Series synopsis
Dragnet is an American crime drama mystery television series that premiered on NBC on January 12, 1967. It ended on April 16, 1970. It was created by Jack Webb. It stars Jack Webb, Harry Morgan, Lorraine Gary and Merry Anders.
Police Detective Sgt. Joe Friday and his partners investigate crimes in Los Angeles.
Premise
Police Detective Sgt. Joe Friday and his partners investigate crimes in Los Angeles.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Jack Webb as Joe Friday
- Harry Morgan as Gannon
- Lorraine Gary as Mrs. Frank
- Merry Anders as Policewoman Dorothy Miller
- Henry Corden as Emile Hartman
- Frank Gerstle as Albert Marks
- Jan-Michael Vincent as Rick Schneiderman
- Walter Brooke as Capt. Carl Fuller
Supporting cast
- Dick Simmons as Marcus Denner
- John Stephenson as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
- Eve McVeagh as Bonnie McKenzie
- Natalie Masters as Mrs. Ridges
- William Challee as bearded man singing Christmas carol (uncredited)
- Luana Anders as Anna Marie Harmon
- Herb Vigran as Desk Clerk
- Marshall Reed as Officer Whitney
- Emily Banks as Ann Tipton
- Don 'Red' Barry as James Fremont
- Cyril Delevanti as Basil Jennings
- Maudie Prickett as Mrs. Gloria Chambers
Guest cast
- Lorraine Gary as Mrs. Frank
- Merry Anders as Policewoman Dorothy Miller
- Henry Corden as Emile Hartman
- Frank Gerstle as Albert Marks
- Jan-Michael Vincent as Rick Schneiderman
- Walter Brooke as Capt. Carl Fuller
- Dick Simmons as Marcus Denner
- John Stephenson as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
- Eve McVeagh as Bonnie McKenzie
- Natalie Masters as Mrs. Ridges
- William Challee as bearded man singing Christmas carol (uncredited)
- Luana Anders as Anna Marie Harmon
Episodes
This series spans 5 seasons with 102 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 4 | January 27, 1969 | January 24, 1974 |
| Season 1 | 17 | January 12, 1967 | May 11, 1967 |
| Season 2 | 28 | September 14, 1967 | March 28, 1968 |
| Season 3 | 27 | September 19, 1968 | April 17, 1969 |
| Season 4 | 26 | September 18, 1969 | April 16, 1970 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Pilot Friday is called back from vacation to work with his partner, Bill Gannon, on a missing persons case. |
January 27, 1969 |
| 2 |
Jack Webb: The Man Behind Badge 714 A biography of Jack Webb through the eyes of people who knew him. This is a bonus feature included on disc 6 of the second season DVD. |
|
| 3 |
Jack Web and Harry Morgan on The Jack Benny Second Farewell Special (1974) Jack Webb last appeared as Sergeant Joe Friday on the Jack Benny Second Farewell Special which aired on January 24, 1974. Webb and Dragnet co-star, Harry Morgan as Officer Bill Gannon performed a comedic skit with Jack Benny involving an alleged 484 PS-Purse theft. Webb's daughter Stacy recalled, "Dad was not only a lifetime fan of Jack Benny, he was also a longtime friend and considered it an honor to make an appearance on the show." |
January 24, 1974 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The LSD Story Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Bill Gannon encounter a freaked-out young LSD user calling himself "Blue Boy"; before long, Blue Boy is "turning on" schoolchildren with the mysterious new drug. |
January 12, 1967 |
| 2 |
The Big Explosion A neo-Nazi psycho has planted a bomb somewhere in L.A. Friday and Gannon have to find it. |
January 19, 1967 |
| 3 |
The Kidnapping Friday and Gannon help an employee rescue her kidnapped boss. |
January 26, 1967 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Grenade A volatile teenager throws acid on the back of another student (played by a teen-aged Jan Michael Vincent), then crashes a party armed with a live hand grenade. |
September 14, 1967 |
| 2 |
The Shooting Board Joe tries to stop a burglary at an all night launderette and ends up exchanging fire with the suspect. When SID tries to find the bullet fired at Joe, they come up empty and Joe faces a shooting board with no proof the man ever fired at him. |
September 21, 1967 |
| 3 |
The Badge Racket Three con artists have been swindling businessmen from out-of-town by posing as a prostitute and two policemen. The detectives set a trap as Gannon pretends to be a manufacturer from Lincoln Nebraska. |
September 28, 1967 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Public Affairs - DR-07 Joe and Bill appear on the TV talk show "Speak Your Mind" debating the topic "The Police, Who Needs Them?" with a professor, a hippie, some black power activists, and some (other) disgruntled citizens. |
September 19, 1968 |
| 2 |
Juvenile - DR-05 Joe and Bill are working the night watch of Juvenile division. They handle a run away boy from New York, an underage marriage, an abandoned baby, a boy on drugs, and a girl accused of stealing money. |
September 26, 1968 |
| 3 |
Community Relations - DR-10 Joe and Bill attend a meeting of the East LA Graduates Union, attempting to recruit recent minority high school graduates into the police academy. A black patrol officer joins their efforts until his house in vandalized and he decides to resign from the force. Joe tries to change his mind. |
October 3, 1968 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Personnel - The Shooting Joe and Bill are assigned to the Medical Services Division. Two policemen have been shot. Joe and Bill must notify the wives. |
September 18, 1969 |
| 2 |
Homicide - The Student A sniper shoots a man and a woman as they are leaving a printing plant. Joe and Bill narrow down the suspects to a college student who is part time employee of the printing plant and a fan of the writings of the French writer Baudelaire. |
September 25, 1969 |
| 3 |
S.I.U. - The Ring Joe and Bill are working the Special Investigation Unit. Informant “Black 10” asks for a meeting with Joe and Bill and gives them a tip about a bartender who is fencing stolen jade ring. Joe and Bill set up a sting to recover the ring and other stolen jewelry. |
October 2, 1969 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | NBC |
|---|---|
| First aired | January 12, 1967 |
| Last aired | April 16, 1970 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Thursday |