BROADCASTS.com

The Big Eavesdrop (Aired December 14, 1952)
Dragnet was a long running radio and television police procedural drama, about the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners. The show takes its name from an actual police term, a Dragnet, meaning a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects. Dragnet was perhaps the most famous and influential police procedural drama in American media history. The series gave millions of Americans a feel for the boredom and drudgery, as well as the danger and heroism, of real life police Jack Webb's aims in Dragnet were for realism and unpretentious acting. He achieved both goals and Dragnet remains a key influence on subsequent police dramas in work. Dragnet earned praise for improving the public opinion of police officers. Actor and producer many media. THIS EPISODE: December 14, 1952. Program #182. NBC network. "The Big Eavesdrop". Commercials deleted. While waiting to make a narcotics buy, Sergeant Friday and Frank Smith overhear Sam Allison tearfully admit that he had committed murder. The cops use an impersonator to convince the killer to confess in a procedure that sounds highly unconstitutional. The program ending has been deleted. Jack Webb, Ben Alexander. 25:00. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.