DRAGNET

Dragnet was a police procedural franchise created by Jack Webb, starting in 1949 on radio, moving to television in 1951 through 1959, a theatrical film in 1954 and a second production of the show (Dragnet 1967) from 1967-1970. Jack Webb played the starring role of Sgt. Joe Friday in all Dragnet episodes, with his partner changing each time the role was reprised. In the Dragnet 1967 revival, shown here, old friend Harry Morgan joined him as Office Bill Gannon. Jack Webb had written five scripts for a new version of the show when he died of a sudden heart attack in 1982. Considered one of the first and the best of police procedurals, it “mentored” later cop shows. It also inspired remakes of the show; one produced by Dick Wolf of “Law and Order” fame, perhaps its closest cousin in the genre. This illustration represents the stark nature of the criminal world, with the Dragnet team out to blunt its effect on society.