Jim Rockford's Answering Machine - At the beginning of each episode of the detective drama THE ROCKFORD FILES/NBC/1974-80, the voice of private detective Jim Rockford (James Garner) is heard as his answering machine clicks on and relates the following: "This is Jim Rockford. At the tone leave your name and message. I'll get back to you." After his request, the voice of a caller was heard. Here are some classic messages left on Rockford's machine during the run of the series:

• "That No. 4 you just picked up from Angelo's Pizza? Some scouring powder fell in there. Don't eat it. Hey, I hope you try your phone machine before dinner."
•  "Jimmy, ol' buddy-buddy-It's Angel. You know how they allow you one phone call? Well, this is it. Hello?, Hello? Hello? Hello?!"
• "It's Dr. Soter's office again, regarding that root canal? The doctor's in his office-waiting. He's beginning to dislike you."
• "This is the Department of the Army. Our records show that you are the 'Rockford, James' who failed to turn in his service automatic in May 1953. Contact us at once."
• "Hey, Jim, it's me. Susan Ellis from the Laundromat. You said you were going to call and it's been two weeks. What's wrong, you lose my number?"
• "This is Marie at Liberty Bail Bonds. Your client Todd Lehman skipped and his bail is forfeit. That's the pink slip on your '79 Firebird, I believe. Sorry, Jim. Bring it on over."
• "This is Mrs. Mosely at the library. We billed you for your overdue book Karate Made Easy. We abuse our library, we don't get our cards renewed."
• "This is the Message Phone Company. I see you're using our unit. Now how 'bout paying for it!?"

TRIVIA NOTE: On the sitcom SEINFELD/NBC/1990-98 George Costanza's (Jason Alexander) answering machine contained this message (sung to the theme song from "The Greatest American Hero") "Believe it or not George isn't at home. Please leave a message at the beep. I must be out or I'd pick up the phone. Where could I be. Believe it or not I'm not home...beep"

A humorous answering machine message inspired by the sci-fi series STAR TREK begins: "Thank you for calling Starfleet Command. No starships are in the quadrant at this time, so at the sound of the subspace tone, tell us your name, the planet you are calling from, and how many Klingons are attacking."