In the 1950s, "Dragnet" was one of the most popular shows on television. Nearly a decade after the series ended, new "Dragnet" shows went into production--with Jack Webb once again playing Sergeant Friday*. However, his old partners, such as Officer Smith (Ben Alexander), were now replaced by Officer Gannon (Harry Morgan). These later shows are the ones I grew up with and loved. Only recently have I begun watching the early "Dragnet" shows--and I am very glad I did. While in many ways the styles were very similar, the older shows were grittier and more violent--and frankly, I like that. The only big advantage the newer ones was that they looked nicer--with color film and they also did more outdoor shots. In fact, this studio-bound look was something you really notice in the older shows--so often action outside the office is DESCRIBED because apparently the budget didn't provide for location shots.My advice is by all means watch the older shows. And, even better, if you can find the Dragnet movie from this same time period, this is well worth seeing--very well written and full of wonderful dialog.

Though somewhat dry and routine at times, generally speaking, Dragnet's no-frills approach to the telling of its "real-life" crime stories was actually very entertaining, for the most part.Presented in a semi-documentary style, this highly-popular TV show from the glorious 1950s featured Sargeant Joe Friday and his ever-helpful sidekick, Frank Smith, who, through intense investigation, always got their man (and sometimes got their girl).You can be sure that when Friday's on the case, justice will be served.Filmed in b&w, Dragnet's episodes were all approx. 25 minutes in length.

Jack Webb was totally memorable in a part made for him. As Sgt. Joe Friday, he totally captured Los Angeles on the beat, he knew what made the city tick as well as being prepared for so many memorable characters that he would meet during his tour of duty.His wonderful sidekicks were Ben Alexander and later Harry Morgan.Each week we were treated to another episode. My personal favorite was the one where the neighbors cleaned out a person's home. They thought he had moved and left the furniture When they were charged with robbery, imagine the expressions on their faces.George Fennemann, a perfect foil for Groucho Marx, was the perfect announcer.Who can ever forget Mark V11? This show was an absolute classic.

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