What Happened on the Final Episode of ‘Dragnet’?

Gerry Strauss January 16, 12:52 pm

DRAGNET, Jack Webb, 1952-1959, pointing — Everett Collection

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 producer and actor Jack Webb (who played Detective Joe Friday in all iterations of the show until his passing in 1982), Dragnet started out as a radio show back in 1949. After transitioning into television for an initial run that lasted from 1951 to 1959, it left the TV landscape, only to return in 1967 for four new seasons, enlisting Harry Morgan to star alongside Webb after original star Ben Alexander found himself contractually bound to a different series and unable to return.

Regardless of the show’s iteration, the mission was always the same: Provide the audience with a realistic depiction of police work, showcasing the risk and heroism involved. In fact, many believe that Dragnet actually helped improve public perception of law enforcement, which is just one reason why the franchise has become an iconic part of pop culture. So why did the popular 1960s version of the show end?

Why Did Dragnet Get Cancelled?

Everett Collection

Almost all of the different versions of Dragnet ended for the same simple reason: Creator and star Jack Webb decided that it was the right time to pull the plug. While the show had returned to the airwaves to great success in 1967 after dominating the ’50s, Webb soon had an eye toward developing and producing other projects. By Season 4, Webb’s focus had shifted away from Dragnet to other producing projects— he developed the series Adam-12, which debuted in 1968, and had begun work as a producer on the series that would eventually become Emergency!, which would first air in 1972. It was too much, so Webb decided it was time to once again bid Dragnet goodbye.

What Happened in the Last Episode?

DRAGNET, Jack Webb, Harry Morgan, 1967-70

Like most TV shows from its time, Dragnet’s final episode didn’t wrap up any storylines or feature any unusual guest stars or plot points — the modern series finale as we know it was still uncommon. Instead, it was simply one final (if somewhat reflective) episode of the show that the audience has come to know and love over the years.

Dragnet’s series finale, entitled “DHQ: The Victims,” aired on April 17th, 1970. Instead of focusing on one case as was usual, this episode showcased a variety of seemingly random, brutal crimes, allowing the lead characters to focus on the overall ramifications of the horrors that they faced as part of their jobs each day.

The highlight of the episode is a particularly impassioned speech from Detective Friday towards an inexperienced policeman named Officer Myler, who complains about the boring nature of his job instead of showing empathy for the victims he encounters. During the course of the episode, the rookie finally learns his lesson and begins to understand the importance of his work, as Dragnet leaves viewers with one last token of appreciation for the bravery and dedication that police offers bring to their jobs while protecting us every day.

Dragnet Lives On

DRAGNET, from left: Dan Aykroyd, Tom Hanks, 1987,

Universal/courtesy Everett Collection

To this day, Dragnet remains a popular, ever-present name in conversations about iconic TV police shows. While Webb sadly died in 1982 while writing scripts for a new revival of the show that never aired, there have been various attempts to bring the franchise back to life on the small screen (though none of them quite resembled the show’s original vision).

A big-screen comedy adaption of Dragnet was released in 1987. Starring Tom Hanks and Dan Aykroyd (who played Joe Friday’s nephew) as a mismatched pair of police partners, the movie was well-received by fans but never spawned a sequel.

More importantly, the original versions of Dragnet never truly went away, remaining popular in syndication for decades. Reruns continue to air on retro-themed networks like MeTV, allowing old and new fans alike to relive TV history, and empowering future generations to demand “Just the facts, ma’am.”