After 6 seasons, I’m now on the final two episodes of this landmark series. And while the first episode is a bit of a let-down in terms of a story for Rockford (James Garner), you can definitely see a blueprint for a show that helped define 21st century television (though it started in 1999)….
Tag: david chase
The Rockford Files (1979) – Only Rock’n’Roll Will Never Die: Part 2 and Love is the Word
Private investigator James Rockford (James Garner) continues his investigations this week, with the follow-up part to Only Rock’n’Roll Will Never Die. Airing on 19 October, 1979, and written by David Chase, the story continues with Jim’s search for the missing record producer. The phone message was from a nice little old lady who’s moving,…
The Rockford Files (1979) – Lions, Tigers, Monkeys and Dogs: Part 2 and Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Will Never Die: Part 1
Jim Rockford (James Garner) is in it deep this week as the two-parters continue. Lions, Tigers, Monkeys and Dogs: Part 2 originally aired on October 12, 1979 in conjunction with part 1, both of which were written by Juanita Bartlett. The phone message this time around is from a lady friend who can’t make…
The Rockford Files (1979) – The Man Who Saw The Alligators and The Return of the Black Shadow
Private investigator Jim Rockford (James Garner) finds himself in all manner of trouble this week. First up is The Man Who Saw the Alligators, written by David Chase, and originally airing as an extended episode on 10 February, 1979, you can catch glimpses of Chase’s Sopranos in this episode, as a gangster on parole,…
The Rockford Files (1978) – Black Mirror
This two-parter aired 24 November, 1978 and was written by David Chase. As it was later split into two episodes, there are two separate phone gags. The first is a friend calling from London trying to figure out what his arrival time is, with time changes and flight times. The second one is the…
The Rockford Files (1978) – Three Day Affair with a Thirty Day Escrow and The Empty Frame
A subject that is getting a lot of talk of late makes an appearance in the first episode under review this week… Three Day Affair with a Thirty Day Escrow was written by David Chase and aired 10 November, 1978. Jim (James Garner) finds himself immersed in a real estate swindle with romantic overtones,…
The Rockford Files (1978) – The Jersey Bounce and White On White And Nearly Perfect
Jim’s (James Garner) fifth season finds him in more and more trouble. First up is The Jersey Bounce, which aired 6 October, 1978 which was put together by Cannell, Juanita Bartlett and David Chase. The phone gag features a fun call from Angel (Stuart Margolin). It seems Rocky (Noah Beery Jr.) is having trouble…
The Rockford Files (1978) – The Competitive Edge and The Prisoner of Rosemont Hall
Rockford (James Garner) finds himself in a mental institution in the first episode of this week’s review. The Competitive Edge originally aired 10 February, 1978 and was written by Gordon T. Dawson. The phone gag this time around featured a call from Becker (Joe Santos) who knows Jim is deliberately not answering the phone because…
The Rockford Files (1978) – Dwarf in a Helium Hat and South by Southesast
Mistaken identities seem to be the key to both episodes this week, as Jim Rockford (James Garner) gets wrapped up in a couple more cases. First up is Dwarf in a Helium Hat, which aired 27 January, 1978. It was written by Cannell and David Chase. There’s a missed opportunity with the phone gag…
The Rockford Files (1977) – Forced Retirement & The Queen of Peru
This week’s investigations starts with Forced Retirement. This episode was written by William R. Stratton and aired 9 December, 1977. The phone message this time is an automated call asking if he’s interested in having something sold by computer calls. Beth (Gretchen Corbett) asks for Jim’s help on a case, after someone breaks into…
The Rockford Files (1977) – Quickie Nirvana & Irving the Explainer
Jim Rockford (James Garner) finds himself in all manner of trouble in this week’s episodes. First up is Quickie Nirvana, which aired 11 November, 1977 and was written by David Chase. The phone gag this time around featured someone calling, complaining about having left a message a few times, and wondering if Jim still…
The Rockford Files (1977) – The Dog and Pony Show & Requiem for a Funny Box
There’s a lot of fun to be had in this week’s double episode of The Rockford Files. First up, there is The Dog and Pony Show, which aired 21 October, 1977 and was written by David Chase. The phone gag features a call from a friend collecting on a bet, and letting Jim (James…
