Jack Webb

Jack Webb

Dragnet is an American radio, television, and motion-picture series, enacting the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners. The show took its name from the police term "dragnet", meaning a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects, although the word "franchise" should not be used in relation to it, as that word was not in use for more than a half century later. Dragnet is perhaps the most famous and influential police procedural drama in media history. The series gave audience members a feel for the danger and heroism of police work. Dragnet earned praise for improving the public opinion of police officers. Actor and producer Jack Webb's 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 show's cultural impact is such that after seven decades after its debut, elements of Dragnet are familiar to those who have never seen or heard the program:

Update this biography »
Complete biography of Jack Webb »