"The Rockford Files" (1974) TV series 1974-1980

User Rating:

8.5/10   

Creators:

Stephen J. Cannell
Roy Huggins

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

13 September 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

The cases of an easy going private investigator.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Detective | Answering Machine | Sting Operation | Malibu

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Golden Globes. Another 6 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

James Garner	...	Jim Rockford (122 episodes, 1974-1980)
Noah Beery Jr.	...	Joseph 'Rocky' Rockford #2 / ... (121 episodes, 1974-1980)
Joe Santos	...	Police Det. Dennis Becker / ... (109 episodes, 1974-1980)

Also Known As:

"Jim Rockford, Private Investigator" (USA) (syndication title)

Runtime:

60 min (123 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Cherokee Productions

Trivia:

Many first season stories were credited to "John Thomas James": that was a pen name for Roy Huggins. The name comes from the first names of Huggins' three sons.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Throughout the series, the Los Angeles Police Department responds to calls at Rockford's trailer in Malibu although it is not part of their jurisdiction. The Los Angeles County Sheriff would be the proper agency.

Quotes:

Jim Rockford: What's wrong?
Joseph 'Rocky' Rockford: I am THROUGH talking to you! Look at you, an inch or two to the right and you'd be missing that eye!
Jim Rockford: Yeah, but look at it this way, an inch or two to the left and he'd have missed me completely.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Charlie's Angels' (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Rockford Files

The theme song is even played at hockey games....

I remember my father watching "The Rockford Files" when it first came on the air, I was too young to remember it then, but was able to catch it on re-runs on A&E a few years back, and it is currently shown on two channels here in Canada. James Garner is the easy-going, laid back Jim Rockford. He has a big heart, yet always seems to come out on the short end of the stick. Garner does an excellent job as Rockford, and while I haven't seen much of his other work, he seems to play the same character. Some great supporting actors as well. Noah Beery as the worried father Rocky, Joe Santos as his put-upon cop buddy Dennis. One of my all-time favorite characters has to be Angel Martin, played perfectly by Stewart Margolin, the con "buddy" of Jim's. Very clever opening to each show, with the answering machine message. Obviously dated by the styles and settings, but still an excellent series that stands up well today. I'd give the series as a whole a solid 5 out of 5 stars.