Dragnet

Dragnet' is a pioneering police procedural series which originated on radio and spawned three television incarnations, two features, and countless spoofs. Created by writer/actor Jack Webb, the series focused on deadpan Sergeant Joe Friday (Jack Webb) and his partner, as they investigated a range of crimes, loosely adapted from real-life cases. This was announced through the famous opening signature: ''The story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent''. Other trademarks included the terse delivery and the distinctive "Dum-de-dum-dum" Dragnet March theme.

The radio series ran on NBC from 1949 until 1957. Like Gunsmoke, it smoothly transitioned into television, beginning with a 1951 one-off special (featuring original radio sidekick Sgt. Ben Romero, played by Barton Yarborough). The TV series, which had its debut proper in January 1952, ran concurrent with the radio show for several years (both with new partner Frank Smith), and remained on the air until 1959. A theatrical film version, with the same cast and crew, was released in 1954. The series was revived in 1967, with another partner, Bill Gannon (Harry Morgan). The series ended in 1970, and Webb died in 1982. His franchise outlived him, however, first in a 1987 spoof version of Dragnet starring Dan Aykroyd as Friday's nephew and Tom Hanks as his partner, in a 1989 syndicated series (with new cast and characters), and in a somewhat grittier2003 revival, with Ed O'Neill as the new Joe Friday (partnered once again with Frank Smith).

The series remains a keynote in popular culture. The craze for Dragnet spoofery began with Stan Freberg's 1950s trilogy of audio satires, with titles like St. George and the Dragonet, and has extended to the Children's Television Workshop. CTW mined the series extensively on Square One TV (with the droll "Mathnet" segments), but elements of Dragnet have also surfaced on Sesame Street through the years.

Connections

 * Kent McCord played Officer Jim Reed in Dragnet (1967)
 * Olan Soule played lab analyst Ray Pinker in Dragnet (1952-1959) and Ray Murray in the 1967 version
 * John Stephenson appeared in several episodes of both versions, and for the 1967 series, was the announcer who provided the trial results.