The Rockford Files (season 1)

The Rockford Files (season 1)
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	23
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	September 13, 1974 – March 7, 1975
Season chronology

The first season of The Rockford Files originally aired Fridays at 9:00-10:00 pm on NBC from September 13, 1974 to March 7, 1975. James Garner was 46.

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	"The Kirkoff Case"	Lou Antonio	Teleplay: Stephen J. Cannell Story: Roy Huggins aka John Thomas James	September 13, 1974
Rockford investigates the deaths of an heir's parents.
2	2	"The Dark and Bloody Ground"	Michael Schultz	Teleplay: Juanita Bartlett Story: Roy Huggins aka John Thomas James	September 20, 1974
Rockford attempts to help a woman accused of murder.
3	3	"The Countess"	Russ Mayberry	Teleplay: Stephen J. Cannell Story: Roy Huggins aka John Thomas James	September 27, 1974
Rockford is the prime suspect in the murder of a blackmailer he tried to discourage.
4	4	"Exit Prentiss Carr"	Alex Grasshoff	Teleplay: Juanita Bartlett Story: Roy Huggins aka John Thomas James	October 4, 1974
Rockford witnesses a murder the police think is a suicide.
5	5	"Tall Woman in Red Wagon"	Jerry London	Teleplay: Stephen J. Cannell Story: Roy Huggins aka John Thomas James	October 11, 1974
Rockford uses disguises in his investigation of a redhead's disappearance.
6 7	6 7	"This Case Is Closed"	Bernard L. Kowalski	Teleplay: Stephen J. Cannell Story: Roy Huggins aka John Thomas James	October 18, 1974
A man wants to know about his future son-in-law.
8	8	"The Big Ripoff"	Vincent McEveety	Teleplay: Robert Hamner Story: Roy Huggins aka John Thomas James	October 25, 1974
Rockford is hired to find a man who was thought to have died in a plane crash.
9	9	"Find Me If You Can"	Lawrence Doheny	Teleplay: Juanita Bartlett Story: Roy Huggins aka John Thomas James	November 1, 1974
A mysterious woman pays Rockford in advance to find someone--her. After a while two "FBI agents" show up at his trailer, but he is not fooled, because "FBI agents still wear narrow ties." They take him at gun point to their boss Ralph Correll (Paul Michael Glaser), who asks him where Barbara Kelbaker (Joan Van Ark) is, saying she stole $50,000 from him. Later on she telephones Jim and tells him to quit working for her and to keep the rest of the money for his troubles. He tells her to hang up and call him at another number. The next day she call him again, saying he needs his help, and the adventure continues.
10	10	"In Pursuit of Carol Thorne"	Charles S. Dubin	Teleplay: Stephen J. Cannell Story: Roy Huggins aka John Thomas James	November 8, 1974
An old couple hires Rockford to find their son - and the detective is suspicious of the young man's girlfriend.
11	11	"The Dexter Crisis"	Alex Grasshoff	Gloryette Clark	November 15, 1974
Rockford heads to Vegas in search of the mistress, Susan Parsons (Lee Purcell), of the tycoon Charles Dexter (Tim O'Connor), and her suitcase full of cash. She is in Vegas laundering the money at the roulette wheel. Another PI, Kermit Higby (Ron Soble) is following them.
12	12	"Caledonia -- It's Worth a Fortune"	Stuart Margolin (Angel Martin)	Teleplay: Juanita Bartlett Story: Roy Huggins aka John Thomas James	December 6, 1974
Jolene Hyland (Shelley Fabares) hires Rockford to help her find $500,000 her husband Gerald (Don Eitner) stole and buried in Caledonia. Gerald is in the prison hospital.
13	13	"Profit and Loss, "Profit" : Part 1"	Lawrence Doheny	Teleplay: Stephen J. Cannell Story: Roy Huggins aka John Thomas James	December 20, 1974
A very frightened computer programmer working for Fiscal Dynamics is kidnapped from Jim's trailer before he can hire Rockford to act as his go between with the Feds. After Jim files a police report, the programmer says he never met Jim, who is then charged with filing a false police report. The wife of a former employee of Fiscal Dynamics hires Jim to investigate the suspicious death of her husband. To be continued...
14	14	"Profit and Loss, "Loss" : Part 2"	Lawrence Doheny	Teleplay: Stephen J. Cannell Story: Roy Huggins aka John Thomas James	December 27, 1974
Rockford suspects that Fiscal Dynamics had a small-time printer killed because he printed phony stock certificates for them and might talk. Rockford is threatened several times by the Chief Operating Officer of Fiscal Dynamics, Leon Fielder (Ned Beatty) , but does not back off. He decides that attack is the best defense, and he succeeds in spooking Fielder, who attempts to flee with two brief cases full of evidence, and Jim pursues him.
15	15	"Aura Lee, Farewell"	Jackie Cooper	Teleplay: Edward J. Lakso Story: Roy Huggins aka John Thomas James	January 3, 1975
A hitchhiker is picked up by Sen. Evan Murdock (Robert Webber) on her way to LA, and they have a one night stand. He runs down a drunk, ditches her, and handles the accident with the police. Sometime later she is found dead in her apartment. Jim's old friend Sara Butler (Lindsay Wagner) hires him to find out if she was murdered. Aura Lee Benton (Melissa Greene) worked for her in her dress shop. The police think it was a drug overdose but she didn't take drugs. After Jim tracks down Sen. Murdock and questions him, he is also found dead. What is going on?
16	16	"Sleight of Hand"	William Wiard	Teleplay: Stephen J. Cannell and Jo Swerling Jr. Based on the novel "Thin Air" by: Howard Browne	January 17, 1975
Jim's girlfriend, Diana Lewis (Lara Parker), disappears at the same time her neighbor is murdered, with no clue as to how or why. Lt. Diel (Tom Atkins) thinks Rockford is probably responsible for her disappearance and orders him to stay away from the case. But Jim can't stop until he finds out what happened.
17	17	"Counter Gambit"	Jackie Cooper	Howard Berk and Juanita Bartlett	January 24, 1975
A convict with a bad temper hires Rockford to find his missing girlfriend, but it's really a con involving a pearl necklace. Contains Angel Martin.
18	18	"Claire"	William Wiard	Edward J. Lakso and Stephen J. Cannell	January 31, 1975
Jim's old girlfriend Claire Prescott (Linda Evans) calls him for protection from two hoods. He soon discovers there is a missing undercover cop, Willett (Lane Smith), which puts him up against an arrogant Cpt. Highland (Jackie Cooper) as well as the two thugs.
19	19	"Say Goodbye to Jennifer"	Jackie Cooper	Teleplay: Juanita Bartlett and Rudolph Borchert Story: Roy Huggins aka John Thomas James	February 7, 1975
Rockford is hired to find a suspect who supposedly died in a car accident.
20	20	"Charlie Harris at Large"	Russ Mayberry	Teleplay: Zekial Marko Story: Roy Huggins aka John Thomas James	February 14, 1975
Charlie Harris (Tony Musante), 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. He gets lucky, and her picture is in the paper. Jim goes after her, seduces her, and brings her back to Charlie's house for a reunion. Her name is Linda Bannister (Diana Muldaur).
21	21	"The Four Pound Brick"	Lawrence Doheny	Teleplay: Leigh Brackett and Juanita Bartlett Story: Leigh Brackett	February 21, 1975
Rocky asks Rockford to investigate the death of a rookie police officer, the son of a dear widow friend. Lt. Diehl is even more unhelpful than usual. It turns out that internal affairs is quietly investigating. Contains Angel Martin.
22	22	"Just by Accident"	Jerry London	Charles Sailor & Eric Kaldor	February 28, 1975
Rockford probes the death of a racecar driver who went off a cliff.
23	23	"Roundabout"	Lou Antonio	Teleplay: Mitchell Lindemann and Edward J. Lakso Story: Michell Lindemann	March 7, 1975
A woman living in poverty is hesitant about putting a $10,000 insurance check in the bank.