The New ‘Rockford Files’: Everything to Know About NBC’s Revival Starring David Boreanaz

Nearly 50 years after James Garner first parked his Pontiac Firebird on television screens, The Rockford Files is officially coming back. NBC has ordered a contemporary update of the classic private investigator drama to series, with David Boreanaz stepping into the role of Jim Rockford—the charming ex-con turned private eye originally made iconic by Garner in the 1970s.

According to the official description, the new series follows Rockford after he’s released from prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Returning to Los Angeles, he attempts to rebuild his life as a private investigator, only to find himself caught between law enforcement and organized crime. As such, it’s a premise that sounds remarkably faithful to the spirit of the original: a smart, reluctant hero navigating corruption, danger and bad luck with sarcasm, street smarts and just enough charm to stay alive.

Legacy of the Original ‘The Rockford Files’

Premiering in 1974, the original series starred James Garner as Jim Rockford, an ex-convict who operated as a private investigator out of a trailer parked on a Malibu beach. Unlike many TV detectives of the era, Rockford wasn’t flashy or invincible. He got beaten up regularly, worried about money, dodged clients who couldn’t pay him and preferred talking his way out of trouble whenever possible.

The series ran for six seasons and became one of television’s defining detective shows, winning Emmy Awards and helping cement Garner as one of TV’s most likable leading men. The show also became famous for its witty dialogue, memorable supporting characters and one of television’s greatest theme songs, composed by Mike Post and Pete Carpenter.

Over the years there were multiple attempts to revive the property, including a 2010 pilot starring Dermot Mulroney that never moved forward. This marks the first attempted Rockford revival to officially reach series and the reboot has also received support from James Garner’s daughter, Gigi Garner, who revealed that David Boreanaz personally contacted her before accepting the role. Following the conversation, she publicly endorsed both the actor and the new series.

Stephen J. Cannell

A major part of the original show’s legacy is the involvement of legendary television producer and writer Stephen J. Cannell. Long before he created iconic series like The A-Team, Hunter, 21 Jump Street and Wiseguy, Cannell worked extensively on The Rockford Files during its formative years. He wrote or co-wrote many of the show’s most memorable episodes and helped shape the blend of humor, action and character-driven storytelling that made Rockford stand apart from other TV detectives of the era.  In many ways, modern television’s lovable, reluctant action heroes, made up of characters who survive more through personality and improvisation than brute force, owe a considerable debt to the groundwork laid by Rockford and the writers behind him, including Cannell.

Roy Huggins

If Stephen J. Cannell helped shape the voice of The Rockford Files, then Roy Huggins was the architect behind it. One of the most influential producers and writers in television history, Huggins co-created The Rockford Files and brought decades of television experience to the project. Long before Rockford arrived, Huggins had already helped redefine the television Western and detective genres through shows like Maverick, 77 Sunset Strip and The Fugitive. In fact, many television historians have pointed out that Jim Rockford feels almost like a modern evolution of Bret Maverick, the wisecracking gambler also played by Garner years earlier.

Huggins believed television heroes should feel human; that they could make mistakes, get scared, lose fights and worry about paying the bills. That philosophy became central to Rockford’s appeal and helped separate the series from more glamorous detective shows of the 1970s. His influence on television overall is difficult to overstate. Elements of Huggins’ storytelling DNA can still be seen today in countless modern procedurals and reluctant-hero dramas, from private investigator series to contemporary crime thrillers.

Who is Starring in the new ‘Rockford Files?’

David Boreanaz as Jim Rockford

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For many viewers, the biggest surprise may be the casting of David Boreanaz, who first broke out as the vampire Angel on Buffy the Vampire Slayer before spinning off into his own hit series, Angel. From there he spent 12 seasons starring on Bones and later headlined the military drama SEAL Team.

What makes the casting intriguing is that Boreanaz has rarely played someone quite like Rockford. Much of his career has centered on intense, physically capable authority figures. Rockford, by contrast, traditionally succeeds through improvisation, humor and surviving by the skin of his teeth. It’s that contrast that could be exactly what makes the reboot work.

Michaela McManus

Michaela McManus has quietly built an impressive television résumé over the years, appearing in series including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, One Tree Hill, The Vampire Diaries and SEAL Team, where she previously worked with Boreanaz. Reflecting on the current status of her career, she told Schon, “This chapter is thrilling, because I’m being challenged in new ways. I got to try my hand in comedy with a really fun guest star role on the second season of Ted. I just wrapped a really cool pilot for NBC, The Rockford Files. I had such a blast working on that one, too. I’m nearly 20 years into this career and I love that it still feels fresh, new and exciting at every turn. I can’t wait to see what’s next.” We all will be witness to it when The Rockford Files premiere.

Felix Solis

Character actor Felix Solis may be best known to audiences for playing cartel leader Omar Navarro on Ozark, but his career stretches across television, film and theater. Over the years he has appeared in projects including The Sopranos, The Rookie and the rebooted Charmed.

Jacki Weaver

Academy Award-nominated actress Jacki Weaver brings serious prestige to the project. The Australian actress earned Oscar nominations for Animal Kingdom and Silver Linings Playbook, while also appearing in films such as Bird Box and Widows.

The new creative team

Writer and executive producer Mike Daniels takes the lead creatively on the reboot. While Daniels may not yet be a household name, Universal clearly sees him as someone capable of modernizing a classic procedural while maintaining its personality-driven core. Executive producers Carl Beverly and Sarah Timberman are veterans of prestige television, having previously worked on series including Justified, Masters of Sex and Elementary. Co-executive producer Chris Leanza joins the producing team, while the pilot will be directed by Greg Mottola.

Mottola may seem like an unexpected choice at first glance, but it’s actually a fascinating fit. Best known for films like Superbad and Adventureland, he has a strong feel for grounded humor, flawed characters and lived-in realism—qualities that were central to the original Rockford Files.

Why the Timing May Be Right

Television has spent years revisiting classic franchises, but detective stories remain especially durable. Shows like Reacher, Poker Face and Bosch have proven there’s still a major audience for character-driven mystery storytelling. What made Rockford unique, however, was that he never felt superhuman. He was exhausted, broke, sarcastic and perpetually overwhelmed, all of which made him relatable in ways many TV detectives weren’t. If the new series can preserve that spirit while updating the world around him, Universal may have found exactly the right moment to bring Jim Rockford back.

What fans are saying

As news of the reboot spread online, reactions from fans ranged from enthusiasm to outright skepticism, though one thing many viewers seemed to agree on was admiration for David Boreanaz himself. On Reddit, numerous commenters pointed out Boreanaz’s unusually long and consistent television career, noting that he has remained a TV leading man almost continuously since first appearing on Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the late 1990s. Fans also referenced his runs on Angel, Bones and SEAL Team, with some joking that the actor has essentially become one of television’s most reliable franchise players.

A number of viewers also amused themselves by noting that Boreanaz is once again playing a Los Angeles private investigator, something he previously did, albeit with considerably more vampires, on Angel. At the same time, longtime fans of the original series expressed understandable concern about revisiting a show so closely associated with James Garner.

Many commenters argued that Garner’s laid-back charm and effortless humanity were impossible to duplicate, while others questioned Hollywood’s continued obsession with rebooting classic television properties instead of creating original detective series. There was also curiosity about how certain signature elements of the original would be modernized, including the show’s famous answering-machine gag openings—a recurring fan favorite during the original run.

And in true fandom fashion, some viewers are already hoping the new series will include guest appearances from Boreanaz’s former co-stars, particularly from Angel and Bones. Several fans specifically mentioned Emily Deschanel as someone they would love to see appear.

Ultimately, the online reaction reflects both the opportunity and challenge facing the reboot: audiences clearly like Boreanaz, but they also deeply love the original Rockford Files.