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Thirty Years of The Rockford Files: An Inside Look at America’s Greatest Detective Series
by Ed Robertson 

Do you remember the good-looking TV detective who might take your case if the money was good and the danger was low? Actor James Garner made the unique detective, Jim Rockford, a fan favorite for over 30 years.

The award-winning The Rockford Files ran from 1974-1980 and returned in television movies in 1994. Are you a fan of the sarcastic but loveable Rockford? Author Ed Robertson’s Thirty Years of The Rockford Files reveals interviews, anecdotes, episodes, and updates in a jam-packed 495 pages.

Robertson interviews actors, writers, guest stars, and production crews to find the magic behind the Rockford stories. The Rockford character was based on Garner’s previous television character, Maverick - a gambler who shied away from physical fights. In late seventies television, detectives had been tough and gritty - the hero who won every fight. Continue reading »

Barney Rosenzweig, Executive Producer of the award-winning TV show Cagney & Lacey, and author of Cagney & Lacey and Me (release date May 2007) chronicles MGMs handling of the 25th anniversary release of the C&L DVDs.  Here’s his story. (Posted with authorization from Barney Rosenzweig) 

It never stops on Cagney & Lacey. We have always been a distaff David to “their” Goliath. Used to be Goliath was CBS and then it just came down to one very tough diminutive “giant” by the name of Leslie Moonves, the latest CBS topper. Now our fictional dynamic duo is in the hands of a wannabe major company…the little studio that could not…MGM.

They are the guys who sort of accidentally acquired the rights to Cagney & Lacey when they bought the film library for all those movies controlled by the bankrupt Orion and then, when told by me of this potential gold mine in the television vault, decided they might just try to capitalize on all those boxes on their warehouse shelf as well.

It’s a complicated business. I offered to take over the project, to relieve them, if you will, of this burden…even came up with an investor or two that would pay some pretty hefty bucks for all this. No deal. They were the wannabes and they were going to make this happen and would show me, in the process, that they were no Orion.

They got into business with SONY…a terrific company…and one headed by a good friend to Cagney & Lacey, Sir Howard Stringer. The word went out to all the SONY folk on the West Coast to meet with Barney Rosenzweig and to get a great 25th anniversary celebration of Cagney & Lacey put together. We were in the process of doing that. SONY Home Video, SONY Home Entertainment and SONY TV all were working synergistically to make something happen. There would, of course, be my book to augment all of this. Continue reading »

Are you a Rockford Files or James Garner fan? Then pick up THE definitive guide to the ever-popular Rockford Files. Thank you to author Ed Robertson for allowing us to reprint this excerpt from Thirty Years of the Rockford Files.

He looked like Steve McGarrett. He dressed like Joe Mannix. But he acted like no other private detective prime time television had ever seen. When he threw a punch, Jim Rockford (James Garner) was more likely to hurt his own hand than his opponent.He rarely carried a gun (he didn’t have a permit), and on those occasions when he did, he was more likely to point the weapon than fire it.

Rockford hated trouble, wouldn’t hesitate to quit in the middle of a case if things got too rough, and had no qualms about telling you why (“You’re damned right I’m afraid!”). But he did like money: he charged $200 a day, plus expenses, so he’d hang in there no matter what if he could smell a fat check down the road. “I won’t kill for money, and I won’t marry for it,” he once said. “Other than that, I’m open to just about anything.”

Most private eyes—at least, the ones we see portrayed in movies and on television— have a lieutenant friend on the police force with whom they trade information in the course of a given case. Continue reading »