Did The Rockford Files Foreshadow "Magnum" PI Without Knowing It?

Good find!

Not uncommon though that guest stars eventually get their own shows. Been noticing this happened a lot with recognizing "unknowns" while watching old sit-coms.

Also BTW, note that the guy on the right in the second picture played lieutenant Bullitt's boss in the movie - another car-centric (for me at least) piece of entertainment.

 

What's the significance of the room number, Tommy? I'm guessing it's something more than just the revolver cartridge.

FWIW, I love the Rockford Files and Selleck was very funny as Lance White. But I'd completely forgotten that Larry Manetti was in that episode ("Nice Guys Finish Dead", according to the interwebZ).

 

Uhhhh...Room 308?????? Are you referring to 357 Magnum? Educamate me, please

 

That's some real X-Files stuff there!
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Oh a gun ??!! I thought what Ferrari has the designation of 357??
Sorry, over here in Australia we are not so switched on when it comes to hand guns.

 

Not just .357 but .357 Magnum. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.357_Magnum

 

Quite all right. We've made it a cultural thing where we try to shoot someone or have been shot yourself at least once before you turn 18.

Thread topic > Nice find Dr. T! I swear, you must have one hell of a memory to catch all this!

 

Same producer. Common to work with familiar cast.

 

Back in the '70's while working at Universal Studios, I remember Mr. Garner's 246 Dino parked out side the shooting stage for Rockford.

Thought it was pretty cool, few people could park a car like it was without being someone at the top.

I remember it being a sort of brown color.

 

357 "MAGNUM"... get it?? "Magnum"??

 

Also in Season Six (last season), episode 2, "Lions, Tigers, Monkeys and Dogs", a red 308 GTS pulls up for valet parking in the opening credits. I grabbed a couple of Netflix screen shots. More Magnum foreshadowing I guess...
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Nice finds!!!

So that Lions, Tigers, Monkeys and Dogs is from Rockford Files??



PDG

 

Yes, season 6, episode 2.

Not to derail the thread but Rockford Files featured several Ferraris during it's run. Most notably, a 250 GTO (now owned by Ralph Lauren), previously discussed here:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/vintage-thru-365-gtc4-sponsored-vintage-driving-machines/382448-real-fake-250-gto-rockford-files.html

I also recall a 246 GTB. Here's a link to a couple of Dinos on screen during the series.

IMCDb.org: 1969 Dino 246 GT Series I [607L] in "The Rockford Files, 1974-1980"

The silver one next to his trailer and Firebird is apparently from the first season, episode 3. Looks like the red one is from season 3, episode 14. There's a line from the doctor who owned the car that went something like this when handing the keys to a valet: "Be careful, that's a $25K car!"

 

What a great post, you should be a PI Tommy! Great fact finding everyone!

 

Donald P. Bellisario learned the trade under Stephen J. Cannell, including some work on Rockford Files, so he took a lot of ideas and some of the cast and crew to the Magnum P.I. set.

 

The only problem with that thinking is that the car originally wanted for Magnum P.I was a Porsche 928, not a Ferrari 308 GTS.

The Ferrari was actually a last minute replacement after Porsche refused to make the sunroof larger on a 928 to aid the filming of the show.

(Now had a Porsche 928 pulled up first, followed by a Ferrari 308 GTS - That would have been kind of freaky!)

 

I thought the same thing. I think that Rockford episode is from 1979, so it very well could be.

 

Magnum Trivia Quiz...I thought I was going to ace this, but actually missed 3

http://trc.taboola.com/crunchmind-sportingz/log/3/click?pi=%2Fopinions%2F41-huge-mistakes-youve-never-noticed-favourite-films%2F18&ri=338d430c248ba41973c05b0fe268dfc7&sd=v2_58634cbbe01ded98084b201642b651eb_99e1472a-65f0-4599-960a-3fb300203e50_1472681539_1472681639_CIi3jgYQ6f0_GNezqpXuKiAI&ui=99e1472a-65f0-4599-960a-3fb300203e50&it=photo&ii=~~V1~~5610784046331247265~~8K2j7IiSZcFVstlFsEdiiteJgxzn0K03nfbG9Ay1sicXlq4WDyBWe1Xn8Ycewqi2hp6pmerZudlpGF38dwBy7w&pt=text&li=rbox-t2m&redir=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zoo.com%2Fquiz%2Fmagnum-pi-quiz%3Fmkcpgn%3Di600003294%26%26utm_source%3Dtaboola%26utm_medium%3Dpaid%26utm_campaign%3DZoo-MagnumPI(desktop)%26utm_term%3Dcrunchmind-sportingz%26utm_content%3DOnly%2B17%2525%2Bof%2BPeople%2BWill%2BScore%2BHigh%2Bon%2BThis%2B%2527Magnum%252C%2BP.I.%2527%2BQuiz&vi=1472681646551&p=howstuffworks-sc&r=42&ppb=CKoE&cpb=EhkyMjQtMTItUkVMRUFTRS0ke3ZlcnNpb259GIURIAAqGWxhLnRhYm9vbGFzeW5kaWNhdGlvbi5jb20yCHdhdGVyMjQ0