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DVD Dragnet 1967 - Season 1
"This is the city--Los Angeles, California." "I carry a badge." "My name's Friday." And who could forget "Just the facts, ma'am"? These lines, delivered in classic deadpan style by actor-director Jack Webb's Sgt. Joe Friday, are among the hallmarks of Dragnet, one of television's earliest and most influential police dramas. And the appearance on DVD of all 17 episodes from the show's first season (1967), covering two discs (plus a third with a radio broadcast from 1954) and running more than seven hours, is a treat. Decades after the fact, when vivid, often graphically violent cop shows like the C.S.I. and Law & Order franchises (all of them clearly owing a debt to Webb's show) dominate the airwaves, Dragnet seems tame, even quaint. Violence and gunplay are kept to a minimum. Special effects are non-existent, and many scenes are talky and static; "The Big Interrogation" takes place almost entirely in a single room in the police station, and includes a four-minute speech by Friday about the plight of a police officer ("You're a cop, a flatfoot, a bull, a dick, John Law… they call you everything, but never a policeman"). The stories are uncomplicated, the criminals are usually dunderheads, and "square" barely begins to describe the overall tone (witness "The Big LSD," a risible depiction of a "hippie" on a psychedelic sojourn). Still, one gets the feeling that we're laughing not at but with Webb, the writers, and the rest of the cast (including Harry Morgan, later of M*A*S*H*, as sidekick Bill Gannon). By about halfway through the season, with episodes like "The Big Candy Story" and "The Big Fur Burglary" (an almost whimsical tale wherein Gannon pretends to be an expert furrier), it appears that Webb and company are enjoying themselves just as much as the viewers are; at the same time, the characters' personal lives are explored in a bit more detail, which adds some welcome texture.
Sure, it's dated--everybody smokes, everyone's white, and character descriptions like "strange-behaving juvenile" are more common than not. But in the end, the Dragnet approach, stilted though it may sometimes be, is a refreshing antidote to the oh-so-hip cop melodramas that have come along since. Best, and simplest, of all, Dragnet 1967 - Season 1 is downright entertaining. --Sam Graham
Dragnet Trivia
•When the original show ("Dragnet" (1951)) ended, Joe Friday had been promoted to Lieutenant. However, Jack Webb decided to make Friday a sergeant again for the new series because "few people remember that Friday was promoted toward the end of our run. We think it's better to have Joe a sergeant again. Few detective-lieutenants get out into the field." •Jack Webb and Harry Morgan wore the same suits for the entire run of the television series. •Through all 100 episodes of the series, Friday is only seen wearing something other than his regular suit four times: three times for undercover work and once for a scene in his apartment. •Episodes from this series were used as training tools by the real-life LAPD. •When Jack Webb revived the show in 1966, it was in response to the growing tide of teen-age drug use, especially LSD. •Jack Webb would pay $25 to any officer who submitted a story that was used for an episode plot. •During the run of this version, the title would change to reflect the year that it was broadcast in (Dragnet 1967, Dragnet 1968 and so on). •Friday's badge number (seen at the beginning and end of each episode) is 714. Badge 714 belonged to Sgt. 'Dan Cooke' , the technical advisor. The badge has been retired and displayed at the LAPD Academy's Museum. •The pair of hands seen hammering the Mark VII logo at the end of every episode belong to Jack Webb.
I actually bought this item at Best Buy and the salesgirl was kind enough (after two visits) to take the best/undamaged discs for two Dragnet 67 sets and 'make' one good one for me. The physical product/DVDs themselves are awful (scratched, skip, won't play), and it would have been nice to have season two and season one together (that would have been worth the $). I agree, Universal Studios is manufacturing a terrible after market TV product and needs to be told. I love these Dragnet shows from the late 60s (and would like to see more) but what a lousy product (the only DVDs I have ever bought that have done this, even compared to cheap DVDs/on special at the supermarket).
You bet it's a rip-off.....
I saw these shows being shown at a local DVD sellers store and the shows are not that great to watch. The transfers of the picture and sound sort of are good, but the package itself, the two sided putting shows on one disk, and the lack of any bonus features make this a cheap sell and not worth the money to buy it with. This is becoming pretty much standard Universal treatment of their TV shows and movies on DVD, More and more cheap marketing like this they are using, and finding good DVDs by Universal seem to be getting harder and harder to find. The other movie studios ar moving ahaed of Universal, at this rate, their DVd sales will start to fall off a lot in a short time.
1967 Dragnet
The series took a new direction for the 1967 revival, but the chemistry between the stars in unmistakeable and worth watching. This set is attractively packaged. This is a great set for enthusiasts of the crime genre and the era.
However, the earlier run of Dragnet is far superior. Those old black and white episodes stand up to anything in modern crime drama. Look to those Classic Dragent episodes to see why the show is considered the godfather of Law & Order.
If you're new to Classic Dragnet, Amazon also sells a set called DRAGNET (25 EPISODES) -- The best and most complete collection of the many first-run Dragnet sets available. The set features 25 Dragnet episodes on 5 one-sided DVDs in a fold-out package with an attractive slipcase. Start there for to begin your collection.
Dragnet creator-star Jack Webb's imprimatur is all over this first full season (1968) of Adam-12, a consistently entertaining look at the on-the-job lives of a couple of Los Angeles patrol officers. No surprise there: Webb co-created and produced Adam-12 as well (he also directed the first episode) and his sensibility--square, old-fashioned, low on frills-- imbues the 26 episodes included in this set.
Martin Milner stars as Pete Malloy, a veteran cop whose new partner (following the death of the previous one) is Jim Reed (Kent McCord), a rookie who's more than a little wet behind the ears. The show follows them as they make the rounds in their police black & white, dealing with all manner of circumstances, from the mundane (traffic violations, petty domestic... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Harry Morgan - Robert Douglas - James Neilson - Jack Webb - Leo Gordon DVD Release Date: Released the 23 August 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Created and produced by TV legend Jack Webb, Emergency! delivered a double dose of medical drama and real-life action into its stories, which made it a major favorite among viewers during its '72-77 network run. The season 1 set compiles the first 11 episodes of the program, in which paramedics Gage (Randolph Mantooth) and DeSoto (Kevin Tighe) tackle crises both big and small, from plane accidents ("Crash," "Dealer's Wild") and baby deliveries ("Brushfire") to the rescue of a horse in a ditch ("Publicity Hound"). Ably assisting the men in the field are the emergency room hospital staff, led by Dr. Joe Early (Bobby Troup, the composer of "Route 66"), Dr. Kelly Brackett (Robert Fuller of Laramie), and Nurse Dixie McCall (singer Julie London); Deirdre Hall of Days of Our... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Randolph Mantooth - Kevin Tighe - Bruce Bilson (II) - Cliff Bole - Alan Crosland Jr. DVD Release Date: Released the 23 August 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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When Jack Klugman played Oscar Madison in television’s "The Odd Couple," it seemed no role could better suit him—until he stepped into the shoes of Dr. Quincy, the stubborn, crusading medical examiner in the trailblazing series (1976-1983) that spawned the medical investigation genre and earned Klugman four Emmy nominations. Immortalized for posterity is this collector’s set of the show’s first two seasons on three two-sided discs containing 16 episodes (four from Season One; 12 from Season Two). Beginning with the first installment, "Go Fight City Hall--To the Death," the series’ socially conscious, quick-paced, and mostly believable storylines are an engaging blend of mystery, sleuthing, sarcasm, and romance stirred together into an action-packed drama. Each... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Jack Klugman DVD Release Date: Released the 07 June 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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In 1952 Superman flew right into the hearts and minds of the American TV audience faster than a speeding bullet. Though most people were already familiar with man of steel through his comic books, as well as the popular radio show, it was the new medium's Adventures of Superman that transformed our resident Kryptonian into a timeless icon. For many young baby boomers, Superman was the ultimate symbol of truth, justice and the American way. After watching this nostalgic trip back in time it is easy to see why: George Reeves. Reeves is the quintessential Superman. He is kind, confident, smart, always does the right thing and can literally do anything physically. Even Reeves' Clark Kent is cool, even cocky without any of the trademarked shy, clumsy and hickish traits the character... More Info about this DVD Director(s): George Blair - Philip Ford - Lee Sholem DVD Release Date: Released the 18 October 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Armchair sleuths, get out your trenchcoats: Universal has released the sophomore season (1972-73) of the classic detective series Columbo, starring Peter Falk as the sage but rumpled police lieutenant. As with the first season, there's plenty of star power in front of and behind the camera to abet Falk in these eight 90- and 120-minute episodes: John Cassavetes stars in the season premiere, Etude in Black, as a philandering symphony conductor, with Blythe Danner and Hollywood legend Myrna Loy in support; Oscar winner Ray Milland is a scheming orchid grower in "The Greenhouse Jungle," co-starring Bradford Dillman and William Smith; Robert Culp and Dean Stockwell are a football team manager and owner, respectively, whose disagreements blossom into murder in "The Most Crucial... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Steven Spielberg DVD Release Date: Released the 08 March 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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