The Great Escape (book) a live drama adaptation as an episode of "The Philco Television Playhouse", starring E.G. Marshall, Everett Sloane, Horace Braham, and Kurt Katch. The live broadcast was praised for engineering an ingenious set design for the live broadcast, including creating the illusion of underground tunnels. In 1963, the Mirisch brothers worked with United Artists to adapt the book to produce the film "The Great Escape" starring Steve McQueen, James Garner and Richard Attenborough. The film itself was also an inspiration for the film "Chicken Run". In 1986, Ocean Software released the first "Great Escape" video game for the Commodore 64, ZX
The Rockford Files OKG stood for "Oklahoma Garner" but that he does not know the origin of the numbers 853. Starting with the 1974 model year, Rockford would get a new model-year Pontiac Firebird each year throughout the series. The Firebirds used had an identical "copper mist" color with the Esprit's exterior and interior. Although the Firebirds were badged as Esprits, they were actually the higher performance "Formula" model without the twin scoop hood. Garner needed Rockford's car to look like the lower tiered "Esprit" model, a car Rockford could afford, but have the performance necessary for the chase sequences in the show.