The Rockford Files (season 6)

The sixth and final season of The Rockford Files originally aired Fridays at 9:00-10:00 pm on NBC from September 28 to December 14, 1979. The final episode originally aired Thursday, January 10, 1980.

The Rockford Files
Season 6
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	12
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	September 28, 1979 – January 10, 1980
Season chronology

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
112	1	"Paradise Cove"	Stephen J. Cannell	Stephen J. Cannell	September 28, 1979
A metal detector-toting ex-sheriff, C.C. Calloway (Leif Erickson), is doing everything he can to force Rockford to move. He has already won a legal judgment against Rockford, causing the court to appoint Althea Morgan (Mariette Hartley) to assess Rockford’s ability to pay. Against Rockford’s wishes she manouvers the local residents into hiring him to serve as the security guard for the cove. In that capacity Rockford locks horns with a trio of midnight diggers on the beach, and learns that there may be a stolen horde of gold bullion from the 1930s buried under his trailor. With Byron Morrow, John Davey and Branscombe Richmond.
113 114	2 3	"Lions, Tigers, Monkeys and Dogs"	William Wiard	Juanita Bartlett	October 12, 1979
A socialite princess, Irene Rachevsky (Dana Wynter), hires Rockford to secretly guard her friend, Kendall Warren (Lauren Bacall), who is being stalked. Both women astound Jim in that they are living the good life despite having no money and no job. One man attacks Kendall and is later killed when he falls off a building, but Rockford is convinced he was doing it at the behest of someone else. As Jim and Kendall grow closer and look further into the attack they draw the ire of mid-level Mafioso boss, Tommy Manette (Carmine Caridi), who is also killed. The increasing body count sets Rockford against Chapman, but Kendall is easily able to handle the lieutenant. Kendall is attacked in the middle of the night in her own bedroom, until Rockford intervenes and saves her. The culprit is the publisher of a gossip magazine, Gus Fairfield (Michael Lombard), who says Princess Rachevsky put pressure on him to attack Kendall, that in return she would drop a libel lawsuit that was going to ruin his paper. The princess denies it, and no-one can think of a motive for her to attack Kendall, especially given that it was she who hired Rockford to protect Kendall in the first place. Rockford is not sure what to make of it. With Ed Nelson, Leo Gordon, Julie Parrish, Jon Cedar and Corinne Camacho.
115	4	"Only Rock 'n' Roll Will Never Die: Part 1"	William Wiard	David Chase	October 19, 1979
Rockford’s hangdog friend Eddie (George Loros) recommends him to his boss, rock and roll star Tim Ritchie (Kristoffer Tabori), to look for Brian Ritchie, Tim’s ex-partner in his band, who has gone missing and has a spotty history of drug use and iffy associations. Rockford would not be interested in the gig except he’s being paid twice his usual rate. At the same time a smart and attractive reporter, Whitney Cox (Marcia Strassman), is wandering freely over the estate of the rock star, who himself is in the middle of contested settlement proceedings with an ex. Eddie has a huge crush on Whitney, but she only has eyes for Tim. Rockford’s investigation turns up little, he is assaulted, and Ritchie has been hiding information from him, so he quits. Everyone is disappointed: Jim does not get paid, Brian does not get found, and Eddie gets fired because his recommendation fell flat. Later a drunken Eddie confronts a frustrated Jim outside his trailor and they quarrel, until someone shoots at them. With Lenny Baker, Stanley Brock, Leigh Christian, Michael Champion, Jesse Dizon and Jean-Paul Vignon.
116	5	"Only Rock 'n' Roll Will Never Die: Part 2"	William Wiard	David Chase	October 26, 1979
Rockford and Eddie (George Loros) investigate who shot at them. Their search has them brushing up against such record industry staples as egotistical producers and rockers’ ex-lovers, but their best lead is when they learn the missing Brian had passed a recording master of Tim Ritchie’s latest opus to industry man Bernie Seldon (Stanley Brock), and the market was subsequently flooded by bootleg albums. Rockford puts the information together with other bits and pieces he’d learned, and he and Eddie and Whitney (Marcia Strassman) find Brian’s body buried in the garden where he was living. Jim has a meaningful conversation with the grieving Tim Ritchie (Kristoffer Tabori). Later the television news reports that Seldon has been charged with musical piracy but no-one has a good idea who killed Brian. Watching, Rockford (with Rocky) and Whitney (with Eddie) have simultaneous realizations on who did it, and head off to prove their theory. With Lenny Baker, Leigh Christian, Michael Champion, Jesse Dizon and Jean-Paul Vignon.
117	6	"Love Is the Word" "Some Things You Can Tell Yourself"	John Patterson	David Chase	November 9, 1979
Rockford is asked by on-again off-again flame Megan Dougherty (Kathryn Harrold) to clear a man, Jeffrey Smith (Anthony Herrera), suspected of serious offences. The emotional complications soar when she reveals she and Jeff are engaged. The case complications follow when Jeff disappears and is suspected of murder. With David Carroll, Van Williams and Richard Cox.
118	7	"Nice Guys Finish Dead"	John Patterson	Stephen J. Cannell	November 16, 1979
Rockford has won the investigator-of-the-year award for some obscure clerical comparisons he made. A state senator is murdered at the annual dinner where Jim is to receive his trophy, and the hapless Freddie Beamer (James Whitmore Jr.) is the prime suspect. Rockford bails out Beamer and will help him clear his name, but also on the scene is true blue investigator Lance White (Tom Selleck), to whom clues and solved cases – and everyone but Rockford’s high praises – come effortlessly. By the time the real murderer is revealed Rockford might not even have won the award. With Simon Oakland, Larry Manetti, Fritzi Burr, Roscoe Born and Erica Hagen.
119	8	"The Hawaiian Headache"	William Wiard	Stephen J. Cannell	November 23, 1979
Rockford is Rocky’s guest on a Hawaiian vacation he won, but has no time to enjoy the sun and surf. His old army commander (Ken Swofford) enlists him on a secret “routine” intelligence errand. When it goes awry it leaves a mess involving a dead body, a lost case of money, Jim having been drugged and having to escape Vietnamese spies with guns, and Rocky furious at Jim for ruining his vacation. With Danny Kamekona, Christopher Cary, James Murtaugh and W.K. Strattonn.
120	9	"No Fault Affair"	Corey Allen	Juanita Bartlett	November 30, 1979
Rita Capkovic (Rita Moreno) escapes her sadistic pimp (Jerry Douglas) and goes to hide out at Rockford’s, but her plans for a new career fall through and she becomes disillusioned. The pimp tracks her down and says he will kill Rockford if she refuses to go back to work for him. Rockford enlists Angel’s help in getting her alone, which sets the stage for the final confrontation. With Corinne Camacho, Iggie Wolfington, William Beckley and Jillian Kesner-Graver.
121	10	"The Big Cheese"	Joseph Pevney	Shel Willens	December 7, 1979
A reporter friend Eddie Hellinger (Francis X. McCarthy) tells Rockford to expect an important package from him in the mail. Mobster Chuck Ryan (Alan Manson) wants the package back at all costs and will send a couple of thugs to Rockford’s home for as long as it takes to await the mail’s daily arrival. Rockford goes searching for Eddie but learns from an unsympathetic Lieutenant Chapman that his dead body has been found. Rockford is told by Sally Packard (Constance Towers), who claims to be a co-worker of Eddie’s, that he was working on a series of stories about the mobster. Things make sense until the package arrives and it is nothing but a big cheese, which leaves a mystery for Rockford and Sally to solve. With Ben Andrews, Eldon Quick, Bill McLean and Alan Manson. This episode features the last appearance in the original series of Rocky (Noah Beery Jr.), Becker (Joe Santos) and Angel (Stuart Margolin). The latter two reappeared in the 'I Still Love LA' TV movie of 1994.
122	11	"Just a Coupla Guys"	Ivan Dixon	David Chase	December 14, 1979
Rockford is flown to New Jersey, but when he learns the case involves organized crime figures he wants no part of it. As circumstances unfold Rockford ends up advising a born again ex-mafia don, Joseph Lombard (Gilbert Green), on a matter that involves a dead body that was stolen with its casket. Also around are two neighbourhood toughs, Eugene (Greg Antonacci) and Mickey (Gene Davis), who have latched onto Lombard believing he is their ticket to becoming ‘connected’. They’re limited, but may have stumbled across the tracks of a hired killer, in from out of town. With Antony Ponzini, Simon Oakland, Arch Johnson, Robin Riker and Cliff Carnel.
123	12	"Deadlock in Parma"	Winrich Kolbe	Story by : Donald L. Gold & Lester Wm. Berke Teleplay by : Donald L. Gold & Lester Wm. Berke and Rudolph Borchert	January 10, 1980
While on a fishing trip Rockford gets swindled into casting a proxy vote on a law that would legalize gambling in the town of Parma. Jim finds himself with his hands full having to deal with an unseasoned journalist looking for a story, a corrupt sheriff looking to arrest him, and two sets of gangsters on opposite sides of the issue, both leaning on him to vote their way. With Jerry Hardin, Henry Beckman, Ben Piazza, Michael Cavanaugh, J. Edward McKinley, Virgil Frye, Gary Grubbs, Joseph Sirola and Sandra Kerns.