On this day, June 3, in 1949, “Dragnet,” one of the most influential shows ever, was first broadcast on radio. Sixty years later, elements of “Dragnet” are known to those who have never heard of the program.
The show was created by its star, Jack Webb, who played Los Angeles police Detective Sgt. Joe Friday.
The show opened with what is now recognizable theme music, and the narrator saying, “The story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.”
While “Just the facts, ma’am” has come to be known as Friday’s catch phrase, he never uttered it.
When Webb died in 1982, the LAPD retired Friday’s badge, No. 714.
— Scott McCabe
