David Boreanaz has been cast to play Jim Rockford in upcoming NBC reboot of The Rockford Files

Deadline reports NBC has found their Jim Rockford for its upcoming reboot of ’70s classic The Rockford Files. David Boreanaz takes the lead and while it’s currently only a pilot, his track record speaks volumes about the show’s possible longevity. Buffy, Angel, Bones (over 200 episodes) and SEALS (over 100 episodes) all suggest this is an inspired piece of casting.

What do we know about the show

The part was originally synonymous with James Garner, and while The Rockford Files is set in Los Angeles, the pilot will shoot in Atlanta with additional filming in Los Angeles. It has not been determined where production on the potential series would be based should the pilot get picked up.

The reboot comes from writer Mike Daniels, producers Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly and Universal Television. In it, newly paroled after doing time for a crime he didn’t commit, James Rockford (Boreanaz) returns to his life as a private investigator using his charm and wit to solve cases around Los Angeles, with his charmingly gruff exterior masking a strong moral core. It doesn’t take long for his quest for legitimacy to land him squarely in the crosshairs of both local police and organised crime.

Assuming pilot filming soon, we expect further cast news in coming months.