province. “Although they may resent it, they still watch the show.”
Fong acknowledged that much of the action on Hawaii Five-O was sensationalized, but argued that it was necessary to the success of the series.
“If we portrayed police work as it is in real life, it would be pretty dull stuff,” said the actor. “You have to build up excitement and tension in television, or no one would watch. In the real world, a murder is just a murder to the police. They never get excited.”
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