Superstar is the compare and contrast episode. Paul Sorvino a type casted actor, portrays Bert D'Angelo a streetwise New York cop. Either a gangster or tough cop Sorvino plays the roles so well. Stone is a by the book cop, and clashes with Sorvino, and the viewer watches Stone detective work of using procedure, compared to D'Angelo's un ethical rougher police tactics. Your are here to follow the law while I am here to protect people is Stone vs D'Angelo difference. D'Angelo has a charm and slickness which makes D'Angelo a likable character and just not a bully. Superstar if anything is a memorable episode. Fit's in the genera of the tough 70's cop character quite well. Sorvino excellently execute the role. 8 stars.
4 Reviews
Lt. Stone RUINED this episode
rodney_h13 November 2022
I wanted to like the Superstar episode so much, but the writers had Lt. Stone being such a jerk I wound up hating it. Paul Sorvino absolutely turned in a Superstar performance portraying New York cop Bert D'Angelo. Smooth, smart, sly-like-a-fox and ready, willing and able to do whatever it takes to take down the person or persons responsible for murdering his partner. This COULD have and SHOULD have been one of the very best episodes in the entire series but Lt. Stone (and Inspector Keller too at times) just totally ruined it. Instead of 10 stars I give it 3 (10 for D'Angelo and -7 for Stone).
Training Video for 'Absence of Professional Courtesy'
dcdgbnstjn26 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I am a huge fan of The Streets of San Francisco. I loved it in the '70's when it originally aired and I love it now on video. That said, this is my least favorite episode of any season of the show, thus my low rating. What makes this particular episode so lacking in entertainment value is the arrogant and disrespectful manner in which an NYPD detective is treated by both Mike and Steve. Detective D'Angelo is in San Francisco looking for one of his informants who fled New York following the murder of D'Angelo's partner. That fact alone should make cooperation and professional courtesy a given, let alone determination and compassion. D'Angelo's character comes closer to Dirty Harry Callahan in n style and attitude. In fact, this episode was a pilot for a new TV show in 1976 called "Bert D'Angelo, Superstar." It only lasted that one year. I really couldn't tell if the producers were trying to teach us some kind of 'moral' lesson or they were trying to counter the image of SFPD detectives that the Dirty Harry movies of the '70's established.
Mike and Steve are over-the-top condescending, arrogant, and disrespectful. They are far more interested in putting D'Angelo on notice that "You're not a cop in this city. You're a guest, just like any other tourist." That little speech was from Mike and is one of several that are meant to put, and keep, D'Angelo, in his place. At times, Mike and Steve resort to pure pettiness, like 'correcting' their guest when he calls the witness a 'stoolie.' Steve promptly reminds him the proper word is 'informant.' When D'Angelo asks them what they do for fun in 'Frisco', Mike rolls his eyes and corrects him saying 'San Francisco.'
While the actual storyline is entertaining, the attitude of our two stars is embarrassing and difficult at times to watch. I realize these are merely characters in a TV series, but I found myself losing respect for both detectives. I am a retired police detective and I would have been insulted if I had been treated like D'Angeo was or if that was my department treating an out-of-town officer in such a manner.
If you need to teach what professional courtesy is NOT, this is your episode!
Mike and Steve are over-the-top condescending, arrogant, and disrespectful. They are far more interested in putting D'Angelo on notice that "You're not a cop in this city. You're a guest, just like any other tourist." That little speech was from Mike and is one of several that are meant to put, and keep, D'Angelo, in his place. At times, Mike and Steve resort to pure pettiness, like 'correcting' their guest when he calls the witness a 'stoolie.' Steve promptly reminds him the proper word is 'informant.' When D'Angelo asks them what they do for fun in 'Frisco', Mike rolls his eyes and corrects him saying 'San Francisco.'
While the actual storyline is entertaining, the attitude of our two stars is embarrassing and difficult at times to watch. I realize these are merely characters in a TV series, but I found myself losing respect for both detectives. I am a retired police detective and I would have been insulted if I had been treated like D'Angeo was or if that was my department treating an out-of-town officer in such a manner.
If you need to teach what professional courtesy is NOT, this is your episode!
Bert D'Angelo
Jimmy_the_Gent411 July 2022
New York cop D'Angelo comes to San Francisco searching for the killer of his partner.
A pretty good episode, Paul Sorvino is Bert and this is a pilot for short lived show "Bert D'Angelo Superstar". He is reckless but a dedicated cop with high number of arrests and citations. Keller is amused by him but Stone does not like the way he skirts the law. Bert even talks of planting heroin on someone to find out what the guy knows. There are some obvious doubles in some fight scenes. Best moment is when Stone looks like he is going to explode at one of Bert's threats but controls himself.
A pretty good episode, Paul Sorvino is Bert and this is a pilot for short lived show "Bert D'Angelo Superstar". He is reckless but a dedicated cop with high number of arrests and citations. Keller is amused by him but Stone does not like the way he skirts the law. Bert even talks of planting heroin on someone to find out what the guy knows. There are some obvious doubles in some fight scenes. Best moment is when Stone looks like he is going to explode at one of Bert's threats but controls himself.
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