Where To Watch
Here's how Jack Lord fired back at Hawaii Five-O critics
When the series was criticized for being too violent, Lord took a stand.
Though it was well-loved throughout its run, Hawaii Five-O was never without critics. The series ran for 12 seasons with a mostly positive reception. However, those who didn’t enjoy the show weren’t shy about making their voices heard.
Series star Jack Lord fired back against those who said that the crime series was “too violent” for television.
“We have done shows of violence that I violently objected to,” Lord said during an interview with The Los Angeles Times. “How do you do a police show without violence when every newspaper you pick up, every newscast you turn on shows that we live in a violent world?”
To Lord, a show like Hawaii Five-O was a reflection of the world. “I don’t think that you can put your head in the sand and hope it will go away. I do think you can make the statement that violence begets violence, that violence leads to nothing but destruction. Almost by parallel, you can show there’s only one way to settle anything, whether on an individual or national level, and that’s by sitting eye to eye and discussing it.”
Moreover, plenty of shows found their niche in mindless violence, and Lord insisted that Hawaii Five-O was not one of those programs. Rather, the series was the result of hard work by both cast and crew.
“The single most difficult thing to come by is a good script,” said the actor. “You can get marvelous actors, marvelous directors, fine producers, great production people, skillful cinematographers - and what’s the use without a good script?”
Related
