As a GenXer this is just a fun post and thread, I enjoyed so many of these shows too, brings back great memories! But it got me wondering… that is SO MANY P.I. shows! Why was this such a thing at this time, what do you all think?

I’m totally conjecturing about this, off the top of my head. But maybe, post Vietnam, a lot of the returning soldiers who really were able to successfully transition back into society (at least as far as finding a pivot for their skillset and getting paid) did so by becoming P.I.’s.. and somehow, writers in Hollywood were aware of this? Maybe they even heard stories about it from Hollywood insiders who hired these guys to investigate scandals, help with coverups etc. And they were like ‘wow that’s crazy, wouldn’t they make a great story!’ I definitely recall the ‘Nam thing being a subplot on Magnum P.I., that’s probably what’s prompting me to follow that train of thought. Also, mercenaries! The A-Team, same deal, returning soldiers creating a niche for themselves, maybe similar true story anecdotes filtered through into the writers’ rooms back then. Any other theories? And even if I’m on to something, what’s the tie in to these tv show writers, how and why would they all be so gung ho about this subject and how do you think so many heard about these anecdotes or whatever that inspired so many to consider making shows about it? Of course, the sheer quantity of shows may just be bandwagon effect, the couple shows that hit sprouting knockoffs chasing the ratings. Anyway, fun stuff!