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Series creator Leonard Freeman went to great lengths to make sure his writers understood Hawaii
Freeman consulted the governor of Hawaii, John Burns, regarding the show.
As the brain behind Hawaii Five-O, Leonard Freeman was well-regarded in the television industry. The writer and producer had earned the respect of his peers with his talent and work ethic.
But during an interview, Freeman remained humble regarding his success. “I’ve been lucky all my life, and I expect to stay that way,” said Freeman during an interview with the Southwest American.
“Lucky” was a bit of an understatement. Freeman’s series, Hawaii Five-O, ran for 12 years. Though Freeman passed away in 1974, Hawaii Five-O remains, to this day, one of the most popular television shows in history.
When preparing the show, Freeman consulted John Burns, a former police captain turned governor of Hawaii. “It was as if he had the idea just sitting there in his top drawer,” Freeman said of Burns. According to the article, Burns also offered his own investigative team, should Freeman need information to create the series.
Commitment to depicting the state authentically was a priority for Freeman. “I don’t want anyone writing this show until he knows Hawaii, until he gets the feel of the place, until he digs it,” said the writer.
In an effort to set his own series apart, Freeman also elected to shoot on location in Hawaii, rather than a typical soundstage in some far-flung location. “Television is monotonously the same, and one of the reasons is that so many of the series are shot on sets in Hollywood,” said Freeman.
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