The Rockford Files - Season Two | 
 enlarge | Directors: James Garner, Ivan Dixon, Jackie Cooper, Jeannot Szwarc, Jerry London
Actors: James Garner, James Luisi, Noah Beery Jr., Joe Santos, Blair Brown
Studio: Universal Studios
Category: DVD
List Price: $39.98
Buy New: $26.68
You Save: $13.30 (33%)
New (28) Used (16) from $24.75
Rating:  55 reviews
Sales Rank: 8675
Format: Box Set, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Subtitled, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 6
Running Time: 1106 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.5 x 1.1
MPN: MCAD26472D
UPC: 025192647222
EAN: 0025192647222
ASIN: B000BF0C8E
Theatrical Release Date: September 13, 1974
Release Date: June 13, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
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Product Description
Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 06/13/2006
Amazon.com
"The best detective series ever," according to TV Guide, the second Rockford Files set begins at the beginning. That's because the double-length pilot ("Backlash of the Hunter") appears as an extra. In this episode, Jim Rockford (James Garner) explains to guest star Lindsay Wagner, "I only handle criminal cases that are closed." The first Rockford file also introduces his errant father, Rocky (Robert Donley, who'll soon be replaced by Noah Beery Jr.), detective buddy Dennis (Joe Santos, The Sopranos), and squirrelly pal Angel (Emmy winner Stuart Margolin) with whom he did time at San Quentin (before being granted a full pardon). Season two highlights include the two-part "Gearjammers," in which Rockford discovers his dad's secret life, "Chicken Little Is a Little Chicken," in which Rockford helps Angel fake his death, and "The Hammer of C Block," with Isaac "Shaft" Hayes as a former cellmate who just can't get his name straight—he thinks it's "Rockfish." (The Oscar-winning Hayes also contributes an original number called "Gandy's Theme.") Even when the episodes are less memorable, Garner's easygoing Oklahoma charm and potent chemistry with his co-stars, including lawyer/ex-girlfriend girlfriend Beth (Gretchen Corbett), makes each one worth watching. Like most Stephen J. Cannell programs (Baretta, 21 Jump Street, etc.), The Rockford Files never had any difficulty attracting famous (and soon-to-be-famous) guests. The second year claims such notables as Linda Evans ("The Farnsworth Stratagem"), Stefanie Powers ("The Real Easy Red Dog"), Blair Brown ("The Girl in the Bay City Boys Club"), Rob Reiner ("The No-Cut Contract"), and Louis Gossett Jr. ("Foul on the First Play'). The only other bonus feature is a short, if informative interview with Cannell, who reveals that the character of Joseph "Rocky" Rockford was modeled after his own father. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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| Customer Reviews: Read 50 more reviews...
Rockford Rocks! November 18, 2008
Taheen Lopez (United States- San Diego, CA)
Rockford's 1975-76 Season is awesome and is a definite upgrade to THE ROCKFORD FILES 1st Season.
In fact, Rockford's 2nd Season is also the season when Rockford's often agitated cop buddy Detective Dennis Becker(Joe Santos) from the LAPD becomes a permanent co-star on this show and when they started showing Rockford's sexy attorney girlfriend(Beth Davenport) and Rockford's cheesy but funny ex-con buddy Angel Martin(Stuart Margolin)more often too.
In addition to why I like The Rockford Files Second Season so much, Rockford's 1975-76 Season was what got me to like and start watching this show a lot more often, especially since Rockford's 2nd Season was a definite upgrade to Rockford's 1st Season, since The Rockford Files was pretty much starting to walk in it's Second Season, but was just starting to crawl the First Season throughout The Rockford Files whole 6-year run on NBC.
In addition to that, Rockford's 1975-76 Season was more sophisticated with more action in it than Rockford's 1974-75 Season was especially since Becker and Beth started getting more involved with Rockford and his investigations, which often got Rockford(James Garner) in a lot of hot water and often got Becker under fire with his hard-nosed superior officer Lt. Diehl(Tom Atkins)which despised Rockford very much and always looked for excuses to bust Rockford and have his PI license revoked, but at the same time it was always kind of funny how Angel would always get Rockford into mischief and how exasperated Lt. Diehl and Lt. Chapman(Jim Luisi)would always get with Rockford and Becker, especially when Beth defended Rockford and bailed him out.
Rockford also lived somewhat of a bizarre lifestyle, since he was a private investigator with a gold Pontiac Firebird who almost always dressed spiffy in 3-piece suits who lived in a small old trailer in a parking lot in a swanky area by the beach in Malibu near Malibu Pier, but it kinda makes you wonder how was Rockford able to afford living in a trailer in a parking lot right next to a nice seafood restaurant near a swanky beach and if anyone even charged him rent to have his trailer space there, especially since Rockford was a private detective who obviously didn't make much money, despite that Rockford charged his clients $200 a day plus expenses along with the fact that Rockford would get beat up and shot at a lot at his trailer and often had his Firebird wrecked too, just like the General Lee often did on THE DUKES OF HAZZARD.
Therefore, Rockford(James Garner) had a tendency to get himself a lot of hot water just like Magnum(Tom Selleck) did on MAGNUM, P.I. for very similar reasons, especially since Rockford and Magnum both had cop buddies in the police department who'd help them out in their investigations, but had a lot of police detectives who despised Magnum & Rockford for meddling into a lot of police investigations, since cops typically don't like private investigators interferring with police matters.
It was also kind of funny how Rockford kept his gun in the cookie-jar, since most people wouldn't expect to find a gun a place like that and it was neat how Rockford would sometimes end up beating the goons up whenever he outsmarted them too, like in the "A 3-Day Affair With A 30-Day Escrow" episode when Rockford kicks Richard Moll's butt after outsmarting him while Richard Moll(Ludes) has Rockford's gun and knocks him to the ground after Rockford comes home to an unpleasant surprise in his trailer, but part of what made that so funny was Richard Moll was a big guy who was about twice the size of Rockford, yet Richard Moll still ends up getting beat up by Rockford after Rockford turns the tables on him.
Therefore, THE ROCFORD FILES was almost like a carbon copy of the private detective show MANNIX, since Joe Mannix(Mike Connors)was also a private investigator who lived in the L.A. Area near the beach and also got beat up quite a bit too.
I think this was also the season when THE ROCKFORD FILES theme song became a big hit on the radio back in the mid 1970's and I also liked the music scoring that was done by Mike Post & Pete Carpenter on this show, especially since they used a lot of harmonica in their music composing on THE ROCKFORD FILES, which I thought was pretty cool, which made the music scoring sound kind of Country Westernish, kind of like THE DUKES OF HAZZARD's music scoring was.
Additionally, it's nice to be able to have The Rockford Files out on DVD complete & uncut like they were originally shown on their original air dates on NBC with the exception of no commercials, especially since they had deleted too many scenes when The Rockford Files was on cable TV like when it was on A&E, TNN, TV Land, and WGN; in order for cable TV networks to allow more time for more commercials in between, which is what cable TV and local TV stations do with every show that gets converted into reruns.
It was also interesting seeing
-Linda Evans in "The Farnsworth Stratagem" episode before she was even famous and before her co-starring days as Alexis's nemesis(Crystal) on DYNASTY
-Dana Elcar in "The Great Blue Lake Land & Development Company" episode before his co-starring days on MACGYVER
-Gerald McRaney in "The Farnsworth Strategem" episode before he was even a star and before his co-starring days as Rick Simon on SIMON & SIMON and before his co-starring days on MAJOR DAD and TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL
-Tom Atkins co-starring as Becker's superior officer(Lt. Diehl) before co-starring in John Carpenter's THE FOG and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK.
-Richard Herd in the "Pastorias Prime Pick" episode before his Capt. Sheridan days on TJ HOOKER
-Singer/actor Isaac Hayes in "The Hammer Of C Block" episode
-Joan Van-Ark in the "Resurrection In Black & White" episode before her co-starring days on KNOTTS LANDING
-Stefanie Powers in "The Real Easy Red Dog" episode before her co-starring days on HART TO HART
-William Daniels in the "Italian Bird Fiasco" episode before his days as Dr. Mark Craig on ST. ELSEWHERE and doing KITT's voice on KNIGHT RIDER
-Bill Lucking in the "Pastoria's Prime Pick" episode before his Col.Lynch days on THE A-TEAM
-James Luisi in the "Joey Blue Eyes" episode before joining cast as a part-time co-star on this show as Becker's cynical superior officer(Lt. Doug Chapman) a.k.a. "Chappy" in the 3rd Season of Rockford.
-Joe Santos co-starring on this show before his co-starring days as Magnum's other cop buddy(Lt. Page) on MAGNUM, P.I.
Winter Movies June 28, 2008
NANA MARY (Arm Pit of America, OK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Arrived on time. No damage. Gave as gift and recipient says they have wathched over and over again.
Rockfish...according to Gandy January 7, 2008
G. E. Bobel (Indianapolis, Indiana United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
What more can you say about one of the finest TV series of all time. Good stories played out by a great cast playing great charecters from Angel to Dennis to Rocky to Lt. Chapman and the smart and beautiful Beth.
Miss the entire series at your peril.
I love this show. December 21, 2007
G. Pierce (Utah)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I thought it odd that the pilot episode was put into the season two set...but oh well, still glad to see it. :D
I remember watching this show on TV as a kid & until last year, haven't given it much thought. Today I find it highly entertaining & really enjoy seeing all the guest stars that I remember from my younger days.
Great show, I'm totally hooked & must own them all!
 The Rockford Files, Season 2 December 13, 2007
Harry Brewer (S'port, La.)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
James Garner absolutely shone in this role. Twenty-two episodes here prove why he is considered one of this country's greatest actors. Garner could do it all; romantic leading man, tough guy, western hero & his comedic abilities were, perhaps, his strongest area.
This series was practically tailor made for Garner being, essentially, an update of the Maverick character he had portrayed fifteen years earlier. When Stephen Cannell pitched this series to Roy Huggins (creator of Maverick & The Fugitive), Huggins told him the same thing: This is Maverick updated! Get Jim Garner to play the role.
Bonus features include the original Rockford Files pilot which ran as a Movie of the Week. It's about 72 minutes long & full of vintage Rockford, There are some subtle differences from the subsequent series, the most notable being another actor portraying his father. Also included is a short interview with Cannell discussing the creation of The Rockford Files.
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