Dragnet (Region 1 Import DVD)

Considered by many to be the best police drama in television history, DRAGNET originally aired throughout the 1950's. Following the adventures of Sgt. Joe Friday, the show starred Jack Webb, who also worked as the show's creator and director. Heavy attention to detail, documentary style narration, and story lines inspired by actual L.A.P.D. criminal files all gave this show an air of realism. This is a style that would be copied in the years to follow, with DRAGNET inspiring several spin-offs and one film adaptation. Rather than glamorizing the police profession, the show explored the nitty-gritty routine of police work, examining how the demands of the job affect one's personal life. Setting a precedent for all later cop shows, DRAGNET'S dry style and rigid dialogue became the subject of parody for comedians everywhere, who found humor in reciting lines like "My name is Friday-I'm a cop," and "Just the facts, ma'am." This set contains three episodes starring Jack Webb and Ben Alexander as his sidekick, Officer Frank Smith.