You Can’t Remake ‘The Rockford Files’
by John NolteThis is Jim Rockford. At the tone, leave your name and message, I’ll get back to you.
Here’s the message: You can’t remake “The Rockford Files.” You can call a television show “The Rockford Files.” Hell, you can call your parakeet “The Rockford Files,” but that doesn’t mean it’s “The Rockford Files.”
That show was James Garner, and if you’ve recently watched any of the episodes you know that the thirty-years that have passed since the program went off the air in 1980 have only served to cement its timelessness and status as a true classic. Sure, the sports coats might be a little loud and the sideburns too long, but Mike Post’s iconic theme, that awesome gold Pontiac Firebird and some of the best writing ever seen on television have kept the series as entertaining, compelling and fresh as anything produced today.

Nothing against Dermot Mulroney and Beau Bridges, both are fine actors but they aren’t James Garner and Noah Beery Jr. No one is. And no offense to anyone involved in the creation of the remake, but they aren’t Stephen J. Cannell, Roy Huggins, Chas. Floyd Johnson, David Chase, and Juanita Bartlett — the geniuses involved in creating and sustaining the best example of a television show built around an established star as I’ve ever seen.
The original “Rockford Files,” which ran on NBC from 1974 to 1980, was not just another hour-long detective/crime/mystery show. It was lightning in a bottle, the perfect mix of smart producers and talented writers who understood the unique quality of their star, James Garner, a man who could take an off-beat line of dialogue and make magic from it like no other.
Jim Rockford was also a character Garner had been perfecting for over a decade in films like “The Great Escape, “The Americanization of Emily,” and under-appreciated classics such as “Skin Game” and “Support Your Local Sheriff” — not to mention the television show “Maverick,” which was essentially Rockford on the frontier.
And what a delightfully interesting and endlessly fascinating character he was. On the surface, Jim Rockford was cheap (“I have expenses.”), always looking out for number one, ready to quit whenever threatened, rarely carried a gun (“Because I don’t want to shoot anyone!”), demanded his civil rights at the drop of a hat, and had no ambition beyond covering his monthly nut and going fishing with his dad, Rocky (Beery).

If the former con man and jailbird (for a crime he was innocent of) was ever the hero in any of the 122 mostly self-contained episodes, he was a reluctant one due to a complicated code of honor that somehow managed to remain consistent even as it kept surprising. Unlike his 1970s contemporaries such as Mannix, McCloud, Cannon, and Barnaby Jones, Rockford frequently failed to come out on top (his clients had a way of stiffing him), hated hitting people (it hurt the hand) and most of all, despised The Man: anyone in authority from police captains who forever threatened his license to lazy government bureaucrats who gave off attitude.
Rockford was cynical, glib, petty, a dirty fighter, had a temper, a smart mouth, a non-TV star waistline (tacos and Oreo cookies were a weakness), and chose to retain his fierce independence even though it meant barely scraping together a living in a rusty house trailer that uglied up a beachside Malibu parking lot. Rockford could also be intimidated (temporarily) and though he was always the smartest person in the room, it was surprisingly easy to catch him off guard.
But beneath those flaws and quirks was James Garner, a one-of-a-kind talent who gave this character what he gave all his characters, an unmistakable undercurrent of warmth and competence that kept us on his side. Boiled down to essentials, Jim Rockford was – unless he was running a game on some deserving scoundrel – an honest man who couldn’t help but offer the world a running verbal commentary on life as he saw it. Nothing was sacred, either. Government bureaucracy, pious hypocrites, and Hollywood celebrity would all come away with blisters after any confrontation with the working class PI .

One of these endearing slice of life moments…
We loved Rockford because he hated stupidity, insecurity, laziness and phonies as much as we did. And we loved him because even though he had led a life that had time and again made clear that there was no profit in doing the right thing, by the time the credits rolled – though he bitched and moaned the whole way there — Jim Rockford always did the right thing. He was also loyal to his friends, sometimes to a fault, and would risk his livelihood and even his life to get them out of a jam.
Much credit is also owed to the show’s creators for assembling an outstanding supporting cast of characters who were as key to the show’s chemistry and success as its star. Even though they bickered as much as anything else, the affection between Rockford and his father was one the best elements of every episode. As Rockford’s best friend, Joe Santos was memorably prickly and funny as put upon L.A. Sgt. Dennis Becker, and as the PI’s on-again off-again girlfriend/lawyer, Gretchen Corbett’s Beth Davenport was as tenacious and intelligent as she was beautiful.
And then there was The Mighty Stuart Margolin who won two well-deserved Emmys for his brilliantly funny portrayal of the hapless and disloyal Angel Martin, whose sole reason for being born must have been to exasperate his former cellmate, Rockford. Usually on the run from a hitman after devising some hare-brained get-rich-quick scheme even Ralph Kramden would’ve rejected, it inevitably fell to Rockford to save Angel’s skin.

Guest appearances were frequently just as memorable. My two favorites were Dennis Dugan as boy-faced Richie Brockelman, a PI/con man wannabe who idolized Rockford; and Tom Selleck’s unforgettable portrayal of Lance White, a handsome, wealthy PI who lived the fabulous life of a television detective in a world where clues were found just in time, wild hunches always paid off, and Rockford could only look on shaking his head at the absurdity of it all.
Over six seasons a caustic, complicated, paunchy, middle-aged Los Angeles PI managed to give almost as good as he got as he eked out a living filled with betrayals, disappointments, reversals, beatings and many a trip to jail. Through it all, though, James Rockford persevered, never once giving up an inch of his dignity or sharply observant sense of humor. This premise brought to life by geniuses and a creative alchemy even they had difficult recreating in a series of “Rockford” television films in the 90s, gave us one of the best one-hour dramas ever created.
So to those involved in this coming remake, I wish you nothing but success and a long run and the vast wealth that comes with syndication. May your show meet with critical acclaim and a shower of Emmys.
Whatever that show is.
Because no matter what you call it, it won’t be “The Rockford Files.”






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151 Comments
I believe The Rockford Files was an NBC show, not CBS.
Absolutely, Garner made the show.
One memory: Rockford is in trouble with a mobster, who sends some leg-breakers around to see him. After catching Jim in the parking lot, they start working him over.
Rockford looks at the thug punching him in the belly and asks "Does your mother know what you do for a living?"
I loved the Rockford files. I can remember coming home to sit and watch it with my dad. Angel was my favorite character.
fixed. thanks!
Unfortunately, it seems like there are few tv shows and movies that don't suffer the indignity of a remake. So much for originality.
I always hated Angel and wished Rockford would let him die . . . but that's me.
I think I got divorced over this show. My husband at the time, would eat dinner in the living room watchin (for the 400th time) and episode of the Rockford Files while the kids and I ate dinner in the dining room. How funny. (of course that wasn't the ONLY reason for our divorce….just one of many….)
Yeah so far only a very few shows can compete on (cable) TV. Rockford Files were one of the best!!
On the Mystery Science Theater 3000 treatment of "Mitchell" (staring Joe Don Baker), two guys do the same thing to Mitchell. When they drop him Joel says, "Oh, sorry. We thought you were Rockford."
I still remember a couple of the answering machine messages that started each episode. My favorite was "Hey Jim, there's a guy named Angel down here at the bar. He's running up a pretty big tab and charging it all to you. You gonna pay it?"
Mr. Nolte,
Yes, we know you are right. Hollywood can throw all the hairless pretty boys and money they want at this project but it will never be The Rockford Files
But you, of all people, should know that will never stop Hollywood from trying.
I've never understood why Hollywood thinks we would pay to see a cheap imitation (the Hollywood feature film) when we could see the original ( 3/4ths of a movie) every week for free. And now since we have DVDs it's just better.
Well, they're re-making Hawaii 5-0 and you just know that someone, somewhere, thinks they can remake Columbo.
AMEN. One of the greatest TV shows of all time, and it wouldn't have been anything without Garner, Beery, and Margolin. My old man didn't watch much TV, but when Rockford was on he would demand silence throughout the household and glue himself to the set for an hour.
One of my favorite scenes was when Jim Rockford was trying to get information out of a hippy street artist who made Jim buy a painting before he talked to him. Rockford got what he needed, turned to leave, and the hippy said "Hey you forgot your painting!" "Not yet," Rockford replied."But I'm trying!"
Every episode of The Rockford Files was a classic. To remake it would be obscene.
I think its fair to say that posters here at BigHollywood have a high regard for Mr. Garner.
http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/sullivan/2009/1...
I watched The Rockford Files every Friday night, and you can't remake a classic.
Heck, even Mel Gibson couldn't equal, let alone top, JG in Maverick.
You think Rockford Files is cool.
Arguably the greatest TV show ever. Not for production quality or theme, not even for great writing (although, did any series every maintain story quality for as long?), but just for the magic, the synergy, the whole thing coming together to make a thing of beauty.
You think Ben Folds is a good musician?
Man Hollywood is lazy … why not make a new show with a similar vibe instead of pigeon holing themselves into The Rockford Files?
Anyway, I still don't see how Dermot Mulroney can play Rockford. I just don't get it.
Maybe you could pull it off with Bruce Campbell (but I'd hate to see him leave Burn Notice).
I dread what liberal hollywood will do now with this classic show. Rockford will probably be shown as not having health insurance which is why he's always broke.
Damn. I already named my parakeet.
Rockford was one of my favorites of the genre. Too bad Spenser was never brought to film quite as successfully.
Agreed. Hollywood has ceased being an entertainment industry; it is just one more propaganda factory.
While fixing, change lightening to lightning….GREAT GREAT piece—I agree that it's sacrilege (hope that's spelled right!)
Jim Rockford of the Rockford Files cannot exist in 2010. Instead of making fake business cards in his backseat, he will by necessity have to be a computer nerd who makes fake websites and launches worms into his targets data files.
Oh, and don't forget Isaac Hayes' Gandy Finch in the list of great recurring guest characters.
I don't understand these people! There's no cachet with people who don't know the original, and likely only hue and cry from those who do! Why not do something original by half — ripoff the original premise, give the guy a different name, and go from there! They'd be effectively starting from scratch, but at least they wouldn't have to dig themselves out of the hole they get themselves in with fans of the original.
The list of similar mistakes is endless and growing by the day.
Very true—which was why he was smart enough to bring Garner on board, and not for a cameo.
Really? Beau Bridges as Rocky?
A favorite quote of mine was when two huge gorillas were going to beat up Rockford. As they came for him, Rockford spoke the command "Klaatu barada nikto!" that called off Gort the robot in The Day the Earth stood still 1950s.
Actually Beau Bridges makes more sense to me to play Rockford than Dermot Mulroney.
Dermot Mulroney is actually a pretty smart casting choice… though not better than not casting anyone for a Rockford remake.
Mr. Nolte I hate to nitpick but, there is no such thing as sideburns that are too long.
Rockfish.
Yes, great character. A few weeks ago I met Michael lerner at a party. he did three gust spots on the show and I was telling him how much I enjoyed him and the show, etc… was really hoping for some Rockford stories, and he says to me…
"I forgot all about doing that show, you;re right!"
VERY nice man, a ton of credits to his name, 35 years ago… perfectly understandbale response on his part but I was crushed.
The Rockford Files also helped launch Tom Selleck's career, and led to the creation of Magnum PI. Who can forget Selleck as Lance White?
"Don't worry Jim, a clue will turn up".
so did we all, but then the Robinsons never left Dr Smith behind either.
Thanks, John – now I have The Rockford Files theme song running through my head. Not that there's anything wrong with that!
"I may not have spoken your fancy words correctly, but I got you the book"
No doubt the "new" version will have an assortment of politically-correct and leftist diatribes from the Writers…and I'm sure it'll feature a key role for the always lovely and pleasant Janeane Garofalo.
James Garner probably one of the only actors to have received a Purple Heart, for his service during the Korean War. I vividly remember one of his best scenes in "The Great Escape".
James Garner speaking to a German Prison Guard
Garner "We did a lot of camping when I was in the Boy Scouts"
Prison Guard " You were a Boy Scout? So was I. I earned 19 Merit badges."
Garner " I earned 20"
Prision Guard "I was working on my 20th when I was drafted into the Hitler Youth"
I loved him in every movie or tv appearance I ever saw him in. Maybe he'll do a cameo in the Rockford remake?
As the saying goes, "you can't reheat a soufflé'" aside form the excellent writing and stories, the chemistry of the cast is what made the show. And this chemistry couldn't be maintained in the TV-movies they made in the 90's.
One can't redo "The Rockford Files," anymore than one couldn't after a couple of unsatisfactory attempts remake "The Odd Couple."
Almost as famous as The Wilhelm Scream, The Universal Telephone Ring was probably best known for its use in the The Rockford Files opening.
BTW, complete Rockford Files episodes are available for viewing on Hulu
"Don't worry Jim, a clue will turn up". — That line alone is a genius piece of writing.
Such a great show.
Don't give 'em any ideas! ….LOL
I loved the show, and the answering machine was the best part for me. For anyone interested I found a link with the messages:
http://www.thesandbox.net/arm/rockford/answering_...
Many even have wave files with the actual message.
To his credit, James Garner is a die-hard Leftie, and it never showed in thow. That's because he's a classy entertainer first.
You could pick the nit of Rockford screaming for his civil rights, but that always felt like CHARCTER to me, not a statement.
There will never be another James Garner. Never.
Why ?? – WHY??!?!! – does Hollywood always think they can recapture lightning in the bottle?
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo James Garner is Rockford. This is not,i repeat not a freaking super hero ,comic book franchise, Hollywood. The reason for this series success was Garner and a great collection of supporting actors and good writing. This is 2010 cannot Hollywood be original and create a NEW SERIES based on the here and now???? Be original.
I hear you. I've done p.r. for artists and was always adamant that they keep their politics under wraps for the most part. A lot of them were still living in the 60's where they thought career and activism were one in the same.
LOL! Oh no he didn't!
Jim was an unabashed Democrat, he said as much on an interview I saw of him on YouTube. However I don't think he would approve, or identify with the lefty rantings and antics of the typical Hollywood Dem of today, however I could be wrong.
John, thanks so much for acknowledging my all-time favorite hour-long show—"The Odd Couple," being my favorite half-hour one—with a great column.
The best TV show ever! All I need to here is the theme song and I get jazzed. And James Garner could make watching television look cool.
Dermot Mulroney is actually pretty good casting for Rockford… though not better than casting no one for a remake.
I moved in LA in the mid 70s from Oregon, immediately introduced to the show and remember even now how Rockford Files influenced my impressions of life there. An actor friend of mine even got a small part which further cemented my love and fascination of the show which endures to this day. It was and remains an all time great.
I wonder what Mr. Garner thinks of it…
A remake of Rockford is like a broken pencil: Pointless.
Dermont Mulrony is wrong for the role.
Off the top of my head, one guy who has the same affable charm as Garner is Luke Wilson.
Since he gained weight he would be an even better choice.
I have a hazy memory of watching an episode when I was little with my Dad. I remember the sportcoat he was wearing would flip out and cause noise on the TV set because of the zig zag pattern in it. Years later when I was a senior in college working on my thesis animation Channel 11 in New York was re airing every episode at 10am. Since I did not have class till noon I watched every episode each day before class.
You are right John it was an amazing show if not for the sport coats alone. What is really funny to notice now is how naive people were about giving information out over the phone to a stranger. How many times did Jim Rockford sweet talk his way into getting information over the phone pretending to be someone else.
I have a hazy memory of watching an episode when I was little with my Dad. I remember the sportcoat he was wearing would flip out and cause noise on the TV set because of the zig zag pattern in it. Years later when I was a senior in college working on my thesis animation Channel 11 in New York was re airing every episode at 10am. Since I did not have class till noon I watched every episode each day before class.
You are right John it was an amazing show if not for the sport coats alone. What is really funny to notice now is how naive people were about giving information out over the phone to a stranger. How many times did Jim Rockford sweet talk his way into getting information over the phone pretending to be someone else.
There is one show on today that reminds me of the Rockford Files. White Collar. It has all the class and character and the good moral code as well.
You should see who is playing Conan… Sheesh Metrosexual hasn't died, it's producing films.
love the props to Bruce Campbell! You know, Sharon Gless is also excellent on Burn Notice, and isn't she being forgotten in the RF lovefest?
I agree, The first person I thought of was Bruce Campbell as Jim Rockford. He is the only person who comes even close. But yep, love him on Burn Notice and would not want to lose him there.
Love "Burn Notice". I actually have said that the 1st season had a "Rockford Files" vibe to it. James Garner was Rockford and there will never be another.
Love White Collar!!… They can not remake Rockford. However Monk was very much Columbo with a different slant… They could do the same thing here… Heck maybe down in the dumps PI, buys out an old PIs trailer and take it from there..
JUST DON'T CALL IT ROCKFORD!!
Even if it were as good or better (not possible) it would still be seen as a pale copy and be canceled within 8 weeks.
Yeah, Dr. Smith was a ninny.
Another show similar to Rockford they tried to remake was "The Night Stalker." Besides Monster-of-the-week being a very difficult premise to maintain (which is why the original only lasted for 2 TV movies and 22 episodes) that was a personality-driven show.
Darrem McGavin IS Carl Kolchak. You can't replace him. It's just stupid.
It's like remaking Married With Children without the original cast, or Sanford and Son without Redd Foxx. Those are star-driven, not concept-driven.
Makes no sense.
He was also a die hard Raider fan, but I forgave him.
Netflix has a better interface http://www.netflix.com/WiSearch?oq=the+rockf&...
Or a remake of Blackadder!
James Garner is a true professional. I greatly respect his talent and ability. I watched RF when first on – every episode – and throughly enjoyed them. He and Burt Reynolds are – in my mind two of a kind.
I didn't know anything about Howard Stern – then a local radio station picked up his show before he went Sirius. I knew Stern was a P.O.S. when he started beating on Garner.
If you live in the Washington DC area, you can catch the Rockford Files every night at 10PM on WJLA, ch 7.3, right between "Magnum, PI" and "Daniel Boone". They have a great lineup of programs from the 50's to the 80's – they don't make them like they used to.
I remember how it was shown on Friday nights. That's because my friends would come and bang on the door and run away while I was watching!
[...] I see the new version anyway? Well, um . . . yeah. Yeah, I [...]
I have almost the whole series on DVD. Absolutely the finest thing James Garner did on TV (The Great Escape is tops), because it was Maverick fully realized. I loved the episode where Jack Kelly (Bart Maverick) appeared as a guest star. Just as an aside, my father and Garner were born the same year, both have Cherokee lineage, and Dad looked remarkably like Garner. Of course, that made watching anything he did doubly enjoyable. I purchased the whole series for my mom after my dad passed. She loved it.
I have almost all the series on DVD with 2 & 3 being my favorites. There are too many choices for a favorite episode in the lot. Angel made a lot of those episodes, he was so insanely funny. RF is a classic and should not be redone. I also loved the portable printing press and the Firebird.
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Hey you guys are forgetting Rita Moreno the "hard luck heart of gold hooker". I cant remember her character name
Ive been watching this on netflicks. Finished Columbo next up Rockford.
I watched the series from beginning to last episode with Netflix and loved every minute of it. The only other show I've been able to do that without taking a break has been "Magnum, P.I."
BTW, ever notice in the opening sequence/montage of Rockford Files there is a ramshackle movie marquee above a theater entrance on some seedy street, I assume in the LA area, and the movie being shown is "Point Blank"? That film gets a lot of love around here, too. I've often wondered where in LA was that theater (anybody?), and also if the comparison of Lee Marvin's character in PB to James Garner in RF is intentional on the part of the show's creators/producers.
Yes.
cqness, the genesis of the Rockford character was "the Outsider" with Darren McGavin, by Huggins. Cannell met with him later, and suggested they re-do the character but give him more family and friends. Otherwise, much of the 1974 Rockford Files was the same as 1967 pilot.
Moreover, there is another reason why this remake will be terrible. Rockford Files (like the Outsider before it) was a show made by men about men for men. A show aimed directly at a male audience. That did not mean women could not and did not enjoy it, but it was not the sort of thing that gets made these days, It was not, very pointedly, something like "Lipstick Jungle" or "Ladies Murder Club" or "Medium" or "Ghost Whisperer."
It was not even the CBS Crime Time dramas, which Criminal Minds show-runner Ed Bernero in an interview on Deadline Hollywood Daily copped were aimed directly at women: NUB3RS, Mentalist, CSIen, Criminal Minds, NCIS, etc.
That's why Jim Rockford, and Darren McGavin's "David Ross" were middle aged, loners, not the hunky men who have everything but the girl they endless pursue (Angel, Bones, Castle, etc.). Nor were they "leaders of men" who run a PC-correct team of women, various minorities, nerdy White guys to catch the bad guys and enforce the PC order. These characters were for a time when men actually watched TV.
My prediction: the remake will have "Jim Rockford" as a slacker pretty boy, pursuing some gal who is the stand-in for the female audience. It is unlikely to do well.
They'll screw it up just like they did L&O after Michael (Ben Stone) left, and turn it into some radical progressive propaganda. American values a la Jim Rockford are anathema to Hollywood liberals.
Kids today need to see a Jim Rockford / Horatio Caine cage match.
One of my favorite scenes was in the pilot episode. Rockford waited in a bathroom for a thug (the great William Smith) who'd been tailing him. Rockford says, "You got to be one of the dumbest looking apes I ever saw, " and then begins to question his manhood. What happens next is classic. I was lucky enough to find the scene:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tks061-Y0oI
This isn't the first time there has been an attempt to make the Rockford Files without James Garner. I recall Garner had knee problems and wanted out toward the end of the series. There was serious talk of continuing the program and replacing Garner's character with another actor.
That actor? Max Baer Jr. (Jethro from the Beverly Hillbillies)
I suppose Baer was chosen since he bore a physical resemblance to Garner. Good thing it never happened.
Dermot Mulroney? Dermot Mulroney ?
Look him up at google images.
C'mon Someone recast the role please!
This guy needs some tacos and oreos.
nothing was ever as consistantly funny as the Odd Couple…
Jimmy my how we miss you!!! Rockford files, THE BEST PI SHOW BAR NONE. Period. James Garner -Awesome!
Agreed. Rockford was the first PI character that would show the marks of taking a beating. My favorite part was the little "printer" in his car that would make business cards for each situation.
The guy wh is producing it is so over rated. I dont even wanna type his name. Rockford is the masterpiece in PI shows.
"Groovy!"
When I was a kid my dad had already seen the episode and told me to watch…I did, I never forgot it, Im going to watch the youtube link now. Its been ages since Ive seen it and I hope I have it right…I know he soaped the floor nailed Smith and tied his feet up over his head..
I hope they decide to re-title it and not make it another Rockford Files. A good detective show with a father/son dynamic would be well received.
The father and son relationship on USA's Psych between Henry Spencer (Corbin Bernsen) and Shawn Spencer (James Roday) is one of the show's great attractions.
John
The Brady Bunch, The Dukes of Hazzard, Chalie's Angles, Scooby Doo et al. Our generations case of reakes seem to me to not be remakes of the movie so much as a mad magazine style parody of the movie.
Somehow I fear that is what will become of this remake. IT will be full of "smart" attempts to poke fun at the original show that will come off like a bad SNL skit.
You beat me to the Smith analogy! …….but without Smith and Angel the shows would have lost ALOT !
Remake Rockford?!? Next you're gonna tell me they're remaking Mike Hammer!
We recently watched the whole series on our new big screen TV via Netflix instant view and Roku and enjoyed every minute of it.
The actors were good, but don't undervalue the sharp writing. Stephen Cannell came up with the first Rockford script as a way of thumbing his nose at all the sentimental cliches of "Mannix" et al. At story meetings, his writers always mocked the device of having somebody pop up in the last scene to reveal all the crucial details that had been concealed from the audience — they referred to this cliche character as "Irving the Explainer."
And then, toward the end of the series, they wrote an impossibly complicated episode (it gave Jim headaches) with an explainer at the end. And they titled it "Irving the Explainer."
I grew up on The Rockford Files and there is no way it can be remade. It's sacrilegious to even think that it could be done. One sad thing is listening to James Garner talk about the show and all the damage he took while filming it. He sounds like he regrets doing the show. I wonder if he knows how much impact the Files have made.
Rockford will be a woman.
Rita Capkovic she was a reoccuring character I think in three shows all told.
"Rockford Files was a show made by men about men for men. A show aimed directly at a male audience. That did not mean women could not and did not enjoy it, but it was not the sort of thing that gets made these days,?"
Same thing happened with the TV series remake of THE FUGITIVE. It was femmed to death with pastel colors and endless romances and female producers. DOA – and it lasted 2 seasons, IIRC.
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