Blu-ray Review The Rockford Files: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[Nelson Au]

I cannot answer the question as I have no way to reference it. I’ve watched about 6 episodes of the first season blu ray. If you’re asking about the opening, that could be the titles when the answering machine has a different person leaving a different message. They’ve been different for each episode. Sounds ok.

if you’re referring to the pilot film, that opening been edited and split into two episodes. I went out of my way to also buy the DVD set of the second season that has the original pilot. I have not watched the DVD yet.

Maybe you’re referring to something else?

Aside from that, I’m sure there are more expert Rockfordphiles out there who knows more. Or the book that Lorenzo mentions sounds like a great reference.

 

[Flashgear]

I'm so confused. Do the blu-rays have the correct openings, and if not, do the dvds have the correct openings? Is the Mill Creek dvd set the same transfers as the Universal?

I can definitely attest to the fact that the Mill Creek DVDs are derived from newer transfers than the old Universal DVDS, and superior to them. Universal remastered the entire series for Mill Creek's discs, new syndication and streaming.

I have the Mill Creek complete series Blu-ray of The Rockford Files and recommend it highly. This show has never looked better! It is a gorgeous presentation, I've long since given away my old Universal DVDs.

I have heard there are minor (to me, minor) differences in the answering message sequence of the opening credits on different DVD versions of SOME episodes, differing from the original network airings. I have no idea why such minor differences came to be. Considering how great the Blu-ray set is, I don't care at all about such minutiae.

 

[Wiseguy]

I cannot answer the question as I have no way to reference it. I’ve watched about 6 episodes of the first season blu ray. If you’re asking about the opening, that could be the titles when the answering machine has a different person leaving a different message. They’ve been different for each episode. Sounds ok.

if you’re referring to the pilot film, that opening been edited and split into two episodes. I went out of my way to also buy the DVD set of the second season that has the original pilot. I have not watched the DVD yet.

Maybe you’re referring to something else?

Aside from that, I’m sure there are more expert Rockfordphiles out there who knows more. Or the book that Lorenzo mentions sounds like a great reference.

I've asked this question a few times but never got a response. Is the pilot episode on the DVD set, the 90-minute version, the original or is it the slightly edited with changed-music version that was released on VHS?

"Although I do not have the DVDs or Blu-Rays, I do have the VHS version which I have been told is the version on the Region 1 DVDs. This is NOT the original version. The most obvious change is the theme music is re-recorded (stereo?). The original had the same recording as the first-season episodes. Also they tried to make it look like a movie with no commercial breaks. The "space" between acts were removed and in some cases, the act-ending and next-act-opening music was removed. And in one case the act was shortened: originally, after Angel tells Sara he and Rockford were in the pen together, the camera focused on Lindsay Wagner's face in a freeze frame while a piece of music played. On the VHS, the entire freeze frame was removed and the next act begins immediately with the opening music of the next act also removed. Ironically, this was left intact on the 2-part version even though no commercial was placed there. The final music at the end in the Las Vegas jail is not the same as in the syndicated episodes so I would assume that is new music also. Having only seen the original once when NBC reran it in 1976 I would have bought the DVDs just to see the original versions after seeing the syndicated versions so often."

Has anyone seen Rockford on get tv? They do some strange things with the opening credits. First they show the original first-season opening (with the faster pan across the desk) throughout the first-season reruns. Then they continue this into the second season, ignoring the fact that Joe Santos should be credited.* They finally started superimposing a Joe Santos credit (with a not-quite matching font) over the video rather than just using the original video. Most surprising is (and I kept rewinding the video to make sure) the opening to the third-season premiere ("The Fourth Man") had absolutely no credits on it, the video was completely blank! (No James Garner credit, series title or Noah Beery credit!) They have probably fixed it by now but I will be looking to see if it's repeated.** Finally they seem to start showing the actual real openings sometime in the third season but I can't be sure if that's right.

*This was also done on The CBS Late Movie back in 1978-79. A generic opening was made crediting James Garner and Noah Beery was made but they still used that opening for other season reruns. Joe Santos wasn't credited at all.

** Similar to MeTV's broadcast of "Fade In, Fade Out," M*A*S*H's two-part sixth-season opener, in which both Larry Linville AND David Ogden Stiers are credited in the same episode. I saw that opening in the last two runs.

 

[Wiseguy]

That Blu Rockford all-in-one-- don't know if I asked, but do the seasons within (outside of the sixth and final 10-episode go) have the discs stacked up two to a side?

It's 12 episodes (but even if you incorrectly count "Lions, Tigers, Monkeys and Dogs" as one episode, it's still 11 episodes.)

 

[ponset]

Sorry to see that Bo Hopkins has passed away.
He was in a handful of ROCKFORD FILES, played "John Copper" in Season 5.

 

[Desslar]

Sorry to see that Bo Hopkins has passed away.
He was in a handful of ROCKFORD FILES, played "John Copper" in Season 5.

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I remember seeing him on Dynasty. He seems to often have that odd quizzical expression going.

 

[SuperClark]

All seasons free in HD here
See on Amazon

 

[bmasters9]

Most surprising is (and I kept rewinding the video to make sure) the opening to the third-season premiere ("The Fourth Man") had absolutely no credits on it, the video was completely blank! (No James Garner credit, series title or Noah Beery credit!) They have probably fixed it by now but I will be looking to see if it's repeated.**

Do you mean by that that all you saw was the normal visuals of the opening (the desk, the various shots of L.A. and Jim Rockford, etc.), while hearing the normal sounds of the opening (Jim Rockford talking, the answering machine message of the week, and the title track)?

 

[ponset]

 

[Desslar]

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Very cool. Well, the flabby Rockford figure in a hideous off-the-rack jacket not so much, but the model car and ad are great.

 

[Wiseguy]

Do you mean by that that all you saw was the normal visuals of the opening (the desk, the various shots of L.A. and Jim Rockford, etc.), while hearing the normal sounds of the opening (Jim Rockford talking, the answering machine message of the week, and the title track)?

Yes, I saw the desk and the phone but there were no credits at all. Where the James Garner credit would normally appear (and the phone was ringing) the picture was black.

Another strange change was at the end of "House on Willis Avenue" Part 1 when it says To Be Continued, there used to be silence. On the recent getTV broadcast they played the short NBC bumper music (originally 1975-80) over the words. Where would they even get this music and why add it to the episode there?

 

[Wiseguy]

Very cool. Well, the flabby Rockford figure in a hideous off-the-rack jacket not so much, but the model car and ad are great.

To be more accurate the car should look like it went over a cliff or a bomb exploded within.

 

[Desslar]

To be more accurate the car should look like it went over a cliff or a bomb exploded within.

Did the car get wrecked that often? I am still early in the series, and don't recall seeing it get beat up that much.

They should have made a trailer playset too, with a trap door for bill collectors.

 

[Worth]

There were some terrible continuity errors with the Firebird in some episodes - they intercut between different model years, so the car would have round headlights in one shot, square in the next.

 

[Wiseguy]

There were some terrible continuity errors with the Firebird in some episodes - they intercut between different model years, so the car would have round headlights in one shot, square in the next.

Did they ever do that on the actual aired series? I know they did it when "This Case Is Closed" was expanded to a two-parter with "new" scenes added.

 

[Wiseguy]

Did the car get wrecked that often? I am still early in the series, and don't recall seeing it get beat up that much.

They should have made a trailer playset too, with a trap door for bill collectors.

It blew up in "Gearjammers," went off a cliff in "The Trees, The Bees and T.T. Flowers" and got wrecked in "Beamer's Last Case" and "Just by Accident," just to name a few. But no matter what happened it always came back with the same license plate 853 OKG (except in early episodes when it was 835 OKG)

 

[David Weicker]

It blew up in "Gearjammers," went off a cliff in "The Trees, The Bees and T.T. Flowers" and got wrecked in "Beamer's Last Case" and "Just by Accident," just to name a few. But no matter what happened it always came back with the same license plate 853 OKG (except in early episodes when it was 835 OKG)

what episodes had 835?
The 853 OKG was chosen by Garner himself - he began acting in August '53 and "OK"lahoma was where "G"arner was born

 

[Wiseguy]

what episodes had 835?
The 853 OKG was chosen by Garner himself - he began acting in August '53 and "OK"lahoma was where "G"arner was born

Early first season episodes.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

It blew up in "Gearjammers," went off a cliff in "The Trees, The Bees and T.T. Flowers" and got wrecked in "Beamer's Last Case" and "Just by Accident," just to name a few. But no matter what happened it always came back with the same license plate 853 OKG (except in early episodes when it was 835 OKG)

You can pretty much count on either the car getting wrecked, Rockford getting beat up / shot at, or Rockford getting arrested in each episode.

 

[Wiseguy]

You can pretty much count on either the car getting wrecked, Rockford getting beat up / shot at, or Rockford getting arrested in each episode.

Or a car chase. The second season seemed to require a car chase in every episode.