Classic Television - Prime Time

The Streets of San Francisco

Original channel

ABC

Original run

September 16, 1972 – June 9, 1977

Starring

Karl Malden as Det. Lt. Mike Stone

Michael Douglas as Inspector Steve Keller (1972-1976)

Richard Hatch as Inspector Dan Robbins (1976-1977)

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). This was an updated version of the 1954-1960 The Lineup (aka San Francisco Beat).

It starred Karl Malden and Michael Douglas as two detectives in San Francisco. The show ran for five seasons, between September 16, 1972, and June 9, 1977, on ABC, amassing a total of 119 60-minute episodes.

The series started with a pilot movie of the same title (based on the detective novel Poor, Poor Ophelia by Carolyn Weston) a week before the series debuted. Edward Hume, who wrote the teleplay for the pilot, was credited as having developed the series based on characters in Weston's novel. The pilot featured guest stars Robert Wagner, Tom Bosley and Kim Darby. Douglas left the series at the start of its final season and was replaced by Richard Hatch.