‘The Rockford Files’ Remains One Of Television’s Greatest Hangs

It’s Los Angeles in the 1970s. Cars are as long as boats. Beachside tacos are practically free. The sun glares through chunky brown fog, but does nothing to prevent assorted bad acts from happening. A man with a casual, even careless manner may not seem to have what it takes to see justice done, but being underestimated is essential to his process. If you’re thinking, “Yes, I already watched Columbo during Covid like everyone else,” I have some great news for you about The Rockford Files.

If you belong to the TV-watching community, chances are you have imprinted on at least one police or legal procedural. Maybe Law & Order marathons got you hooked on Sam Waterston’s tremulous righteousness as Manhattan A.D.A. Jack McCoy. Perhaps its spinoff, Special Victims Unit , drew you in with its mix of sexually based offenses and hysterical fearmongering about the many dangers of modern life. NCIS might be your opiate of choice if you prefer to see crimes solved navally. The appeal of shows in this category is twofold: 1) it’s satisfying to watch a mystery get wrapped up in 40-some-odd minutes; 2) these are network shows with three-digit episode counts, such that you might just get tired of their samey-ness before running out of episodes to watch. Indeed, all of the above are still pumping out new episodes right now.

But if you watch TV and consume news, there may come a point when your enjoyment of these shows, which both center and lionize characters on the enforcement side of the law, might start to curdle somewhat. Yes, McCoy wins cases, but it’s often via shady moves that the audience is expected to affirm. The members of the elite squad known as Special Victims Unit apprehend sex criminals at rates that far outstrip that actual division’s real-life stats, and hate nothing more than a suspect who knows his rights in ways that probably track much more realistically. NCIS ’s Jethro Gibbs … okay, I have no idea what his deal is, but the man works for the Pentagon, so it’s probably at least a little immoral.