David Boreanaz's The Rockford Files Reboot Sets January NBC Premiere

NBC's modern take on the classic James Garner detective series will debut January 2 after NFL coverage before moving to Thursday nights and streaming on Peacock.

Jim Rockford is heading back to television, and this time David Boreanaz is taking the wheel. NBC has announced that its new version of The Rockford Files will make its debut Saturday, January 2, 2027, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, following the network's NFL coverage.

The series will move into its regular Thursday night time slot on January 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, joining NBC's crime drama lineup ahead of Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order. New episodes will also be available to stream the following day on Peacock.

Originally starring James Garner, The Rockford Files became a television favorite during its six-season run from 1974 to 1980. Garner played Jim Rockford, a former convict turned private investigator who preferred using his charm, quick thinking, and sense of humor to get himself out of trouble. Of course, trouble had a habit of finding him anyway.

The new series keeps that familiar premise while bringing Rockford into modern-day Los Angeles. Boreanaz stars as James Rockford, who has served time in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Now free, he's hoping to put his past behind him and make a legitimate living as a private investigator.

Unfortunately, his plans for a fresh start don't go quite as smoothly as he might like. Rockford's investigations soon put him in the crosshairs of local police and organized crime, leaving him to rely on his instincts, wit, and ability to talk his way through difficult situations.

Boreanaz is no stranger to long-running television dramas. After gaining recognition as Angel on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff Angel, he spent 12 seasons portraying FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth on Bones. He later starred as Jason Hayes on the military drama SEAL Team.

Joining Boreanaz are Michaela McManus, Jacki Weaver, Felix Solis and Ilfenesh Hadera. McManus portrays Kate, an East Hollywood detective with a complicated history involving Rockford, while Weaver plays Karma, one of his neighbors. Solis portrays Nitty, a former criminal who has become a defense attorney.

The series comes from writer and showrunner Mike Daniels, who also serves as an executive producer alongside Carl Beverly and Sarah Timberman. David Hudgins joined the creative team following the pilot. Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, produces the drama.

NBC is also having a little fun promoting Rockford's return. In a nod to one of the original show's most recognizable features, the network has introduced a fictional advertising campaign for Rockford's private investigation business, complete with a telephone hotline and a recorded message featuring Boreanaz.

Fans of the original series will remember Rockford's answering machine, which opened episodes with a different message, often from someone trying to collect money, complain about a case, or otherwise complicate his life. The messages became one of the show's trademarks and helped establish its offbeat sense of humor before the story even began.

The new promotional campaign takes a similar approach, inviting audiences into Rockford's world before the series premieres. It's a marketing idea reminiscent of Better Call Saul, which used fictional advertisements and telephone promotions for its own colorful attorney.

Bringing back The Rockford Files also gives NBC an opportunity to introduce one of television's best-known private investigators to viewers who may never have watched Garner's original performance. For longtime fans, however, the real question will be whether Boreanaz can capture the humor, personality, and reluctant heroism that made Jim Rockford such a memorable character.

Audiences will get their first look when The Rockford Files premieres Saturday, January 2, 2027, on NBC. The series begins its regular Thursday schedule January 7, with episodes available the following day on Peacock.