The Rockford Files

James Garner's The Rockford Files undoubtedly had a big effect on me growing up. I think I've seen every episode at least a couple of times and there are several standouts including White on White and Almost Perfect with Tom Selleck and, of course, The Return of the Black Shadow. In this episode, Jim is ambushed by bikers, as I recall, in the desert. Not only did this episode influence The Devil's Highway, it's also mentioned in the novel. Motorcycle enthusiasts are still talking about it too.

The memorable theme song for the show is also discussed by Bobby Black and Frank Shuster. You can hear it here: