NationMaster - Encyclopedia: The Rockford Files

'''The Rockford Files''' is an American detective (private investigator) television drama that had its first run on the NBC television network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980 and has been in constant syndication to the present day. The show is notable for the quality of its writing (mainly fromStephen J. Cannell, Juanita Bartlett, and David Chase), an agile Pontiac Firebird and the easy charm and charisma of James Garner, who starred as Jim Rockford. The series' memorable theme by composer Mike Post became a surprise hit, receiving Top 40 radio airplay. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Television drama series is a genre that deals with generally non-epic situations in a serious, dramatic manner. ... Look up mystery in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Roy Huggins (July 18, 1914 â€“ April 3, 2002) was a novelist and an influential writer and producer of humorous, character-driven US television series. ... Stephen Joseph Cannell, known professionally as Stephen J. Cannell (born February 5, 1941), (IPA pronunciation: ), rhymes with channel, is an Emmy award winning American television producer, writer, novelist and occasional actor from the United States. ... James Garner (born April 7, 1928) is an American film and television actor. ... Noah Beery (August 10, 1913 â€“ November 1, 1994) was an American actor. ... Joe Santos (born June 9, 1931 in Brooklyn, New York, USA) is an American actor who has starred in film and in television. ... Gretchen Corbett is an American actress most noted for the role of Beth Davenport on the television series The Rockford Files from 1974 to 1978. ... Stuart Margolin (Born January 31, 1940 in Davenport, Iowa) is an American film and televison actor. ... Mike Post (born Leland Michael Postil on September 29, 1944) is a Grammy and Emmy award-winning composer of music and theme songs for many of the most popular TV dramas first shown in the United States. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Rockford Files aired on NBC in the 1970s starting with a TV movie originally titled simply The Rockford Files. ... Stephen Joseph Cannell, known professionally as Stephen J. Cannell (born February 5, 1941), (IPA pronunciation: ), rhymes with channel, is an Emmy award winning American television producer, writer, novelist and occasional actor from the United States. ... NBC (a former acronym for National Broadcasting Company) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... The year 1974 in television involved some significant events. ... January 10 is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a list of television-related events in 1980. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A private investigator, private detective, PI, or private eye, is a person who undertakes investigations, usually for a private citizen or some other entity not involved with a government or police organization. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... NBC (a former acronym for National Broadcasting Company) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... January 10 is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ... Stephen Joseph Cannell, known professionally as Stephen J. Cannell (born February 5, 1941), (IPA pronunciation: ), rhymes with channel, is an Emmy award winning American television producer, writer, novelist and occasional actor from the United States. ... Juanita Bartlett is a television writer best known for The Rockford Files and The New Maverick, both starring James Garner. ... David Chase (born David DeCesareâ€”although some sources list his birth name as David Del Cesareâ€”August 22, 1945) is an American television writer, director and producer. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... James Garner (born April 7, 1928) is an American film and television actor. ... February 1975TV Guide cover featuring James Garner as Jim Rockford of The Rockford Files Jim Rockford is a fictional character on the television series The Rockford Files. ... Mike Post (born Leland Michael Postil on September 29, 1944) is a Grammy and Emmy award-winning composer of music and theme songs for many of the most popular TV dramas first shown in the United States. ... Top 40 is a radio format based on frequent repetition of songs from a constantly-updated list of the forty best-selling singles. ...

The show was created by Roy Huggins and Stephen J. Cannell. Huggins had produced the TV show Maverick, which had also starred Garner, from 1957 to 1962, and wanted to try and recapture that magic in a "modern day" detective setting. He teamed with Cannell, who had written for Jack Webb productions such as Adam-12 and Chase (1973–74, NBC), to create Rockford. The show was credited as "A Public Arts/Roy Huggins Production in association with Cherokee Productions and Universal Studios" (later NBC Universal). Cherokee was the name of Garner's own company, which he ran with partner Juanita Bartlett, who doubled as story editor during most of Rockford’s run. Roy Huggins (July 18, 1914 â€“ April 3, 2002) was a novelist and an influential writer and producer of humorous, character-driven US television series. ... Stephen Joseph Cannell, known professionally as Stephen J. Cannell (born February 5, 1941), (IPA pronunciation: ), rhymes with channel, is an Emmy award winning American television producer, writer, novelist and occasional actor from the United States. ... Maverick is a comedy-western television series created by Roy Huggins that ran from September 22, 1957 to July 8, 1962 on ABC and featured James Garner, Roger Moore, and Jack Kelly as poker-playing travelling gamblers. ... The year 1957 in television involved some significant events. ... See also: 1961 in television, other events of 1962, 1963 in television and the list of years in television. For the American network television schedule, please see 1962-63 American network television schedule. ... John Randolph Jack Webb (April 2, 1920 â€“ December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, director, and writer who is most famous for his role as Sergeant Joe Friday in the radio and television series Dragnet. ... Adam-12 was a television program which ran from 1968 until 1975 on police officers, of the Rampart Division , veteran Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) and rookie Jim Reed (Kent McCord), and their sergeant, played by William Boyett. ... Universal Studios (sometimes called Universal Pictures or Universal City Studios), a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is one of the major American film studios that has production studios and offices located at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California, an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County between Los Angeles... NBC Universal is a media and entertainment conglomerate formed in May 2004 by the combination of General Electrics NBC with Vivendi Universal Entertainment, part of Vivendi Universal. ... Juanita Bartlett is a television writer best known for The Rockford Files and The New Maverick, both starring James Garner. ...

Premise

The character Cannell devised was a rather significant departure from typical television detectives at that time. James ("Jim," "Jimmy," or "Jimbo") Scott Rockford (played by veteran movie/television actor James Garner) served time in California's San Quentin prison (presumably in the 1960s) due to a wrongful conviction; after five years, he received a pardon. His infrequent jobs as a private investigator barely allowed him to maintain his dilapidated mobile home (which doubled as his office) in a parking lot on the beaches of Malibu, California. His often-uncollected rate was "$200 a day, plus expenses", which many of his mid-1970s era clients considered steep. James Garner (born April 7, 1928) is an American film and television actor. ... Categories: Buildings and structures stubs | US geography stubs | Prisons in California ... A private investigator, private detective, PI, or private eye, is a person who undertakes investigations, usually for a private citizen or some other entity not involved with a government or police organization. ... Location of MAlibu in Los Angeles County, California Coordinates: , Country United States of America State California County Los Angeles Incorporated (city) 1991-03-28 [2] Government - Mayor Ken Kearsley [1] Area - City 100. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ...

In early episodes in the show's first season, the trailer was located in a crowded parking lot across the highway from the ocean; for the rest of the series, the trailer was located adjacent to the Malibu pier, and a restaurant, the Sand Castle. In the series of TV movies from 1994-99, Rockford was still living in a trailer, but it had been extensively enlarged and remodeled, and could no longer be described as 'dilapidated'.

Unlike the almost uniformly macho and trigger-happy gumshoes on other shows of that day (and before), Rockford would just as soon duck a fight as swing his fists, and he rarely carried a gun (for which he did not have a permit; he kept it in a cookie jar in his kitchen). As Rockford preferred talking his way out of trouble over violence, he typically worked on cold cases, family arguments, runaways, and low-budget insurance scams. In the pilot (and in Rockford's Yellow Pages ad), it was stressed that he "specialized in closed cases," so as to avoid conflict (and trouble) with the police. This point was mostly ignored in the later seasons, to allow Rockford to become involved in more dramatic cases like murder, kidnapping, and extortion. Look up Macho in Wiktionary, the free dictionary This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ...

Other characters

Rockford's pursuit of these cases would often lead to difficulties with his friend in the LAPD, Sgt. Dennis Becker (played by character actor Joe Santos), a homicide detective struggling to advance in the department under a series of overbearing lieutenants. The two most notable were: "Alex/Thomas Diehl" (Tom Atkins) during the first two seasons and "Doug Chapman" (James Luisi) during the rest of the show's run. Those higher-ups invariably hated Rockford (and private investigators generally) because of their perception that either he meddled in open cases or was trying to make the LAPD look incompetent in its handling of closed ones. Further, Rockford often called Becker asking for favors such as running license plates through the state computer system, sometimes irritating the already overworked cop. Eventually, by the fifth season, Becker was promoted to lieutenant; it was stated in the storyline that Becker's association with Rockford, considered by LAPD brass to be a shifty ex-con, had probably hampered Becker's chances for promotion. "Lt. Chapman" also intensely disliked the fact that Becker had become his "equal". Becker was in a lot of episodes during the run and the chemistry of both Garner & Santos was like having a cop getting into trouble. Image File history File links Rockfordfilespic. ... Image File history File links Rockfordfilespic. ... James Garner (born April 7, 1928) is an American film and television actor. ... February 1975TV Guide cover featuring James Garner as Jim Rockford of The Rockford Files Jim Rockford is a fictional character on the television series The Rockford Files. ... Joe Santos (born June 9, 1931 in Brooklyn, New York, USA) is an American actor who has starred in film and in television. ... The Los Angeles Police Department (usually known as the LAPD) is the police department of the City of Los Angeles, California. ... Joe Santos (born June 9, 1931 in Brooklyn, New York, USA) is an American actor who has starred in film and in television. ... Tom Atkins as Dr. Dan Challis in the last scene of Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982). ... James Luisi (November 11, 1928 - June 7, 2002) was an American television actor. ...

Unlike many 1960s and 70s TV private eyes, who typically lived in penthouse apartments or ritzy houses, Rockford resided in a decidedly humbler abode: a trailer house in Malibu on the Pacific Coast Highway, not far from the small bungalow home of his father, Joseph "Rocky" Rockford (played by veteran actor Noah Beery Jr., nephew of screen legend Wallace Beery). Rocky (Jim usually called his dad by his nickname) was an ex-Seabee, semi-retired semi-truck driver who often nagged his son to get more stable employment, often urging him to follow in his footsteps as a truck driver (especially in early seasons). The relationship of this father and son was an integral part of the show. Rocky was in almost every episode and was usually involved (whether he liked it or not) in his son's cases. Occasionally, he even hired Jim himself. Helpfully, there was also a physical resemblance between Garner and Beery. California State Route 1, more generally known as Highway 1, or in Southern California as the Pacific Coast Highway or P.C.H., runs along the Pacific coast for most of the length of the US state of California. ... Noah Beery (August 10, 1913 â€“ November 1, 1994) was an American actor. ... Wallace Beery (April 1, 1885 â€“ April 15, 1949) was an American actor, best known for his many cinema appearances. ... The Seabee logo The Seabees are the Construction Battalions of the United States Navy. ...

Rockford's scheming former San Quentin cellmate, Evelyn "Angel" Martin (something of a comic relief character portrayed by character actor Stuart Margolin), would almost always get Rockford in trouble, usually by involving him in harebrained scams, which as often as not would result in either his arrest or being placed on somebody's hit list. In spite of this however, Jim considered Angel as one of his best, if most exasperating, pals. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character or scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. ... Stuart Margolin (Born January 31, 1940 in Davenport, Iowa) is an American film and televison actor. ...

Rockford had a close relationship with his beautiful attorney, the idealistic, tenacious Beth Davenport (Gretchen Corbett). During the show, never made explicit, it was understood the two had been romantically involved at one time. At other times in the series, the two shared an "open relationship," dating others and openly discussing their respective romances with each other. After Corbett was dropped from the show prior to the final season (allegedly due to contract disputes), a new romantic interest for Rockford was introduced in the character of Megan Dougherty (Kathryn Harrold), a blind, yet very independent and gorgeous psychiatrist. Rockford also had romantic flings with numerous other women on the show, but none appeared to last for any significant period. Almost every episode had a "leading lady". Gretchen Corbett is an American actress most noted for the role of Beth Davenport on the television series The Rockford Files from 1974 to 1978. ... Kathryn Harrold (born August 2, 1950 in Tazewell, Virginia is an American television and movie actress who has appeared in a number of TV series, including The Rockford Files, MacGruder and Loud, The Bronx Zoo, Ill Fly Away, and The Larry Sanders Show. She has also appeared in several... Leading lady is an informal term for the actress who plays a secondary lead or supporting role, usually a love interest, to the leading actor in a film or play. ...

Garner’s brother, Jack Garner, made 23 guest appearances playing (at various times) a policeman, a gas station attendant, and a stranger in a bathroom. The most regular character Jack played was that of police "Captain McEnroe" in a number of appearances.

Famous answering machine introduction

The show's title sequence began with someone leaving a message on Rockford's answering machine, a device which was still something of a novelty in 1974, and which Rockford was leasing, at apparently significant cost (as mentioned in several episodes). This example of a title sequence, from long-running serial drama Another World, was seen from 1966 to 1981, making it one of the longest-running continuous title sequences on television. ... ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

A different message was heard in each episode. These frequently had to do with creditors to whom Rockford owed money, or deadbeat clients who owed money to him. They were usually unrelated to the rest of the plot. As the series went on, this gimmick became a burden for the show's writers, who had to come up with a different joke every week. Suggestions from staffers and crew were often used.

Aftermath

The still-successful show went into hiatus late in 1979 when Garner was told by his doctors to take time off because of his bad knees and back, as well as an ulcer. He sustained the former conditions largely because of his insistence on performing most of his own stunts, especially those involving fist fights or car chases. Because of his excruciating physical pain, Garner eventually opted not to continue with the show a number of months later, and NBC cancelled the program in mid-season. Also, Rockford became extremely expensive to produce, mainly due to the extensive location filming and frequent use of high-end actors as guest stars. According to some sources, NBC and Universal claimed the show was generating a deficit of several million dollars, a staggering amount for a nighttime show in those days.

Universal began syndicating the show (initially under the name Jim Rockford, Private Investigator due to standard practices at that time for a show still running on a network) in 1979 and, probably attempting to recoup its financial losses through royalties, aggressively marketed it to local stations well into the early and middle 1980s; this almost certainly accounts for its near-ubiquity on afternoon and late-night schedules in those days. From those showings, Rockford developed a cult following among younger generations of fans, with the momentum continuing throughout the 1990s and 2000s on cable. The show was last seen nationwide in 2006 on Superstation WGN, when the station cancelled it in favor of Matlock. In 2007 the show is currently appearing on the cable channel WWME (Me TV Channel 23) out of Chicago. ION Television also has rights to the show and has it slated for future broadcast. In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... The 2000s are the current decade, spanning from 2000 to 2009. ... Superstation WGN is a Chicago-based American Superstation, owned by Tribune Broadcasting Company. ... Matlock is the county town of Derbyshire, England, United Kingdom. ... ION Television is a broadcast and cable television network first broadcast on August 31, 1998 under the name PAX TV (early on in its development, it was called PaxNet). ...

Later in the 1980s, after he attempted to fulfill his Rockford contract with a 1981 Maverick revival titled Bret Maverick, Garner became engaged in a legal dispute with Universal that lasted over a decade, causing (and reflecting) significant ill will on both sides. Because of this conflict, the Rockford character would not re-emerge until 1994. Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Bret Maverick was a 1981 television series featuring James Garner in the role that made him famous in the 1957 series Maverick. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ...

Rockford’s style was said to have influenced the creation of many other detective shows, including Magnum, P.I. and Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (also created by Cannell). It is of note that Tom Selleck made two guest appearances on the show as a rival private investigator, Lance White (insufferably smooth, rich, lucky and naive, in contrast to Rockford's rumpled, financially-struggling and street-smart persona). Rockford’s producers would later tap Selleck in the next TV season after the Rockford cancellation for Universal's Magnum P.I., where he played a character similar in many ways to Rockford, although with wholesome, patriotic undertones in the context and plots. Magnum, P.I. was an American television show that followed the adventures of Thomas Magnum (played by Tom Selleck), a private investigator living in Hawaii. ... Tenspeed and Brown Shoe is an American television series originally broadcast by the ABC network between January and June 1980. ... Thomas William Selleck (born January 29, 1945 in Detroit, Michigan) is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning American actor, screenwriter and film producer, best known for his starring role on the long-running television show Magnum P.I.. // Born in Detroit to Slovak-Rusyn[1] father Robert Selleck and... Magnum, P.I. was an American television show that followed the adventures of Thomas Magnum (played by Tom Selleck), a private investigator living in Hawaii. ...

Credits

The writing on the show was penned by co-creator and TV icon Cannell (36 episodes); one of the show’s producers and Garner’s partner at Cherokee Productions, Juanita Bartlett (34 episodes; also Scarecrow and Mrs. King and In the Heat of the Night); David Chase (16 episodes; Northern Exposure and The Sopranos); and Roy Huggins (as John Thomas James), among others. Directors included William Wiard (23 episodes), Lawrence Doheny (10 episodes), and Ivan Dixon (previously a star on Hogan's Heroes) (9 episodes). Veteran actor James Coburn also directed an episode. Coburn had co-starred with Garner in the classic movie, The Great Escape (1963). Juanita Bartlett is a television writer best known for The Rockford Files and The New Maverick, both starring James Garner. ... Scarecrow and Mrs. ... In the Heat of the Night is a television series based on the motion picture, In the Heat of the Night that ran from 1988 to 1995. ... David Chase (born David DeCesareâ€”although some sources list his birth name as David Del Cesareâ€”August 22, 1945) is an American television writer, director and producer. ... Northern Exposure was a quirky, surreal, character-driven American dramatic comedy television series. ... The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase and originally broadcast on the HBO network. ... Roy Huggins (July 18, 1914 â€“ April 3, 2002) was a novelist and an influential writer and producer of humorous, character-driven US television series. ... A television director is usually responsible for directing the actors and other taped aspects of a television production. ... Ivan Dixon, (born April 6, 1931 in New York City) is an American actor and director. ... Hogans Heroes was an American television situation comedy that ran from September 17, 1965 to July 4, 1971 on the CBS network for 168 episodes. ... James Coburn in Sam Peckinpahs Cross of Iron (1977). ... The Great Escape, written by James Clavell, W.R. Burnett, and Walter Newman (uncredited), and directed by John Sturges is a popular 1963 World War II film, based on a true story about Allied prisoners of war with a record for escaping from German prisoner-of-war camps. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Among those appearing in Rockford episodes were: Lindsay Wagner, James Woods, Dionne Warwick, Ed Harris, Robert Loggia, Suzanne Somers, Stefanie Powers, Larry Hagman, Bill Mumy, Sharon Gless, Rick Springfield, Joe E. Tata, Isaac Hayes, Rita Moreno, Rene Auberjonois, James Cromwell, Linda Evans, Mariette Hartley, Roger E. Mosley, Blair Brown, Strother Martin, Michael Lerner, Ned Beatty, Paul Michael Glaser, Linda Dano, David Spielberg, Veronica Hamel, among many others. Rob Reiner, at the time a major sitcom star on All in the Family, appeared along with former NFL linebacker (and later sitcom star) Dick Butkus in a Rockford episode. Veteran Hollywood stars Joseph Cotten and Lauren Bacall also appeared on the show. Future Press Your Luck host Peter Tomarken guest starred on an episode as a commercial director. Future Knots Landing stars John Pleshette, Joan Van Ark and Ted Shackelford also made some cameo appearances as well. A very notable guest star in two episodes was Garner's former co-star from Maverick — Jack Kelly, as well as Beery's real-life son, Bucklind Beery. Lindsay Wagner (born Lindsay Jean Ball on June 22, 1949 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actress. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Marie Dionne Warrick (born December 12, 1940 in East Orange, New Jersey), known professionally as Dionne Warwick, is an African-American singer best known for her work with Hal David and Burt Bacharach as songwriters and producers. ... Edward Allen Ed Harris (born November 28, 1950) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor, best known for his performances in The Right Stuff, Apollo 13 and Pollock, among many others. ... Robert Loggia (b. ... Somers, from the opening credits of Threes Company (early seasons). ... Stefanie Powers with Robert Wagner Stefanie Powers (born Stefania Zofia Federkiewicz[1] on November 2, 1942) is an American stage and film actress and singer. ... Larry Hagman (born on September 21, 1931) is a popular American actor who is famous for playing J.R. Ewing in the 1980s television soap opera Dallas and Major Anthony Nelson on the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie. ... Charles William Mumy, Jr. ... Sharon Gless (born May 31, 1943 in Los Angeles, California, USA) is an actress. ... Rick Springfield (born Richard Lewis Springthorpe on August 23, 1949 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) is a songwriter, musician and actor. ... Joe E. Tata (born September 13, 1936) is an American television actor. ... For the American arctic explorer, see Isaac Israel Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes (born August 20, 1942, in Covington, Tennessee) is an American soul and funk singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger, and actor. ... Rita Moreno on the 1962 album cover for Academy Award Winner Rita Moreno Sings Rita Moreno (born December 11, 1931 in Humacao, Puerto Rico) is an Academy Award-winning actress and the first and only Puerto Rican actress in history (as well as one of only nine people) to have... René Murat Auberjonois (born June 1, 1940 in New York, New York) is an American actor best known for his early 1980s role as Clayton Endicott III on the television show Benson and his role as Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. ... James Oliver Cromwell (born January 27, 1940), sometimes credited as Jamie Cromwell, is an Academy Award-nominated American television and film actor. ... Linda Evans (born Linda Evanstad on November 18, 1942, in Hartford, Connecticut) is an American actress known primarily for her roles on television. ... Marietta Hartley Marietta Hartley (born June 21, 1940 in Weston, Connecticut) is an American actress, best known for her work in television. ... Roger Earl Mosley (born December 18, 1938 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor best known for his role as the helicopter pilot Theodore T.C. Calvin on the long running television series Magnum, P.I. which starred Tom Selleck as the title character. ... Blair Brown (born 23 April 1946 in Washington, District of Columbia) is an acclaimed stage actress who has also reached a broader audience with her television and film work, particularly, in the 1980s. ... Strother Martin, (March 26, 1919 â€“ August 1, 1980) was an American character actor in numerous films and television programs. ... Michael Lerner is the name of several notable people from the Americans: Michael Lerner, rabbi and left-wing political activist Michael Lerner, actor Michael Lerner, retailer with Lerner Stores This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Ned Thomas Beatty (born July 6, 1937) is an Academy Award-nominated American character actor. ... Paul Michael Glaser (born March 25, 1943) is an American actor. ... Linda Dano as Felicia Gallant Linda Dano (born Linda Rae Wildermuth on May 12, 1943) is a well-known American soap opera actor. ... Veronica Hamel (born November 20, 1943, in Philadelphia) is an American actress. ... Rob Reiner at the 1988 Emmy Awards Robert Rob Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American actor, director, producer, and writer. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Dick Buttkiss (born December 9, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former American football player and actor. ... Joseph Cotten, circa 1956. ... This biographical article needs additional references for verification. ... Press Your Luck was an American television game show during the 1980s where contestants collected spins by answering trivia questions, and then used the spins on an 18-space gameboard full of cash and prizes. ... Peter David Tomarken (December 7, 1942 â€“ March 13, 2006) was an American television personality known primarily as host of Press Your Luck. ... Knots Landing was a primetime television soap opera that aired for 14 seasons, from December 27th, 1979 to May 13th, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show initially centered around the lives of four married couples residing in a cul-de... John Pleshette is an American actor, best known for being part of the original cast of the long-running prime-time television drama Knots Landing playing Richard Avery. ... Joan Van Ark (born June 16, 1943 in New York, New York, sometime credited as Joan Van Arc) is an actress who is best known for playing Larry Hagmans troubling sister-in-law and Michele Lees neighbor and best friend, Valene (Val) Clements Ewing Gibson Waleska Ewing on... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Since its first use in 1851, a cameo role or cameo appearance has been a brief appearance in a play (or later, a movie) that stands out against the general context for its éclat or dramatic punch. ... Maverick is a comedy-western television series created by Roy Huggins that ran from September 22, 1957 to July 8, 1962 on ABC and featured James Garner, Roger Moore, and Jack Kelly as poker-playing travelling gamblers. ... Jack Kelly (September 16, 1927â€”November 7, 1992 in Astoria, Queens, New York) was an American film and television actor most noted for the role of Bart Maverick in the TV series Maverick, which ran on ABC from 1957 to 1962. ...

Two Rockford Files episodes, "The Jersey Bounce" (1978) and "Just A Coupla Guys" (1979), written by Chase, featured Jim Rockford interacting with members of organized crime (including a New Jersey Mafia family), which may have foreshadowed Chase's later work on The Sopranos.^{[citation needed]} Actor Gregory Antonacci, who appeared on The Sopranos in the 2006-07 seasons as Phil Leotardo's sideman Butch DeConcini, appeared in the two episodes as the young wannabe Mafia hood Eugene Conligilaro. The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase and originally broadcast on the HBO network. ... The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase and originally broadcast on the HBO network. ...

Notable cast

Also Starring: James Garner (born April 7, 1928) is an American film and television actor. ... February 1975TV Guide cover featuring James Garner as Jim Rockford of The Rockford Files Jim Rockford is a fictional character on the television series The Rockford Files. ...

Recurring Stars: Noah Beery (August 10, 1913 â€“ November 1, 1994) was an American actor specializing in warm, friendly character parts similar to the ones played by his legendary uncle Wallace Beery, although Noah Beery, Jr. ... Joe Santos (born June 9, 1931 in Brooklyn, New York, USA) is an American actor who has starred in film and in television. ...

Stuart Margolin (Born January 31, 1940 in Davenport, Iowa) is an American film and televison actor. ... Gretchen Corbett is an American actress most noted for the role of Beth Davenport on the television series The Rockford Files from 1974 to 1978. ... James Luisi (November 11, 1928 - June 7, 2002) was an American television actor. ... Thearon Tom Atkins of Cincinnati, Ohio, was a television news anchorman and politician of the Republican party. ... Bo Hopkins is an American actor, with several film appearances to his name, including The Bridge at Remagen, The Wild Bunch, The Getaway, American Graffiti and Midnight Express. ...

Episodes

The series pilot aired on NBC March 27, 1974 as a 90-minute made-for-television movie. In the pilot, Robert Donley played Rockford's father; Lindsay Wagner also starred and later made a return appearance. The pilot was titled Backlash of the Hunter for syndication. The Rockford Files aired on NBC in the 1970s starting with a TV movie originally titled simply The Rockford Files. ... March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (87th in leap years). ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... A television movie (also known as a TV film, TV movie, TV-movie, feature-length drama, made-for-TV movie, movie of the week (MOTW or MOW), single drama, telemovie, telefilm, or two-hour-long drama) is a film that is produced for and originally distributed by a television network. ... Lindsay Wagner (born Lindsay Jean Ball on June 22, 1949 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actress. ...

Four filmed and completed episodes were destroyed in a fire in 1980. These presumably would have been Season 6 episodes. They may have been re-filmed and then still broadcast for Season 6 as intended, but that has not been confirmed by Universal or other sources.

Eight Rockford Files TV movies were made from 1994 to 1999, reuniting most of the cast from the original show. Beery died on November 1, 1994, so the first of these movies, which aired later that month, stated, "This picture is dedicated to the memory of Noah Beery, Jr. We love you and miss you, Pidge." "Pidge" was Beery's nickname. A television movie (also TV movie, TV-movie, made-for-TV movie, etc. ... The year 1994 in television involved some significant events. ... The year 1999 in television involved some significant events. ... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ...

Spinoffs

The character of Richie Brockelman, played by Dennis Dugan, who first appeared in a 1976 series pilot produced by Cannell, appeared in the 1978 Rockford episode, "The House on Willis Avenue." The limited-run series, Richie Brockelman, Private Eye appeared as a summer-replacement series, thus becoming the only Rockford spinoff to be aired, but was cancelled after five episodes. The character of Richie Brockelman returned to Rockford in the 1979 episode, "Never Send A Boy King To Do A Man's Job." Dennis Dugan (born September 5, 1946 in Wheaton, Illinois) is an American actor and film director. ...

Universal apparently made plans to spin the characters of Gandolph "Gandy" Fitch and Marcus "Gabby" Hayes, played by Isaac Hayes and Lou Gossett, Jr. respectively, off onto their own series, which would have been titled Gabby & Gandy, but that never came to fruition. For the American arctic explorer, see Isaac Israel Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes (born August 20, 1942, in Covington, Tennessee) is an American soul and funk singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger, and actor. ... Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. ...

DVD releases

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has released the first 4 Seasons of The Rockford Files on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time. It is unknown if the remaining 3 seasons will be released at some point. Universal Studios Home Entertainment (formerly Universal Studios Home Video or MCA/Universal Home Video) is a home video company founded in 1979. ...

Image File history File links Image-Rockford_Files_Season_1. ... December 6 is the 340th day of the year (341st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 241st day of the year (242nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (565x865, 71 KB) cover of The Rockford Files season 2 This image is of a DVD cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the DVD or the studio which produced the DVD in... June 13 is the 164th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (165th in leap years), with 201 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Image File history File links Rockford_Files_Season_3. ... is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 127th day of the year (128th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Image File history File links TheRockfordFilesDVD4. ... is the 135th day of the year (136th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Trivia

Raymond Chandler Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 â€“ March 26, 1959) was an author of crime stories and novels. ... Ed Bishop had the title role in BBC Radios The Adventures of Philip Marlowe. ... Marlowe is a 1969 film about Raymond Chandlers fictional detective Philip Marlowe starring James Garner as Marlowe and featuring Bruce Lee (In his only villain role) as a thug who smashes Marlowes office into pieces with karate chops and then fall off a building after confronting later on. ... Stirling Dale Silliphant (16 January 1918 - 26 April 1996) was a prolific American screenwriter and producer. ... The Long Goodbye (ISBN 0394757688) is a 1954 novel by Raymond Chandler, centered on his famous detective Philip Marlowe. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Ben Folds Five (1994â€“2000) was a trio formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina who were a mainstay of piano rock until their breakup in 2000. ... Alternate cover Cover for remastered version (2005) Whatever and Ever Amen is the second album by Ben Folds Five, released in 1997. ... TV Guide is the name of two North American weekly magazines about television programming, one in the United States and one in Canada. ... A typical Windows 3. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English football club, based at Prenton Park, Prenton, Birkenhead, Merseyside. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Sandra Bullock was original slated to play Gary Buseys role as the main villian, but due to her contract she was unable to. ... For the Australian radio station, see ABC NewsRadio NewsRadio was an American sitcom, originally broadcast from 1995 to 1999 by NBC. The series is set in a New York City news radio station, WNYX, and starts with the arrival of a new news director, Dave Nelson (played by Dave Foley). ... A J-Turn is a driving manoeuvre which is basically a backwards U-turn. ...

External links

Categories: Articles lacking sources from May 2007 | All articles lacking sources | Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with trivia sections from June 2007 | 1974 television program debuts | 1970s American television series | 1980s American television series | NBC network shows | Crime television series | Television series by NBC Universal Television | TV shows by Stephen J. Cannell | Television shows set in Los Angeles The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline for Web content. ...

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