Dragnet (drama)

Dragnet
Dragnet opening frame from the 1950s version
Created by	Jack Webb
Starring	Jack Webb Ben Alexander Harry Morgan
Narrated by	Hal Gibney John Stephenson George Fenneman Jack Webb
Opening theme	excerpt from Miklós Rózsa's score for The Killers
Composer(s)	Walter Schumann (1951-1958) Nathan Scott (1958-1959) Lyn Murray (1967-1968) Frank Comstock (1968-1970)
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	8 (1951–1959) 4 (1967–1970) 2 (1989–1991 & 2003–2004) 16 (total)
No. of episodes	314 (radio 1949-1957) 276 (TV 1951–1959) 98 (TV 1967–1970) 52 (TV 1989–1991) 22 (TV 2003–2004) 762 (total)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Jack Webb
Producer(s)	Jack Webb
Location(s)	Los Angeles, U.S.
Running time	30 minutes (1951–1959; 1967–1970; 1989–1991) 60 minutes (2003–2004)
Production company(s)	Mark VII Productions (1951-1954) Mark VII Limited (1954, 1954-1959, 1967-1970) Universal Television (1967-1970, 1989-1990, 2003-2004) NBC Universal Television Studio (2004) The Arthur Company (1989-1990) Wolf Films (2003-2004)
Distributor	MCA TV (1951-1959, 1974-1997) Warner Bros. (1954) Universal Television (1970-1974, 1997-1998, 2002-2004) Studios USA Television (1998-2002) NBCUniversal Television Distribution (2004-present)
Release
Original network	NBC (1951-1959, 1967-1970) Syndication (1989-1991) ABC (2003-2004) Film (1954)
Original release	December 16, 1951 – December 4, 2004 (last run)

Dragnet was an American radio, television and motion picture series, enacting the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners. The show takes its name from the police term "dragnet", meaning a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects.

Dragnet is perhaps the most famous and influential police procedural drama in media history. The series gave audience members a feel for the danger and heroism of police work. Dragnet earned praise for improving the public opinion of police officers.

Actor and producer Jack Webb's aims in Dragnet were for realism and unpretentious acting; he achieved both goals, and Dragnet remains a key influence on subsequent police dramas in many media.

The show's cultural impact is such that after five decades, elements of Dragnet are familiar to those who have never seen or heard the program:

Webb relaunched Dragnet in 1966, with NBC once again chosen to air the series. He tried to persuade Ben Alexander to rejoin him as Frank Smith. Alexander was then committed to an ABC police series, Felony Squad, and the producers would not release him. Webb reluctantly came up with a new character to take the role of Joe Friday's partner, calling upon his longtime friend Harry Morgan to play Officer Bill Gannon. Morgan had previously portrayed rooming house proprietor Luther Gage in the 1949 radio series episode "James Vickers". George Fenneman returned as the show's primary announcer with John Stephenson replacing Hal Gibney in the role of announcing the trial dates and subsequent punishments for the offenders. Fenneman replaced Stephenson in that role during the fourth season. Unlike the previous Dragnet series, the revival was produced and aired in color.

Webb produced a TV movie pilot for the new version of the show for Universal Television, although the pilot was not aired until January 1969. NBC bought the show on the strength of the movie and it debuted as a midseason replacement for the sitcom The Hero on Thursday nights in January 1967. To distinguish it from the original, the year was included in the title of the show (i.e., Dragnet 1967). Although Friday had been promoted to lieutenant in the final episode of the 1950s production, Webb chose to have Friday revert to sergeant with his familiar badge, "714".