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The Worst Episodes of The Rockford Files

Every episode of The Rockford Files ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of The Rockford Files!

Cranky but likable L.A. PI Jim Rockford pulls no punches (but takes plenty of them). An ex-con sent to the slammer for a crime he...
Genres:CrimeDramaMystery
Network:NBC
Episodes
122
Avg. Rating
NaN
S1
S2
S3
S4
E1
E2
E3
7.7
7.7
8.0
8.1
7.6
8.5
8.1
7.4
7.6
8.2
8.1
7.7

Worst Episodes Summary

"The House on Willis Avenue" is the worst rated episode of "The Rockford Files". It scored N/A/10 based on 0 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 2/24/1978. This episode scored NaN points lower than the second lowest rated, "Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man's Job: Part 2".

  • The House on Willis Avenue
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    #1 - The House on Willis Avenue

    Season 4 Episode 22

    Aired 2/24/1978

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

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man's Job: Part 2
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    #2 - Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man's Job: Part 2

    Season 5 Episode 21

    Aired 4/13/1979

    Conclusion

    Director: William Wiard

    Writer: Rudolph Borchert

  • A Different Drummer
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    #3 - A Different Drummer

    Season 5 Episode 22

    Aired 4/13/1979

    While in hospital after a car accident, Jim stumbles across a black market for vital organs.

    Director: Reza Badiyi

    Writer: Rudolph Borchert

  • Deadlock in Parma
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    #4 - Deadlock in Parma

    Season 6 Episode 12

    Aired 1/10/1980

    In the series finale, Jim Rockford drives off into a California sunset in his wounded Firebird, after being ensnared in a small-town council battle with big implications. While trout fishing in the mountains, the vacationing PI becomes the emergency proxy for a fellow angler, an environmentalist councilman, felled by appendicitis. But the seemingly-innocuous proposition for a Parma city park, attracts a trailer load of New Jersey mobsters who urge Rockford to keep his vote green, or sleep with the fishes. Meanwhile, this town council in the land of endless propositions, acts to force their temporary member Rockford to go fishing under the moonlight, but not in Parma.

    Director: Winrich Kolbe

    Writer: Rudolph Borchert, Donald L. Gold, Lester Wm. Berke

  • The Big Cheese
    6.2/10(267)
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    #5 - The Big Cheese

    Season 6 Episode 10

    Aired 12/7/1979

    Rockford gets a phone call telling him to expect a package in the mail. Two hoods then murder the caller and go to Rockford's trailer to await the package's arrival. When the package is a wheel of cheese the mystery only gets deeper.

    Director: Joseph Pevney

    Writer: Shel Willens

  • Only Rock 'n Roll Will Never Die (1)
    6.9/10(233)
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    #6 - Only Rock 'n Roll Will Never Die (1)

    Season 6 Episode 4

    Aired 10/19/1979

    Jim senses something is out of tune while looking into the disappearance of a rock star's producer.

    Director: William Wiard

    Writer: David Chase

  • The Gang at Don's Drive-In
    7.2/10(261)
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    #7 - The Gang at Don's Drive-In

    Season 4 Episode 15

    Aired 1/13/1978

    An author suffering from writers block tells Jim he thinks he has the next best seller in an old murder case from 1961.

    Director: Harry Falk

    Writer: James Crocker

  • A Fast Count
    7.2/10(246)
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    #8 - A Fast Count

    Season 5 Episode 11

    Aired 12/1/1978

    Jim puts up his dukes and steps forward to help a boxing coach who has been framed with bribery and murder.

    Director: Reza Badiyi

    Writer: Gordon T. Dawson

  • The Battle-Ax and the Exploding Cigar
    7.2/10(236)
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    #9 - The Battle-Ax and the Exploding Cigar

    Season 5 Episode 14

    Aired 1/12/1979

    Ignorant that he's been driving a hot Cadillac with an illegal stash of guns in the trunk, leads Jim into rubbing shoulders with the FBI and the Company.

    Director: Ivan Dixon

    Writer: Rogers Turrentine

  • Lions, Tigers, Monkeys and Dogs (2)
    7.2/10(242)
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    #10 - Lions, Tigers, Monkeys and Dogs (2)

    Season 6 Episode 3

    Aired 10/12/1979

    No description available

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Local Man Eaten by Newspaper
    7.3/10(243)
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    #11 - Local Man Eaten by Newspaper

    Season 5 Episode 12

    Aired 12/8/1978

    Jim could use some saintly guidance when he goes undercover on a scandal rag that is getting confidential medical information on a doctor's famous, and infamous, patients.

    Director: Meta Rosenberg

    Writer: Juanita Bartlett

  • Trouble in Chapter 17
    7.4/10(295)
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    #12 - Trouble in Chapter 17

    Season 4 Episode 2

    Aired 9/23/1977

    Jim is reluctantly drawn into being bodyguard for a famous author, who believes her popular book on the perfect wife is the cause of death threats against her.

    Director: William Wiard

    Writer: Juanita Bartlett

  • Only Rock 'n Roll Will Never Die (2)
    7.4/10(258)
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    #13 - Only Rock 'n Roll Will Never Die (2)

    Season 6 Episode 5

    Aired 10/26/1979

    While consoling his morose love-lorn friend Eddie, Jim continues to look for the missing producer. He eventually finds his body but the presumed killer is not whom he had expected.

    Director: William Wiard

    Writer: David Chase

  • The Hawaiian Headache
    7.4/10(235)
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    #14 - The Hawaiian Headache

    Season 6 Episode 8

    Aired 11/23/1979

    Jim is tricked into believing he's won a trip to Hawaii, when it really turns out to be doing a favor for an old army pal in the CIA.

    Director: William Wiard

    Writer: Stephen J. Cannell

  • This Case Is Closed
    7.5/10(430)
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    #15 - This Case Is Closed

    Season 1 Episode 6

    Aired 10/18/1974

    While investigating the fiance of Warren Jamison's daughter, Jim experiences some strange events which include kidnapping by the mob and the FBI who are anxious to get a statement - it all relates back to Jim recent trip to Newark...

    Director: Bernard L. Kowalski

    Writer: Stephen J. Cannell

  • Claire
    7.5/10(349)
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    #16 - Claire

    Season 1 Episode 17

    Aired 1/31/1975

    Jim's old girlfriend, Claire Prescott, phones, and asks him to help give her protection from 2 hoods chasing her. He soon discovers there's a missing undercover cop, which puts him up against an arrogant Cpt. Highland, as well.

    Director: William Wiard

    Writer: Stephen J. Cannell, Edward J. Lakso

  • Where's Houston?
    7.5/10(276)
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    #17 - Where's Houston?

    Season 2 Episode 20

    Aired 2/20/1976

    Rocky's friend is killed thinking his Granddaughter was kidnapped leading Jim with the help of Rocky to untangle a crooked real estate deal.

    Director: Lawrence Doheny

    Writer: Don Carlos Dunaway

  • New Life, Old Dragons
    7.5/10(264)
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    #18 - New Life, Old Dragons

    Season 3 Episode 18

    Aired 2/25/1977

    Jim is hired by a Vietnamese refugee to find her missing brother.

    Director: Jeannot Szwarc

    Writer: David Taylor

  • Three Day Affair with a Thirty Day Escrow
    7.5/10(242)
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    #19 - Three Day Affair with a Thirty Day Escrow

    Season 5 Episode 7

    Aired 11/10/1978

    After being strong-armed by an Arab sheik and his goons, and getting no help from the police, Jim decides to track down the two people who caused his trouble: a soft-voiced gigolo and the sheik's naive daughter.

    Director: Ivan Dixon

    Writer: David Chase

  • The Man Who Saw the Alligators
    7.5/10(272)
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    #20 - The Man Who Saw the Alligators

    Season 5 Episode 17

    Aired 2/10/1979

    If having the IRS wanting to do an audit isn't bad enough, a gangster Jim helped put in prison is out on parole and wants a pound of his flesh in revenge.

    Director: Corey Allen

    Writer: David Chase

  • Nice Guys Finish Dead
    7.5/10(251)
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    #21 - Nice Guys Finish Dead

    Season 6 Episode 7

    Aired 11/16/1979

    The special guest of a P.I. convention dinner is found murdered in the restroom, and Jim unhappily finds himself once more having to team up with flawless Lance White (Tom Selleck), while accident prone Freddie Beamer tags along.

    Director: John Patterson

    Writer: Stephen J. Cannell

  • The Dark and Bloody Ground
    7.6/10(493)
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    #22 - The Dark and Bloody Ground

    Season 1 Episode 2

    Aired 9/20/1974

    Jim reluctantly agrees to work for Beth Davenport. His job is to help her prove her client, Ann Calhoun, is innocent of the crime she is accused of; murdering her husband Kevin Calhoun. Jim's investigation takes him to the town of Parker, Arizona, where the Calhouns are from. He digs up info someone doesn't want found out and is almost killed trying to return to L.A. Socialites Clyde Russell and Elizabeth Gorman, who were throwing a party the Calhouns attended, are also investigated. Jim's investigation is making someone nervous as another attempt is made on his life.

    Director: Michael Schultz

    Writer: Juanita Bartlett

  • The Countess
    7.6/10(488)
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    #23 - The Countess

    Season 1 Episode 3

    Aired 9/27/1974

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

    Director: Russ Mayberry

    Writer: Stephen J. Cannell

  • Exit Prentiss Carr
    7.6/10(412)
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    #24 - Exit Prentiss Carr

    Season 1 Episode 4

    Aired 10/4/1974

    Jim finds the murdered body of Prentiss Carr in his hotel room and after reporting the incident to the police learns it has been classified as suicide...

    Director: Alexander Grasshoff

    Writer: Juanita Bartlett

  • Charlie Harris at Large
    7.6/10(360)
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    #25 - Charlie Harris at Large

    Season 1 Episode 19

    Aired 2/14/1975

    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