"Dragnet" (1951) TV series 1951-1959

Creator:

Jack Webb

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | unknown

Release Date:

16 December 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Crime | Mystery

Plot:

Sgt. Joe Friday and his partners methodically investigate crimes in Los Angeles.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Cult Director | Detective | Sergeant | Based On Radio Show

Awards:

Won 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Jack Webb	...	Sgt. Joe Friday (276 episodes, 1951-1959)
George Fenneman	...	Announcer (Opening) (276 episodes, 1951-1959)
Hal Gibney	...	Announcer (Closing) (276 episodes, 1951-1959)

Also Known As:

Badge 714 (USA) (syndication title)

Runtime:

30 min (300 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Mark VII Ltd.

Trivia:

Friday's partners changed early on for various reasons: Barton Yarborough died five days after shooting the second episode; Barney Phillips had a habit of wetting his lips (making reaction shots difficult); and 'Herbert Ellis (I)', who was never intended to be permanent, was hurried out for looking too much like Friday. Ironically, Ben Alexander, who became Friday's permanent partner, originally wanted to do only one episode of the show (as a character actor).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to see is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis: The General Cried at Dawn (#4.27)" (1963)

Soundtrack:

Theme From Dragnet (Danger Ahead)

A realistic look at the L.A.P.D. in the 1950's

Dragnet was based on an early 1949 radio show called,"Dragnet". It starred Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday, a dedicated cop whose life seemed void of any interests other than being in law inforcement. He coined the phrase, "just the facts ma'am" which made him appear polite even though a little overzealous at times. Webb stressed realism going to great lengths to match the police language and paperwork of the Los Angeles Police Dept. When Dragnet came to TV in 1951, Barton Yarborough was featured as Friday's partner SGT Ben Romero.Barton Yarborough died after only three episodes with the rest of the season featuring Barney Phillips as Sgt. Ed Jacobs. In the fall of 1952, a former child star, Ben Alexander replaced Phillips as Friday's sidekick, Officer Frank Smith. It was Alexander who gave the show a little humor at times. The character of Frank Smith was a family man who would relate his home life experiences to the serious Joe Friday. It worked well. Dragnet left the air in 1959. During its time, the show did introduce some love interests for Joe Friday but none were too serious.

In 1967, a new version of Dragnet was introduced called Dragnet '67 and later Dragnet '68, etc. Webb again starred as Sgt. Joe Friday but now it was character actor Harry Morgan taking over as his partner, Officer Bill Gannon.The show lasted just over two years.

Dragnet will be remembered for its innovative style never before seen on a television drama prior to that time. It took advantage of close-ups and realistic dialog thanks to Webb, one of our greatest actor/directors. Reruns are rare but do exist. They show a rare look at Los Angeles as it once was. Smoggy but with less traffic.

Steve Richmond