Dragnet was created and produced by Jack Webb, who
starred as the terse Sgt. Friday. Webb had starred in a few
mostly short-lived radio programs, but Dragnet would make
him one of the major media personalities of his era. Webb
was a stickler for accurate details, and Dragnet used many
authentic touches, such as the LAPD's actual radio call sign
(KMA-367), and the names of many real department officials,
such as Ray Pinker and Lee Jones of the crime lab or Chief
of Detectives Thad Brown. Dragnet was perhaps the most
famous and influential police procedural drama in American
media history. The series gave millions of Americans a feel
for the boredom and drudgery, as well as the danger and
heroism, of real-life police work. Dragnet earned praise for
improving the public opinion of police officers. Actor and
producer Jack Webb aims in Dragnet were for realism and
unpretentious acting. He achieved both goals, and Dragnet
remains a key influence on subsequent police dramas in many
media. The shows cultural impact is demonstrated by the fact
that even after five decades, elements of Dragnet are known
to those who've never seen or heard the program.
