Garner as Rockford
The DVD set of the sixth and final season of the 1970s detective series “The Rockford Files,” which was released several weeks ago, was a great deal of fun and is memorable as being the only program that both my father and I enjoyed.
“Rockford” is about the adventures of hard-boiled and soft-hearted ex-con detective Jim Rockford whose cases also get him involved in much more danger than anticipated. Imagining anyone other than rugged James Garner in the role of Rockford is difficult.
The season gets off to a fun start by having Mariette Hartley, who is well-known for a series of commercials for Polaroid cameras with Garner, guest-starring as the “innocent” of the week who gets involved in the danger and enjoys a short-lived attraction with Garner. This is followed by an episode in which screen legend Lauren Bacall surprisingly fills this role. It seems that she was much too big of a star to do the show.
The show is notable as well for being a production of Stephen J. Cannell, who brought us numerous other similar series that include “21 Jump Street” and “The Greatest American Hero” “Rockford” and these shows offered great somewhat politically incorrect mindless entertainment. Cannell also produced the “A Team,” which is one of the few shows that I have never watched and never will.
The character of Rockford is to be admired because he was always very honest and had great integrity. He was additionally human in that he tried to get out of the case when things became too dangerous but never left anyone hanging. He was also very good to his father.
An episode of the sitcom “Designing Women” recognized Rockford’s good traits by having the senile character Bernice not realizing that Rockford was fictional and wanting to hire him. He is also near the top of my list of TV detectives who I would want to help me out of a jam.
Please feel free to add any comments as additions to this entry or as e-mails to tvdvdguy@gmail.com. Those of you with my telephone number are welcome as well to leave a message on my answering machine ala the opening credits of “Rockford.
Comments
Loved James Garner as Rockford. I liked the reluctant hero aspect adn the scenes with Rockford and his father were always enjoyable.
Let's hope the post-series TV MOVIES come out sometimes soon.
For the matter, the remainder of the COLUMBO tv-movies of the 1990's-200's still haven't been released yet.
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