Jim Rockford is getting his answering machine back. NBC's reboot of The Rockford Files, starring David Boreanaz, will debut Saturday, Jan. 2, 2027, at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT, right after the network's NFL broadcast, TVLine reported. Episodes stream on Peacock the next day.
After the special preview, the drama moves into its regular slot on Thursday, Jan. 7, at 8 p.m., joining NBC's Thursday lineup. Deadline and TV Insider also reported the dates.
A new Jim Rockford
Boreanaz, known for Bones, Angel and SEAL Team, takes over the role James Garner made famous in the original series, which ran on NBC from 1974 to 1980. NBC calls the new version a contemporary update. Rockford is newly paroled after serving time for a crime he didn't commit and goes back to work as a private investigator in Los Angeles, where his cases put him at odds with local police and organized crime.
The cast also includes Michaela McManus (Memory of a Killer), Ilfenesh Hadera (Will Trent) and Jacki Weaver (Clipped). NBC hasn't announced their characters.
Mike Daniels (Sons of Anarchy) writes and executive produces. Carl Beverly, Sarah Timberman and David Hudgins are also executive producers for Universal Television. NBC ordered the series in May.
To promote the premiere, NBC launched a hotline ad that plays on the original show's famous answering-machine opening.
Why it matters
A post-football launch is one of the biggest promotional pushes network TV can offer, and NBC is betting a familiar title can draw both longtime fans and new viewers in January. For Hadera, it's another high-profile network role after her turns on ABC's Will Trent and as Mayme Johnson on Godfather of Harlem.
Read more: 'Godfather of Harlem' Season 4 Trailer and 'Will Trent' Renewed for Season 3.
