# The Rockford Files (1974)

> A cranky, likable ex-con private investigator takes on the cases others will not touch in 1970s Los Angeles.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/899

## Facts

- Seasons: 6
- Episodes: 122
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama, mystery
- Created by: Stephen J. Cannell, Roy Huggins
- Network: NBC
- Cast: James Garner, Noah Beery Jr., Joe Santos, Stuart Margolin, James Luisi, Glenn Corbett, Michael Alldredge, Rick Springfield
- TMDB rating: 8.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071042/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: wry, breezy, sardonic, melancholic

## What critics say

Viewers broadly regard The Rockford Files as a sharply written, character-driven private eye series whose laconic lead and wry humor make it one of the most enjoyable crime shows of its era.

## Synopsis

The Rockford Files (1974-1980) is a US network private detective series created by Stephen J. Cannell and Roy Huggins for NBC. James Garner plays Jim Rockford, a wry, cranky but likable Los Angeles private investigator who was once sent to prison for a crime he did not commit. Rockford takes on the cases others do not want, and he is aided by his tough old father Joseph Rockford, played by Noah Beery Jr., and by his lawyer girlfriend and a set of shady associates from his past, including the scheming Angel Martin played by Stuart Margolin. Across six seasons of mostly self-contained episodes, the engine of the show is a broke investigator stretching a few dollars, dodging corrupt cops and dangerous clients, and getting roughed up more often than he would like. Each hour moves through a case of the week built on clever deceptions and sharp dialogue. The tone is breezy and wry, with sly humor sitting alongside a streak of melancholy about a man who has been wronged by the system. Fans of Magnum, P.I. and Columbo will find resonance in its easygoing charm, its Los Angeles setting, and its affection for the underdog who solves problems with improvisation rather than force. Its seventies texture makes it a comfortable, character-driven rewatch.

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- [Hunter (1984)](https://ember.film/tv/4350)
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