Dragnet (1967 TV series)

{{Short description|American crime drama television series (1967–1970)}} {{About|the color television series|the earlier black and white television series|Dragnet (1951 TV series){{!}}''Dragnet'' (1951 TV series)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox television | image = Jack Webb Harry Morgan Dragnet 1968.JPG | image_upright = | image_size = | image_alt = | caption = Jack Webb and Harry Morgan in ''Dragnet'', 1968 | native_name =  | genre = Police procedural | creator = Jack Webb | based_on =  | developer = | writer = | screenplay = | story = | director = Jack Webb | creative_director = | presenter =  | starring = Jack Webb Harry Morgan | judges =  | voices =  | narrator = Jack Webb | theme_music_composer = | open_theme = | end_theme = | composer = | country = | language = | num_seasons = 4 | num_episodes = 98 | list_episodes = | executive_producer = | producer = Jack Webb | news_editor =  | location =  | cinematography = Alric Edens Andrew Jackson Benjamin H. Kline | editor =  | camera =  | runtime =  | company = Dragnet Productions Mark VII Limited Universal Television | budget = | network = NBC | released =  | first_aired = {{Start date|1967|1|12}} | last_aired = {{End date|1970|4|16}} | related = ''Dragnet'' (franchise) }}

'''''Dragnet''''' is an American crime drama television series starring Jack Webb and Harry Morgan which ran for four seasons, from January 12, 1967, to April 16, 1970. To differentiate it from the earlier 1950s ''Dragnet'' television series, the year in which each season ended was made part of the on-screen title—the series started as '''''Dragnet 1967''''' and ended as '''''Dragnet 1970'''''. The entire series aired Thursdays at 9:30–10:00 pm (ET) and was directed by Jack Webb.

All four seasons of this series have been released on DVD; Season 1 ("Dragnet 1967") by Universal Studios Home Entertainment, and seasons 2 ("1968"), 3 ("1969") and 4 ("1970") by Shout! Factory.<ref>''[http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/shows/Dragnet-1967/1261 Dragnet (1967)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110412003823/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/shows/Dragnet-1967/1261 |date=2011-04-12 }}'' at TVShowsOnDVD.com</ref>

This was the second television series in a ''Dragnet'' media franchise encompassing film, television, books and comics. It has the distinction of being one of the first examples of a discontinued American TV series being revived years later with some original cast members.

==Cast== *Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday *Harry Morgan as Officer Bill Gannon

Actors playing multiple roles during the series run include Don Ross, Olan Soule, Marco Lopez, Herb Vigran, Clark Howat, Art Balinger, Alfred Shelly, Art Gilmore, Ralph Moody, Virginia Gregg, Ed Deemer, Howard Culver, Bert Holland, Don Stewart, Bobby Troup, Len Wayland, William Boyett, Stacy Harris, Stuart Nisbet, Kent McCord, Robert Brubaker, Harry Bartell, Jill Banner, Robert Patten, Sidney Clute, Anthony Eisley, Virginia Vincent, Don Dubbins, James McEachin, Peggy Webber, Jack Sheldon, and Vic Perrin.

==Series overview== Typically, each episode begins with stock footage of Los Angeles over Sgt. Joe Friday's introduction, "This is the city." Friday then specifies the day and time with a description of the watch, or shift, he and Gannon are working. The two investigate each case that arises with Friday, usually, the lead investigator. Although always polite and professional, Friday's manner of questioning witnesses, or suspects, is terse, clipped and rigid, resulting in rapid dialogue. If a witness begins providing irrelevant details, Friday often responds, "Ma’am (Sir), we just want to get the facts."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://parade.com/tv/greatest-tv-cops|title=The Greatest TV Cops of All Time|last=Reinstein|first=Mara|work=Parade|date=August 13, 2023|page=10}}</ref> At the end of each episode, the legal fate of the arrested suspects is revealed. Friday and Gannon are rarely shown outside their professional relationship. Gannon occasionally refers to his wife, Eileen, and family; and, sometimes encourages Friday, who is single, to have more of a social life. In a rare departure from the crime drama, a 1968 episode titled "Homicide: DR-06," depicts Friday inviting the Gannons to his apartment for a steak dinner, only to have the evening constantly interrupted by other tenants seeking Friday's assistance.

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" ! rowspan=2 colspan=2| Season ! rowspan=2| On-screen title ! rowspan=2| Episodes ! rowspan=2 width=70px| Premiered ! rowspan=2 width=70px| Ended ! colspan=2| DVD box sets |- ! Release date ! Company |- | style="width:5px; background:#CDAD00"| | 1 | ''Dragnet 1967'' | 17 | {{start date|1967|01|12}} | {{start date|1967|05|11}} | {{start date|2005|06|07}} | Universal |- | bgcolor="006633"| | 2 | ''Dragnet 1968'' | 28 | {{start date|1967|09|14}} | {{start date|1968|03|28}} | {{start date|2010|07|06}} | rowspan="3" | Shout! Factory |- | bgcolor="000080"| | 3 | ''Dragnet 1969'' | 27 | {{start date|1968|09|19}} | {{start date|1969|04|17}} | {{start date|2010|12|17}} |- | bgcolor="500050"| | 4 | ''Dragnet 1970'' | 26 | {{start date|1969|09|18}} | {{start date|1970|04|16}} | {{start date|2011|04|12}} |}

=== TV movie === In 1965 Jack Webb was approached by Universal Pictures to produce a ''Dragnet'' television movie to air on NBC.<ref name="Hayde 2001">{{cite book |author-last=Hayde |author-first=Michael J. |title=My Name's Friday: The Unauthorized but True Story of Dragnet and the Films of Jack Webb |location=Nashville |publisher=Cumberland House |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IosyS2rjwMgC |date=2001 |isbn=9781581821901}}</ref>{{rp|168}} NBC programming director Mort Werner was impressed with the film and decided there was more value in developing ''Dragnet'' as a weekly TV series.<ref name="Hayde 2001"/>{{rp|178}} Webb was more interested in continuing the franchise with TV movies, but ultimately agreed.<ref name="Hayde 2001"/>{{rp|178, 181–182}} The movie would not be released until January 27, 1969 (midway through the third season of the TV series) on ''The NBC Monday Movie'', with the promotional title ''World Premiere: Dragnet.''<ref name="Time 1969">{{cite magazine |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,900538,00.html |title=Television, Theater, Cinema, Books: Jan. 27, 1969 |magazine=Time |date=1969-01-24 |access-date=2022-11-20 }}</ref>

The working title in the film's script was ''Dragnet 1966'', although the official title is simply ''Dragnet''.<ref name="Hayde 2001"/>{{rp|ii, 171–172}}<ref name="Library of Congress">{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/jots.200015043/ |title=Dragnet (1966) |website=Library of Congress |access-date=2022-11-20 }}</ref> The movie is commonly referred to as ''Dragnet 1966'' to distinguish it from other works in the franchise.<ref name="Hayde 2001"/>{{rp|ii}}<ref name="D66">{{IMDb title|0064257|Dragnet 1966}}</ref> This movie is included as an extra in the ''Dragnet 1968'' DVD set.<ref>[http://www.retroist.com/2010/05/27/dragnet-1968-season-2-arrives-on-dvd-july-6/ Dragnet 1968 DVD info] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401082653/http://www.retroist.com/2010/05/27/dragnet-1968-season-2-arrives-on-dvd-july-6/ |date=2012-04-01 }} at Retroist.com</ref>

{{Episode table |background= FF6229 |Title= |director= |writer= |OriginalAirDate= |dontclose = y }} {{Episode list | RTitle=''Dragnet'' | DirectedBy=Jack Webb | WrittenBy=Richard L. Breen | OriginalAirDate={{start date|1969|01|27}} | ShortSummary=Sergeant Joe Friday is called back from vacation to work with his partner, Officer Bill Gannon, on a missing persons case. Two amateur female models and a young war widow have vanished, having been last seen with one J. Johnson. The investigation leads them to a dead man found at a vacant lot, but they remain unsure if the man is J. Johnson. Meanwhile, Gannon tries to avoid a forced retirement brought about by health concerns. The story is based on the Harvey Glatman serial killer case. | LineColor=FF6229 }} {{Episode table end}}

==Episodes==

All episodes of the series were directed by Jack Webb.

===Season 1 (''Dragnet 1967'')=== {{Main|Dragnet (1967 series) (season 1){{!}}''Dragnet'' (1967 series) season 1}} {{:Dragnet (1967 series) (season 1)}}

===Season 2 (''Dragnet 1968'')=== {{Main|Dragnet (1967 series) (season 2){{!}}''Dragnet'' (1967 series) season 2}} {{:Dragnet (1967 series) (season 2)}}

===Season 3 (''Dragnet 1969'')=== {{Main|Dragnet (1967 series) (season 3){{!}}''Dragnet'' (1967 series) season 3}} {{:Dragnet (1967 series) (season 3)}}

===Season 4 (''Dragnet 1970'')=== {{Main|Dragnet (1967 series) (season 4){{!}}''Dragnet'' (1967 series) season 4}} {{:Dragnet (1967 series) (season 4)}}

==References== {{Reflist}} * {{epguides|Dragnet|Dragnet (1967)}} * {{IMDb title|0061248|Dragnet (1967)}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110718062736/http://www.badge714.com/ Badge 714.com, Dragnet fan site] (Archive copy) ** [https://web.archive.org/web/20110707204730/http://www.badge714.com/episodes.htm/ Dragnet episode summaries on Badge 714.com] (archive copy)

Category:Dragnet (franchise) television series Category:1960s American crime drama television series Category:1960s American police procedural television series Category:1967 American television series debuts Category:1970 American television series endings Category:1970s American crime drama television series Category:1970s American police procedural television series Category:American detective television series Category:American sequel television series Category:English-language American television shows Category:Fictional portrayals of the Los Angeles Police Department Category:Television series based on radio series Category:Television shows set in Los Angeles Category:NBC crime dramas