I guess I have to agree with Christopher, the fact that it's a re-telling doesn't automatically make it bad. The odds, though, are very much against it, and I agree with the others who have said that the show and James Garner are so fondly remembered that it will set the bar pretty high.
As for the casting, I don't know who could pull it off today. James Garner was a full-fledged Big Screen Star when he took the role, and he had enough clout to basically set up the cast and the whole production the way he wanted. The quality of the Beery/Santos/Margolin/Corbett/Luisi ensemble was in large part due to the respect Garner had for his colleagues and his "team building" skills among cast and crew. Maybe a guy like George Clooney could do it, but he definitely doesn't seem interested in doing series TV again. Otherwise, it will take a very strong show-runner to maintain a level of quality comparable to the original Rockford Files, and as far as I'm concerned House isn't even in the same ballpark.
Another important issue: What kind of car will they give Jimbo? I don't see many worthy successors to the old gold Firebird on the market today.
--Justin
As for the casting, I don't know who could pull it off today. James Garner was a full-fledged Big Screen Star when he took the role, and he had enough clout to basically set up the cast and the whole production the way he wanted. The quality of the Beery/Santos/Margolin/Corbett/Luisi ensemble was in large part due to the respect Garner had for his colleagues and his "team building" skills among cast and crew. Maybe a guy like George Clooney could do it, but he definitely doesn't seem interested in doing series TV again. Otherwise, it will take a very strong show-runner to maintain a level of quality comparable to the original Rockford Files, and as far as I'm concerned House isn't even in the same ballpark.
Another important issue: What kind of car will they give Jimbo? I don't see many worthy successors to the old gold Firebird on the market today.
--Justin