Known for breaking new ground in radio and entertainment, Dragnet was truly a pioneering program in many ways. This was most evident in the actual stories told in each episode, some sentimental, some brutal, all as realistic as show creator Jack Webb could make them. This program was in every sense a true police procedural and dealt with crimes of all sorts. Never gratuitous in its portrayal, Dragnet dealt with all crimes the same way that Jack Webb delivered Joe Friday’s lines- honestly and starkly. The episodes featured in this volume are during a period of transition for Dragnet and for Joe Friday. Webb’s Friday had six different partners after the death of Barton Yarborough and before Ben Alexander became his partner permanently as Frank Smith.
