Joe rejected a desk job as a detective because he felt he could make a bigger difference patrolling the streets of a large unnamed California city. The routine folks on his beat were petty thieves, arsonists, runaways, and drug pushers.

Other people in Joe Forrester's life included:

• Eddie Egan as Sgt. Bernie Vincent (Joe's boss)
• Michael Warren as Det. Marshall
• Lynn Redding as Sgt. Storm
• Taylor Lacher as Det. Will Carson
• Andra Akers as Assistant D.A. Johnson
• Dale Tarter as Polygraph operator
• Patricia Crowley as Georgia Cameron (Joe's girlfriend)
• Dwan Smith as Jolene Jackson (Joe's street informant)

The series spun-off from an episode entitled "The Return of Joe Forrester" starring Lloyd Bridges that aired May 6, 1975 on the crime anthology POLICE STORY/NBC/1973-77/ABC/1988. See also "The Blue Knight"