Dragnet (1951 TV series)
Dragnet—later syndicated as Badge 714—is an American crime television series, based on the radio series of the same name, both created by their star, Jack Webb. The shows take their name from the police term dragnet, a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects. Webb reprised his radio role of Los Angeles police detective Sergeant Joe Friday. Ben Alexander co-starred as Friday's partner, Officer Frank Smith.
| Dragnet | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Badge 714 |
| Created by | Jack Webb |
| Starring | Jack Webb Ben Alexander |
| Narrated by | Hal Gibney John Stephenson George Fenneman Jack Webb |
| Opening theme | "Dragnet Theme" |
| Composers | Walter Schumann (1951–58) Nathan Scott (1958–59) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 8 |
| No. of episodes | 276 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Jack Webb |
| Producer | Jack Webb |
| Production locations | Los Angeles, U.S. |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | Mark VII Productions (1951–54) Mark VII Limited (1954–59) |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | December 16, 1951 – August 23, 1959 |
| Related | |
| Dragnet (franchise) | |
The ominous, four-note introduction to the brass and tympani theme music (titled "Danger Ahead"), composed by Walter Schumann, is instantly recognizable. It is derived from Miklós Rózsa's score for the 1946 film The Killers.
This was the first television series in a Dragnet media franchise encompassing film, television, books and comics. The series was filmed at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.