I picked up SOSF a little early, and I've really enjoyed the pilot and first regular episode. The show has all the "retro" trappings us tv fans love, the wah-wah 1970s guitar, tight four-act with epilogue and teaser tv scripts, familar guest stars (Robert Wagner, Ed Lauter and Edmund O'Brien are just a few of the familiar faces that show up in the first 2 eps), hippie-junkie bad guys, all the usual stuff.

But it does have the added attraction of a young Michael Douglas whose movie-star quality does create an added factor of interest and helps make the eps feel like little 1970s theatrical cop films; Karl Malden overacts quite a bit, especially in the 2nd episode where his former partner was shot, but he and Douglas have a nice rapport, and the show really does have a heavy shot-on-location feel to it (a foot chase in a still-being built BART station in the 2nd episode was a particularly welcome surprise). It seems there are no bad angles in San Francisco. The episodes are about par with a film like SEVEN UPS, say. Competent scripts and direction, but the great location work, solid action and good acting makes the show a must see for a lot of us, I suspect.

It'd be nice if they put out a full season as opposed to only the first 14 episodes, but the quality of the transfers is fine, and there is an interview with Douglas and Malden from the time of the show that is worth a look. I got so much to watch it'll take me a year to get through the 14 I have, anyway (I'm stuck on episode 7 of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE season one, and have only seen half of season 2 of ROCKFORD, despite season 3 already being in my hands and season 4 on its way this month!).

I've watched the pilot many times on the old EP copy of an afternoon TBS airing back in the late '80s. It's a very good pilot with big-name guest stars and a particularly suspenseful climax that's as much horror as crime drama. THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO is a great favorite of mine, and one of the five best cop shows ever made, as far as I'm concerned. Good scripts, tight action sequences, and great performances by Malden and Douglas are the keys. Douglas was young and sometimes stiff, but anyone who thinks he wasn't a major factor should watch the rotten fifth season when a dull Richard Hatch replaced him.

According to the book QUINN MARTIN, PRODUCER, STREETS didn't shoot 100% in San Francisco, which surprised me. At the very least, the (few) permanent sets were in Los Angeles, and perhaps most of the interiors were. It couldn't have been an I SPY deal where only the lead actors went on location and interacted with doubles for the guest stars, because many of the stars are seen on actual San Francisco locations. I'd be curious to learn more about STREETS' production schedule.

I just finished Season 1 of ROCKFORD. Enjoyed it every bit as much as when I first saw it back in the day, but am wondering if I need to keep buying as there's no many other old series I want to explore.

I wonder if we're ever going to see the family westerns such as THE VIRGINIAN, BONANZA and THE HIGH CHAPPARAL, all of which I'd like to revisit for a spell if only for the presence of the likes of Doug McClure, Cameron Mitchell and Dan Blocker.

And I'm still awaiting one of my of my all-time favourites, LOU GRANT to make an appearance on DVD!

I can understand your plight, but season 3 of ROCKFORD is probably the best, and season 2 is better than season 1; if you like Garner, these definitely feel like little compressed 70s movies, part private eye/part 70s character studies!

MARTY, I actually found the STREETS pilot weaker and with less good location footage than the first proper episode, so you have nowhere to go but up if you revisit the series (do you plan on getting the set?). Douglas also seems a lot more relaxed (with improved hair) in episode 2...

"I can understand your plight, but season 3 of ROCKFORD is probably the best, and season 2 is better than season 1;"


Inspired by Marty, I was going to do an episode by episode review of the third season of ROCKFORD. I think it was the first of the truly great seasons, but the 4th and 5th may be even better.

I was over halfway through the set, when I was distracted by the JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED - SEASON TWO set - which had a lot of episodes I never saw before. One coincidence between the two sets - if you search through the second and third billed guest stars on Rockford and the voice actors on Justice League, you will probably find every actor who has been on the cover of Shock Cinema the past decade.

Favorite episode in the third season - so far - is probably "Sticks and Stones May Break Your Bones, But Waterbury Will Bury You" (Rockford helps a couple of private eyes who have lost their license and uncovers a conspiracy.) Favorite scene is from "Dirty Money, Black Light": Rockford tells his dad, "Don't worry. Angel knows how to keep his mouth shut." Cut to Angel in a room with two federal agents (including Wesley Addy), "It was the Rockford Gang! R-O-C-K-F-O-R-D!"

Do it!

I was blogging my Season 1 reviews, but got off track a bit.