# The Streets of San Francisco (1972)

> Two San Francisco police officers, a veteran lieutenant and a young inspector, work homicide and serious crimes while forging a father-son bond.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/2342

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 119
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama
- Created by: Edward Hume
- Network: ABC
- Cast: Karl Malden, Michael Douglas, Richard Hatch, Eddie Barth, Fritz Weaver, Susan Strasberg, Herbert Jefferson Jr., Rosanna DeSoto
- TMDB rating: 7.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068135/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: rugged, earnest, gritty, warm, workmanlike

## What critics say

Viewers broadly regard the series as a solid, positively rated police procedural, valued for the chemistry between its two leads and its location-driven San Francisco atmosphere.

## Synopsis

The Streets of San Francisco (1972-1977) is a American network police procedural series created by Edward Hume for ABC. Veteran Lt. Mike Stone (Karl Malden) and the younger Inspector Steve Keller (Michael Douglas) form the center of the show, with Richard Hatch appearing as Dan Robbins in the later run. Their engine is the everyday grind of homicide work: each week the pair chases a new murder or serious crime through the hills, alleys, and neighborhoods of San Francisco, sorting witnesses, suspects, and bureaucratic obstacles along the way. Each episode is a self-contained case, so the series plays as a case-of-the-week procedural across five seasons. Its tone is rugged and earnest, with a warm undercurrent as the older detective gradually becomes a second father to his protege. Set in the early 1970s city, it has the gritty texture of period urban crime drama, and fans of Kojak, Hill Street Blues, and Starsky and Hutch will find familiar pleasures in its partnership dynamic and street-level realism. Viewers looking for a classic police partner show with a strong sense of place will find much to enjoy here.

## Shows like The Streets of San Francisco

- [77 Sunset Strip (1958)](https://ember.film/tv/872)
- [Simon & Simon (1981)](https://ember.film/tv/1993)
- [Hawaii Five-O (1969)](https://ember.film/tv/2184)
- [Cagney & Lacey (1982)](https://ember.film/tv/4013)
- [Ironside (1967)](https://ember.film/tv/4361)
- [Kojak (1973)](https://ember.film/tv/3397)
- [McMillan & Wife (1971)](https://ember.film/tv/10092)
- [Hardcastle and McCormick (1983)](https://ember.film/tv/1192)
- [Adam-12 (1968)](https://ember.film/tv/4436)
- [Hill Street Blues (1981)](https://ember.film/tv/3642)

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