Many actors have a forgotten reboot or two on their resume. For example, “Chicago Fire” actor Dermot Mulroney starred in a forgotten remake of one of the best detective shows ever made, “The Rockford Files.” The remake came out in 2010 and was produced by NBC and actor Steve Carell’s production company Carousel Television. The show spotlighted Mulroney as Jim Rockford, and the supporting cast featured Alan Tudyk as Detective Dennis Becker, Beau Bridges as Rockford’s dad Rocky, and Melissa Sagemiller as love interest Beth Davenport.
With Mulroney’s massive reputation in Hollywood movies, his casting was big news at the time — but his celebrity and talents didn’t end up giving the show the boost it needed to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor. Only a pilot episode of the remake of “The Rockford Files” was made, and it was far from a hit. In fact, the attempt, which was directed by Michael W. Watkins and written by “House” creator David Shore, was so disliked by early audiences that the show never actually made it to NBC’s schedule.
Dermot Mulroney’s Rockford Files reboot couldn’t be saved
That response was the complete opposite of what the network expected from the project, which was considered one of the most anticipated pilots that year. The production’s main flaws were attributed to Michael W. Watkins — a seasoned director known for his work on “NYPD Blue” and “Law and Order” — and his meandering direction, which apparently couldn’t be fixed by recutting the episode. Because the show’s pilot — and, subsequently, Dermot Mulroney’s performance in the titular role, which garnered a mixed response from the first viewers — never made it to air, it has only ever been seen by a small handful of folks.
Universal went on to try to reboot the show as a film a few years later with Vince Vaughn producing and leading the project, but that attempt never moved forward. Most recently, “Bones” alum David Boreanaz was cast in the role Garner and Mulroney played for a new NBC reboot that was ordered to series in May 2026. As for Mulroney, he went on to have major roles in Showtime’s hit series “Shameless,” the CBS medical drama “Pure Genius,” the classic offbeat comedy “Arrested Development,” and Prime’s action drama “Hanna” before joining the “One Chicago” universe as Battalion Chief Dominic Pascal on “Chicago Fire” in 2024.
