Shelley Fabares!
Stuart Margolin (though not as an actor, he directed this one).
Lots of classic 70s actors in this outing.
Jim Rockford, the only honest man in California.
I still can't figure out what that sheriff is doing in California considering his accent is pretty much, I dunno, Alabama or something. I guess maybe he moved there and won an election.
I knew they were his chickens!
Nice twist at the end.
Hey, first off, nice shout out from the Official James Garner Fan Page on facebook, thanks!
Here's another episode where someone guest stars just before their big break. In this case it is Linda Kelsey. Three years later she stars in Lou Grant as Billie Newman.
Here's another Vegas episode. It's like the show worked for the Vegas tourism board. My parents went to Vegas in '74, maybe you'll see them in the background. My Dad had a horrible moustache...
At times this one feels disjointed a bit. They were still finding their sea legs, or Rockford legs, at this point I think.
Also, reciprocity of influence.
We have decided that Rockford is part of the Mad Men extended universe.
There's a car chase in this one.
Carol Thorne looks like someone we both know, someone Steve often podcasts with. To me anyway.
Jim hasn't paid the bill for his answering machine.
There's a car chase in this one, and Rockford's awesome driving.
Jim scamming the scammers and the scammers scamming Jim is always fun.
We see some classic Rockford sarcasm.
There's lots of Stephanie Tyler content this week, let's say that.
This one, more than most of them, could be a Maverick episoes.
Stealing the USMC payroll is likely not a great idea.
This one has some great guest stars, just before they became a big deal. Paul Michael Glaser and Joan Van Ark. To me, at least, Van Ark does an excellent job with the role. I have no idea what Steve thinks because, well, I write these things before we record....
This is classic Rockford, taking the form and flipping it on its heels.
Some great giant cars in this one.
'Feds still wear narrow ties' is one of my favourite Rockford things. He figures out these are goons, and, he's a bit of a smartass about it.
Not much in the news this week, but there's a reggae gem hitting number one in the UK.
Yes, we've been away for a bit. Life gets in the way. What did you pay for this anyway?
Early on in this episode you see some really cool directorial choices being made.
Is that Monaco? Switzerland?
Wait, Suzanne Summers in a cameo and Jill Clayburgh throughout?
Music charts were not awesome, though not horrible, on this day.
Flights, and airport security, have changed in 50 years.
So on to part 2 of this extra long episode that is split up in syndication.
If you are watching this in syndication, which you are, you probably have this as a two parter, and you probably noticed a hell of a lot of driving where nobody goes anywhere. That's called 'padding' kids.
Indeed, much of the driving you see in part 2 is actually from a 1977 episode. Check out how the headlights change scene to scene.
Anyway, we get Jimbo getting tacos. We've got Sharon Gless and Joseph Cotten again, we've got Rocky, and we've got a case!
When Jim puts on his seatbelt, you know it is serious.
Also, a trattoria is not a steak house.
Prop fence.
This is split up as a two parter in syndication, so we're doing part 1 here, stay tuned next week for part 2.
Some pretty great guest actors this week. Joseph Cotten and Sharon Gless are both really good. It is a tad off putting seeing Gless as a bit more, I dunno, helpless isn't the right word, but it'll do. I'm used to seeing her on Cagney and Lacey being tough.
Back to a little music this week in 'what was going on in 1974'.
Jimbo's being chased by the mob, the feds, basically the whole world.
One wonders if that was an early version of the Soprano crew.
A bit more difficult to come up with a title this week Shelley Fabares! Stuart Margolin (though not as an actor, he directed this one). Lots...
