Parents' Guide to

The Rockford Files

By Matt Springer, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Classic 1970s detective series offers humor, mild violence.

TV NBC , Syndicated Drama 1974
The Rockford Files Poster Image

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What's the Story?

Jim Rockford (James Garner) is hardly the kind of glamorous private investigator typically found on television. On THE ROCKFORD FILES, he works out of a ramshackle trailer parked near a beach in Malibu, taking second-rate jobs that enable him to do as little work as possible while still maintaining his slacker lifestyle. He always seems to owe somebody money and he never turns down a free meal. Inevitably, he's called upon to take risks and crack a few skulls to make sure that he gets paid and can return to his beach bum ways.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

It may be hard to appreciate from the perspective of today's highly evolved TV dramas, but The Rockford Files was a groundbreaking and critically significant series for the 1970s. Until Jim Rockford ambled onto the screen, TV detectives were hard-nosed, chisel-jawed champions of justice, as bland as the black-and-white shows they used to star in.

Jim Rockford represented a more complex, humorous take on the PI genre. His character made an indelible impression on the history of television, and the playful dialogue and plotting freed TV creators to explore more interesting territory on such notable 1980s series as St. ElseWhere and Hill Street Blues. Perhaps most importantly, the show remains immensely watchable, full of humor and unforgettable supporting players.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the show's occasional violence. How does it compare to today's television shows?

  • What kind of a "hero" is Jim Rockford? Is he a role model?

TV Details

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