Hawaii Five-O Actors You May Not Know Passed Away Hawaii Five-O Actors You May Not Know Passed Away CBS By Emily Gilbert/May 4, 2021 3:58 pm EDT Blue waters, sunny skies, and white sands made an attractive setting for one of America's most popular police procedurals of the 1970s, "Hawaii Five-O." The state had only been a part of the U.S. for nine years when the show first aired in 1968, so the seemingly exotic locale no doubt played a part in the show's appeal. But it was the hard-hitting crime stories and memorable characters that kept the series going for 12 seasons — not to mention a super-catchy theme song.