Not being that familiar with the original series, this was my first introduction to Garner's classic character. I did like The Rockford Files and I can see the similarities between Jim Rockford and Bret Maverick, as Garner's easy going style suits both. A little more than a western version of Rockford, here, Maverick must rely on a series of excellent supporting characters to keep his schemes from getting to far out of control. While Maverick never loses, as the great theme song reminds us, he comes awful close in each episode and it is usually played for comic effect.
A little slower and relaxed in Sweetwater, this version has Maverick settled down instead of drifting from town to town. This allows Maverick to have a real presence in town: part redeemed con artist, unofficial mayor and the guy to go to when things get rough.
NBC gave up on this series way too soon and it had decent ratings. With Garner's built in fan based, top executives were too eager to pull the plug as NBC struggled mightily during this time period (they cut short William Conrad's Nero Wolfe too soon as well). This early cancellation was a real shame. The last episode revealed a very fun con story, when, within the last minute, Jack Kelly returned as Brett's brother Bart. It was a great setup for what was supposed to be the return of Bart on a weekly basis. Instead, we get a playful brief interaction between the two of them that sadly, revealed what could have been versus the beginning of a whole new set of adventures for the lead principles. Sad.
But, it's on dvd and check it out if your a fan of Garner. He slips into the role gracefully and the show overall is well written.
A little slower and relaxed in Sweetwater, this version has Maverick settled down instead of drifting from town to town. This allows Maverick to have a real presence in town: part redeemed con artist, unofficial mayor and the guy to go to when things get rough.
NBC gave up on this series way too soon and it had decent ratings. With Garner's built in fan based, top executives were too eager to pull the plug as NBC struggled mightily during this time period (they cut short William Conrad's Nero Wolfe too soon as well). This early cancellation was a real shame. The last episode revealed a very fun con story, when, within the last minute, Jack Kelly returned as Brett's brother Bart. It was a great setup for what was supposed to be the return of Bart on a weekly basis. Instead, we get a playful brief interaction between the two of them that sadly, revealed what could have been versus the beginning of a whole new set of adventures for the lead principles. Sad.
But, it's on dvd and check it out if your a fan of Garner. He slips into the role gracefully and the show overall is well written.