The Rockford Files is an American television drama series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974, and January 10, 1980, and has remained in syndication to the present day. Garner portrays Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford with Noah Beery, Jr., in the supporting role of his father, a retired truck driver nicknamed "Rocky".
The series debuted with a made-for-TV movie simply titled The Rockford Files. During the series run, there were a number of two-part episodes, as well as long (90 or 120 minutes) episodes that were split into two parts for syndication (and on later DVD releases). Filming stopped in the middle of the sixth season (1979–80), on the advice of star James Garner's doctor. Garner, who had filmed many of his own stunts, had injured his back and knees and also developed an ulcer.
In the 1990s, after the settlement of several long-running legal actions between Garner's Cherokee Productions and Universal Studios, Rockford returned to the air in a series of eight TV movies on CBS.
"Backlash of the Hunter", starring James Garner (as Jim Rockford), Joe Santos (as Dennis Becker), and Stuart Margolin (as Evelyn "Angel" Martin) all debut in their series roles. Also featured is Robert Donley as Joseph "Rocky" Rockford, a role that would be recast in the subsequent series. Lindsay Wagner plays the role of Sara Butler.
| Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| "The Rockford Files" syndicated version retitled "Backlash of the Hunter" | Richard T. Heffron | Story by : Roy Huggins Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell | March 27, 1974 |
|
Main article: The Rockford Files (season 1) |
James Garner stars as Jim Rockford, and Noah Beery as his father Rocky. Joe Santos is a frequent recurring guest as Dennis Becker. Gretchen Corbett appears on a recurring basis as Beth. Stuart Margolin appears only twice as Evelyn "Angel" Martin, but his appearances will become more frequent as the series continues. Tom Atkins is seen on a recurring basis as Lt. Diehl.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Kirkoff Case" | Lou Antonio | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell | September 13, 1974 |
| 2 | 2 | "The Dark and Bloody Ground" | Michael Schultz | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Juanita Bartlett | September 20, 1974 |
| 3 | 3 | "The Countess" | Russ Mayberry | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell | September 27, 1974 |
| 4 | 4 | "Exit Prentiss Carr" | Alex Grasshoff | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Juanita Bartlett | October 4, 1974 |
| 5 | 5 | "Tall Woman in Red Wagon" | Jerry London | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell | October 11, 1974 |
| 6 | 6 | "This Case Is Closed" | Bernard L. Kowalski | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell | October 18, 1974 |
| 7 | 7 | ||||
| 8 | 8 | "The Big Ripoff" | Vincent McEveety | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Robert Hamner | October 25, 1974 |
| 9 | 9 | "Find Me If You Can" | Lawrence Doheny | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Juanita Bartlett | November 1, 1974 |
| 10 | 10 | "In Pursuit of Carol Thorne" | Charles S. Dubin | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell | November 8, 1974 |
| 11 | 11 | "The Dexter Crisis" | Alex Grasshoff | Gloryette Clark | November 15, 1974 |
| 12 | 12 | "Caledonia – It's Worth a Fortune" | Stuart Margolin (Angel Martin) | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Juanita Bartlett | December 6, 1974 |
| 13 | 13 | "Profit and Loss: Part 1" | Lawrence Doheny | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell | December 20, 1974 |
| 14 | 14 | "Profit and Loss: Part 2" | Lawrence Doheny | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell | December 27, 1974 |
| 15 | 15 | "Aura Lee, Farewell" | Jackie Cooper | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Edward J. Lakso | January 3, 1975 |
| 16 | 16 | "Sleight of Hand" | William Wiard | Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell and Jo Swerling Jr. Based on the novel "Thin Air" by : Howard Browne | January 17, 1975 |
| 17 | 17 | "Counter Gambit" | Jackie Cooper | Howard Berk and Juanita Bartlett | January 24, 1975 |
| 18 | 18 | "Claire" | William Wiard | Edward J. Lakso and Stephen J. Cannell | January 31, 1975 |
| 19 | 19 | "Say Goodbye to Jennifer" | Jackie Cooper | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Juanita Bartlett and Rudolph Borchert | February 7, 1975 |
| 20 | 20 | "Charlie Harris at Large" | Russ Mayberry | Story by : John Thomas James Teleplay by : Zekial Marko | February 14, 1975 |
| 21 | 21 | "The Four Pound Brick" | Lawrence Doheny | Story by : Leigh Brackett Teleplay by : Leigh Brackett and Juanita Bartlett | February 21, 1975 |
| 22 | 22 | "Just by Accident" | Jerry London | Charles Sailor & Eric Kaldor | February 28, 1975 |
| 23 | 23 | "Roundabout" | Lou Antonio | Story by : Mitchell Lindemann Teleplay by : Mitchell Lindemann and Edward J. Lakso | March 7, 1975 |
|
Main article: The Rockford Files (season 2) |
Garner, Beery and Santos are now all billed as stars. Corbett, Margolin and Atkins are frequently recurring guests.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 1 | "The Aaron Ironwood School of Success" | Lou Antonio | Stephen J. Cannell | September 12, 1975 |
| 25 | 2 | "The Farnsworth Stratagem" | Lawrence Doheny | Juanita Bartlett | September 19, 1975 |
| 26 | 3 | "Gearjammers: Part 1" | William Wiard | Story by : Stephen J. Cannell Teleplay by : Don Carlos Dunaway | September 26, 1975 |
| 27 | 4 | "Gearjammers: Part 2" | William Wiard | Story by : Stephen J. Cannell Teleplay by : Don Carlos Dunaway | October 3, 1975 |
| 28 | 5 | "The Deep Blue Sleep" | William Wiard | Story by : Chas. Floyd Johnson Teleplay by : Juanita Bartlett | October 10, 1975 |
| 29 | 6 | "The Great Blue Lake Land and Development Company" | Lawrence Doheny | Juanita Bartlett | October 17, 1975 |
| 30 | 7 | "The Real Easy Red Dog" | Ivan Dixon | Stephen J. Cannell | October 31, 1975 |
| 31 | 8 | "Resurrection in Black and White" | Russ Mayberry | Juanita Bartlett and Stephen J. Cannell | November 7, 1975 |
| 32 | 9 | "Chicken Little Is a Little Chicken" | Lawrence Doheny | Stephen J. Cannell | November 14, 1975 |
| 33 | 10 | "2 Into 5.56 Won't Go" | Jeannot Szwarc | Stephen J. Cannell | November 21, 1975 |
| 34 | 11 | "Pastoria Prime Pick" | Lawrence Doheny | Gordon Dawson | November 28, 1975 |
| 35 | 12 | "The Reincarnation of Angie" | Jerry London | Stephen J. Cannell | December 5, 1975 |
| 36 | 13 | "The Girl in the Bay City Boys Club" | James Garner | Juanita Bartlett | December 19, 1975 |
| 37 | 14 | "The Hammer of C Block" | Jerry London | Gordon Dawson | January 9, 1976 |
| 38 | 15 | "The No-Cut Contract" | Lou Antonio | Stephen J. Cannell | January 16, 1976 |
| 39 | 16 | "A Portrait of Elizabeth" | Meta Rosenberg | Stephen J. Cannell | January 23, 1976 |
| 40 | 17 | "Joey Blue Eyes" | Lawrence Doheny | Walter Dallenbach | January 30, 1976 |
| 41 | 18 | "In Hazard" | Jackie Cooper | Juanita Bartlett | February 6, 1976 |
| 42 | 19 | "The Italian Bird Fiasco" | Jackie Cooper | Edward J. Lakso | February 13, 1976 |
| 43 | 20 | "Where's Houston?" | Lawrence Doheny | Don Carlos Dunaway | February 20, 1976 |
| 44 | 21 | "Foul on the First Play" | Lou Antonio | Story by : Chas. Floyd Johnson and Dorothy J. Bailey Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell | March 12, 1976 |
| 45 | 22 | "A Bad Deal in the Valley" | Jerry London | Donald L. Gold & Lester Wm. Berke | March 19, 1976 |
|
Main article: The Rockford Files (season 3) |
Garner, Beery and Santos are the series stars. Corbett and Margolin are frequently recurring guests. James Luisi begins his recurring role as Lt. Chapman.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | 1 | "The Fourth Man" | William Wiard | Juanita Bartlett | September 24, 1976 |
| 47 | 2 | "The Oracle Wore a Cashmere Suit" | Russ Mayberry | David Chase | October 1, 1976 |
| 48 | 3 | "The Family Hour" | William Wiard | Gordon Dawson | October 8, 1976 |
| 49 | 4 | "Feeding Frenzy" | Russ Mayberry | Story by : Lester Wm. Berke & Donald L. Gold Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell | October 15, 1976 |
| 50 | 5 | "Drought at Indianhead River" | Lawrence Doheny | Stephen J. Cannell | November 5, 1976 |
| 51 | 6 | "Coulter City Wildcat" | Russ Mayberry | Don Carlos Dunaway | November 12, 1976 |
| 52 | 7 | "So Help Me God" | Jeannot Szwarc | Juanita Bartlett | November 19, 1976 |
| 53 | 8 | "Rattlers' Class of '63" | Meta Rosenberg | David Chase | November 26, 1976 |
| 54 | 9 | "Return to the Thirty-Eighth Parallel" | Bruce Kessler | Walter Dallenbach | December 10, 1976 |
| 55 | 10 | "Piece Work" | Lawrence Doheny | Juanita Bartlett | December 17, 1976 |
| 56 | 11 | "The Trouble with Warren" | Christian I. Nyby II | Juanita Bartlett | December 24, 1976 |
| 57 | 12 | "There's One in Every Port" | Meta Rosenberg | Stephen J. Cannell | January 7, 1977 |
| 58 | 13 | "Sticks and Stones May Break Your Bones, but Waterbury Will Bury You" | Jerry London | David Chase | January 14, 1977 |
| 59 | 14 | "The Trees, the Bees and T.T. Flowers: Part 1" | Jerry London | Gordon Dawson | January 21, 1977 |
| 60 | 15 | "The Trees, the Bees and T.T. Flowers: Part 2" | Jerry London | Gordon Dawson | January 28, 1977 |
| 61 | 16 | "The Becker Connection" | Reza Badiyi | Story by : Chas. Floyd Johnson and Ted Harris Teleplay by : Juanita Bartlett | February 11, 1977 |
| 62 | 17 | "Just Another Polish Wedding" | William Wiard | Stephen J. Cannell | February 18, 1977 |
| 63 | 18 | "New Life, Old Dragons" | Jeannot Szwarc | Story by : Bernard Rollins & Leroy Robinson Teleplay by : David C. Taylor | February 25, 1977 |
| 64 | 19 | "To Protect and Serve: Part 1" | William Wiard | David Chase | March 11, 1977 |
| 65 | 20 | "To Protect and Serve: Part 2" | William Wiard | David Chase | March 18, 1977 |
| 66 | 21 | "Crack Back" | Reza Badiyi | Juanita Bartlett | March 25, 1977 |
| 67 | 22 | "Dirty Money, Black Light" | Stuart Margolin | David C. Taylor | April 1, 1977 |
|
Main article: The Rockford Files (season 4) |
Garner, Beery and Santos are the series stars. Corbett, Luisi and Margolin are frequently recurring guests, though Corbett leaves the show halfway through the season. Atkins returns for one episode.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 68 | 1 | "Beamer's Last Case" | Stephen J. Cannell | Story by : Booker Bradshaw & Calvin Kelly Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell | September 16, 1977 |
| 69 | 2 | "Trouble in Chapter 17" | William Wiard | Juanita Bartlett | September 23, 1977 |
| 70 | 3 | "The Battle of Canoga Park" | Ivan Dixon | Juanita Bartlett | September 30, 1977 |
| 71 | 4 | "Second Chance" | Reza Badiyi | Gordon Dawson | October 14, 1977 |
| 72 | 5 | "The Dog and Pony Show" | Reza Badiyi | David Chase | October 21, 1977 |
| 73 | 6 | "Requiem for a Funny Box" | William Wiard | Story by : Burt Prelutsky Teleplay by : James Crocker | November 4, 1977 |
| 74 | 7 | "Quickie Nirvana" | Meta Rosenberg | David Chase | November 11, 1977 |
| 75 | 8 | "Irving the Explainer" | James Coburn | David Chase | November 18, 1977 |
| 76 | 9 | "The Mayor's Committee from Deer Lick Falls" | Ivan Dixon | William R. Stratton | November 25, 1977 |
| 77 | 10 | "Hotel of Fear" | Russ Mayberry | Juanita Bartlett | December 2, 1977 |
| 78 | 11 | "Forced Retirement" | Alexander Singer | William R. Stratton | December 9, 1977 |
| 79 | 12 | "The Queen of Peru" | Meta Rosenberg | David Chase | December 16, 1977 |
| 80 | 13 | "A Deadly Maze" | William Wiard | Juanita Bartlett | December 23, 1977 |
| 81 | 14 | "The Attractive Nuisance" | Dana Elcar | Stephen J. Cannell | January 6, 1978 |
| 82 | 15 | "The Gang at Don's Drive-In" | Harry Falk | James Crocker | January 13, 1978 |
| 83 | 16 | "The Paper Palace" | Richard Crenna | Juanita Bartlett | January 20, 1978 |
| 84 | 17 | "Dwarf in a Helium Hat" | Reza Badiyi | Stephen J. Cannell and David Chase | January 27, 1978 |
| 85 | 18 | "South by Southeast" | William Wiard | Juanita Bartlett | February 3, 1978 |
| 86 | 19 | "The Competitive Edge" | Harry Falk | Gordon Dawson | February 10, 1978 |
| 87 | 20 | "The Prisoner of Rosemont Hall" | Ivan Dixon | Story by : Chas. Floyd Johnson and Maryann Rea Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell and David Chase | February 17, 1978 |
| 88 | 21 | "The House on Willis Avenue" | Hy Averback | Stephen J. Cannell | February 24, 1978 |
| 89 | 22 | ||||
|
Main article: The Rockford Files (season 5) |
Garner, Beery and Santos star. Luisi and Margolin are frequently recurring guests. Bo Hopkins is a recurring guest as John Cooper for this season only.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 | 1 | "Heartaches of a Fool" | William Wiard | Stephen J. Cannell | September 22, 1978 |
| 91 | 2 | "Rosendahl and Gilda Stern Are Dead" | William Wiard | Juanita Bartlett | September 29, 1978 |
| 92 | 3 | "The Jersey Bounce" | William Wiard | Story by : Stephen J. Cannell, David Chase and Juanita Bartlett Teleplay by : David Chase | October 6, 1978 |
| 93 | 4 | "White on White and Nearly Perfect" | Stephen J. Cannell | Stephen J. Cannell | October 20, 1978 |
| 94 | 5 | "Kill the Messenger" | Ivan Dixon | Juanita Bartlett | October 27, 1978 |
| 95 | 6 | "A Good Clean Bust with Sequel Rights" | William Wiard | Rudolph Borchert | November 3, 1978 |
| 96 | 7 | "A Three-Day Affair with a Thirty-Day Escrow" | Ivan Dixon | David Chase | November 10, 1978 |
| 97 | 8 | "The Empty Frame" | Corey Allen | Stephen J. Cannell | November 17, 1978 |
| 98 | 9 | "Black Mirror" | Arnold Laven | David Chase | November 24, 1978 |
| 99 | 10 | ||||
| 100 | 11 | "A Fast Count" | Reza Badiyi | Gordon Dawson | December 1, 1978 |
| 101 | 12 | "Local Man Eaten by Newspaper" | Meta Rosenberg | Juanita Bartlett | December 8, 1978 |
| 102 | 13 | "If the French Heel is Back, Can the Nehru Jacket Be Far Behind?" | Ivan Dixon | Rudolph Borchert | January 5, 1979 |
| 103 | 14 | "The Battle-Ax and the Exploding Cigar" | Ivan Dixon | Story by : Mann Rubin and Michael Wagner Teleplay by : Rogers Turrentine | January 12, 1979 |
| 104 | 15 | "Guilt" | William Wiard | Juanita Bartlett | January 19, 1979 |
| 105 | 16 | "The Deuce" | Bernard McEveety | Gordon Dawson | January 26, 1979 |
| 106 | 17 | "The Man Who Saw the Alligators" | Corey Allen | David Chase | February 10, 1979 |
| 107 | 18 | "The Return of the Black Shadow" | William Wiard | Stephen J. Cannell | February 17, 1979 |
| 108 | 19 | "A Material Difference" | William Wiard | Rogers Turrentine | February 24, 1979 |
| 109 | 20 | "Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man's Job" | William Wiard | Juanita Bartlett | March 3, 1979 |
| 110 | 21 | ||||
| 111 | 22 | "A Different Drummer" | Reza Badiyi | Rudolph Borchert | April 13, 1979 |
|
Main article: The Rockford Files (season 6) |
Garner, Beery and Santos star. Luisi and Margolin are frequently recurring guests.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 112 | 1 | "Paradise Cove" | Stephen J. Cannell | Stephen J. Cannell | September 28, 1979 |
| 113 | 2 | "Lions, Tigers, Monkeys and Dogs" | William Wiard | Juanita Bartlett | October 12, 1979 |
| 114 | 3 | ||||
| 115 | 4 | "Only Rock 'n' Roll Will Never Die: Part 1" | William Wiard | David Chase | October 19, 1979 |
| 116 | 5 | "Only Rock 'n' Roll Will Never Die: Part 2" | William Wiard | David Chase | October 26, 1979 |
| 117 | 6 | "Love Is the Word" "Some Things You Can Tell Yourself" | John Patterson | David Chase | November 9, 1979 |
| 118 | 7 | "Nice Guys Finish Dead" | John Patterson | Stephen J. Cannell | November 16, 1979 |
| 119 | 8 | "The Hawaiian Headache" | William Wiard | Stephen J. Cannell | November 23, 1979 |
| 120 | 9 | "No Fault Affair" | Corey Allen | Juanita Bartlett | November 30, 1979 |
| 121 | 10 | "The Big Cheese" | Joseph Pevney | Shel Willens | December 7, 1979 |
| 122 | 11 | "Just a Coupla Guys" | Ivan Dixon | David Chase | December 14, 1979 |
| 123 | 12 | "Deadlock in Parma" | Winrich Kolbe | Story by : Donald L. Gold & Lester Wm. Berke Teleplay by : Donald L. Gold & Lester Wm. Berke and Rudolph Borchert | January 10, 1980 |
The following four episodes were scripted and slated for production during season six. However, when Garner was forced to leave the series due to medical issues, the series was shut down and these episodes were never filmed.
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "I Still Love L.A." | James Whitmore Jr. | Juanita Bartlett | November 27, 1994 | |
| In the midst of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Jim Rockford investigates a carjacking that led to murder. | |||||
| 2 | "A Blessing in Disguise" | Jeannot Szwarc | Stephen J. Cannell | May 14, 1995 | |
| Jim Rockford helps an actress whose movie is being boycotted by Angel's church. | |||||
| 3 | "If the Frame Fits" | Jeannot Szwarc | Juanita Bartlett | January 14, 1996 | |
| Jim Rockford works to clear his name in the murder of a P.I. with a bad reputation. | |||||
| 4 | "Godfather Knows Best" | Tony Wharmby | David Chase | February 18, 1996 | |
| Lt. Becker's drifter son - whose godfather happens to be Jim Rockford - gets mixed up in the murder of a fashion model. | |||||
| 5 | "Friends and Foul Play" | Stuart Margolin | Stephen J. Cannell | April 25, 1996 | |
| Jim Rockford investigates the murders of his friend Babs and her son by taking a criminal behavioral class. | |||||
| 6 | "Punishment and Crime" | David Chase | David Chase | September 18, 1996 | |
| Jim Rockford gets involved with Russian mobsters. | |||||
| 7 | "Murder and Misdemeanors" | Tony Wharmby | Juanita Bartlett | November 21, 1997 | |
| Jim Rockford struggles to deal with both a prostitute complaining about two Vice cops and his old cellmate's terminal illness. | |||||
| 8 | "If It Bleeds, It Leads" | Stuart Margolin | Story by : Stephen J. Cannell & Juanita Bartlett Teleplay by : Reuben Leder | April 20, 1999 | |
| Jim Rockford helps his old friend Rita Capkovic when her husband is suspected of being the "Westside Rapist". | |||||