David Boreanaz‘s long streak of TV leading roles that stretches back into the 1990s will continue. A new pilot starring the Bones leading man, which revives a classic and much-beloved detective series of the 1970s, has been picked up to series. It will debut this fall on NBC.

According to reports, Boreanaz‘ reboot of The Rockford Files has been added to NBC‘s fall schedule. Boreanaz will star as Jim Rockford, a recent parolee who was sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Now he’s back in LA and trying to put his life back together as a private investigator, only to find himself caught between law enforcement and organized crime. The series will also star Michaela McManus (9-1-1: Lone Star) as Kate, an LAPD detective who was romantically entangled with Rockford until he accused her fellow cops of framing him; Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook) as Rockford’s trailer-park neighbor, an experienced activist; and Felix Solis (The Rookie) as Nitty, a crusading defense attorney who’s also Rockford’s best friend.

What Was the Original ‘Rockford Files’ About?

Premiering with a feature-length TV movie in the spring of 1974, The Rockford Files made its debut as a regular series that following fall, and continued on for six seasons, plus eight reunion TV movies in the 1990s. James Garner (The Great Escape) starred as Jim Rockford, a one-time con man turned private investigator. He makes a living with the help of his lovable dad Rocky (Noah Beery Jr., Walking Tall), cop buddy Dennis Becker (Joe Santos, The Friends of Eddie Coyle), and his lawyer and sometimes love interest Beth Davenport (Gretchen Corbett, Portlandia) — and no help from onetime prison pal Angel Martin (Stuart Margolin, Death Wish), whose hare-brained schemes always got Rockford in hot water. The series made Garner and his gold-painted Pontiac Firebird Esprit iconic; each episode typically featured at least one high-octane car chase, and Garner did much of his own stunt driving. The series was created by Roy Huggins (Maverick) and Stephen J. Cannell (The A-Team), and was an early showcase for the writing of future Sopranos creator David Chase.

The Rockford Files is created by Mike Daniels (Ponies, Sons of Anarchy). It will be produced by Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly for Universal Television. Its pilot will be directed by Greg Mottola (Superbad).

The Rockford Files has been ordered to series at NBC; no premiere date has yet been announced.

via Collider