Dragnet (franchise)
Dragnet is an American media franchise created by actor and producer Jack Webb, following Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Detective Joe Friday and his partners as they conduct by-the-book police work and solve crimes in Los Angeles. Originating as a radio drama on NBC in 1949, Dragnet has been adapted into several successful television shows and films, though the franchise's popularity has reduced since Webb's death in 1982. Its name is derived from the police term "dragnet", a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects.
For other uses, see Dragnet (policing).Dragnet
1949 – 2004
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- 1951 television series (1951 – 1959)
- 1967 television series (1967 – 1970)
- 1989 television series (1989 – 1991)
- 2003 television series (2003 – 2004)
1969 television film (1969)
1949 radio drama (1949 – 1957)
"Dragnet"
Dragnet is perhaps the most famous and influential police procedural crime drama in American media history. Webb's aims in Dragnet were for unpretentious acting and a realistic depiction of policing. The series portrayed police work as dangerous and heroic, and helped shape public perception of law enforcement in the 20th century, improving the public's opinion of police officers.[1]
Dragnet remains a key influence on the police procedural genre. Its cultural impact is such that seven decades after its debut, elements of Dragnet are familiar to those who are otherwise unfamiliar with the franchise itself:
The opening of "The story you are about to hear is true" is derived from the fact that many works in the franchise are transcribed from official LAPD case files. In some cases, the source material has been identified, including the following:
Home media[edit]
Radio series (1949–1957)[edit]
Original television series (1951–1959)[edit]
Most, if not all, episodes of this series are in the public domain, and 52 episodes were released by many DVD labels. These collections feature a variety of the same 52 episodes. These include "The Human Bomb", "The Big Actor", "The Big Mother", "The Big Cast", "The Big September Man", "The Big Phone Call", "The Big Casing", "The Big Lamp", "The Big Seventeen", "The Big .22 Caliber Rifle for Christmas", "The Big Grandma", "The Big Show", "The Big Break", "The Big Frank", "The Big Hands", "The Big Barrette", "The Big Dance", "The Big Betty", "The Big Will", "The Big Thief", "The Big Little Jesus", "The Big Trunk", "The Big Boys", "The Big Children", "The Big Winchester", "The Big Shoplift", "The Big Hit & Run Killer", "The Big Girl", "The Big Frame", "The Big False Make", "The Big Producer", "The Big Fraud", "The Big Crime", "The Big Pair", "The Big Missing", "The Big Bar", "The Big Present", "The Big New Year", "The Big Rod", "The Big Lift", "The Big Gap", "The Big Look", "The Big Glasses", "The Big Bird", "the Big Smoke", "The Big Bounce", "The Big Deal", "The Big Hat", "The Big Net", "The Big War", "The Big Oskar", and "The Big Counterfeit". Often, some are mislabeled as no onscreen titles are used.
Three collections released from Alpha Video feature four episodes each. Eclectic DVD released a collection of three episodes.
Platinum Video released seven episodes from the original series in 2002. The episodes are: "Big Crime", "Big Pair", "Big Producer", "Big Break", "Big September Man", "Big Betty", and "Big Trunk". The two-disc set includes episodes from Burke's Law; Peter Gunn; Richard Diamond, Private Detective; Mr. Wong, Detective; and Bulldog Drummond.
Dragnet feature film (1954)[edit]
This movie was released on DVD in 2009 as part of Universal Studios' "Vault Series".
The movie was released on bluray in 2020 by Kino Lorber. The transfer features a 2K scan.
Dragnet pilot movie (1966)[edit]
This movie is a bonus feature on Shout! Factory's "Dragnet 1968: Season Two" (Release Date: July 6, 2010).
Dragnet (1967–1970)[edit]
On June 7, 2005, Universal Studios released the first season on DVD in Region 1. Because sales numbers did not meet Universal's expectations, no plans were made to release the remaining three seasons.
On March 17, 2010, Shout! Factory acquired the rights to distribute the series under license from Universal. They subsequently released seasons 2–4.