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Most shows may be on summer hiatus, but the 2026 TV schedule is heating up for the fall and beyond. NBC, for instance, picked up five shows for the 2026-2027 season. This includes the much-talked-about Rockford Files reboot starring David Boreanaz. The original show ran in the ‘70s and starred James Garner, and like any reboot, fans of the beloved series are on the fence about this new project. However, Boreanaz made a great point about why he's doing it while addressing fans who think he shouldn’t.
It was announced earlier this year that NBC had given a pilot order to a reboot of The Rockford Files, with Boreanaz tapped to star as the titular P.I. James “Jim” Rockford the following month. With Boreanaz’s track record of successful TV series, such as Angel, Bones, and the CBS-turned-Paramount+ military drama SEAL Team, it’s possible that The Rockford Files will also go far. Reboots, however, can be a hit or miss, especially when it comes to beloved classics. Boreanaz knows there are people who believe the OG show shouldn’t be touched, but he made a good point about why this revival is worthy while at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival (via Variety):
People say that maybe you shouldn’t do it. But come on, how many James Bonds have there been? My attitude is ‘How can I make James Garner proud?’ while still doing my own take on the character.
I definitely understand where the Bones actor is coming from. A handful of characters, like James Bond, have been done time and time again, and people still watch. Who’s to say the same can’t happen for Jim Rockford?
There have been a couple of attempts to remake The Rockford Files, both as a series and a movie, but neither made it far. This reboot will be the first remake since the original series ended in 1980, so it’s not surprising that fans would be unsure about it. However, Boreanaz wants to do right by the character and the original series, as he said:
It’s got the iconic car and Rockford still lives in a trailer home, and in a lot of ways parts of Miami still feel as though you’re in the 1970s. The scripts do a really great job of balancing that nostalgia with a fresh take.
It sounds like The Rockford Files will honor the original while also being completely new. Boreanaz also seems to be ready to take on the Jim Rockford mantle and pay tribute to Garner, which is all that anyone can ask for. Speaking of which, he went to Garner's daughter, Gigi, before taking the role, to ask how she felt about the reboot. That alone shows how much the SEAL Team actor cares about honoring what came before him. The Rockford Files definitely has the right person taking on the show, and I’m excited to see how it goes.
Even though some fans still need to be convinced about the reboot, Boreanaz is still getting a lot of support from others and some friends, as well. After news broke that The Rockford Files would officially be coming to NBC, his Buffy and Angel co-star Charisma Carpenter showed her love and support, and it was as sweet as can be. Whether or not Carpenter will join her former co-star on the new show is unknown, but it would be fun to see the two of them on-screen together again.
The Rockford Files won’t be premiering this fall and will instead air in early 2027. The wait will surely be worth it, and in the meantime, fans can watch the original series with an Amazon Prime subscription.
