The Streets Of San Francisco was based on characters from the novel Poor, Poor Ophelia, by Carolyn Weston and followed the cases of veteran detective Lt. Mike Stone and his young partner Steve Keller as they used “modern” police methods to track down criminals in San Francisco
Mike Stone (Malden) was a 23-year veteran of the force and a widower assigned to the Bureau of Inspectors Division of the San Francisco Police Department.
28-year-old Steve Keller, a smart, college-educated man rose from assistant inspector during his stay on the show. Mike’s co-ed daughter was also seen occasionally during the early years (played by Darlene Carr).
The series was shot entirely on location in San Francisco, with some of the scenes filmed in actual San Francisco police buildings, such as the communications centre (and the morgue).
The show ran for a total of four seasons. In the 1975-76 season, Michael Douglas left the show. Writers explained it away by sending Steve Keller to pursue a teaching career and he was replaced by the athletic Dan Robbins (Richard Hatch).
The show floundered and lasted for only one more season, airing for the last time in the US on 23 June 1977.
Detective Lt Mike Stone
Karl Malden
Inspector Steve Keller
Michael Douglas
Inspector Dan Robbins
Richard Hatch
Lieutenant Lessing
Lee Harris
