Before Law and Order or NCIS (or any of their gajillion spinoffs, for that matter), there was one crime drama franchise that set the benchmark for excellence on television: Dragnet. First created by ...

Every episode of “Dragnet,” the godfather of TV police procedurals that ran in the 1950s, began with these words. They were a promise that what viewers were about to see was a faithful re-creation of ...

“Just the facts, ma’am” has become synonymous with Dragnet. As with many TV catchphrases, this one became popular with audiences. Whenever Friday was interviewing an eyewitness, fans could expect him ...