The Rockford Files
The Kirkoff Case
Season 1, Episode 1 · Aired 1974-09-13
Synopsis
A wealthy but unlikeable young man hires Jim to solve the mystery of the death of his parents - the crime for which he stands accused.
Pilot desk note
From the desk: The Rockford Files opens its catalog run with “The Kirkoff Case” (1974-09-13). Character-first crime TV that aged into cool. Garner vs. studio lawsuits are Hollywood lore.
In the series
This episode is part of The Rockford Files (1974–1980) on NBC.
The anti-hardboiled PI — answering machine, beat-up Firebird, real exhaustion.
Key cast
- James Garner as Jim Rockford
- Noah Beery Jr. as Joseph 'Rocky' Rockford
- Joe Santos as Sgt. Dennis Becker
- Stuart Margolin as Angel Martin