Displaying items 111-118 of 118 in total of Two Hundred A Day with the tag "television".
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Episode 38: The Big Ripoff
August 26th, 2018 | 1 hr 23 mins
1970s, 70s, flights, insurance fraud, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, paris, primitive, rockford files, television, tv
Nathan and Eppy discuss S1E7 The Big Ripoff. Jim goes on a European jaunt to track down the truth about a widow who received a big insurance payout, but his client doesn't buy his conclusion that the husband is still alive. Trying to figure out a way to get paid for his work, Jim goes to the insurance company, leading him to yet another town in California to prove that Steve Nelson is still alive. We felt a very strong "back to basics" vibe with this episode, which features a fantastically tight script by series creator Roy Huggins, good humor, and a fun mystery that keeps the energy moving with each reveal of the NEXT thing that's going on.
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Episode 37: The Attractive Nuisance
July 29th, 2018 | 1 hr 32 mins
1970s, 70s, chili, fbi, garlic, gearjammers, grey power, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, rockford files, telescope, television, tv
Nathan and Eppy discuss S4E14 The Attractive Nuisance. Rocky has started a road-side restaurant, but a mysterious figure keeps prowling around the place. Simultaneously, Jim is being threatened by a lawsuit from a guy who climbed onto his trailer to look at the interesting telescope that was up there. In trying to keep Rocky out of trouble and also track down why his roof was REALLY so interesting, both Rockfords are caught up in a knotty situation with roots in the Prohibition era mob/FBI conflict. Thankfully, a smooth Cannell script keeps watching this mess unfold entertaining and rewarding. Maybe an episode that actually is better the second time you watch it, but it has a lot of fun, noir-inspired characters, witty dialogue, and a strong set of motifs throughout that keep this messy mystery engaging.
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Episode 36: The Mayor's Committee from Deer Lick Falls
June 30th, 2018 | 1 hr 31 mins
1970s, 70s, deer lick falls, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, rockford files, television, the brown derby, tolkien lives!, tv, waldenbooks
Nathan and Eppy discuss S4E9 The Mayor's Committee from Deer Lick Falls. A group of stand-up citizens from Deer Lick Falls, Michigan employ Jim to find them a firetruck, but of course that's just a cover for their real intent: hiring a hit man! Once Jim rejects their offer, he needs to find the niece who's the target and try to convince the various bureaucracies involved that these "black-belts in respectability" have murder on their mind. A memorable episode that approaches the Rockford Files formula from a skewed direction, we really liked this one, and not just for all of the connections to Eppy's childhood haunts!
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Episode 35: The Empty Frame
June 17th, 2018 | 1 hr 30 mins
1970s, 70s, angel martin, art, bloody, helicopter, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, rockford files, status, storming the winter palace, television, tv
Nathan and Eppy discuss S5E8: The Empty Frame. We finally meet Angel's brother-in-law Aaron as he's being feted as the new Police Commissioner - but a cadre of socialist revolutionaries breaks up the party and steals the art of the hosts, John & Jeff, right off the walls! Jim is hired to track down the paintings while the police conduct their own investigation, but each thing Jim discovers leads to new questions. He has to untangle a dense web of motivations to solve this one, an effort hindered by Angel's newly-found position of influence, but aided by Lt. Chapman's fall from grace... it's a great episode! Funny and emotionally impactful, well-structured and full of great characters. Recommended!
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Episode 34: Nice Guys Finish Dead
May 27th, 2018 | 1 hr 31 mins
1970s, 70s, award show, beamer, james garner, jim rockford, lance white, p.i, rockford files, television, tom selleck, tv
Nathan and Eppy finally venture into Season 6 to discuss E7 Nice Guys Finish Dead. Featuring a returning Tom Selleck as Lance White alongside the also-returning James Whitmore Jr as Freddie Beamer, this comedic episode is all about watching these strong, counterpointed characters collide. Jim and Lance are trying to clear Beamer from being blamed for a murder that occurred right in the middle of a PI association conference! While this episode does have a lot of good gags and character work, it feels to us more like an excuse for the series to have a little fun with its own tropes than a fully realized mystery story.
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Episode 33: The Competitive Edge
May 13th, 2018 | 1 hr 31 mins
1970s, 70s, dr. feelgood, green drink, james garner, jim rockford, one flew over the cuckoos nest, p.i, rockford files, television, the alphian way, tv
Nathan and Eppy discuss S4E19 The Competitive Edge. Hired to track down the disappearance of a bank executive by his wife, Jim stumbles upon the secret of an exclusive "health club" The Alphian Way, leading to his own abduction to a rural mental health institution! While leaning a little too hard on the comedic portrayal of the mentally ill, this episode is a tightly-plotted piece with a wonderfully broad cast of character actors, and we find a lot to like inside the fantastical story.
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Episode 32: So Help Me God
April 29th, 2018 | 1 hr 33 mins
1970s, 70s, criminal justice reform, fifth amendment, grand jury, james garner, jim rockford, night rider, p.i, rockford files, social justice, television, tv
Nathan and Eppy are joined by special guest Jess Banks to discuss one of the most memorable, and perhaps influential, episodes of The Rockford Files: S3E7 So Help Me God. Jim is called before a grand jury to testify about a case he knows nothing about, and when he invokes his Fifth Amendment rights he is jailed on contempt of court! This "issue episode" dramatizes the use of grand juries to compel witness testimony and exploit the mechanisms of justice to deprive innocent people of their rights, in a way that is compelling and educational, not preachy. Jess brings in the perspective of an activist for criminal justice reform (among other things!) and really brings a lot to our discussion. Enjoy!
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Episode 31: In Hazard
April 15th, 2018 | 1 hr 30 mins
1970s, 70s, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, rockford files, television, tv
Nathan and Eppy discuss S2E18 In Hazard. Beth has been poisoned! While she recovers, Jim has to find out who did it and why before something more terrible happens. In the process, he runs afoul of an embezzlement scheme gone south, bringing an unhappy mob boss into the picture. A suggestion from a Patreon backer, this is a good solid episode that features all of the elements of The Rockford Files that we appreciate, as well as some truly memorable camerawork from director Jackie Cooper that enhances the story tremendously!