The Rockford Files The Rockford Files 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 show was created by Roy Huggins and Stephen J. Cannell. Huggins created the television show "Maverick" (1957–1962), which starred Garner, and he wanted to recapture that magic in a "modern day" detective setting. He teamed with
The Rockford Files Cannell, who had written for Jack Webb productions such as "Adam-12" and "Chase" (1973–1974, NBC), to create "The Rockford Files". The show was credited as "A Public Arts/Roy Huggins Production" along with Cherokee Productions in association with Universal Television. Cherokee was owned by Garner, with partners Meta Rosenberg and Juanita Bartlett, who doubled as story editor during most of "The Rockford Files" run. In 2002, "The Rockford Files" was ranked No. 39 on "TV Guide"s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. Producers Roy Huggins and Stephen J. Cannell devised the Rockford character as a rather significant departure from typical