Dragnet drama: Encyclopedia II - Dragnet drama - Introduction

Dragnet drama - Introduction

Dragnet was perhaps the most famous police procedural of all time. Actor and producer Jack Webb's catchphrase, 'Just the facts, ma'am', has become a permanent part of American culture. The series has been credited with dramatically improving the public image of the police in the United States.

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 demonstrated by the fact that even after five decades, elements of Dragnet are known to those who've never seen or heard the program:

• The ominous, four-note introduction to the brass and tympani theme music (titled "Danger Ahead") is instantly recognizable (though its origins dating back to Miklos Rozsa's score for the 1946 film version of The Killers).
• Another Dragnet trademark is the show's opening narration: "Ladies and gentlemen: the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent." ("Hear" was changed to "see" for the television version.) Variations on this announcement have been featured in many subsequent crime dramas, and in satires of these dramas.

On radio, Dragnet ran from June 3, 1949 to February 26, 1957 on. Dragnet appeared on television from December 16, 1951 to 1959, and from 1967 to 1970 on Thursday nights. All of these versions ran on NBC.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Introduction", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki