The Rockford Files

1948-present

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ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)
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Re: The Rockford Files

#166 Post by ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan) »

Little Garwood wrote: Tue Jul 27, 2021 11:23 pm Your post reminds me once again that TV, like music and sense of smell, brings back the past with a stunning clarity.

Even as a kid in the late ‘70s-early ‘80s, TRF was among the few shows that left a huge positive impression. The look and feel of 1970s Los Angeles with its dark bars and restaurants and wildly varying architecture…Rockford was the world I knew, as the Vietnam/Watergate were just a few years prior but by 1976 seemed like an eternity ago. I was more aware of what are now referred to as the “Malaise” years, which were the early years of my early childhood.

I didn’t reconnect with Rockford and a lot of other fondly-remembered 1970s and (early) ‘80s shows until 2004, some twenty years after I had watched them with any regularity. When I caught up with Jimbo, the first episode I saw after that too-long sabbatical was “The Return of the Black Shadow” (season 5). As you know, Jim is barely even in that episode, as it’s primarily a Coop acooper episode! I would have to wait until the next day to get a “proper” Rockford story! Whenever I reconnect with a series I haven’t seen in many years, the first episode I run into is either the last episode I saw or I get a Two Birds of a Feather kind of episode, with virtually no screen time for the series lead.
Tell me about it! I remember distinctly that in the fall of 1999 on my first day of college (which happened to be an afternoon class) I watched "The Dark and Bloody Ground" that morning for the very first time (which remains one of my favorites to this day!) and then that was followed by 2 FIVE-O episodes - "Frozen Assets" and "My Friend, the Enemy" (both from season 10 and both of which I had already seen a few years earlier). I also recall that either the day before or the day after I had seen the BONANZA episode "Second Chance" which I really liked! Why should I remember this stuff? I don't know. I just do. :roll:

Or that in the summer of 1997 immediately after the last day of school (I had just finished 10th grade) the next morning the 2 FIVE-O episodes I saw were "To Die in Paradise" and "Blood Money is Hard to Wash" from season 9. And then I kept watching the remainder of seasons 9, 10, 11, and 12 before they went back to the pilot episode "Cocoon" but then for some reason skipped season 1 and went directly into season 2 and then season 3... and then it was back to school time for me. :D My sister used to think and now my wife thinks I'm weird for remembering things like this. :lol: But it's like you said - it's all about a time and place. Something about those times felt special to me. Because I can't remember what I saw last week or the week before.

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Luther's nephew Dobie
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Re: The Rockford Files

#167 Post by Luther's nephew Dobie »

Pahonu wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 3:00 am I gotcha now. No worries, and that’s still an impressive list of characters in the same fictional universe. I enjoy I Love Lucy but my wife is the big fan. I’ve gleaned much from her books on the subject.
Can I ask what you thought of the Rockford TV movies in the 90’s?
Hi Pahonu,
I haven't seen the Rockford movies since then. I recall I thought them solid entertainment, which is a come down from the high standards for the series.
I was such a fan at the time I was just happy to see the crew back together, so I am not sure I trust my judgement of them from that time.
I learned so much more about all facets of TV production since that I would like to see them again, to see if my opinion has changed.
I really don't have any memory of any of the movies, though. Are they included if you buy the Rockford Files on DVD?

As regards your wife's love for I Love Lucy, that reminds me of the guy who does my sister's hair. He has rooms dedicated to Lucy, his wife thought she was getting
more space when their kids went to college but he turned the rooms into Lucy shrines. Does your spouse have similar plans, that would be cool, I can imagine her
having a card board cut out of Fred Mertz. Wallpaper with bottles of Vita-meata-vegamin on it that glow at night.
I have a autographed cast photo from Lucy's last TV series, "Life With Lucy" (1986). It was so bad only 8 episodes were shown, I knew it was a bomb after the first one
so I wrote in to Gale Gordon for a photo, figuring it wouldn't last and anything connected to it would be a rarity. Gale sent not just his but a cast pic.
Truly great straight men were more prized than great comics, that's why with comedy teams the straight man's name came first(Abbott & Costello, Martin & Lewis)
and he got more money. Gale was just about the best ever.
Joe Santos as Sgt. Dennis Becker was an outstanding straight man, I always enjoyed his "slow burns".
Last edited by Luther's nephew Dobie on Thu Aug 05, 2021 1:00 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Pahonu
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Re: The Rockford Files

#168 Post by Pahonu »

Luther's nephew Dobie wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 12:49 am
Pahonu wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 3:00 am I gotcha now. No worries, and that’s still an impressive list of characters in the same fictional universe. I enjoy I Love Lucy but my wife is the big fan. I’ve gleaned much from her books on the subject.
Can I ask what you thought of the Rockford TV movies in the 90’s?
Hi Pahonu,
I haven't seen the Rockford movies since then. I recall I thought them solid entertainment, which is a come down from the high standards for the series.
I was such a fan at the time I was just happy to see the crew back together, so I am not sure I trust my judgement of them from that time.
I learned so much more about all facets of TV production since that I would like to see them again, to see if my opinion has changed.
I really don't have any memory of any of the movies, though. Are they included if you buy the Rockford Files on DVD?

As regards your wife's love for I Love Lucy, that reminds me of the guy who does my sister's hair. He has rooms dedicated to Lucy, his wife thought she was getting
more space when their kids went to college but he turned the rooms into Lucy shrines. Does your spouse have similar plans, that would be cool, I can imagine her
having a card board cut out of Fred Mertz. Wallpaper with bottles of Vita-meata-vegamin on it that glow at night.
I have a autographed cast photo from Lucy's last TV series, "Life With Lucy" (1986). It was so bad only 8 episodes were shown, I knew it was a bomb after the first one
so I wrote in to Gale Gordon for a photo, figuring it wouldn't last and anything connected to it would be a rarity. Gale sent not just his but a cast pic.
Truly great straight men were more prized than great comics, that's why with comedy teams the straight man's name came first(Abbott & Costello) and he got more
money. Gale was just about the best ever.
Joe Santos as Sgt. Dennis Becker was an outstanding straight man, I always enjoyed his "slow burns".
The Rockford movies are a separate purchase, actually two if I recall correctly. Each set has four of them. I remember watching the first one live with such anticipation and being disappointed quite a bit. Later movies were better and a couple were actually quite good until the final one, which was the weakest. Even though they aren’t up to the standard of the series, it was great seeing Garner and Joe Santos again, and later Beth. They were worth the purchase.

That’s a great story about Gale Gordon. He was fantastic. My wife has lots of little Lucy things but most are in her classroom. She has dressed as her for Halloween more than once and has several books. She really just loves watching the show. She’ll stop and watch if she’s changing channels and she has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the episodes dialogue and guest stars.

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Re: The Rockford Files

#169 Post by Luther's nephew Dobie »

Pahonu wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 1:45 am
Luther's nephew Dobie wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 12:49 am
Pahonu wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 3:00 am I gotcha now. No worries, and that’s still an impressive list of characters in the same fictional universe. I enjoy I Love Lucy but my wife is the big fan. I’ve gleaned much from her books on the subject.
Can I ask what you thought of the Rockford TV movies in the 90’s?
Hi Pahonu,
I haven't seen the Rockford movies since then. I recall I thought them solid entertainment, which is a come down from the high standards for the series.
I was such a fan at the time I was just happy to see the crew back together, so I am not sure I trust my judgement of them from that time.
I learned so much more about all facets of TV production since that I would like to see them again, to see if my opinion has changed.
I really don't have any memory of any of the movies, though. Are they included if you buy the Rockford Files on DVD?

As regards your wife's love for I Love Lucy, that reminds me of the guy who does my sister's hair. He has rooms dedicated to Lucy, his wife thought she was getting
more space when their kids went to college but he turned the rooms into Lucy shrines. Does your spouse have similar plans, that would be cool, I can imagine her
having a card board cut out of Fred Mertz. Wallpaper with bottles of Vita-meata-vegamin on it that glow at night.
I have a autographed cast photo from Lucy's last TV series, "Life With Lucy" (1986). It was so bad only 8 episodes were shown, I knew it was a bomb after the first one
so I wrote in to Gale Gordon for a photo, figuring it wouldn't last and anything connected to it would be a rarity. Gale sent not just his but a cast pic.
Truly great straight men were more prized than great comics, that's why with comedy teams the straight man's name came first(Abbott & Costello) and he got more
money. Gale was just about the best ever.
Joe Santos as Sgt. Dennis Becker was an outstanding straight man, I always enjoyed his "slow burns".
The Rockford movies are a separate purchase, actually two if I recall correctly. Each set has four of them. I remember watching the first one live with such anticipation and being disappointed quite a bit. Later movies were better and a couple were actually quite good until the final one, which was the weakest. Even though they aren’t up to the standard of the series, it was great seeing Garner and Joe Santos again, and later Beth. They were worth the purchase.
That’s a great story about Gale Gordon. He was fantastic. My wife has lots of little Lucy things but most are in her classroom. She has dressed as her for Halloween more than once and has several books. She really just loves watching the show. She’ll stop and watch if she’s changing channels and she has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the episodes dialogue and guest stars.
Pahonu,
Thank you for the heads up regarding the movies. I forgot Beth was in them. Your better half has a lot of company with her Lucy enthusiasm, I happened to be in NYC and saw the Halloween Parade.
There was a contingent of maybe 60 marchers dressed as red haired Lucy Ricardos, they did a dance to a song whose refrain was "wahhh, Ricky". It was hilarious.

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Re: The Rockford Files

#170 Post by Little Garwood »

My season 6 Rockford Files ratings:

Paradise Cove 8/10
Lions, Tigers, Monkeys and Dogs 8/10
Only Rock ‘n Roll Will Never Die 10/10
Love is the Word 7/10
Nice Guys Finish Dead 10/10

The Hawaiian Headache 7/10
No Fault Affair 10/10
The Big Cheese 8/10
Just a Coupla Guys 3/10
Deadlock in Parma 9/10
"Popularity is the pocket change of history."

~Tom Selleck

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Re: The Rockford Files

#171 Post by ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan) »

Little Garwood wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 2:02 pm My season 6 Rockford Files ratings:

Paradise Cove 8/10
Lions, Tigers, Monkeys and Dogs 8/10
Only Rock ‘n Roll Will Never Die 10/10
Love is the Word 7/10
Nice Guys Finish Dead 10/10

The Hawaiian Headache 7/10
No Fault Affair 10/10
The Big Cheese 8/10
Just a Coupla Guys 3/10
Deadlock in Parma 9/10
Were there really only 10 episodes? I forgot about the Hawaiian Headache. I suppose I need to check that one out because of Hawaii. I'm a location, location, location kind of guy when it comes to Hawaii. :) Love spotting sights I recognize.

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Re: The Rockford Files

#172 Post by ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan) »

OK, it's time to clear the air here and post the definitive best episode from each season.

HM means "honorable mention".

Here goes. This is the real deal. No school boy tricks. :|

S1: Sleight of Hand / HM: The Dark and Bloody Ground
S2: Gearjammers / HM: The Great Blue Lake and Development Company
S3: The Trees, the Bees, and T.T. Flowers (my personal favorite) / HM: Crack Back, The Family Hour
S4: The Mayor's Committee from Deer Lick Falls / HM: Beamer's Last Case
S5: Black Mirror / HM: White on White and Nearly Perfect, The Deuce
S6: Nice Guys Finish Dead / HM: Deadlock in Parma (the rest of the season is for the dogs, and the lions and monkeys and tigers :lol: )

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Re: The Rockford Files

#173 Post by Pahonu »

IvanTheTerrible wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 6:29 pm OK, it's time to clear the air here and post the definitive best episode from each season.

HM means "honorable mention".

Here goes. This is the real deal. No school boy tricks. :|

S1: Sleight of Hand / HM: The Dark and Bloody Ground
S2: Gearjammers / HM: The Great Blue Lake and Development Company
S3: The Trees, the Bees, and T.T. Flowers (my personal favorite) / HM: Crack Back, The Family Hour
S4: The Mayor's Committee from Deer Lick Falls / HM: Beamer's Last Case
S5: Black Mirror / HM: White on White and Nearly Perfect, The Deuce
S6: Nice Guys Finish Dead / HM: Deadlock in Parma (the rest of the season is for the dogs, and the lions and monkeys and tigers :lol: )
The definitive real deal… wow! I’ll give you this:
Everybody is entitled to a wrong opinion! :lol: :lol: :lol:

It’s like tastes. Everyone prefers their own taste in things, but can everyone have good taste…? :shock:

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Re: The Rockford Files

#174 Post by ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan) »

Pahonu wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 8:34 pm
IvanTheTerrible wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 6:29 pm OK, it's time to clear the air here and post the definitive best episode from each season.

HM means "honorable mention".

Here goes. This is the real deal. No school boy tricks. :|

S1: Sleight of Hand / HM: The Dark and Bloody Ground
S2: Gearjammers / HM: The Great Blue Lake and Development Company
S3: The Trees, the Bees, and T.T. Flowers (my personal favorite) / HM: Crack Back, The Family Hour
S4: The Mayor's Committee from Deer Lick Falls / HM: Beamer's Last Case
S5: Black Mirror / HM: White on White and Nearly Perfect, The Deuce
S6: Nice Guys Finish Dead / HM: Deadlock in Parma (the rest of the season is for the dogs, and the lions and monkeys and tigers :lol: )
The definitive real deal… wow! I’ll give you this:
Everybody is entitled to a wrong opinion! :lol: :lol: :lol:

It’s like tastes. Everyone prefers their own taste in things, but can everyone have good taste…? :shock:
I'm sure some of my definitive picks and yours will align. :) Let's see yours for each season.

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Re: The Rockford Files

#175 Post by Pahonu »

IvanTheTerrible wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 9:41 pm
Pahonu wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 8:34 pm
IvanTheTerrible wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 6:29 pm OK, it's time to clear the air here and post the definitive best episode from each season.

HM means "honorable mention".

Here goes. This is the real deal. No school boy tricks. :|

S1: Sleight of Hand / HM: The Dark and Bloody Ground
S2: Gearjammers / HM: The Great Blue Lake and Development Company
S3: The Trees, the Bees, and T.T. Flowers (my personal favorite) / HM: Crack Back, The Family Hour
S4: The Mayor's Committee from Deer Lick Falls / HM: Beamer's Last Case
S5: Black Mirror / HM: White on White and Nearly Perfect, The Deuce
S6: Nice Guys Finish Dead / HM: Deadlock in Parma (the rest of the season is for the dogs, and the lions and monkeys and tigers :lol: )
The definitive real deal… wow! I’ll give you this:
Everybody is entitled to a wrong opinion! :lol: :lol: :lol:

It’s like tastes. Everyone prefers their own taste in things, but can everyone have good taste…? :shock:
I'm sure some of my definitive picks and yours will align. :) Let's see yours for each season.
I’m sure some would, :D but I’ve never made any lists like you have here, and with all the H5-O seasons. I suspect you have others. :lol: I have many episodes that I really like, a few that I would say are favorites, and probably a single favorite, but I haven’t come close to ranking them by season or overall, nor do I plan to. You really like lists! The closest I have ever come is the first season MPI watch party on this forum, and even then it’s not that important to me, and likely not to others either, if I put an episode at number 12 instead of 16. I don’t think any kind of list like that is definitive. It’s far too subjective, so I don’t bother I suppose.

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Re: The Rockford Files

#176 Post by ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan) »

Pahonu wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 10:46 pm
IvanTheTerrible wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 9:41 pm
Pahonu wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 8:34 pm
IvanTheTerrible wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 6:29 pm OK, it's time to clear the air here and post the definitive best episode from each season.

HM means "honorable mention".

Here goes. This is the real deal. No school boy tricks. :|

S1: Sleight of Hand / HM: The Dark and Bloody Ground
S2: Gearjammers / HM: The Great Blue Lake and Development Company
S3: The Trees, the Bees, and T.T. Flowers (my personal favorite) / HM: Crack Back, The Family Hour
S4: The Mayor's Committee from Deer Lick Falls / HM: Beamer's Last Case
S5: Black Mirror / HM: White on White and Nearly Perfect, The Deuce
S6: Nice Guys Finish Dead / HM: Deadlock in Parma (the rest of the season is for the dogs, and the lions and monkeys and tigers :lol: )
The definitive real deal… wow! I’ll give you this:
Everybody is entitled to a wrong opinion! :lol: :lol: :lol:

It’s like tastes. Everyone prefers their own taste in things, but can everyone have good taste…? :shock:
I'm sure some of my definitive picks and yours will align. :) Let's see yours for each season.
I’m sure some would, :D but I’ve never made any lists like you have here, and with all the H5-O seasons. I suspect you have others. :lol: I have many episodes that I really like, a few that I would say are favorites, and probably a single favorite, but I haven’t come close to ranking them by season or overall, nor do I plan to. You really like lists! The closest I have ever come is the first season MPI watch party on this forum, and even then it’s not that important to me, and likely not to others either, if I put an episode at number 12 instead of 16. I don’t think any kind of list like that is definitive. It’s far too subjective, so I don’t bother I suppose.
Man doesn't believe in lists. What's the world coming to? :lol:

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Re: The Rockford Files

#177 Post by Pahonu »

IvanTheTerrible wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 11:45 pm
Pahonu wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 10:46 pm
IvanTheTerrible wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 9:41 pm
Pahonu wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 8:34 pm
IvanTheTerrible wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 6:29 pm OK, it's time to clear the air here and post the definitive best episode from each season.

HM means "honorable mention".

Here goes. This is the real deal. No school boy tricks. :|

S1: Sleight of Hand / HM: The Dark and Bloody Ground
S2: Gearjammers / HM: The Great Blue Lake and Development Company
S3: The Trees, the Bees, and T.T. Flowers (my personal favorite) / HM: Crack Back, The Family Hour
S4: The Mayor's Committee from Deer Lick Falls / HM: Beamer's Last Case
S5: Black Mirror / HM: White on White and Nearly Perfect, The Deuce
S6: Nice Guys Finish Dead / HM: Deadlock in Parma (the rest of the season is for the dogs, and the lions and monkeys and tigers :lol: )
The definitive real deal… wow! I’ll give you this:
Everybody is entitled to a wrong opinion! :lol: :lol: :lol:

It’s like tastes. Everyone prefers their own taste in things, but can everyone have good taste…? :shock:
I'm sure some of my definitive picks and yours will align. :) Let's see yours for each season.
I’m sure some would, :D but I’ve never made any lists like you have here, and with all the H5-O seasons. I suspect you have others. :lol: I have many episodes that I really like, a few that I would say are favorites, and probably a single favorite, but I haven’t come close to ranking them by season or overall, nor do I plan to. You really like lists! The closest I have ever come is the first season MPI watch party on this forum, and even then it’s not that important to me, and likely not to others either, if I put an episode at number 12 instead of 16. I don’t think any kind of list like that is definitive. It’s far too subjective, so I don’t bother I suppose.
Man doesn't believe in lists. What's the world coming to? :lol:
I make lists of chores to be completed or steps in a process to complete a task, but ranking things in lists by personal preference isn’t important to me at all. I also don’t think most others care about my 6th favorite Rockford Files episode. Reminds me of Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Bang Theory pontificating about his fourth favorite Catwoman or some such thing. :lol:

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Re: The Rockford Files

#178 Post by Little Garwood »

Never dismiss a list. Not only are lists fun, they give others an idea of where someone stands in regard to their tastes. Those who put their preferences “out there” have my greatest respect.

Besides, lists change and I find those changes interesting, especially when specific reasons are given as to why they’ve changed.
"Popularity is the pocket change of history."

~Tom Selleck

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Re: The Rockford Files

#179 Post by ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan) »

Pahonu wrote: Wed Aug 11, 2021 1:57 am
I make lists of chores to be completed or steps in a process to complete a task, but ranking things in lists by personal preference isn’t important to me at all. I also don’t think most others care about my 6th favorite Rockford Files episode. Reminds me of Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Bang Theory pontificating about his fourth favorite Catwoman or some such thing. :lol:
Pontificating? What does the pontiff have to do with any of this?

Sorry, couldn't resist an Archie Bunker reply. :lol:

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Re: The Rockford Files

#180 Post by Pahonu »

Little Garwood wrote: Wed Aug 11, 2021 12:39 pm Never dismiss a list. Not only are lists fun, they give others an idea of where someone stands in regard to their tastes. Those who put their preferences “out there” have my greatest respect.

Besides, lists change and I find those changes interesting, especially when specific reasons are given as to why they’ve changed.
I don’t doubt that many people enjoy making such lists. I don’t find it particularly fun though. It feels like more of a chore to me. I certainly have favorites, but I’d rather discuss those with others, than prioritize number 19 over number 20. To each his own, in both rankings and list making. I just find the words “list” and “fun” used together foreign to my personal experience. :lol: That’s all.

Similarly, I know many on the forum who are big collectors of Magnum items, and probably other things that they display. I’m not much of a collector at all. I have a lot of music and film/TV recordings, and a large library of books, but I don’t have any collections displayed in my home, nor does my wife. It’s not something we find particularly fun either, but I know people enjoy it. There have been a few times my wife and I have visited someone’s home and there are lots of collections displayed. Later we often talked about how it felt almost overwhelming with things everywhere.

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