Hawaii Five-O: Season 1
The first season of Hawaii Five‑O premiered on September 20, 1968 and concluded on March 19, 1969. Produced by CBS Productions under the guidance of creator Leonard Freeman, the season aired on the CBS network as an American police‑procedural drama set against the backdrop of the Hawaiian Islands. The series follows a special state police task force led by Detective Lieutenant Steve McGarrett, portrayed by Jack Lord,
Season overview
The first season of Hawaii Five‑O premiered on September 20, 1968 and concluded on March 19, 1969. Produced by CBS Productions under the guidance of creator Leonard Freeman, the season aired on the CBS network as an American police‑procedural drama set against the backdrop of the Hawaiian Islands. The series follows a special state police task force led by Detective Lieutenant Steve McGarrett, portrayed by Jack Lord, as they investigate crimes throughout the islands. The inaugural season established the show’s signature blend of action, adventure, and drama, and introduced the iconic “Book ’Em, Danno!” catch‑phrase that would become associated with the series. After its original broadcast run, the entire first season was made available on Region 1 DVD, with the home‑video release issued on March 6, 2007. The program continued beyond its first year, ultimately running for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980 and remaining in syndication.
Episode Guide
Season 1 Progress Shield
Cocoon (1)
Sep 20, 1968 · 60 min
Red Chinese agent Wo Fat uses a sensory deprivation chamber to procure information from U.S. agents. Steve McGarrett, head of Hawaii Five-O, investigates the death of a close frien
Cocoon (2)
Sep 20, 1968 · 60 min
McGarrett is caught and cocooned, and must escape this torture and shut down Wo Fat's operation.
Full Fathom Five
Sep 26, 1968 · 60 min
Victor Reese and his wife Nora are conning rich widows out of their savings, and then poisoning them and dumping them in the ocean. McGarrett and company hatch a plan to use a fema
Strangers In Our Own Land
Oct 3, 1968 · 60 min
Five-O probes into the death of an official who was instrumental in the development of the islands, and discovers a tangled web of lies and deception.
Tiger By The Tail
Oct 10, 1968 · 60 min
A young singer, Bobby George, plans his own kidnapping as a stunt, but when his father offers $500,000 for his release, his co-conspirators decide to double-cross him and take the
Samurai
Oct 17, 1968 · 60 min
McGarrett and the gang must simultaneously protect a gangster from Japanese assassins and also try to convict him for his underworld activities.
... And They Painted Daisies On His Coffin
Nov 7, 1968 · 60 min
Danny Williams is accused of shooting an apparently unarmed young boy. Meanwhile, in his investigation, McGarrett comes up against Big Chicken, a nasty dope dealer.
Twenty-Four Karat Kill
Nov 14, 1968 · 60 min
A woman buys fish from a monger, and is followed home and murdered. McGarrett and the team must discover who killed her and stop smugglers from completing their operation.
The Ways Of Love
Nov 21, 1968 · 60 min
After a girl dies during a high speed chase, a trail of clues leads McGarrett to a Los Angeles prison, where he must act the part of convict Steve Crowley to gain the trust of his
No Blue Skies
Dec 5, 1968 · 60 min
When a singer, Joey Rand, finds that his career doesn't pay well enough, he turns to cat burglary. However he doesn't reckon on Hawaii Five-O.
By the Numbers
Dec 12, 1968 · 60 min
A winning lottery ticket drags an army private into a the murky world of mob politics and vice.
Yesterday Died And Tomorrow Won't Be Born
Dec 19, 1968 · 60 min
When McGarrett is shot and badly wounded on a beachside jog, Danno and the team must work feverishly to find the culprit and prevent him from committing any more murders.
Deathwatch
Dec 25, 1968 · 60 min
McGarrett must protect a protect a mob underboss so he is able to testify against his superior, Joe Matsukino. However, Matsukino has many tricks up his sleeve to silence his forme
Pray Love Remember, Pray Love Remember
Jan 1, 1969 · 60 min
When a young female student is found murdered on campus, suspicions fall on her boyfriend but McGarrett senses that something is not right.
King Of The Hill
Jan 8, 1969 · 60 min
Danno is taken hostage by a Vietnam veteran who is suffering delusional flashbacks and sees everyone as forces sent to kill him.
Up Tight
Jan 15, 1969 · 60 min
Young Eadie Hastings cannot be saved by Danno from jumping of a cliff, and Five-O think that she was high on speed. They track her source to a crank teacher, Professor David Stone,
Face Of The Dragon
Jan 22, 1969 · 60 min
A man is found dead after having been robbed by a motorcyclist with a gun, and McGarrett is shocked to discover that the man was suffering from bubonic plague. The islands are quar
The Box
Jan 29, 1969 · 60 min
Big Chicken returns in a tense prison hostage drama when McGarrett has to give himself over to the criminals as a bargaining chip and use psychology to take control of the situatio
One For The Money
Feb 5, 1969 · 60 min
When a girl is found murdered and numbered 'one', McGarrett suspects a serial killer. However the killer seems to be very selective in targeting members of a particular company,
Along Came Joey
Feb 12, 1969 · 60 min
When the boxing son of a policeman, Phil Kalama, is killed, he starts a personal vendetta, and McGarrett must both solve the crime and stop Kalama from committing another murder.
Once Upon A Time (1)
Feb 19, 1969 · 60 min
When the son of McGarrett's sister falls ill with cancer and she becomes involved in ‘naturology', her husband calls in Steve to investigate and persuade her to stop paying for t
Once Upon A Time (2)
Feb 26, 1969 · 60 min
McGarrett must use all legal means possible to win the court case against Dr. C.L. Fremont, stopping her fake treatments and saving his sister from more anguish and pain.
Not That Much Different
Mar 5, 1969 · 60 min
When a leader of a student peace movement is killed, McGarrett has to investigate the murder against a wall of silence and a distrust of the police by the activists.
Six Kilos
Mar 12, 1969 · 60 min
Chin Ho and Dan Williams are tracking a safecracker but he pulls a gun and Danno ends up shooting him. McGarrett takes his identity of Harry Brown and must infiltrate a sophisticat
The Big Kahuna
Mar 19, 1969 · 60 min
Sam Kalakua, a distant cousin of Kono, is being frightened into an early grave by an fake apparition of a Hawaiian god created by his nephew, who wants to sell the estate to a land