NBC Re-Opens The Rockford Files Hollywood's so weird. They keep rebooting things, even though they usually don't turn out well. The latest in the trend is The Rockford Files, which House creator David Shore will be rebooting for NBC. Shore is cool, and The Rockford Files was cool, but I really doubt this will be the next Battlestar. It might be a procedural, the second most durable genre on television (next to cheap cheap fun fun reality), but you just know too many chefs in the NBC executives' office kitchen are just going to ruin it and its awesome theme song, I don't care if Ben Silverman is gone. Call it a hunch. That I would bet my life savings on.

But, no matter how quickly the reboot is canceled, it won't take away from how great the original Rockford Files was. I was unemployed for about a month a few years ago, and while I should have spent that free time out enjoying the city, doing things you never get to do during the day when you're cooped up in an office, I ended up hooked on TV Land's Rockford Files re-runs, all day, pretty much every day. That's how I chose to spend a month in Manhattan with a completely open calendar. It's genuinely that captivating. Plus, Isaac Hayes was on it sometimes! See:

17 Comments

July 30, 2009 2:23 PM
Susan
Reply

If James Garner isn't in it; don't bother. He was Rockford. They should just take the basic premise and rename it. No false hope.

August 2, 2009 1:19 PM
robert
Reply

I agree use the concept but call it something else. Rockford has always been one of my favorite series. The reboot record is pretty bad so I dont want the name associated with a miserable failure, ie Knight Rider.

August 3, 2009 5:42 AM
Michael
Reply

I love watching TV serials shows more than movie. Here are some of my favorite TV serials shows: Below you will find a list of Popular American Serials : The 4400 (2004-2007), 24 (2001-present), Alias (2001-2006), Angel (1999-2004), Babylon 5 (1994-1998), Battlestar Galactica (2004-present) and many more. I love watching these serials at my dish satellite channels BTW, thanks for sharing such a nice note.

August 6, 2009 12:52 PM
molliev
Reply

The original Rockford was excellent ~ I can't imagine this new version working at all! Here are more shows that were canceled before their time: http://www.ranker.com/list/tv-shows-cancelled-before-their-time/tyvick

August 6, 2009 2:03 PM
CMB
Reply

What, the writers have a strike that all but shuts down Hollywood and now they have their jobs back, they can't come up with an original idea for a TV show? Rockford was a classic - it can't be redone. That'd be like remaking "Gone With The Wind" with Lindsey Lohan in the Scarlett O'Hara role. No wonder we mostly watch stuff on DVD!

August 14, 2009 3:26 PM
Vermonter17032
Reply

I don't know whether to over-joyed at this news are terrified. Rockford/Garner was one of the great characters ever to appear on TV. A few years ago, I thought a great idea for a show would be to have James Garner play a retired Jim Rockford who lends advice to his novice PI nephew, played perhaps by Bruce Campbell. Now Garner and Campbell are probably both too old.

August 24, 2009 10:05 AM
starbucksjunkie
Reply

I wish they wouldn't remake it. But if they do, I have two words.

Ron Livingston.

September 2, 2009 7:45 AM
pink
Reply

They are STUPID if they think they can do a remake of one of the best shows on T.V! They should just put reruns of Burn Notice on instead!

September 4, 2009 8:33 AM
Jay
Reply

no young person today is going to watch a show named Rockford. It sounds like an old last name. Furthermore, its prob gonna be DOA. The advantage of an old show being rebooted is that the studio rehashes the original on dvd.

October 1, 2009 1:08 PM
Judy
Reply

I love the Rockford series. It will be hard to replace Rocky, Angel, and Jim. But I guess I could love other people in a different way.

October 11, 2009 11:52 PM
Astilith
Reply

I bookmarked this link. Thank you for good job!,

November 1, 2009 11:19 AM
David
Reply

In most cases you can not recreate. Rockford is a prime example. James Garner IS Rockford. Do NOT tinker.

February 5, 2010 9:54 AM
Diego
Reply

Does anyone remember which episode a thug charactor said "I took her so bad she didn't know where she was for two days"?

July 15, 2010 11:17 PM
Hughes Morty
Reply

Nobody do it best except James Garner, Rockford himself. They should change the title into something new and still have this popular American show aura in it. Rockford is just way too classic!.

July 19, 2010 6:44 PM
Ben in Virginia
Reply

This proves to me as much as the Hawaii Five-0 reboot that network T.V. is dead.... There is no originality in Hollyweird and when something interesting does come up, they promptly kill it off if it doesn't create what the execs feel is suitable buzz... I read now or do other things with my former viewing time. The only exceptions I am seeing to this are on the USA Cable network or on one of the other cable only channels. There are one or two other exceptions on the majors but for the most part it is all garbage that is not worth the time expended that I will never get back...

July 19, 2010 6:45 PM
Ben in Virginia
Reply

This proves to me as much as the Hawaii Five-0 reboot that network T.V. is dead.... There is no originality in Hollyweird and when something interesting does come up, they promptly kill it off if it doesn't create what the execs feel is suitable buzz... I read now or do other things with my former viewing time. The only exceptions I am seeing to this are on the USA Cable network or on one of the other cable only channels. There are one or two other exceptions on the majors but for the most part it is all garbage that is not worth the time expended that I will never get back...

August 3, 2011 5:51 AM
Emerson Goold
Reply

That's amazing

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