Yet another of the all time great police dramas has being given a chance to find a new audience, while allowing old fans the chance to reminisce. "The Streets of San Francisco" finally hit the 'streets' a few months ago with a DVD set devoted to the first half of the first season. Let me stop right there for a moment to comment that I really don’t like the idea of splitting full seasons into separate sets. Aside from the immediate price being lower, you don’t really save anything in the long run if you intend to buy both volumes. It's an annoying marketing ploy that really doesn't work. The people who are going to buy the sets whether or not they are full season (a little more expensive) or half season (little less). It doesn’t add consumers… in my humble opinion. (We now return you to your regularly scheduled review.)

"The Streets of San Francisco" was a staple of the early 70's as one of THE cop shows to catch. It ran for five seasons, returning for a TV movie in 1992… 15 years after the series ended. That ought to say something about the show's quality and popularity. I was a young lad of 9 when the series premiered and you can bet I was hunkered down in from of the TV every week to catch new episodes and see Detective Lieutenant Mike Stone (Karl Malden) and Inspector Steve Heller (Michael Douglas) track down some of San Francisco's worst criminals. The show was gritty, before gritty was all that acceptable.

The series was one of a long line of popular shows that came from the powerhouse that was Quinn Martin Productions. Shows like "Cannon", "The FBI", "The Fugitive" and "Barnaby Jones" were among the staples that put the production house on the map. Each series differed in tone, but you could always recognize the style. The most notable being the breaking down of each episode into chapters, complete with chapter titles (a style that would later be parodied by the hilarious "Police Squad").

"The Streets of San Francisco" was one of best, in part due to the casting of the great Karl Malden as the 'hardened cop with a heart of stone"… aptly named Stone, as well as newcomer Michael Douglas. This was way back on the day before we saw his butt (literally!) on the big screen in "Basic Instinct." Here he was known more as the son of actor Kirk, than an actor in his own right. He quickly proved he had the chops as the college boy turned cop Steve Heller and began to move out of his father's shadow. Both actors worked to create one of those love-hate relationships that made watching every episode a treat.

I mention all of this because Paramount is releasing the second volume of the first season this month, with 14 additional episodes. This second half delivers more of the same quality that kept the show so popular for so long. And for you star gazers, you can find the likes of James B. Sikking, Leslie ("Don't Call Me Shirley") Nielsen, Stuart Whitman, John Saxon, Belinda Montgomery, Jamie Farr, Shirley Knight, Brad Davis, Lew Ayres, Joyce Van Patten Richard Anderson, Joe Don Baker, Dick Sargent and Dean Stockwell.

The first volume had a couple of really nice special features, but here there are none. I was hoping for some interviews, but no luck. Still, I'm glad to see it out on DVD at all. I still really love this show. The writing was tight, if not a little dated, and the use of actual locations really cemented the overall reality of the series. I was glad to see that in spite of the fact that it was only half the season, Paramount did include some very nice extra features. You'll find the original presentation reel that was shown to investors and advertisers to get backing for the show. You don’t get to see these very often, so its addition here is worthwhile. You'll also find a way too short on set interview with Malden and Douglas by one time popular columnist Army Archerd.

"The Streets of San Francisco" has been on my 'want to see on DVD' list for quite a while. I'm thrilled to finally have it see the light.

Episodes:
Death Watch
Act of Duty
The Set-Up
A Collection of Eagles
A Room with a View
Deadline
Trail of the Serpent
The House on Hyde Street
Beyond Vengeance
The Albatross
Shattered Image
The Unicorn
Legion of the Lost

Starring: Karl Malden, Michael Douglas
Extras: None
Specifications: Full Screen, Dolby Digital Mono
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 9/25/2007
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Streets of San Francisco: Season 1, Volume 2 a B.