# The 1980 TV show Tom Hanks wasn’t in that he was sure would ruin his career: “We are toast”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-1980-tv-show-tom-hanks-wasnt-in-that-he-was-sure-would-ruin-his-career-we-are-toast/
- Published: 2026-11-05T20:15:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T22:56:32+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/tv-show-tom-hanks-wasnt-in-was-sure-would-ruin-his-career/
- Topics: Entertainment, TV

## Key points

- Hanks thought *Magnum, P.I.* would doom *Bosom Buddies*.
- The sitcom was cancelled after two seasons.
- Hanks later landed a role in *Splash*.

## Summary

Tom Hanks feared his first recurring television role, *Bosom Buddies*, would end his chances of becoming an actor after it was scheduled against *Magnum, P.I.* The rival show’s success overwhelmed the sitcom, which was cancelled after two seasons, but Hanks later suggested the cancellation may have helped open the way to his film career.

Hanks and Peter Scolari’s comedy premiered on ABC in 1980, following *Mork & Mindy*. CBS then placed *Magnum, P.I.* opposite it, and the police drama averaged 21 million viewers a week in its first season; *Mork & Mindy* had been drawing more than 10 million per episode. *Bosom Buddies* was moved between time slots before its cancellation in 1982, while *Magnum, P.I.* ran for eight seasons.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.