This date in ROCKFORD FILES history: “Roundabout,” the episode with perhaps the slowest chase in the history of television, airs on Mar. 7, 1975

March 7, 1975

Because Rockford, unlike most private eyes, is a little out of shape, it doesn’t take long for him to become winded. However, Robertson is not in great condition, either—in fact, both men are gasping and chugging by the time Rockford finally catches up to Robertson and tags him (“I got you!”). As the two men both sit down and catch their breath, the camera pulls away, enabling the viewer to see that Rockford had chased Robertson to the bottom of the dam.

Lou Antonio, who directed this episode, took us behind the scenes of “Roundabout” in a 2018 interview on TV Confidential.

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