The Streets of San Francisco... (1 Viewer)

[JohnHopper]

Alright, buddy boy, let's continue our journey into Frisco.

First, the supporting cast:

Semi-regular characters
Attorney Gerald O’Brien (actor John Kerr)
Medical Examiner Bernie (actor Stephen Bradley)
Psychiatrist Lenny Murchison (actor Fred Sadoff)
Ballistics expert Charley Johnson (actor Vince Howard)

season 4, volume 1:

[TOP LIST]
1. POISONED SNOW
2. THE GLASS DART BOARD
3. NO PLACE TO HIDE
4. SCHOOL OF FEAR
5. DEADLY SILENCE
6. MURDER BY PROXY
7. TRAIL OF TERROR
8. DEAD AIR
9. THE CAT’S PAW

[POINTS OF INTEREST]
1. For the performance of Clu Gulagher and his character of diehard Narc officer whose son dies because of his will to poison the heroin supply and William Hale’s film-making
2. For the two problematic characters: the kook blackmailer sniper firing at corporate buildings and the freshly promoted iron bureaucrat Captain of the police that breeds complications to the field police; the character of Lenny Murchison is mentioned.
3. Good for the performance of Chris Robinson as weird enforcer Jack Constantine
4. A variation of the blackboard jungle theme, the character of the old teacher kidnapping hood students and chain them to a classroom from a closed down high school turns into a prison-high school
5. For the study on Mike Stone’s loss of hearing
6. The theme of corporate greed and for Bradford Dillman’s ruthless executive performance
7. For James Woods’ performance as an unbridled sailor-hood, the runaway chained Keller and Mellon characters that remind Joseph Losey’s Figures in the Landscape
8. For the performance of Larry Hagman and the theme of the ruthless radio man
9. The second personal episode focused on Mike Stone and the theme of ambiguous love at work

 

[JohnHopper]

season 4, volume 2:

[TOP LIST]
1. SPOOKS FOR SALE
2. POLICE BUFF
3. THE HONORABLE PROFESSION
4. JUDGMENT DAY
5. SUPERSTAR

[POINTS OF INTEREST]
1. The theme of illegal surveillance executed by former CIA agents working for their own private company and the good cast of characters
2. For Bill Bixby’s performance as a failure cop, the theme of the viligante motorcycle cop culled Ted Post’s Magnum Force and Keller working undercover as a gangster
3. The runaway character of the charlatan doctor living a double life
4. The character of the avenging lawyer son killing the judges who destroy the life of his father
5. For Paul Sorvino’s performance as the street-smart New York cop and the fish out of the water (the pilot for the series Bert D’Angelo/Superstar)

[CONCLUSION]​

This season sees William Robert Yates becoming a steady producer. There is no associate producer credits as in the previous season. Story editor James Menzies is also a steady crew man unlike his season 3 occasional collaborations. After a season without it, a brand new executive story consultant popsup by the name of Jack B. Sowards. Post-production supervisor Richard Brockway is now an executive editorial supervisor. Arthur Fellows no longer work as in charge of production and he is replaced by Howard Alston, previously working as an executive production manager. Series regular director of photography Jacques R. Marquette is replaced by Al Francis who gives the series an alternate look. As in season 2, there are 6 original scores. The start of the season seems to be Mike Stone-oriented and Steve Keller is put in the background unlike the previous season. Actress Darleen Carr appears four times. Theme-wise, social vengeance seems to be a leitmotiv on the series or should I say lost or disbelieving individuals enforcing their justice or applying their set of values: “Poisoned Snow”, “The Glass Dart Board”, “School of Fear”, “Police Bluff”, “Judgment Day”. Story-wise, find a variation on the season 3 “Ten Dollar Murder” in “Most Likely to Succeed” (also directed by William Hale and produced by William Robert Yates) in which a young man is pressured by his father to become a winner and, instead, becomes a murderer. “Clown of Death” makes reference to the season 2 “The Hard Breed” because of the clown character. The character of “Police Buff” has the same profile of the one from the season 1 “Act of Duty”. As in previous season, the character of Steve Keller carries on going undercover: see “Police Bluff” as a gangster. Mission: Impossible-wise, after Sam Elliott during season 2, find now Greg Morris in “Merchants of Death”. Magnum-wise, and after Roger E. Mosley (the season 2 “A String of Puppets”) and Larry Manetti (the season 3 “The Most Deadly Species”), find the third actor from that future series: Tom Selleck. Actor Michael Douglas directs one episode entitled “Spooks for Sale”. Many actors return: Stefanie Powers, Joel Fabiani, Robert Walden, Ina Balin, Tom Troupe, Bill Bixby (playing again the same kind of sick failure), Christopher Stone, Linden Chiles, William Windom, Robert Drivas, Jason Evers, Michael Burns, Don Gordon.​

 

[JohnHopper]

_________________________________​

For “The Police Buff” fans only.​

​

Lalo Schifrin - Magnum Force HD (1973)​

​

 

[JohnHopper]

 

[JohnHopper]

Alright, buddy boy, let's continue our journey into Frisco.

First, the supporting cast:

Semi-regular characters
Attorney Gerald O’Brien (actor John Kerr) (1)
Medical Examiner Bernie (actor Stephen Bradley) (2)
Psychiatrist Lenny Murchison (actor Fred Sadoff) (3)

season 5, volume 1:

[TOP LIST]
1. THE THRILL KILLERS, PART 1 & 2
2. NO MINOR VICES
3. IN CASE OF MADNESS
4. “TILL DEATH DO US PART”
5. HOT DOG
6. MONKEY IS BACK

[POINTS OF INTEREST]
1. For the theme of far left terrorism and the hostages recycled from the season 3 “Flags Of Terror” but that are anti-capitalists and not third world partisans
2. A rehash of the puritan killer from the season 1 “The First Day of Forever” but actor James Olson now plays an avenging father
3. A pop singer remake of the season 4 whodunit “Dead Air”
4. A good Syndicate plot about a shady lawyer whose wife runs away from the mob and asks the protection of Mike Stone
5. For the private entry between a motorcycle cop and the daughter of Mike Stone
6. For the revengist performance of Gary Lockwood as butcher Charles Belasco

 

[JohnHopper]

Alright, buddy boy, let's continue our journey into Frisco.

First, the supporting cast:

Semi-regular characters
Attorney Gerald O’Brien (actor John Kerr) (1)
Medical Examiner Bernie (actor Stephen Bradley) (2)
Psychiatrist Lenny Murchison (actor Fred Sadoff) (3)
D.A. Jerry Billings (actor Jordan Rhodes) (4)

season 5, volume 2:

[TOP LIST]
1. THE CANNIBALS
2. HANG TOUGH
3. INNOCENT NO MORE
4. INTERLUDE
5. BREAKUP
6. LET’S PRENTEND WE’RE STRANGERS

[POINTS OF INTEREST]
1. A slick Syndicate plot with a murderous and rebel son sending his corrupted father to jail
2. For the diehard narc character played by Ned Beatty
3. An interesting juvenile gang on trial narrative with an avenging husband
4. For the character of the mad killer falling in love with the female eyewitness that he sees as a surrogate wife
5. For the character of the divorced and broke fabrics designer played by Pernell Roberts on the brink of suicide
6. For the personal relatioship between Dan Robbins and a female lawyer, the two-faced young murderer played by Mark Wheeler

[CONCLUSION]​

As in season 4, producer William Robert Yates continues to supervise. Series director Walter Grauman returns after three seasons of absence and gives two episodes (“The Cannibals”, “Let’s Pretend We’re Strangers”), Virgil Vogel only leaves two episodes (“The Thrill Killers” and “Hot Dog”) and William Hale only one (“Hang Tough”). Three episodes (“Hang Tough”, “Innocent No More”, “Once a Con”) see Howard Alston replaced by Marty Katz as in charge of production. Actor Michael Douglas is present during the premiere two-parter, quites and is replaced by Richard Hatch playing a casual young Vietnam war veteran cop and a boyscout driving a jeep: see “The Thrill Killers”, “Monkey is Back” and “Let’s Pretend We’re Strangers”. The departure of Douglas lets Karl Malden alone with a new actor that remains aloof and in the background because you don’t feel any deep link but a greater generation gap; sometimes Malden plays his part harsher. The series becomes more and more a cold one-man show and, worst, slightly old-fashioned because of Stone’s 1950’s type. The main weaknesses of this season are the cheap art direction, the caricatured performances and the good premises that are ruined by a simplistic story treatment. A new cinematographer pops up named Michel Hugo and it becomes the third steady one after faithful Jacques R. Marquette (season 1 to 3) and Al Francis (season 4). Unfortunately, Hugo’s leaning doesn’t help the drama and just reinforces the standard quality owing to the overlit photography. Furthermore, a new team of directors make their debut and erase the hard edge bent of the previous seasons: Kenneth Gilbert, Richard Lang, assistant director David Whorf, William Wiard. There is no story editor (Cf. James Menzies from season 4) and episodes have five Acts with a short first one used as a prologue. As with the season 3 “Labyrinth”, find another episode taking place at the Hotel Mark Hopkins: “Interlude”. The main theme is renewed by adding a harpsichord. Many actors return from previous seasons: Paula Kelly, Barry Sullivan, Dick Van Patten, Hari Rhodes, Darleen Carr, Tom Bosley, James Olson, Jessica Walter, Stephen Oliver, George Sawaya, Pat Hingle, Phillip Pine, Michael Bell, Tim O’Connor, Andrew Robinson, Michael Strong, Alan Fudge, Robert Walden, Rafael Campos, Mark Hamill, Frank Marth, John Rubinstein, Linda Marsh, Todd Martin, Linden Chiles, Sharon Acker, George Murdock, Mark Wheeler, Herbert Jefferson Jr, Dennis Patrick, Kaz Garaz.​

​

Season 5 offers a series of kidnappers (“The Thrill Killers” with four far left activists hijacking a jury and “The Drop” with ex-con Charlie Springer asking a ransom against the son of a wealthy man), maniacs (“Dead or Alive” with rapist Don Wilton on the brink of being lynched for a reward, “No Minor Vices” with avenging puritan father Vic Lawson killing the men of his daughter, “Monkey is Back” with ex-con revengist and zip gun serial killer Charles Belasco, “Interlude” with psychotic killer Roger Calloway falling in love for his eyewitness, “Dead Lift” with emotionally-unsteable murderer Joe Schmidt, “Let’s Pretend We’re Strangers” with recidivist Billy Martin), troubled cops (“A Good Cop… but” with a homosexual cop and “Hang Tough” with a brutal cop), female murderer (“In Case of Madness” with a rock band manager and “Once a Con” with a lesbian college student), young hood killers (“Innocent No More” with gang member Billy Wilson and “Let’s Pretend We’re Strangers” with robber Billy Martin), confused convicts (“Once a Con” and “Time Out”).​

​

The leading men have personal episodes: Mike Stone (“The Thrill Killer”, “The Drop”, “Till Death Do Us Part” in which he helps the runaway wife of a Syndicate lawyer, “Hot Dog”) whose picture credits comes from “Hot Dog” and Dan Robbins (“No Minor Vices” in which he is shot in a parking garage and “Let’s Pretend We’re Strangers” in which he has a crush on a lawyer and spends a week-end in the wilderness) whose picture credits comes from “Monkey is Back”. The daughter of Mike Stone, Jeannie has three episodes: “The Thrill Killers”, “Hot Dog” and “Innocent No More”. Actor Tim O’Connor plays a gangster part instead of his usual Lt. Roy Devitt.​

 

[The Drifter]

---

Though it's taken me a while, I finally finished watching S04 of TSOSF. Great show, and it's too bad it was Michael Douglas' last season.

Some stand-out S04 episodes:

"Judgement Day": Judges in the SF area are being killed, and it's up to Stone & Keller to find out the connection between them & to find the killer.

Spoiler: SPOILER

An investigation leads to the disgruntled son of a disbarred lawyer who wants revenge. This is an especially disturbing episode.

"Merchants of Death": A gang war between two local groups heats up, and a youth worker tries to stop this. Co-starring Greg Morris (Mission: Impossible).

"Superstar": The aggressive NYC LE officer Bert D'Angelo (Paul Sorvino) comes to SF to pursue a lead regarding his partner's death back in NY. He initially clashes with Stone & Keller, but the episode ends with them having a grudging respect for each other.

Still haven't seen the Bert D'Angelo: Superstar series. I can't find it anywhere via streaming, and don't think it ever hit physical media.

 

[bmasters9]

"Judgement Day": Judges in the SF area are being killed, and it's up to Stone & Keller to find out the connection between them & to find the killer.

Spoiler: SPOILER

An investigation leads to the disgruntled son of a disbarred lawyer who wants revenge. This is an especially disturbing episode.

That was one of the episodes of Streets that was a "howcatchem" in the style of Columbo-- we knew who the killer was (and were told right at the top in the first shot after the titles); it was only up to Stone and Keller to discover it.

 

[The Drifter]

Recently started on S05 of TSOSF. This is the first full season without Michael Douglas, though he is in the first two episodes. His "replacement" is Dan Robbins, portrayed by the late Richard Hatch - who is probably best known as Apollo in the original Battlestar Galactica TV series (1978-1979).

I saw the first four episodes of S05, and am extremely impressed. These are some of my favorite episodes of the series (so far). I don't mind Hatch as the replacement; he & Malden don't have the camaraderie/chemistry that Malden & Douglas did, but this doesn't affect my enjoyment of the show. And, it makes perfect sense in the context of the series & in similar real life situations; i.e., Robbins is Stone's new partner & he's not going to trust him as much as he did Keller, etc. So, I will respectfully argue with anyone that says that S05 is a poor, sub-par season and/or is not as good as previous seasons. IMHO it's starting off extremely strong, and I look forward to seeing the rest of the episodes. Some reviews:

The Thrill Killers, Parts 1-2: Excellent two-part season opener, and focuses on a group of domestic terrorists who kidnap a group of jurors - both to disrupt the trial of one of their compatriots, and also to demand ransom money. This cowardly "group" was obviously loosely based on the SLA, who kidnapped heiress PH in 1974 - in what became an internationally known case.

Spoiler: SPOILER

The group transports the jurors to an abandoned freighter in the SF ship-yards, and demand money - or they will kill off the hostages, one by one. During the search for the terrorists, Steve Keller is seriously wounded by one of them, and Robbins steps in to help Mike Stone track them down.

These two episodes are my favorite of the series (so far), and feature a plethora of guest stars - including Norman Fell (Three's Company), Dick Van Patten, Patty Duke, Susan Dey (L.A. Law), Doris Roberts, Marion Ross (Happy Days), Hari Rhodes (Conquest of the Planet of the Apes), etc.

Dead or Alive: A wealthy man offers a $1,000,000 reward for the capture of the man who assaulted & killed his daughter outside a tennis court late at night. This turns the city of S.F. into a free-for-all as "John Q. Public" thinks they see the criminal around every corner, causing chaos & numerous problems/issues for the authorities. The episode really illustrates the greed/avarice & selfishness of most people.

The Drop: The son of a wealthy family is kidnapped by a group of ruthless criminals, headed by one that specifically has it in for Mike Stone. Stone is tasked (by the kidnappers) to personally deliver the ransom money - alone - by following a circuitous & difficult route, which is designed to throw off anyone trying to follow him. Extremely suspenseful episode, and one of the best in the series.

 

[bmasters9]

I saw the first four episodes of S05, and am extremely impressed. These are some of my favorite episodes of the series (so far). I don't mind Hatch as the replacement; he & Malden don't have the camaraderie/chemistry that Malden & Douglas did, but this doesn't affect my enjoyment of the show.

Indeed-- especially since the overall format of the show was not changed (older, more experienced cop/detective mentors/teaches younger partner about the ways of the world when it comes to being a good cop/detective). If the overall format of the show was changed as well, that fifth and final go wouldn't even be touched.

 

[The Drifter]

I recently discovered that a made-for-TV movie titled Back to the Streets of San Francisco came out in early 1992. The story-line featured an aged Mike Stone (Malden) investigating the disappearance of Steve Keller;

Spoiler: SPOILER

apparently Michael Douglas was not able to reprise his role due to other commitments.

Never even heard of this before. It got lackluster reviews, and AFAIK it has never hit physical media- thought I've been able to find at least one crummy stream online.

I may try to check this out after I see S05 of the show, if only because I'm a completist:

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-...149-story.html

 

[Purple Wig]

I recently discovered that a made-for-TV movie titled Back to the Streets of San Francisco came out in early 1992. The story-line featured an aged Mike Stone (Malden) investigating the disappearance of Steve Keller;

Spoiler: SPOILER

apparently Michael Douglas was not able to reprise his role due to other commitments.

Never even heard of this before. It got lackluster reviews, and AFAIK it has never hit physical media- thought I've been able to find at least one crummy stream online.

I may try to check this out after I see S05 of the show, if only because I'm a completist:

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-...149-story.html

I watched it when originally broadcast, and that was shortly after I’d seen most of the series in syndication. It was disappointing, but it’s probably worth watching once just for Malden.

 

[JohnHopper]

I watched it when originally broadcast, and that was shortly after I’d seen most of the series in syndication. It was disappointing, but it’s probably worth watching once just for Malden.

I agree with you. It's a weak telefilm as the majority of reboots of Seventies series.
They belong to the specific era and can't exist in a new context.

 

[Lecagr]

On the subject of Michael Douglas, for those who have the DVD's of The FBI TV series, watch the 6th season episode titled "The Hitchhiker". Michael Douglas is a bad boy in this episode, a criminal on the run from the law. It's a very good episode, definitely worth seeing. The episode is from 1971 so it's about a year before Michael Douglas started his run as Steve Keller on The Streets Of San Francisco.

 

[bmasters9]

On the subject of Michael Douglas, for those who have the DVD's of The FBI TV series, watch the 6th season episode titled "The Hitchhiker". Michael Douglas is a bad boy in this episode, a criminal on the run from the law. It's a very good episode, definitely worth seeing. The episode is from 1971 so it's about a year before Michael Douglas started his run as Steve Keller on The Streets Of San Francisco.

And it was also his first involvement with a QM series (many think Streets was it, but The FBI marked that actually).