The Best Episodes of The Rockford Files

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
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   10.0/10(1 votes)

   #1 - Just by Accident

   S1:E212/28/1975

   A race car driver dies in an apparent accident that his mother, an old friend of Jim's, thinks was no accident. It turns out he was part of an insurance scam outfit and they soon have a similar plan for Rockford.

   Director:Jerry London

   Writers:Charles Sailor, Eric Kaldor

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   Director:Jerry London

   Writers:Charles Sailor, Eric Kaldor
2. 

   10.0/10(1 votes)

   #2 - Pastoria Prime Pick

   S2:E1111/28/1975

   A farming hub has more business than it can handle, including giving Rockford the business. The PI's car breaks down near the boomtown, after a source Rockford contacts in a divorce case steers Rockford there. While his car is being worked on, Rockford is quickly entangled between an underage motel worker and her jealous cop boyfriend, and in a double-cross over a narcotics deal. Is it just another tricky day for unlucky Jim, or is bucolic New Pastoria a sunny sin city ?

   Director:Lawrence Doheny

   Writer:Gordon T. Dawson

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   Director:Lawrence Doheny

   Writer:Gordon T. Dawson
3. 

   10.0/10(1 votes)

   #3 - The House on Willis Avenue (2)

   S4:E222/24/1978

   Part two of episode. Originally aired as 1 2-hour episode.

   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown
4. 

   9.5/10(2 votes)

   #4 - The Competitive Edge

   S4:E192/10/1978

   Jim winds up in a funny farm when he gets too close to the truth about an elite health club.

   Director:Harry Falk

   Writer:Gordon T. Dawson

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   Director:Harry Falk

   Writer:Gordon T. Dawson
5. 

   9.5/10(2 votes)

   #5 - White on White and Nearly Perfect

   S5:E410/20/1978

   Handsome, charmed PI Lance White (Tom Selleck) may speak lines that sound like they're from a 1940s B movie, but everyone is so attracted to him they hang on his every word. That is, everyone except Jim.

   Director:Stephen J. Cannell

   Writer:Stephen J. Cannell

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   Director:Stephen J. Cannell

   Writer:Stephen J. Cannell
6. 

   9.5/10(2 votes)

   #6 - Kill the Messenger

   S5:E510/27/1978

   When an already overly stressed Dennis Becker is lumped with the unwelcome task of finding out who murdered Deputy Chief Towne's unfaithful wife, Jim decides to lend a hand in the investigation.

   Director:Ivan Dixon

   Writer:Juanita Bartlett

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   Director:Ivan Dixon

   Writer:Juanita Bartlett
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7. 

   9.0/10(2 votes)

   #7 - Profit and Loss (2)

   S1:E1312/27/1974

   Rockford discovers the investment firm Fiscal Dynamics is a financial fraud and its president Leon Fielder will do anything to prevent him from destroying his company.

   Director:Lawrence Doheny

   Writer:Stephen J. Cannell

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   Director:Lawrence Doheny

   Writer:Stephen J. Cannell
8. 

   9.0/10(2 votes)

   #8 - The Four Pound Brick

   S1:E202/21/1975

   A cop dies in an accident that his mother refuses to accept. Rocky offers Jim's services free of charge. After begrudgingly accepting the case he discovers that dirty cops might be involved which then pits him against a very angry Lt. Diel.

   Director:Lawrence Doheny

   Writers:Juanita Bartlett, Leigh Brackett

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   Director:Lawrence Doheny

   Writers:Juanita Bartlett, Leigh Brackett
9. 

   9.0/10(1 votes)

   #9 - The Girl in the Bay City Boys Club

   S2:E1312/19/1975

   Jim goes undercover to expose an illegal gambling club and gets help from a young D.A.

   Director:James Garner

   Writer:Juanita Bartlett

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   Director:James Garner

   Writer:Juanita Bartlett
10. 

    9.0/10(1 votes)

    #10 - Drought at Indianhead River

    S3:E511/5/1976

    Jim finds out there's a hit out on Angel and runs into trouble with the mob bailing him out.

    Director:Lawrence Doheny

    Writer:Stephen J. Cannell

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    Director:Lawrence Doheny

    Writer:Stephen J. Cannell
11. 

    9.0/10(1 votes)

    #11 - There's One in Every Port

    S3:E121/7/1977

    After being conned by friends Jim sets them up to settle the score and save himself.

    Director:Meta Rosenberg

    Writer:Stephen J. Cannell

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    Director:Meta Rosenberg

    Writer:Stephen J. Cannell
12. 

    9.0/10(1 votes)

    #12 - The Trees, the Bees and T.T. Flowers: Part 1

    S3:E141/21/1977

    Jim helps a friend (Strother Martin) of Rocky's who's being forced off his property.

    Director:Jerry London

    Writer:Gordon T. Dawson

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    Director:Jerry London

    Writer:Gordon T. Dawson
13. 

    9.0/10(1 votes)

    #13 - The Trees, the Bees and T.T. Flowers: Part 2

    S3:E151/28/1977

    Jim helps a friend of Rocky's who's being forced off his property.

    Director:Jerry London

    Writer:Gordon T. Dawson

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    Director:Jerry London

    Writer:Gordon T. Dawson
14. 

    9.0/10(1 votes)

    #14 - Dirty Money, Black Light

    S3:E224/1/1977

    Jim becomes very concerned when Rocky starts receiving thousands of dollars through the mail.

    Director:Stuart Margolin

    Writer:David Taylor

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    Director:Stuart Margolin

    Writer:David Taylor
15. 

    9.0/10(2 votes)

    #15 - Dwarf in a Helium Hat

    S4:E171/27/1978

    A threat to the wrong phone number has Jim scrambling to find out who it was meant for.

    Director:Reza Badiyi

    Writers:David Chase, Stephen J. Cannell

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    Director:Reza Badiyi

    Writers:David Chase, Stephen J. Cannell
16. 

    9.0/10(2 votes)

    #16 - The Prisoner of Rosemont Hall

    S4:E202/17/1978

    When the son of an old friend goes missing, Jim goes to the young man's college to try and find out what happened.

    Director:Ivan Dixon

    Writers:David Chase, Stephen J. Cannell

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    Director:Ivan Dixon

    Writers:David Chase, Stephen J. Cannell
17. 

    9.0/10(1 votes)

    #17 - The House on Willis Avenue (1)

    S4:E212/24/1978

    When a fellow P.I. is killed on the Ventura freeway, Jim and Richie Brockelman team up to find out if it really was an accident.

    Director:Hy Averback

    Writer:Stephen J. Cannell

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    Director:Hy Averback

    Writer:Stephen J. Cannell
18. 

    9.0/10(2 votes)

    #18 - The Jersey Bounce

    S5:E310/6/1978

    Wrongly accused of beating a man to death, Jim discovers the best legal advice he can find is from disbarred lawyer John Cooper.

    Director:William Wiard

    Writer:David Chase

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    Director:William Wiard

    Writer:David Chase
19. 

    8.5/10(4 votes)

    #19 - The Kirkoff Case

    S1:E19/13/1974

    Rockford is hired by Larry Kirkoff to find the identity of his parents killer. There are a number of possible suspects including Travis Buckman and Tawnia Baker who were lovers of Mrs. and Mr. Kirkoff respectively. The police actually suspect Larry of the crime, but, lack of evidence prevents them from making a case against him. Rockford's investigation runs him afoul of some pretty bad men who want everyone to go on thinking Larry killed them.

    Director:Lou Antonio

    Writer:Stephen J. Cannell

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    Director:Lou Antonio

    Writer:Stephen J. Cannell
20. 

    8.5/10(2 votes)

    #20 - The Countess

    S1:E39/27/1974

    Jim is helping a Countess avoid a blackmailer but is then charged for the Blackmailer murder...

    Director:Russ Mayberry

    Writer:Stephen J. Cannell

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    Director:Russ Mayberry

    Writer:Stephen J. Cannell
21. 

    8.5/10(2 votes)

    #21 - Caledonia - It's Worth a Fortune!

    S1:E1112/6/1974

    When knowledge of a critically ill convict's hidden fortune comes to light, Rockford becomes involved in helping the con's wife find the treasure before his former partner arrives and demands his share.

    Director:Stuart Margolin

    Writer:Juanita Bartlett

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    Director:Stuart Margolin

    Writer:Juanita Bartlett
22. 

    8.5/10(2 votes)

    #22 - The Paper Palace

    S4:E161/20/1978

    A prostitute (Rita Moreno) hires Jim to find out who has been sending her death threats.

    Director:Richard Crenna

    Writer:Juanita Bartlett

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    Director:Richard Crenna

    Writer:Juanita Bartlett
23. 

    8.4/10(5 votes)

    #23 - Counter Gambit

    S1:E161/24/1975

    Two former cons hire Rockford to find an old girlfriend. They actually want her valuable pearl necklace and implicate him as the thief. With Angel's help, he'll get the pearls back and square himself with the police.

    Director:Jackie Cooper

    Writers:Juanita Bartlett, Howard Berk

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    Director:Jackie Cooper

    Writers:Juanita Bartlett, Howard Berk
24. 

    8.4/10(5 votes)

    #24 - Charlie Harris at Large

    S1:E192/14/1975

    Charlie Harris, Rockford's former cell mate, is suspected of murdering his rich wife and is on the run. He calls on Rockford to find his alibi witness, a mystery woman with whom he was having an affair.

    Director:Russ Mayberry

    Writer:Zekial Marko

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    Director:Russ Mayberry

    Writer:Zekial Marko
25. 

    8.3/10(3 votes)

    #25 - In Pursuit of Carol Thorne

    S1:E911/8/1974

    Jim tails a woman just released from prison. She was involved in a robbery of a Marine Payroll. The mastermind of the crime and his henchman follow her as well. They search for the remaining robber who wound up with the loot.

    Director:Charles S. Dubin

    Writer:Stephen J. Cannell

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    Director:Charles S. Dubin

    Writer:Stephen J. Cannell