# A New Dragnet Show on TV - ABC **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 27, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123 "2003-01-27T00:46:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/1 "2003-01-27T00:46:46Z")
Dragnet with Sgt. Joe Friday, as made famous by Jack Webb, which I use to watch growing up. Ed O’Neil is Sgt. Joe Friday - WHAT - in promos he’s shown as a Hard Ass, that is far from the original. Will there be Gannon as played by Harry Morgan, what will he be like. I saw the feature movie, Dan Akroyd’s Sgt. Joe Friday was more like Jack Webb’s Sgt. Joe Friday. I almost wish Dan Akroyd was reprising that role. I am not sure about that show, I mean Al bundy as Sgt. Joe Friday. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/2 "2003-01-27T01:04:15Z")
I’m looking forward to it… I LOVE Ed O’Neil. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/3 "2003-01-27T01:19:41Z")
Yeah, I’m definitely going to try to remember to watch it (I’m really bad about watching TV shows). It looks great! ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/4 "2003-01-27T02:03:50Z")
It would be really cool if they shot the show so that it was some kind of “cross-over” where they implied that his _Married With Children_ was his “cover” for undercover jobs. Of course, they won’t do that, and the show will probably bomb. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/5 "2003-01-27T02:58:30Z")
Yeah, and Ed O’Neill should still go to No Ma’am meetings. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/6 "2003-01-27T03:21:45Z")
The best part is Ethan Embry, who plays Frank Smith, the partner, was co-star of Ed O’Neil in Dutch!! Dutch 2: City of Angels ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c2a13f/32.png) [@The\_Man\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_Who)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/7 "2003-01-27T03:33:16Z")
Dick Wolf of Law and Order fame is producing. I’ll be watching. I, too, love Ed O’Neill. -Myron ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/8 "2003-01-27T04:10:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Intaglio \* > \*\*Ed O’Neil is Sgt. Joe Friday - WHAT - in promos he’s shown as a Hard Ass, that is far from the original. \*\* Wait, you’re saying that Jack Webb’s Friday wasn’t a hardass? Sgt. Friday wasn’t exactly the most laid back person in the world. And his partner isn’t going to be Bill Gannon, it’s going to be Fred Smith, who was Sgt. Friday’s partner in both the radio and first TV series. ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/9 "2003-01-27T04:20:03Z")
I don’t remember Sgt. Joe Friday, Jack Webb being a Physical Guy - Hard Ass, that Ed ONeil will play. I also do not remember any ohter partner than Gannon, but it has been some years since I have seen Dragnet. I didn’t say I wouldn’t watch, but it is different than I remember. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Goo\_Fee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Doctor\_Goo\_Fee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Goo_Fee)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/10 "2003-01-27T04:28:27Z")
the original Dragnet always played like a comedy to me… so casting a comic actor like O’Neill is pretty funny IMO… I think the new one is suppose to be serious-- but I’ll giggle every time I watch it (which will be less than 1 times) ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/11 "2003-01-27T04:32:06Z")
I’ll watch it, but I still think of Ed O’Neil as Al Bundy, so it’ll be pretty strange at first. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/12 "2003-01-27T05:26:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Intaglio \* > \*\*I don’t remember Sgt. Joe Friday, Jack Webb being a Physical Guy - Hard Ass, that Ed ONeil will play. \*\* Well, no, he wasn’t physical. When I said that Webb’s Friday was a hard ass, I meant that he was really formal and “by the book”. As for Gannon, Harry Morgan played Bill Gannon in the dragnet that ran from 1966-69, (I think, I probably have the exact years wrong) Before that, though, Dragnet was on, first the radio, then TV, from 1947-53 (also not exactly sure about the years), and Friday’s partner was a Detective Smith. ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/13 "2003-01-27T05:35:29Z")
Ok, I didn’t know about Smith, that information anyway, I only knew about Gannon, I wasn’t around until 1969. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lodoen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b3f665/32.png) [@Jeff\_Lodoen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lodoen)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/14 "2003-01-27T06:18:50Z")
Dragnet 1968 was rediculous. The radio shows were better. Never saw the '50s TV series. Listening to the radio shows is a trip sometimes. You don’t expect to hear about smack addicts on a show from the late '40s. Or an actual long distance phone call with the exchanges. And no pesky Miranda decision! Cigarette sponsorship (Fatima, with its fine Turkish tobacco, keeps giving out sales figures… yeesh). I liken it to L&O without the trial or a goofy twist ending. New show sounds bad. Oh, Jack Webb did have a comedy radio program. I hope “Dragnet” isn’t just used as a brand. ---
**Author:** ![Wordy\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d2c977/32.png) [@Wordy\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wordy_One)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/15 "2003-01-27T17:17:34Z")
I’ve seen the pilot. Ed O’Neill is actually quite good; Ethan Embry, on the other hand, belongs to the Luke Perry school of acting. (The only emotions he can convey are those conveyed by furrowing his brow.) Also, his sideburns don’t help. The show itself looks great–wonderful cinematography and production values. The pilot’s plot was plenty intriguing, but the dialogue was eye-rollingly pedestrian. Sample: Police officer: Are those girls going to be okay? Friday: Physically, sure. Emotionally, eh. (Friday shrugs and walks away.) Based on the show’s pedigree, it’s probably worth giving it a second chance. ---
**Author:** ![Daniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Daniel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/16 "2003-01-27T17:22:33Z")
I thought his career died after he got replaced by Alf for th 1800-collect ads. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/17 "2003-01-27T17:29:26Z")
**Intaglio** , I have to disagree about the movie parody. I thought the people who made the movie didn’t really ‘get’ _Dragnet_, and Ackroyd was just going after the easiest Jack Webb stuff to mimic. A friend of mine who works in TV pointed out a few years ago that _Law & Order_ is “_Dragnet_ for the 90’s” - a police story boiled down in a crucible to its essence. I think the black screen intros for _L&O_ were an ingenious way to get exposition out of the way without it bogging down the dialogue. I think Wolf’s got a real winner resurrecting _Dragnet_ - I kind of hope he borrows the black screen intros from himself, too. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/18 "2003-01-27T18:17:23Z")
I just hope it is going to be Dragnet and not just Law and Order -Los Angeles. I want “The story you are about to see is true, the names have been changed to protect the innocent”, I want them working in a different division every week and I want to know the results of the trials in the district court of the county of los angeles after the final commercial. ---
**Author:** ![Papermache\_Prince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@Papermache\_Prince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Papermache_Prince)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/19 "2003-01-27T18:27:07Z")
I want [DUM - DEE - DUM - DUM](http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/tv/adults/other/dragnet.wav) I suppose the supporting cast will be larger than before. On the '60s Dragnet, it looked like Webb only employed about ten people. One week the skinny old white guy is a victim, next week a witness, then a police officer. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123/20 "2003-01-27T19:32:51Z")
Does any station in the universe ever show the old Dragnet from the 50’s? I’ve seen a grand total of one episode of that one. Doesn’t TV Land have the rights to it? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-dragnet-show-on-tv-abc/151123.md?page=2)