Richie Brockelman, Private Eye

"The Rockford Files" abruptly ended in 1980 (due to James Garner's health issues), with several unproduced scripts waiting in the wings.  Its Friday night time slot was taken over by "Pink Lady and Jeff" (not quite the real title, but I don't care). One wishes that NBC would have instead dusted-off a replacement from a couple years before: "Richie Brockelman, Private Eye."  Aside from a different lead actor and some heavier music cues,
"Brockelman" looked and felt just like "The Rockford Files."

It started as a TV movie near the beginning of the 1976-77 season, written by Rockford’s Stephen J. Cannell with Stephen Bochco, later of Hill Street Blues. (His HSB co creator, Michael Kozoll, wrote one episode of Brockelman, too).

The character popped up again the following season, in a 2-hour Rockford at the end of the 1977-78 season. A few weeks later, Richie's own show took over Rockford’s time slot (up against "The Incredible Hulk"… hence the soft ratings).

We last saw Richie at the end of the 1978-79 season in another 2-hour Rockford.

The two crossovers with "Rockford" are on that show's DVD sets.  But the "Richie" pilot and five episodes haven't been officially released. You can find a few of them on YouTube, however:

*pilot-The Missing 24 Hours (Oct 27, 1976) —2 hours

*Rockford: The House on Willis Avenue (February 28, 1978) —2 hours

*1-The Framing of Perfect Sydney (March 17, 1978)

*2-Junk it to Me Baby (March 24, 1978)

*3-A Title on the Door and a Carpet on the Floor (March 31, 1978)

*4-A Pigeon Ripe For Plucking (April 7, 1978)

*5-Escape From Caine Abel (April 14, 1978)

*Rockford: Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man's Job (March 3, 1979)—2 hours

And here's a cute intro that Dugan made with James Garner.

Other connections: Rockford directors Hy Averback, Ivan Dixon, and Arnold Laven all directed RB episodes. Laven also helmed three HSB episodes.

Cannell and Bochco wrote not only the RB pilot, but one other episode.

Over the course of all these productions, Richie’s dad kept changing, played by three familiar faces: Norman Fell (pilot), John Randolph (the RB series), and Harold Gould (the second Rockford episode).

Richie’s Secretary was played by Barbara Bosson, who was Bochco’s wife. She later showed up on HSB as Fay Furillo.

Robert Hogan filled a Dennis Becker-type role on RB… and he also guested on both Rockford and HSB.

Sharon Gless, David Spielberg, and Rene Auberjonois all guested on both RB and Rockford. I’m sure there’s others I’ll notice as watch everything.

And of course, Dennis Dugan himself had a memorable story arc as Captain Freedom during season two of HSB.