Dragnet is a pioneering police procedural series which originated on radio and spawned three television incarnations, two features, and countless spoofs. Created by writer/actor Jack Webb, the series focused on deadpan Sergeant Joe Friday (Webb) and his partner, as they investigated a range of crimes, loosely adapted from real-life cases. This was announced through the famous opening signature: "The story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent." Other trademarks included the terse delivery and the distinctive "Dum-de-dum-dum" Dragnet March theme (composed by Walter Schumann).

The radio series ran on NBC from 1949 until 1957. Like Gunsmoke, it smoothly transitioned into television, beginning with a 1951 one-off special (featuring original radio sidekick Sgt. Ben Romero).

The TV series, which made its proper debut in January 1952, ran concurrently with the radio show for several years (both with new partner Frank Smith), and remained on the air until 1959. A theatrical film version, with the same cast and crew, was released in 1954. The show was revived in 1967, with another partner, Bill Gannon. The color series also led to the spin-off Adam-12 in 1968.

Dragnet ended in 1970, and Webb died in 1982. His franchise outlived him, however, first in a 1987 spoof movie version of Dragnet starring Dan Aykroyd as Friday's nephew and Tom Hanks as his partner, in a 1989 syndicated series (with new cast and characters), and in a somewhat grittier 2003 revival, with Ed O'Neill as the new Joe Friday (partnered once again with Frank Smith).

The series remains a keynote in popular culture. The craze for Dragnet spoofery began with Stan Freberg's 1950s trilogy of audio satires, with titles like St. George and the Dragonet, and has extended to the Children's Television Workshop. CTW mined the series extensively on Square One TV (with the droll "Mathnet" segments), but elements of Dragnet have also surfaced on Sesame Street through the years.

References

• Susan briefly sings a snippet of the Dragnet March as she plays a game with the kids in Episode 0023 of Sesame Street.

• An early Sesame Street insert directly parodied the series, with Sergeant Thursday and his partner Ben on the hunt for a wanted W, accompanied by a variation of the Dragnet March.

• The song "Searchin'," performed by Floyd Pepper in The Muppet Show episode 120, mentions Sergeant Friday.

• Big Bird hums the Dragnet March after seeing Gordon's broken bookend in Episode 1437 of Sesame Street. Elmo does the same when reading a spooky book in Episode 2341.

• In Episode 1527 of Sesame Street, Big Bird pretends to be a detective like Sherlock Hemlock. Mr. Snuffleupagus becomes his partner, dubbing himself "Sergeant Thursday."

• Dr. Sing hums the "dun da-dun-dun" theme melody after he is done putting Telly's arm in a cast in Episode 3096.

• A musical sting mimicking the theme punctuates a moment in Episode 3151 of Sesame Street when Elmo and Merry Monster suspect Susan of picking wildflowers from the park. It's used again in episodes 3229 and 3233. A re-recorded version occurs in Episode 3908 at the end of scene 5.

• Dragnet was spoofed in a later Sesame Street sketch where Darlene depends on Detective Dave to debunk the debacle of her "DOG" word, which is missing its first letter.

• The Dinosaurs episode "License to Parent" had an epilogue over the end credits narrated by Gary Owens in the style of the Dragnet trial results, showing the perps and giving their sentences. A variation of the Dragnet March is used as underscore.

• In the Elmo's World segment "Dogs," an arrangement of the Dragnet March is heard when one of William Wegman's dogs (dressed as a police dog) appears. (This was replaced with different music on the Babies, Dogs & More! VHS and DVD and the Pets! DVD.)

• Jane Tuesday, the detective star of live action film segments beginning in Sesame Street Season 35, is named in homage to Joe Friday.

• Sesame Street Season 36 included a segment called "Cookie Monster: Food Investigator," identified by Sesame Workshop as a parody of Dragnet.

Muppet Mentions

• During a car chase in the 1987 film, Sgt. Joe Friday (Dan Aykroyd) and Pep Streebeck (Tom Hanks) crash through a street vendor selling stuffed animals including a Big Bird and Baby Kermit. Friday: "Look out! Muppets!"

Connections

original Jack Webb productions

• Raymond Burr played the chief of detectives (usually Ed Backstrand) on the radio series (ca. 1949-1951) and Chief Detective Thad Brown in the first TV episode of Dragnet ("The Human Bomb," 1951)
• James Hong appeared in "The Big Green Monkey" (1958)
• Kent McCord played various police officers in five 1967 episodes (notably Officer Paul Culver in "The Interrogation") and then Officer Jim Reed in three episodes (1967-1968) and on Adam-12
• Leonard Nimoy played Julius Carver in "The Big Boys" (1954) and Karlo Rozwadowski in "The Big Name" (1959)
• Olan Soule played lab analyst Ray Pinkeron on the radio and TV series (1952-1959), the 1954 movie, and the same role (renamed Ray Murray) on the 1967 version.
• John Stephenson appeared in several episodes of both the original radio and TV versions and voiced the closing trial results announcer on the 1967 series

later incarnations

• Dan Aykroyd played Joe Friday in the 1987 movie
• Bernie Brillstein was the executive producer of the 1987 movie
• Dabney Coleman played Jerry Caesar in the 1987 movie
• Juliana Donald played a zookeeper in the 1987 movie
• Mitch Gaylord played Roger Tolan in The New Dragnet episode "To Steal a Child" (1991)
• Jimm Giannini played Lenny Dore in The New Dragnet episode "Family Affair" (1990)
• Tom Hanks played Pep Streebeck in the 1987 movie
• Eva Longoria played Det. Gloria Duran on the 2003 series
• Ed O'Neill played Joe Friday on the 2003 series
• Jon Polito played Richard Maugham in the 2003 series episode "The Silver Slayer"