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Jack Lord thought the violence on Hawaii Five-O was justified
When it came to scripts, Lord believed that a weak plot was a "crime" in itself.
Hawaii Five-O featured many adventures, from high-speed chases to wacky undercover antics—some of which were only possible because Jack Lord, the series' leading star, was passionate about the show having the freedom to push boundaries.
According to a 1975 interview with The Ottawa Citizen, it wasn’t all vacation all the time in Hawaii. At the time, Hawaii Five-O was considered one of the most violent shows on TV by a critics' poll. Lord denied it, staying firm that it was no more violent than other cop shows on the air.
"We have done shows of violence that I violently objected to," Lord said. "How do you do a police show without violence, when every newspaper you pick up, every newscast you turn on, shows we live in a violent world?"
Violence on TV had been under fire many years prior with Westerns. Most stars stood by their shows and justified the violence as a parallel to the real world—just like Jack Lord.
Lord’s take on realism meant the show often featured real police techniques, making the action scenes both accurate and thrilling—a fact that pairs perfectly with his belief that violence should reflect reality.
"I don't think that you can put your head in the sand and hope it will go away," Lord said. "I do think you can make the statement that violence begets violence, that violence leads to nothing but destruction. You can show there’s only one way to settle anything, whether on an individual level or national level, and that's by sitting eye to eye and discussing it."
The program, featuring the sights and sounds of island living, had a dark undertone, but Lord felt it was important to show violence as it is and not edit it for viewers.
He said the series’ writers and creators often argued about the use of violence. Lord believed the biggest fix would be in the writers’ room, through better character development and plotting. When it came to scripts, Lord believed that a weak plot was a "crime" in itself.
"The single most difficult thing to come by is a good script," Lord said. "You can get marvelous actors, marvelous directors, fine producers, great production people, skillful cinematographers, and what’s the use without a good script?"
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