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Fans of "Hawaii Five-0" can exhale now: CBS announced today that it will hold a red-carpet Sunset on the Beach premiere of the crime drama one day before the start of the third season.
CBS will hold the free advance screening Sept. 23 on Waikiki Beach. The exact time hasn’t been set for the start of the red-carpet arrivals.
Peter Lenkov, the show’s executive producer, promised the season three premiere will be "a jaw-dropping, nail-biting, edge-of-your seat ride."
All of the show’s regular stars — Alex O’Loughlin, Scott Caan, Grace Park and Daniel Dae Kim — attended the previous beach screenings and are expected to attend this event. Lenkov is expected as well.
Red-carpet galas are not the norm in television, but there’s no better way to thank the show’s appreciative fans "for the love and support we receive on a daily basis," Lenkov said in an email.
"It’s hard to articulate, but this show is like no other I have ever been involved with," he said. "It feels as if each and every person on the island has a hand in the making of it. If they’re not working on it … they’re rooting for it to succeed."
The network announced the event at 4:30 a.m. today via Twitter. This is the third year CBS will premiere the season on the beach for fans. But unlike previous seasons, CBS remained silent this summer on the prospect of a public screening, frustrating out-of-state fans who wanted to plan trips to Hawaii to see the premiere and gawk at the stars.
Last year’s event drew 10,000 people, including many who camped out all day to get a spot near the red carpet. The arrival of the show’s stars triggered a frenzy among the camera-toting, tweeting and screaming fans.
Lenkov said they are the show’s ohana and that their support is vital.
"I can tell you it does not go unappreciated," he said. "It reminds us of why we are working so hard."
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STAR-ADVERTISER / 2010