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''The Rockford Files'' was an American Detective ( Private Investigator ) Television Drama that had its first run on the NBC television network between 1974 and 1980 and has been in constant Syndication to the present day. The show is notable for the quality of its writing (often by creator Stephen J. Cannell ), an agile Pontiac Firebird and for 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. The show was created by Roy Huggins and Stephen J. Cannell. Huggins had produced the TV show ''Maverick'' with Garner from 1957 to 1960 , and wanted to try and recapture that magic in a "modern day" detective setting. He teamed with Cannell to create ''Rockford''. The show was credited as A Public Arts Roy Huggins Production in association with Cherokee Productions and Universal Studios (later Universal/NBC). The tone of the show varied from sharp humor (often provided by , California beaches. In addition to ‘Angel’ Martin, he is often aided in the show by his father, ‘Rocky’ ( Noah Beery, Jr. ), a friendly police Detective, Dennis Becker ( Joe Santos ), and his attorney Elizabeth Davenport ( Gretchen Corbett ). Garner’s brother, Jack Garner, made 23 small guest appearances including, as a policeman, a gas station attendant, and a stranger in a bathroom. The writing on the show was generated 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 ''); David Chase (16 episodes; '' Northern Exposure '' and '' The Sopranos ''); and Roy Huggins (as John Thomas James), among others. Director s included William Wiard (23 episodes), Lawrence Doheny (10 episodes), and Ivan Dixon (9 episodes). The successful show ended when Garner was told by his doctors to take time off because of his knees and back, and an ulcer. The style influenced the creation of many other detective shows, including '' Magnum, P.I. '', Richie Brockelman, Private Eye , 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. ''Rockford''’s producers would later tap Selleck for '' Magnum P.I. .'' Several ''Rockford Files'' episodes featured Jim Rockford interacting with members of organized crime (including a New Jersey Mafia family), also apparently influential on Chase's later work on '' The Sopranos .'' Eight ''Rockford Files'' TV Movies were made from 1994 to 1997 , reuniting cast members from the original show. NOTABLE CAST
EPISODE LIST List Of Rockford Files Episodes and TV movies. TRIVIA
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