Appearing as Detective Dan "Danno" Williams

Synopsis by curator@jmdigitalscrapbook.com:

Broadcast for twelve years on the CBS television network (20 September 1968 to 30 April 1980), Hawaii Five-O was one of the longest-running and most successful crime dramas ever televised. Starring Jack Lord as steely-eyed Steve McGarrett and James MacArthur as his youthful and energetic sidekick Dan ‘Danno’ Williams, the show was known not only for its scenic locales and use of local Hawaiian talent, but also for its willingness to address issues normally deemed too dark and scandalous for its time. Although many episodes dealt with the usual murder and mayhem staple of television cop shows, there were also stories involving rape, incest, impotence, transvestitism, homosexuality, matricide, child abuse, and other such weighty topics. Characters would occasionally use mild swear words onscreen, a move as bold in its day as the revelation of Dennis Franz’s bare behind was to NYPD viewers some 25 years later. It also boasted a plethora of famed guest stars, many of whom had previously worked with Lord or MacArthur in their many other television and movie appearances. (Where available, we have cross-referenced those actors’ names with their appearances on other shows featured within this web site.)

MacArthur did not appear in the series pilot, the part having been played by Tim O’Kelley, who was not well received by a test audience. Leonard Freeman recalled the young actor who had played a brief, though pivotal, role in his feature film Hang ‘Em High and subsequently cast him in the role of Dan Williams, a move fans have unanimously applauded ever since. He also did not return for the series’ 12th and final season, having departed at the conclusion of the 11th season to pursue other acting opportunities.

Below is a list of the episodes for the first 11 seasons (excluding the pilot), in chronological order by original broadcast date. Underlined titles are links to new pages with image galleries and brief episode information. Titles marked with three asterisks (***) have one or more video clips available. Guest stars who worked with James MacArthur in other television programs, movies, and theatrical productions are denoted by the notation {xref} and a link to other relevant page(s) in the Scrapbook next to their names.

Jump to Season:

One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven

~~Season One~~

***Full Fathom Five (26 Sep 68)
Strangers in Our Own Land (3 Oct 68)
Tiger by the Tail (10 Oct 68)
Samurai (17 Oct 68)
***... And They Painted Daisies on His Coffin (7 Nov 68)
***Twenty-Four Karat Kill (14 Nov 68)
The Ways of Love (21 Nov 68)
No Blue Skies (5 Dec 68)
***By the Numbers (12 Dec 68)
***Yesterday Died and Tomorrow Won't Be Born (19 Dec 68)
Deathwatch (25 Dec 68)
Pray Love Remember (1 Jan 69)
***King of the Hill (8 Jan 69)
***Up Tight (15 Jan 69)
Face of the Dragon (22 Jan 69)
The Box (29 Jan 69)
One for the Money (6 Feb 69)
***Along Came Joey (12 Feb 69)
Once Upon a Time Part 1 (19 Feb 69)
Once Upon a Time Part 2 (26 Feb 69)
Not That Much Different (5 Mar 69)
Six Kilos (12 Mar 69)
The Big Kahuna (19 Mar 69)

Jump To Season: One Three
~~Season Two~~

A Thousand Pardons, You’re Dead (24 Sep 69)
To Hell with Babe Ruth (1 Oct 69)
Forty Feet High and It Kills (8 Oct 69)
Just Lucky, I Guess (15 Oct 69)
Savage Sunday (22 Oct 69)
A Bullet for McGarrett (29 Oct 69)
Sweet Terror (5 Nov 69)
The King Kamehameha Blues (12 Nov 69)
The Singapore File (19 Nov 69)
All the King’s Horses (26 Nov 69)
Leopard on the Rock (3 Dec 69)
The Devil and Mr. Frog (10 Dec 69)
The Joker’s Wild, Man, Wild (17 Dec 69)
Which Way Did They Go? (24 Dec 69)
***Blind Tiger (31 Dec 69)
Bored, She Hung Herself (7 Jan 70)
Run, Johnny, Run (14 Jan 70)
Killer Bee (21 Jan 70)
***The One with the Gun (28 Jan 70)
Cry Lie! (4 Feb 70)
***Most Likely to Murder (11 Feb 70)
Nightmare Road (18 Feb 70)
3 Dead Cows at Makapuu Pt 1 (25 Feb 70)
3 Dead Cows at Makapuu Pt 2 (4 Mar 70)
Kiss the Queen Goodbye (11 Mar 70)

Jump To Season: Two Four
~~Season Three~~

And a Time to Die ... (19 Sep 70)
Trouble in Mind (23 Sep 70)
Second Shot (30 Sep 70)
Time and Memories (7 Oct 70)
The Guarnarius Caper (14 Oct 70)
The Ransom (21 Oct 70)
Force of Waves (28 Oct 70)
The Reunion (4 Nov 70)
The Late John Louisiana (11 Nov 70)
The Last Eden (18 Nov 70)
Over 50? Steal (25 Nov 70)
Beautiful Screamer (2 Dec 70)
The Payoff (9 Dec 70)
The Double Wall (16 Dec 70)
Paniolo (30 Dec 70)
10,000 Diamonds and a Heart (6 Jan 71)
To Kill or Be Killed (13 Jan 71)
F.O.B. Honolulu Part 1 (27 Jan 71)
F.O.B. Honolulu Part 2 (3 Feb 71)
The Gunrunner (10 Feb 71)
Dear Enemy (17 Feb 71)
The Bomber and Mrs. Maroney (24 Feb 71)
The Grandstand Play Part 1 (3 Mar 71)
The Grandstand Play Part 2 (10 Mar 71)

Jump To Season: Three Five
~~Season Four~~

Highest Castle, Deepest Grave (14 Sep 71)
No Bottles . No Cans . No People (21 Sep 71)
Wednesdays, Ladies Free (28 Sep 71)
3000 Crooked Miles to Honolulu (5 Oct 71)
Two Doves and Mr. Heron (12 Oct 71)
... And I Want Some Candy and a Gun That Shoots (19 Oct 71)
Air Cargo Dial M for Murder (26 Oct 71)
For a Million, Why Not? (2 Nov 71)
The Burning Ice (9 Nov 71)
Rest in Peace, Somebody (16 Nov 71)
A Matter of Mutual Concern (23 Nov 71)
Nine, Ten, You’re Dead (30 Nov 71)
Is This Any Way to Run a Paradise? (4 Dec 71)
Odd Man In (28 Dec 71)
Bait Once, Bait Twice (4 Jan 72)
The Ninety-Second War Part 1 (11 Jan 72)
The Ninety-Second War Part 2 (18 Jan 72)
Skinhead (25 Jan 72)
While You’re at It Bring in the Moon (1 Feb 72)
Cloth of Gold (8 Feb 72)
Good Night, Baby -- Time to Die (15 Feb 72)
Didn’t We Meet at a Murder? (22 Feb 72)
Follow the White Brick Road (29 Feb 72)
R&R&R (7 Mar 72)

Jump To Season: Four Six
~~Season Five~~

Death is a Company Policy (12 Sep 72)
Death Wish on Tantalus Mountain (19 Sep 72)
You Don’t Have to Kill to Get Rich -- But It Helps (26 Sep 72)
***Pig in a Blanket (3 Oct 72)
The Jinn Who Clears the Way (10 Oct 72)
Fools Die Twice (17 Oct 72)
Chain of Events (24 Oct 72)
Journey Out of Limbo (31 Oct 72)
V for Vashon: The Son (14 Nov 72)
V for Vashon: The Father (21 Nov 72)
V for Vashon: The Patriarch (28 Nov 72)
The Clock Struck Twelve (5 Dec 72)
I’m a Family Crook -- Don’t Shoot! (19 Dec 72)
The Child Stealers (2 Jan 73)
Thanks for the Honeymoon (9 Jan 73)
The Listener (16 Jan 73)
Here Today, Gone Tonight (23 Jan 73)
The Odd Lot Caper (30 Jan 73)
Will Real Mr. Winkler Please Die? (6 Feb 73)
Little Girl Blue (13 Feb 73)
Percentage (20 Feb 73)
Engaged to Be Buried (27 Feb 73)
The Diamond that Nobody Stole (3 Mar 73)
A Jury of One (13 Mar 73)

Jump To Season: Five Seven
~~Season Six~~

Hookman (11 Sep 73)
Draw Me a Killer (18 Sep 73)
Charter for Death (25 Sep 73)
One Big Happy Family (2 Oct 73)
The Sunday Torch (9 Oct 73)
Murder Is a Taxing Affair (16 Oct 73)
Tricks Are Not Treats (23 Oct 73)
Why Wait Till Uncle Kevin Dies? (30 Oct 73)
Flash of Color, Flash of Death (6 Nov 73)
A Bullet for Diablo (13 Nov 73)
The Finishing Touch (20 Nov 73)
Anybody Can Build a Bomb (27 Nov 73)
Try to Die on Time (4 Dec 73)
The $100,000 Nickel (11 Dec 73)
The Flip Side is Death (18 Dec 73)
The Bonzai Pipeline (1 Jan 74)
One Born Every Minute (8 Jan 74)
Secret Witness (15 Jan 74)
Death with Father (22 Jan 74)
Murder with a Golden Touch (29 Jan 74)
Nightmare in Blue (5 Feb 74)
Mother’s Deadly Helper (12 Feb 74)
Killer at Sea (19 Feb 74)
30,000 Rooms and I Have the Key (26 Feb 74)

Jump To Season: Six Eight
~~Season Seven~~

***The Young Assassins (10 Sep 74)
A Hawaiian Nightmare (17 Sep 74)
I’ll Kill ‘Em Again (24 Sep 74)
Steal Now, Pay Later (1 Oct 74)
Bomb Bomb Who’s Got the Bomb (8 Oct 74)
Right Body, Wrong Grave (15 Oct 74)
We Hang Our Own (22 Oct 74)
The Two-Faced Corpse (29 Oct 74)
How to Steal a Masterpiece (12 Nov 74)
A Gun for McGarrett (26 Nov 74)
Welcome to Our Branch Office (3 Dec 74)
Presenting in the Center Ring: Murder (10 Dec 74)
Hara-Kiri: Murder (31 Dec 74)
Bones of Contention (7 Jan 75)
Computer Killer (14 Jan 75)
A Woman’s Work Is with a Gun (21 Jan 75)
Small Witness, Large Crime (28 Jan 75)
Ring of Life (4 Feb 75)
A Study in Rage (11 Feb 75)
And the Horse Jumped Over the Moon (18 Feb 75)
Hit Gun for Sale (25 Feb 75)
The Hostage (11 Mar 75)
Diary of a Gun (18 Mar 75)
6000 Deadly Tickets (25 Mar 75)

Jump To Season: Seven Nine
~~Season Eight~~

***Murder, Eyes Only (12 Sep 75)
McGarrett is Missing (19 Sep 75)
Termination Extreme Prejudice (26 Sep 75)
Target? The Lady (3 Oct 75)
Death’s Name is Sam (10 Oct 75)
The Case Against McGarrett (17 Oct 75)
The Defector (24 Oct 75)
Sing a Song of Suspense (31 Oct 75)
***Retire in Sunny Hawaii Forever (7 Nov 75)
How to Steal a Submarine (14 Nov 75)
The Waterfront Steal (21 Nov 75)
Honor is an Unmarked Grave (28 Nov 75)
A Touch of Guilt (4 Dec 75)
Wooden Model of a Rat (11 Dec 75)
Deadly Persuasion (18 Dec 75)
Legacy of Terror (1 Jan 76)
Loose Ends Get Hit (8 Jan 76)
Anatomy of a Bribe (15 Jan 76)
Turkey Shoot at Makapuu (29 Jan 76)
A Killer Grows Wings (5 Feb 76)
The Capsule Kidnapping (12 Feb 76)
Love Thy Neighbor TakeHis Wife (26 Feb 76)
A Sentence to Steal (4 Mar 76)

Jump To Season: Eight Ten
~~Season Nine~~

Nine Dragons (30 Sep 76)
Assault on the Palace (7 Oct 76)
Oldest Profession -- Latest Price (14 Oct 76)
Man on Fire (21 Oct 76)
Tour de Force -- Killer Aboard (28 Oct 76)
The Last of Great Paperhangers (4 Nov 76)
Heads, You’re Dead (11 Nov 76)
Let Death Do Us Part (18 Nov 76)
Double Exposure (2 Dec 76)
Yes, My Deadly Daughter (16 Dec 76)
Target -- A Cop (23 Dec 76)
The Bells Toll at Noon (6 Jan 77)
Man in a Steel Frame (13 Jan 77)
Ready, Aim ... (20 Jan 77)
Elegy in a Rain Forest (27 Jan 77)
Dealer’s Choice ... Blackmail (3 Feb 77)
A Capitol Crime (17 Feb 77)
To Die in Paradise (24 Feb 77)
Blood Money is Hard to Wash (3 Mar 77)
To Kill a Mind (17 Mar 77)
Requiem for a Saddle-Bronc Rider (24 Mar 77)
See How She Runs (31 Mar 77)
Practical Jokes Can Kill You (5 May 77)

Jump To Season: Nine Eleven
~~Season Ten~~

Up the Rebels (15 Sep 77)
You Don’t See Many Pirates These Days (22 Sep 77)
The Cop on the Cover (29 Sep 77)
The Friends of Joey Kalima (13 Oct 77)
The Descent of the Torches (20 Oct 77)
The Ninth Step (27 Oct 77)
Shake Hands with the Man on the Moon (10 Nov 77)
Deadly Doubles (17 Nov 77)
Deep Cover (8 Dec 77)
Tsunami (22 Dec 77)
East Wind, Ill Wind (29 Dec 77)
Tread the King’s Shadow (5 Jan 78)
The Big Aloha (12 Jan 78)
A Short Walk on the Long Shore (2 Feb 78)
The Silk Trap (9 Feb 78)
Head to Head (16 Feb 78)
Tall on the Wave (2 Mar 78)
Angel in Blue (9 Mar 78)
When Does a War End? (16 Mar 78)
Invitation to Murder (23 Mar 78)
Frozen Assets (30 Mar 78)
My Friend, the Enemy (6 Apr 78)
A Stranger in His Grave (27 Apr 78)
A Death in the Family (4 May 78)

Jump To Season: Ten One
~~Season Eleven~~

The Sleeper (28 Sep 78)
Horoscope for Murder (5 Oct 78)
Deadly Courier (12 Oct 78)
The Case Against Philip Christie (19 Oct 78)
Small Potatoes (26 Oct 78)
A Distant Thunder (9 Nov 78)
Death Mask (16 Nov 78)
The Pagoda Factor (23 Nov 78)
A Long Time Ago (30 Nov 78)
Why Won’t Linda Die? (14 Dec 78)
The Miracle Man (21 Dec 78)
Number One with a Bullet Pt 1 (28 Dec 78)
Number One with a Bullet Pt 2 (4 Jan 79)
The Meighan Conspiracy (18 Jan 79)
The Spirit is Willie (25 Jan 79)
The Bark and the Bite (8 Feb 79)
Stringer (22 Feb 79)
The Execution File (1 Mar 79)
A Very Personal Matter (15 Mar 79)
The Skyline Killer (22 Mar 79)
The Year of the Horse (5 Apr 79)

In November 2003, the Hawaii International Film Festival chose to bestow its fourth annual Film in Hawaii Award upon James MacArthur and Hawaii Five-O. You can find more information about the awards ceremony here.

Broadcast Times
In the U.S.:
Hallmark Channel - Sporadic broadcasts on Sundays ::Schedule::
KDFI [Fox channel 27 in Dallas/Fort Worth] - Monday through Friday at 11:00 a.m. ::Schedule::
WRDQ [Fox channel 27 in Central Florida] - Monday through Friday at 3:00 p.m. ::Schedule::
KSTC [Channel 45 in Minneapolis/St. Paul] - Monday through Friday at 2:00 p.m. ::Schedule::
WCFN [Channel 49 in Champaign/Urbana, Illinois] - Monday through Friday at midnight ::Schedule::
In Canada:
Channel M - Monday through Friday at 1:05 a.m. ::Schedule::
In Great Britain:
Grenada Plus - Weekdays at 5:00 p.m. with an encore at 11:00 p.m.::Schedule::
In France:
RT9 - Monday through Saturday at 1:45 p.m.::Schedule::
In Australia:
TV1 - Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday ::Schedule::