The Streets of San Francisco is definitely a drama, although it has its share of thrilling moments and is also peppered with humor, as Stone and Keller banter about the current situations, sometimes deriding one another. It's novel to watch as they walk the streets of the city, passing landmarks of the time. The series is more like a time capsule than anything else, as not only has the city of San Francisco changed dramatically since then, but also the music, clothing styles and cars. Typical percussion-driven 70's music often plays in the background, immersing you in the time period. Plenty of familiar faces also pop up throughout this volume, albeit looking much younger. Joseph Cotton, Jamie Farr, Brenda Vaccaro, Victor French, Clint Howard, Dean Stockwell, Leslie Neilsen, Dick Sargent and Joe Don Baker all make appearances here.
Particularly chilling are the episodes where a psycho (played frighteningly by Joe Don Baker) that Stone had locked up some 12 years earlier gets paroled and comes looking for revenge - setting his sights on Stone's daughter, Jeannie ("Beyond Vengeance"). There's another where Stone gets kidnapped by a gang of street thugs in the hopes of trading him for their leader who is in custody. Stone gets roughed up pretty badly and even shot and the episode is incredibly tense ("Trail of the Serpent"). Finally, there's an episode that involves two recluse brothers, one a victim of the bombing at Pearl Harbor. This episode shows how people's perceptions of someone, just because they are different, can really hurt and can cause irreparable damage, and its particularly riveting ("The House on Hyde Street").
Before reviewing this volume, I didn't have the opportunity to see The Streets of San Francisco, well mainly because I was quite young when it originally aired. This probably isn't the type of show someone would pick up having not already been a fan, but it's an easy show to get wrapped up in. Karl Malden and Michael Douglas are both terrific actors and watching them play off of one another is a treat. While Malden and Douglas are superb, some of the guest stars really overact a bit much. It's not grating, just interesting to note. The camera angles used in the show are often very stylized and the whole production is a class act. While decidedly "70's" in every way, I can see how this show is even a precursor to one of my current favorites, CSI, since they touch on the forensic aspects of the crimes, often visiting the lab to find a serial number on a gun that had been filed off, or to discuss hair and fibers.
While definitely geared more towards existing fans of the show, if you are a fan of vintage cop shows, Karl Malden or Michael Douglas, you may want to check out The Streets of San Francisco: Season 1, Volume 2 as well.
