The star of the show was Jack Lord, who played Steve McGarrett, the head of Five-O who worked directly for the governor, for the show's entire run. One of its most notable achievements was to add the catch-phrase "Book 'em, Danno!" to the language. The phrase was spoken by McGarret at the end of many episodes, as he ordered his second-in-command Danny Williams (played by James MacArthur for the first eleven years, after which he left the show) to arrest the villain or villains of the episode.
Later, the expression "Five-O" became slang for the police in American gang culture.
The theme song, played by The Ventures, is instantly recognizable as classic surf music. The show is still running in syndication.