Steve Sloan (Diagnosis: Murder)
Template:Diagnosis Murder character
Police Detective/Lieutenant Steve Sloan was a police detective/lieutenant for the Los Angeles Police Department in the television show Diagnosis: Murder. The show ran from 1993-2001.
Barry Van Dyke
Steve was portrayed by Barry Van Dyke. Barry was co-stars with his father Dick van Dyke, who played Steve's father, Dr. Mark Sloan.
Towards the end of the series, Barry began writing his own episodes, such as "Never Say Die", and "Frontier Dad". All episodes Barry wrote star his four children: Carey, Shane, Wes, Taryn. Shane becomes a regular during season eight, portraying Alex, a medical student.
Mini biography
Steve Sloan is the son of Dr. Mark Sloan and Mark's wife, Katherine. Katherine died of cancer when Steve was younger--throughout the series, Mark refers to her death occurring "ten years ago." Steve has one sibling, an estranged sister named Carol. (Carol is only mentioned in a few episodes.)
Right out of college, he joined the army and spent 18 months on one tour to Vietnam during the War. He took a second tour towards the end of the war. Afterwards, Steve joined the LAPD and, after season two, was promoted from homicide detective to lieutenant.
His apartment burns down, he moves to a separate apartment in his father's Malibu beach house. He often tries to move away, once even buying an electric house. After the house almost kills Mark, Steve begins renting it. Steve was once shot in the chest and was legally dead for three minutes until doctors were able to resuscitate him. This makes him a target in "Murder On The Hour".
At the beginning of season six, he and Dr. Jesse Travis go into business together. They co-own a barbecue restaurant called BBQ Bob's. Mark is also a silent partner.
Sloan is unmarried and it becomes a running gag that all his girlfriends turn out to be involved in murders he is currently investigating. Or, they end up dead.
As a character he is quite active. Sloan played Little League, where he badly broke his nose, and American football in high school. He is quite athletic, enjoying jogging and playing and watching basketball, while he also rides dirtbikes and has a small catamaran on the beach. One of his dreams was to become a stunt man and in the episode "Frontier Dad" (Season Seven) he gets this chance, though is overcome with stage fright. (This episode was also written by Barry Van Dyke and starred all of Barry's children.)