The Rockford Files is an American detective (private investigator) television drama that had its first run on the NBC television network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980 and has been in constant syndication to the present day. The show is notable for the quality of its writing (mainly from Stephen J. Cannell, Juanita Bartlett, and David Chase), the easy charm and charisma of James Garner, who starred as Jim Rockford, and an agile Pontiac Firebird.