There’s a new Jim Rockford and it’s a face very familiar to TV fans!
It seems inevitable that every pilot season has at least one attempt to reboot a classic TV show. This year, it’s The Rockford Files as NBC is planning a new version of the iconic 1974-80 series starring the late, great James Garner.
Now, per Variety, the role of the private eye will be played by David Boreanaz. It’s a bit of a surprise in some ways, yet it’s also proof of how, after almost 30 years, Boreanaz never stops working.
The actor broke out in 1997 with his turn as the repentant vampire Angel on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That led to his own spinoff, which ran for five seasons. Boreanaz moved immediately to playing FBI Agent Seeley Booth on the Fox procedural Bones, which ran a whopping 12 seasons. Most recently, he starred in the CBS/Paramount+ military drama SEAL Team, which ended its seven-season run in 2024. He also directed episodes for the latter three series.
The producers clearly want a TV veteran to play this role and Boreanaz could fit the part, although he has some major shoes to fill.
Why Boreanaz can work as Jim Rockford
While James Garner was already a TV star in 1974 thanks to the classic Western Maverick, it was The Rockford Files that established him as a legend. He played Jim Rockford, wrongfully imprisoned for five years and thus now a private eye specializing in cases involving the wrongfully accused.
The series established a new template for detective shows with its style and Rockford relying on his wits. Garner won an Emmy for the series and later reprised it in several TV movies.
The reboot looks to keep the same plotline with Rockford the ex-P.I. handling cases. In many ways, Boreanaz’s career shows he can pull that off. Angel, after all, was a P.I. with supernatural elements, as well as dealing with the guilt of his horrible past. Fans of Bones loved Booth’s quick wit, wisecracks and smarts that lend themselves to Rockford. And his SEAL Team role showed dramatic chops that Boreanaz can showcase as Rockford.
Obviously, Boreanaz can’t match Garner’s amazing turn as Rockford. But like Jay Hernandez in Magnum P.I., he can put his own stamp on the role and provide a Rockford for a new generation of viewers. The series can support him with clever storylines and a low-key approach that suits the actor’s talents.
The series is still in development, yet with a TV veteran in the lead, we’re one step closer to a new Jim Rockford taking off.