| The Streets of San Francisco | |
|---|---|
| Format | Police drama |
| Starring | Karl Malden as Det. Lt. Mike Stone Michael Douglas as Inspector Steve Keller (1972-1976) Richard Hatch as Inspector Dan Robbins (1976-1977) |
| Country of origin | USA |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 121 |
| Production | |
| Running time | approx. 44 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ABC |
| Original run | September 16, 1972 – June 9, 1977 |
The Streets of San Francisco is a 1970s television police drama filmed on location in San Francisco, California, and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the show on its own for the remainder of its run), where it starred Karl Malden and Michael Douglas who were both detectives in the San Francisco Bay Area. The show ran for five seasons, between September 16, 1972, and June 9, 1977, on ABC, amassing a total of 120 60-minute episodes.[1] The series started with a pilot movie of the same title (based on the detective novel Poor, Poor Ophelia by Carolyn Weston) earlier in 1972.
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The Streets of San Francisco debuted on ABC on Saturday, September 16, 1972, at 9 p.m. Eastern, competing against two popular CBS sitcoms, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show. Another critically acclaimed crime drama, The Rookies, debuted just five days before Streets; it was also seen on ABC. After Streets gained attention on Friday nights during the first season, the show was moved to Thursday, where it stayed for the remainder of the run, beginning with the second season, competing against other successful 1970s crime dramas, in different timeslots.
By all accounts Malden and Douglas developed a strong professional and personal relationship from their time on the series. Twenty years after last working together on an episode they were both onstage at the 1996 People's Choice Awards. Malden referred to Douglas as "the son I never had" and mentioned that he had wanted producer Quinn Martin to cast Douglas on the series. Douglas responded to the compliment by calling Malden "my mentor," and both also expressed that they enjoyed working together on the show.
The show revolved around two police officers who investigated homicides in San Francisco. The centre of the series was a veteran cop and widower, Lt Mike Stone (Karl Malden), who had more than twenty years of police experience and was now assigned to the Homicide Detail of SFPD's Bureau of Inspectors (ex: Detective Division). He was partnered with a young, plainclothes detective and energetic partner, Assistant Inspector Steve Keller (Michael Douglas), a college graduate, age twenty-eight, who had no experience in the police force. Stone would become a second father to Keller as he learned the rigors and procedures of detective work. Eventually, Keller was promoted to full inspector. As the series went on, Douglas became a star in his own right. Mike's daughter, Jeannie Stone (Darleen Carr), made occasional appearances.
After the second episode of the fifth and final season, Douglas left the show after successfully producing the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which won the Academy Award for Best Film for 1975.[1] He in turn would also establish a film career. His character's absence was explained by having him take a teaching position at a local college, while Lt. Stone was partnered with another detective, Insp. Dan Robbins, played by Richard Hatch, who had started his career on the ABC soap All My Children and would later go on to Battlestar Galactica. The change was not popular with audiences, and the show ended in 1977, due to low ratings. Also in 1977, writer James J. Sweeney won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for his teleplay for the season four episode "Requiem for Murder".
Both Malden and Douglas spent time with SFPD detectives in order to lend an air of authenticity to the show. SFPD Detectives took a liking to both Malden and Douglas who they characterized as "very fine fellows". Unlike subsequent generations of television production the show made an effort to insinuate itself as seamlessly as possible into the fabric of the city.
Many actors guest-starred on the show; some were relatively unknown at the time and became successful stars in their own feature films or television series. Guest stars included: Leslie Nielsen, James Woods, Nick Nolte, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cal Bellini, Marshall Colt, Pat Conway, Patty Duke, Richard Egan, Richard Eastham, Don Keefer, Flip Mark, John Ritter, Robert Wagner, Rick Nelson, Wayne Maunder, Dick Van Patten, Mark Hamill, Stefanie Powers, Martin Sheen, Tom Bosley, Tom Selleck, Larry Hagman, Bill Bixby, John Davidson, Norman Fell, Anthony Geary, Charles Aidman, Beverly Washburn, Michael Constantine, Paul Michael Glaser, David Soul, and Meredith Baxter, among many others. Even Michael Douglas' own mother, Diana Douglas, guest-starred in a season two episode, "Chapel of the Damned". Character actor Robert F. Simon appeared eight times as Captain Rudy Olsen. Gary Vinson appeared toward the end of his career.
Pilot: "The Streets of San Francisco" / 1972.Sep.16
| Ep | Nº | Title | Air date | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Thirty Year Pin" | 1972.Sep.23 | Stone is driven to avenge the killing of his SFPD mentor |
| 2 | 2 | "The First Day of Forever" | 1972.Sep.30 | A call girl survives an attack by a serial killer who targets call girls |
| 3 | 3 | "45 Minutes from Home" | 1972.Oct.07 | A female hitchhiker's boyfriend blackmails a medical salesman |
| 4 | 4 | "Whose Little Boy Are You?" | 1972.Oct.14 | A soldier seeks the boy he and his former wife gave up for adoption |
| 5 | 5 | "Tower Beyond Tragedy" | 1972.Oct.28 | A man who is unbalanced kills a female escort |
| 6 | 6 | "Hall of Mirrors" | 1972.Nov.04 | A bigoted cop investigates the killing of an illegal immigrant |
| 7 | 7 | "Timelock" | 1972.Nov.11 | Stone must defend a parolee involved in a mob murder |
| 8 | 8 | "In the Midst of Strangers" | 1972.Nov.25 | Muggers kill the city housing commissioner |
| 9 | 9 | "The Takers" | 1972.Dec.02 | A jewelry salesman and his wife are suspected of a double murder |
| 10 | 10 | "The Year of the Locusts" | 1972.Dec.09 | Stone and Keller take on a family of con artists |
| 11 | 11 | "The Bullet" | 1972.Dec.16 | A college professor being blackmailed refuses police help despite being shot |
| 12 | 12 | "Bitter Wine" | 1972.Dec.23 | A former prisoner must deal with his father and brother upon being released |
| 13 | 13 | "A Trout in the Milk" | 1973.Jan.06 | A model and her father clash with an artist |
| 14 | 14 | "Deathwatch" | 1973.Jan.13 | A gang smuggling in illegal aliens go after two fishermen who are witnesses |
| 15 | 15 | "Act of Duty" | 1973.Jan.18 | The roommate of a slain policewoman goes after her killer |
| 16 | 16 | "The Set-up" | 1973.Jan.25 | A hitman thinking he is on a final job is set up |
| 17 | 17 | "A Collection of Eagles" | 1973.Feb.01 | A couple swindles a millionaire out of his coin collection |
| 18 | 18 | "A Room With a View" | 1973.Feb.08 | A hitman befriends a school teacher - the better to shoot the person who lives across the street |
| 19 | 19 | "Deadline" | 1973.Feb.15 | A news columnist kills his mistress but then makes a stunning discovery |
| 20 | 20 | "Trail of the Serpent" | 1973.Feb.22 | A gang kidnaps Stone to force the release of their leader after a failed robbery |
| 21 | 21 | "The House on Hyde Street" | 1973.Mar.01 | Mike and Steve discover a hermit who is a suspect in a crime from the 1940s |
| 22 | 22 | "Beyond Vengeance" | 1973.Mar.08 | Stone goes after a recently-paroled rapist |
| 23 | 23 | "The Albatross" | 1973.Mar.15 | The father of a boy slain by a criminal with a hearing aid goes after the man |
| 24 | 24 | "Shattered Image" | 1973.Mar.22 | Mike renews acquaintances with a former neighbor whose husband was a local politician |
| 25 | 25 | "The Unicorn" | 1973.Apr.05 | A small-time heroin thief is involved in a three-way chase |
| 26 | 26 | "Legion of the Lost" | 1973.Apr.12 | Mike must go undercover in a murder in the skid row area |
| Ep | Nº | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | "A Wrongful Death" | 1973.Sep.13 |
| 2 | 28 | "Betrayed" | 1973.Sep.20 |
| 3 | 29 | "For the Love of God" | 1973.Sep.27 |
| 4 | 30 | "Before I Die" | 1973.Oct.04 |
| 5 | 31 | "Going Home" | 1973.Oct.11 |
| 6 | 32 | "The Stamp of Death" | 1973.Oct.18 |
| 7 | 33 | "Harem" | 1973.Oct.25 |
| 8 | 34 | "No Badge for Benjy" | 1973.Nov.01 |
| 9 | 35 | "The Twenty-Four Karat Plague" | 1973.Nov.08 |
| 10 | 36 | "Sheild of Honor" | 1973.Nov.15 |
| 11 | 37 | "The Victims" | 1973.Nov.29 |
| 12 | 38 | "The Runaways" | 1973.Dec.06 |
| 13 | 39 | "Winterkill" | 1973.Dec.13 |
| 14 | 40 | "Most Feared in the Jungle" | 1973.Dec.20 |
| 15 | 41 | "Commitment" | 1974.Jan.03 |
| 16 | 42 | "Chapel of the Damned" | 1974.Jan.17 |
| 17 | 43 | "Blockade" | 1974.Jan.24 |
| 18 | 44 | "Crossfire" | 1974.Jan.31 |
| 19 | 45 | "A String of Puppets" | 1974.Feb.07 |
| 20 | 46 | "Inferno" | 1974.Feb.14 |
| 21 | 47 | "The Hard Breed" | 1974.Feb.21 |
| 22 | 48 | "Rampage" | 1974.Feb.28 |
| 23 | 49 | "Death and the Favored Few" | 1974.Mar.14 |
| Ep | Nº | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50 | "One Last Shot" | 1974.Sep.12 |
| 2 | 51 | "The Most Deadly Species" | 1974.Sep.19 |
| 3 | 52 | "Traget: Red" | 1974.Sep.26 |
| 4 | 53 | "Mask of Death" | 1974.Oct.03 |
| 5 | 54 | "I Ain't Marchin' Anymore" | 1974.Oct.10 |
| 6 | 55 | "One Chance to Live" | 1974.Oct.17 |
| 7 | 56 | "Jacob's Boy" | 1974.Oct.24 |
| 8 | 57 | "Flags of Terror" | 1974.Oct.31 |
| 9 | 58 | "Cry Help!" | 1974.Nov.07 |
| 10 | 59 | "For Good or Evil" | 1974.Nov.14 |
| 11 | 60 | "Bird of Prey" | 1974.Nov.21 |
| 12 | 61 | "License to Kill" | 1974.Dec.05 |
| 13 | 62 | "The Twenty-Five Caliber Plague" | 1974.Dec.12 |
| 14 | 63 | "Mister Nobody" | 1974.Dec.19 |
| 15 | 64 | "False Witness" | 1975.Jan.09 |
| 16 | 65 | "Letters from the Grave" | 1975.Jan.16 |
| 17 | 66 | "Endgame" | 1975.Jan.23 |
| 18 | 67 | "Ten Dollar Murder" | 1975.Jan.30 |
| 19 | 68 | "The Programming of Charlie Blake" | 1975.Feb.06 |
| 20 | 69 | "River of Fear" | 1975.Feb.13 |
| 21 | 70 | "Asylum" | 1975.Feb.20 |
| 22 | 71 | "Labyrinth" | 1975.Feb.27 |
| 23 | 72 | "Solitaire" | 1975.Mar.13 |
| Ep | Nº | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 73 | "Poisoned Snow" | 1975.Sep.11 |
| 2 | 74 | "The Glass Dart-Board" | 1975.Sep.18 |
| 3 | 75 | "No Place to Hide" | 1975.Sep.25 |
| 4 | 76 | "Men Will Die" | 1975.Oct.02 |
| 5 | 77 | "School of Fear" | 1975.Oct.09 |
| 6 | 78 | "Deadly Silence" | 1975.Oct.16 |
| 7 | 79 | "Murder by Proxy" | 1975.Oct.23 |
| 8 | 80 | "Trail of Terror" | 1975.Oct.30 |
| 9 | 81 | "Web of Lies" | 1975.Nov.06 |
| 10 | 82 | "Dead Air" | 1975.Nov.13 |
| 11 | 83 | "Merchants of Death" | 1975.Nov.20 |
| 12 | 84 | "The Cat's Paw" | 1975.Dec.04 |
| 13 | 85 | "Spooks for Sale" | 1975.Dec.11 |
| 14 | 86 | "Most Likely to Succeed" | 1975.Dec.18 |
| 15 | 87 | "Police Buff" | 1976.Jan.08 |
| 16 | 88 | "The Honorable Profession" | 1976.Jan.15 |
| 17 | 89 | "Requiem for Murder" | 1976.Jan.22 |
| 18 | 90 | "Underground" | 1976.Jan.29 |
| 19 | 91 | "Judgement Day" | 1976.Feb.19 |
| 20 | 92 | "Clown of Death" | 1976.Feb.26 |
| 21 | 93 | "Superstar" | 1976.Mar.04 |
| 22 | 94 | "Alien Country" | 1976.Mar.11 |
| 23 | 95 | "Runaway" | 1976.Mar.18 |
| Ep | Nº | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 96 | "The Thrill Killers: Part 1" | 1976.Sep.30 |
| 2 | 97 | "The Thrill Killers: Part 2" | 1976.Oct.07 |
| 3 | 98 | "Dead or Alive" | 1976.Oct.21 |
| 4 | 99 | "The Drop" | 1976.Oct.28 |
| 5 | 100 | "No Minor Vices" | 1976.Nov.04 |
| 6 | 101 | "In Case of Madness" | 1976.Nov.11 |
| 7 | 102 | "Til Death Do Us Part" | 1976.Nov.18 |
| 8 | 103 | "Child of Anger" | 1976.Dec.02 |
| 9 | 104 | "Hot Dog" | 1976.Dec.09 |
| 10 | 105 | "Castle of Fear" | 1976.Dec.23 |
| 11 | 106 | "One Last Trick" | 1977.Jan.06 |
| 12 | 107 | "Monkey Is Back" | 1977.Jan.13 |
| 13 | 108 | "The Cannibals" | 1977.Jan.20 |
| 14 | 109 | "Who Killed Helen French?" | 1977.Feb.03 |
| 15 | 110 | "A Good Cop... But" | 1977.Feb.10 |
| 16 | 111 | "Hang Tough" | 1977.Feb.17 |
| 17 | 112 | "Innocent No More" | 1977.Feb.24 |
| 18 | 113 | "Once a Con" | 1977.Mar.03 |
| 19 | 114 | "Interlude" | 1977.Apr.28 |
| 20 | 115 | "Dead Lift" | 1977.May.05 |
| 21 | 116 | "Breakup" | 1977.May.12 |
| 22 | 117 | "Let's Pretend We're Strangers" | 1977.May.19 |
| 23 | 118 | "Time Out" | 1977.Jun.02 |
| 24 | 119 | "The Canine Collar" | 1977.Jun.09 |
An NBC TV movie, Back to the Streets of San Francisco, aired in early 1992. Karl Malden returned as Mike Stone, now promoted to Captain of Inspectors. The plot involved Stone investigating the murder of his former long-time partner Keller while also investigating a different brutal murder. He also must decide which of two inspectors should be recommended for the position of Lieutenant. Actress Debrah Farentino and Actor Conor O'Farrell played the two inspectors.
In July 2008, it was reported that CBS, whose sister company owns the rights to The Streets of San Francisco, had commissioned a pilot script for a new version of the series. Sheldon Turner (The Longest Yard) and Robert Port (Numb3rs) are penning the script, with Simon West on board to direct the potential pilot.[2]
CBS DVD (distributed by Paramount) has released the complete first and second seasons of The Streets of San Francisco on DVD in Region 1 & 4. Both seasons have been released in two volume sets.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 4 | ||
| Season 1- Volume 1 | 16 | April 10, 2007[3] | October 1, 2009[4] |
| Season 1- Volume 2 | 13 | September 25, 2007[5] | October 1, 2009[6] |
| Season 2- Volume 1 | 11 | July 1, 2008[7] | October 1, 2009[8] |
| Season 2- Volume 2 | 12 | November 11, 2008[9] | October 1, 2009[10] |
Paramount Home Entertainment has released the first two seasons of Streets of San Francisco on DVD in the UK.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 26 | August 18, 2008[11] |
| Season 2 | 23 | September 14, 2009[12] |
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