This is an episode list for the 1951 American television crime drama series Dragnet. The series pilot premiered on NBC on December 14, 1951. A total of 276 episodes aired between December 14, 1951, and August 23, 1959.[1] Dragnet was on both radio and television from December 1951 through February 1957.[2] When the first Dragnet movie came out in September 1954, it was available on radio, TV and in the theatres for a while. Jack Webb directed all the episodes; James E. Moser, John Robinson and Frank Burt wrote the majority of the screenplays during the 8 season run of the show.[3] Series star Jack Webb also wrote a handful of episodes, as did co-star Ben Alexander.
Barton Yarborough portrayed partner Sgt. Ben Romero in episodes 1 & 2. In episode 3, although announced as Sgt. Friday's partner, Romero does not appear, and Friday works with Sgt. Bill Cummings (portrayed by Ken Peters). After Yarborough's death on December 19, 1951, Friday's partner became Sgt. Ed Jacobs, portrayed by Barney Phillips, effective from episode #4 until the end of season one. For season two, Kenneth Patterson portrayed Officer Bill Lockwood in episode #15, after which Herb Ellis took the role of Officer Frank Smith. Ellis was replaced by Ben Alexander after five episodes, but because the shows didn't air in production order, Alexander's debut was episode #20, and Ellis' final appearance as Smith was episode #21. Alexander continued as Smith until the program's cancellation in 1959.[4]
Series overview edit
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 14 | December 14, 1951 | June 20, 1952 | |
| 2 | 33 | September 12, 1952 | June 26, 1953 | |
| 3 | 39 | September 4, 1953 | May 28, 1954 | |
| 4 | 39 | August 27, 1954 | May 27, 1955 | |
| 5 | 39 | September 2, 1955 | June 1, 1956 | |
| 6 | 34 | September 24, 1956 | May 23, 1957 | |
| 7 | 39 | September 26, 1957 | June 26, 1958 | |
| 8 | 39 | September 23, 1958 | August 23, 1959 | |
Episodes edit
Season 1 (1951–52) edit
| No. in series |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Partner | Department | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Human Bomb" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser, Jack Webb | Ben Romero | Homicide | December 14, 1951 | |
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Friday and Romero deal with man threatening to blow up city hall if he doesn't get his demands.
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| 2 | 2 | "The Big Actor" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Ben Romero | Narcotics | January 4, 1952 | |
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Friday and Romero track down a drug ring through a small-time television actor who is hooked on heroin.
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| 3 | 3 | "The Big Death" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Bill Cummings | Homicide | January 18, 1952 | |
| Friday poses as a hired killer for a man who wants his wife dead. | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | "The Big Mother" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Ed Jacobs | Homicide | February 1, 1952 | |
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A newborn baby is stolen from a hospital nursery and the trail leads the police to a deranged mother.
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| 5 | 5 | "The Big Cast" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Ed Jacobs | Homicide | February 15, 1952 | |
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Friday and Jacobs track down a serial killer and get a confession over a meal with the suspect.
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| 6 | 6 | "The Big Speech" | Jack Webb | Jack Webb | Ed Jacobs | Robbery | February 29, 1952 | |
| A doctor is beaten and robbed of prescription drugs. | ||||||||
| 7 | 7 | "The Big Parrot" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Ed Jacobs | Homicide | March 14, 1952 | |
| A couple are robbed and murdered, along with their pet parrot. The killer uses a time bomb to start a fire and cover up his crime. | ||||||||
| 8 | 8 | "The Big Moody" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Ed Jacobs | Homicide | March 28, 1952 | |
| Friday is assigned to investigate the murder of a rich man. | ||||||||
| 9 | 9 | "The Big Blast" | Jack Webb | Jack Webb | Ed Jacobs | Homicide | April 11, 1952 | |
| A divorced mother is killed in bed by a shotgun while her young boy sleeps beside her. | ||||||||
| 10 | 10 | "The Big Trial" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Ed Jacobs | Traffic: Accident Investigation Hit and Run Felony Detail | April 25, 1952 | |
| Friday testifies at the trial of a man accused of a hit-and-run, but the main witness against him suddenly disappears. | ||||||||
| 11 | 11 | "The Big September Man" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Ed Jacobs | Homicide | May 9, 1952 | |
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Someone murdered a secretary late at night in her office. She was beaten to death with a metal pipe wrapped in newspaper. Could it be the drunk found three blocks away beating his head against a wall?
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| 12 | 12 | "The Big Phone Call" | Jack Webb | Jack Webb | Ed Jacobs | Robbery | May 23, 1952 | |
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Friday and Jacobs interrogate a jewelry store owner about the theft of $20,000 worth of precious gems. The suspect repeatedly tries calling his wife but keeps getting a busy signal because his wife is constantly talking on the phone.
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| 13 | 13 | "The Big Casing" | Jack Webb | Jack Webb | Ed Jacobs | Homicide | June 6, 1952 | |
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Friday and Jacobs are called to the apartment of a man who phoned in the fatal shooting of his wife. The husband claims it was suicide, but upon looking at the crime scene and talking to neighbors Friday and Jacobs begin to wonder if it was murder.
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| 14 | 14 | "The Big Lamp" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Ed Jacobs | Burglary | June 20, 1952 | |
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Friday and Jacobs are out to catch a safe burglar who has been on the loose for seven months.
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Season 2 (1952–53) edit
| No. in series |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Partner | Department | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 1 | "The Big Jump" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Bill Lockwood† | Homicide | September 12, 1952 | |
|
A man stands upon the ledge of a tall building and threatens to jump to his death below. † Unlike every other episode of Dragnet, Friday never explicitly identifies his partner in this episode's opening narration. Friday is called to the scene alone, and arrives alone. Bill Lockwood (played by Kenneth Patterson) is one of the police officers already on the scene, and Friday proceeds to work with him and others. | ||||||||
| 16 | 2 | "The Big Sorrow" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Robbery | September 26, 1952 | |
| Friday must cope with the sudden death of his partner, Ben Romero, as he and his new partner track a pair of escaped convicts. | ||||||||
| 17 | 3 | "The Big Elevator" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Homicide | October 10, 1952 | |
| Friday and Smith search for the person who left a dead woman in a hospital elevator. | ||||||||
| 18 | 4 | "The Big Seventeen" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Juvenile | November 7, 1952 | |
|
When several teenagers ransack a movie theater Friday discovers they were set off by overdosing on drugs and that a high school student selling the stuff recently robbed a dealer with stuff that will kill him.
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| 19 | 5 | "The Big Trio" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Traffic: Accident Investigation (Hit and Run Felony Detail) | November 21, 1952 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate three traffic accidents in one night. | ||||||||
| 20 | 6 | "The Big Imposter" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Juvenile | December 5, 1952 | |
| A missing young boy is found and returned to his grandfather, but the case gets complicated when the grandfather suspects that the boy is not his own grandson. | ||||||||
| 21 | 7 | "The Big .22 Rifle For Christmas" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser, Jack Webb | Frank Smith | Homicide | December 19, 1952 | |
|
Friday and Smith search for a missing boy. The first sign that the case is serious is when blood is found. Further probing reveals the boy's parents had purchased him a .22-caliber rifle for Christmas — and the weapon is missing, removed from its wrapped package.
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| 22 | 8 | "The Big Cop" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Unknown | January 2, 1953 | |
| Friday has to catch a bad cop who has been dealing with the mob. | ||||||||
| 23 | 9 | "The Big Grandma" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Forgery | January 9, 1953 | |
|
Friday and Jacobs look for an elderly woman who has been passing bad checks just three different months a year for nearly 10 years. * The Big Grandma is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||||
| 24 | 10 | "The Big Whiff" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Homicide | January 16, 1953 | |
| A woman is murdered when she is given an overdose of chloroform. | ||||||||
| 25 | 11 | "The Big Show" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Juvenile | January 23, 1953 | |
|
A woman named Marjorie Lewis reports finding an abandoned baby at a bus terminal. Joe and Frank take the baby but as they investigate they find discrepancies in Lewis' story.
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| 26 | 12 | "The Big Safe" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Burglary | January 30, 1953 | |
| Friday and Smith are investigating a missing office safe. | ||||||||
| 27 | 13 | "The Big Church" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Homicide | February 6, 1953 | |
| A woman receives threatening letters from an unknown stalker. | ||||||||
| 28 | 14 | "The Big Hate" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Homicide | February 13, 1953 | |
|
Gordon Miller, a young pianist, is found near an abandoned freight car holding the dead body of a woman in his arms. He claims he has killed her. Called to interrogate him, Friday and Smith remain skeptical.
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| 29 | 15 | "The Big Shakedown" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Vice | February 20, 1953 | |
| Friday is looking for a crooked cop. | ||||||||
| 30 | 16 | "The Big Rose" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Homicide | February 27, 1953 | |
| Friday and Smith are looking for a missing woman that left her three children with her sister. | ||||||||
| 31 | 17 | "The Big Building" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Homicide | March 6, 1953 | |
| A prominent dentist denies that his wife is missing, but Friday and Smith can find no trace of her. | ||||||||
| 32 | 18 | "The Big Run" | Jack Webb | Jack Webb | Frank Smith | Traffic: Accident Investigation (Hit and Run Felony Detail) | March 13, 1953 | |
| Two elderly women are struck down by a hit-and-run driver. | ||||||||
| 33 | 19 | "The Big Break" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Robbery | March 20, 1953 | |
|
Friday leads a team in a raid on the house of a very dangerous armed robber, which results in a bloody shootout.
| ||||||||
| 34 | 20 | "The Big Light" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | Frank Smith | Homicide | March 27, 1953 | |
| Henry Wilson, a Hollywood movie director, has been killed by a falling arc light. Was it really an accident? To answer this question, Friday and Smith go Hollywood with a wonderful excuse to visit the studios. But the two men do not fail to mix business with pleasure and they will wind up solving the mystery. | ||||||||
| 35 | 21 | "The Big Waiter" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Homicide | April 3, 1953 | |
| An immigrant is brutally beaten to death and the trail may lead to the victim's abused wife. | ||||||||
| 36 | 22 | "The Big Test" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | Frank Smith | Homicide | April 10, 1953 | |
| A young man reports that he was robbed by bandits on horseback while he was down in Mexico. | ||||||||
| 37 | 23 | "The Big Lay-Out" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | Frank Smith | Narcotics | April 17, 1953 | |
| A friend of Friday's asks him for help when he discovers that his son has been using drugs, and may be selling them as well. | ||||||||
| 38 | 24 | "The Big Fire" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Homicide | April 24, 1953 | |
| A landlord begins threatening his tenants so he can force them to move out of his building. | ||||||||
| 39 | 25 | "The Big Ray" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | Frank Smith | Homicide | May 1, 1953 | |
| A man suddenly becomes ill and dies after eating his dinner at home. | ||||||||
| 40 | 26 | "The Big Frank" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser, Jack Webb | Frank Smith | Robbery | May 8, 1953 | |
|
While investigating a routine robbery with Friday, Smith suffers a critical gunshot wound. Sergeant Friday is out for vengeance.
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| 41 | 27 | "The Big Lease" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Homicide | May 15, 1953 | |
|
An elderly widower is missing, so Friday and Smith retrace his actions before his disappearance. Things point to a long vacation until the story of Mrs. Banner, who rented the man's house, doesn't add up.
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| 42 | 28 | "The Big Hands" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Homicide | May 22, 1953 | |
|
In looking into a dead woman case, Friday and Smith track clues all around the city and find a strangler.
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| 43 | 29 | "The Big Fourth" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Juvenile | May 29, 1953 | |
| Several babies are stolen in the city. | ||||||||
| 44 | 30 | "The Big Market" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | Frank Smith | Robbery | June 5, 1953 | |
| The market bandit starts robbing people at local markets. | ||||||||
| 45 | 31 | "The Big Friend" | Jack Webb | Jack Webb | Frank Smith | Homicide | June 12, 1953 | |
| Friday and Smith are torn between two suspects when a man reports that his wife has been strangled. | ||||||||
| 46 | 32 | "The Big Barrette" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser, Jack Webb | Frank Smith | Homicide | June 19, 1953 | |
|
Friday and Smith search for the brutal killer of a 21-year-old woman.
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| 47 | 33 | "The Big Dance" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser, Jack Webb | Frank Smith | Robbery | June 26, 1953 | |
|
Friday and Smith are looking for two thugs that seem to have disappeared from the city.
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Season 3 (1953–54) edit
Friday's partner throughout this season is Officer Frank Smith.
| No. in series |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 | 1 | "The Big White Rat" | Jack Webb | Jack Webb, Ben Alexander, John Robinson | September 3, 1953 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate the report of a drug ring. | ||||||
| 49 | 2 | "The Big Revolt" | Jack Webb | Paul Coates | September 11, 1953 | |
| A woman reports her husband missing and Friday and Smith are assigned to find him. | ||||||
| 50 | 3 | "The Big Bull" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | September 18, 1953 | |
| Smith takes a personal interest when a strong-arm bandit threatens his family if he doesn't back off the case. | ||||||
| 51 | 4 | "The Big Betty" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | September 25, 1953 | |
|
Cast: Allene Roberts, Mel Ford, Robert Clarke, Gloria Saunders Con artists sell junk disguised as valuable jewelry to relatives of recently deceased people by reading obituaries and posing as people contacted by their deceased relatives. Friday and Smith use information from a former con man gone straight to bust the gang. The Big Betty is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 52 | 5 | "The Big Sophomore" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | October 2, 1953 | |
| A teenage boy steals food for his starving family. | ||||||
| 53 | 6 | "The Big Pill" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | October 9, 1953 | |
| Friday and Smith are on the trail of a gang that is robbing local drugstores. | ||||||
| 54 | 7 | "The Big Lie" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | October 16, 1953 | |
| 55 | 8 | "The Big Fake" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | October 23, 1953 | |
| A police rookie is accused of assaulting a citizen and stealing his money. | ||||||
| 56 | 9 | "The Big Dream" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | October 30, 1953 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate the murder of a girl who came to Los Angeles with a dream of being an actress. | ||||||
| 57 | 10 | "The Big Guilt" | Jack Webb | Ben Alexander, John Robinson | November 6, 1953 | |
| A man is found dead in an alley and it's up to Friday and Smith to find his killer and notify the man's wife. | ||||||
| 58 | 11 | "The Big Will" | Jack Webb | Ben Alexander, John Robinson | November 13, 1953 | |
|
Friday and Smith investigate the murder of a rich man. The Big Will is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 59 | 12 | "The Big In-Laws" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser, Chan Hadlock | November 20, 1953 | |
| Friday and Smith try to capture a ring of truck hijackers. | ||||||
| 60 | 13 | "The Big Lilly" | Jack Webb | Ben Alexander, John Robinson, William Weiner | November 27, 1953 | |
| 61 | 14 | "The Big Kill" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | December 4, 1953 | |
| A cop is gunned down at home by a vengeful ex-con. Friday must go undercover in prison to obtain a full confession. | ||||||
| 62 | 15 | "The Big Lover" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | December 11, 1953 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a con man that marries rich women just for their money. | ||||||
| 63 | 16 | "The Big Thief" | Jack Webb | Ben Alexander, John Robinson | December 18, 1953 | |
|
Cast: Dororthy Abbott, Art Gilmore, Gloria Saunders Robbers phone doctors for house calls then assault them and steal their drugs, and when they are cornered by Friday and Smith one opens fire and is shot to death by Friday, leaving him shaken to where his girlfriend Ann Baker must reassure him he was in the right. The Big Thief is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 64 | 17 | "The Big Little Jesus" | Jack Webb | Richard L. Breen | December 25, 1953 | |
|
It's Christmas Eve when Father Rojas at the Old Mission Plaza Church in Los Angeles discovers that the statue of the Infant Jesus is stolen from the crib. The statue's worth is only a few dollars, but it is of great sentimental value for the parish. Friday and Smith promise to try to get it back before mass on Christmas Day, but this means that they have less than 24 hours to catch the thief. This episode underwent an almost word-for-word remake in the 1967 Dragnet series as The Christmas Story.The Big Little Jesus is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 65 | 18 | "The Big Eavesdrop" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | January 1, 1954 | |
| Friday and Smith overhear a suspicious conversation while on a coffee break in a diner. | ||||||
| 66 | 19 | "The Big Trunk" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | January 8, 1954 | |
|
Cast: Richard Garland, James Anderson Three men are taken into custody for the murder of a former vaudeville actress who owned a large steamer trunk. The three men maintain innocence so they are left alone in a station office that is wired to pick up their conversations, though one of them suspects just that. The Big Trunk is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 67 | 20 | "The Big Youngster" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | January 15, 1954 | |
| Friday and Smith catch a boy who has been vandalizing private property, but they discover that the boy's problems begin at home. | ||||||
| 68 | 21 | "The Big Boys" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | January 22, 1954 | |
|
Cast: Leonard Nimoy, Mel Ford, Harry Bartell Friday, Smith, and Sergeant Tony Chavez get word that four armed toughs (two of them Army deserters) have been engaged in car thefts and other robberies in San Francisco and have made their way to LA; after determining they are staying at a cheap hotel Friday and Smith stake the place out, but must depend on a drunken desk clerk not to blow their cover. The Big Boys is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 69 | 22 | "The Big Ham" | Jack Webb | Ben Alexander, John Robinson | January 29, 1954 | |
|
Cast: Ellen Corby, Robert Knapp Friday and Smith investigate the death of a young girl that is initially ruled a suicide but turns out to be murder. | ||||||
| 70 | 23 | "The Big Chance" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | February 5, 1954 | |
| Signs point to foul play when a highway patrolman disappears from his car along a deserted road. | ||||||
| 71 | 24 | "The Big Children" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | February 12, 1954 | |
|
Three children are found abandoned, filthy and starving. Friday and Smith charge the mother with neglect. The Big Children is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 72 | 25 | "The Big Poison" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | February 19, 1954 | |
| An elderly couple suddenly disappears from a fashionable neighborhood. | ||||||
| 73 | 26 | "The Big Quack" | Jack Webb | Chan Hadlock | February 26, 1954 | |
| The victim of a so-called "mental therapist," a young woman commits suicide after being robbed of her furs and jewels. It is up to Friday and Smith to trace the man and to stop him from striking anymore. | ||||||
| 74 | 27 | "The Big Winchester" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | March 5, 1954 | |
|
An elderly man appears to have killed himself with a rifle, but the cops soon learn that it was no accident. The Big Winchester is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 75 | 28 | "The Big Shoplift" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | March 12, 1954 | |
|
There seems to be a lot of recent theft at retail stores in the city, and Friday and his partner are on the case. The detectives question a salesperson from a big department store downtown, and she denies any involvement. They talk to a woman who was at the bus station, who saw another woman leave a parcel which contained a fur coat. Eventually Friday talks to a teenage girl, who saw a woman discard boxes of new items in a vacant lot. The girl knows the woman's identity, and soon the officers are interrogating the shoplifter, a doctor's wife with a lot of time on her hands. The Big Shoplift is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 76 | 29 | "The Big Hit and Run Killer" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | March 19, 1954 | |
|
A truck kills an old lady and her little grandson at a crossing and drives away. The owner of the truck asserts that he let a man called Paul borrow the truck for one hour, but he doesn't know the last name of this man or where he lives. The police must investigate all circumstances, but should Friday and Smith squander resources to seek a man they hardly believe exists? (1st) The Big Hit and Run Killer is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive (2nd) The Big Hit and Run Killer is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 77 | 30 | "The Big Drink" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | March 26, 1954 | |
| 78 | 31 | "The Big Girl" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | April 2, 1954 | |
|
The detectives try to track down a tall, beautiful woman who has been terrorizing the city by robbing men, beating them up and in some cases shooting them. Their job is made more difficult by the fact that there are many inconsistencies in the victims' reports. The Big Girl is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 79 | 32 | "The Big Mattress" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | April 9, 1954 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a corrupt cop. | ||||||
| 80 | 33 | "The Big Pug" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | April 16, 1954 | |
| An elderly woman is badly beaten and robbed while on her way to the bank. The trail leads to an ex-prizefighter. | ||||||
| 81 | 34 | "The Big Frame" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | April 23, 1954 | |
|
A man is found dead in the gutter. At first it seems as a hit-run case, but Friday and Smith become suspicious when all witnesses from the night before give exactly the same story. Usually witnesses are at variance in some respects. The Big Frame is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 82 | 35 | "The Big Plant" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | April 30, 1954 | |
| A woman disappears and her husband is the prime suspect, but Friday and Smith will have a hard time getting past his fierce guard dogs. | ||||||
| 83 | 36 | "The Big Check" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | May 7, 1954 | |
| A check forger is victimizing small businessmen in a particular neighborhood. | ||||||
| 84 | 37 | "The Big Threat" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | May 14, 1954 | |
| A man is beaten and robbed, then the thieves intimidate him and his family so he'll refuse to testify against them. | ||||||
| 85 | 38 | "The Big Dare" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | May 21, 1954 | |
| A single mother is stabbed to death in her home. The list of suspects includes her teenage son and her many boyfriends. | ||||||
| 86 | 39 | "The Big False Make" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | May 28, 1954 | |
|
Friday begins to question a local gardener, who has been arrested for holding up a grocery store. During the interrogation Friday begins to have strong doubts about the man's guilt, and sets out to discover why the man has confessed to a crime Friday believes he didn't commit. The Big False Make is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
Season 4 (1954–55) edit
Friday's partner throughout this season is Officer Frank Smith.
| No. in series |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87 | 1 | "The Big Producer" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | August 27, 1954 | |
|
Obscene literature and pictures are spread among youngster at a school in Los Angeles. The supplier of this illegal stuff turns out to be a former film producer from the days of silent movies. The Big Producer is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 88 | 2 | "The Big Fraud" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | September 3, 1954 | |
|
A group of con artists are posing as cops and victimizing out-of-town businessmen in fashionable hotels. The Big Fraud is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 89 | 3 | "The Big Crime" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | September 10, 1954 | |
|
Four-year-old twin girls are abducted from the local park. The Big Crime is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 90 | 4 | "The Big Pair" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | September 17, 1954 | |
|
An old man and his granddaughter are burgled, leaving them broke and starving. The Big Pair is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 91 | 5 | "The Big Escape" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | September 24, 1954 | |
| A case hits too close to home for Friday when his old army buddy robs a liquor store and shoots his partner. Friday believes his friend wants to go straight after doing time, but things get worse when his friend breaks jail. | ||||||
| 92 | 6 | "The Big Kid" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | October 1, 1954 | |
| When Friday and Smith learn that a showdown between two teenage gangs is about to take place within 48 hours, they do their utmost to prevent it. But for all their efforts a tragedy occurs: an 11-year-old boy is killed. | ||||||
| 93 | 7 | "The Big Missing" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | October 8, 1954 | |
| Friday and Smith are looking for a missing businessman. | ||||||
| 94 | 8 | "The Big Bar" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | October 15, 1954 | |
|
A holdup man is sticking up bars. After he takes the money he kills many of his victims. Sergeant Friday has few leads other than that the holdup man likes a certain song on the jukebox. The Big Bar is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 95 | 9 | "The Big Present" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | October 22, 1954 | |
|
Friday and Smith are looking for a burglar who leaves a milk bottle at the scene of the crime. They suspect a juvenile might be involved. The Big Present is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 96 | 10 | "The Big Gangster: Part 1" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | October 29, 1954 | |
| An attempt is made on the life of a gang leader. Friday and Smith must find the shooters before his followers seek revenge. | ||||||
| 97 | 11 | "The Big Gangster: Part 2" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | November 5, 1954 | |
| Friday and Smith must find the men who murdered a gang boss before an open gang war starts. | ||||||
| 98 | 12 | "The Big New Years" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | November 12, 1954 | |
|
On New Year's Eve, Friday and Smith are working out of Central Receiving Hospital. The Big New Years is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 99 | 13 | "The Big Want Ad" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | November 19, 1954 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a man who is conning people by using the want ads. | ||||||
| 100 | 14 | "The Big Affair" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | November 26, 1954 | |
| Friday and Smith discover that the key to finding a hold-up artist lies in his married girlfriend. | ||||||
| 101 | 15 | "The Big Bible" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Earl Schley | December 3, 1954 | |
|
Cast: Lillian Powell, Marian Richman The estranged husband of Nora Hamlin storms her mother's house threatening to kill himself, and is found dead. But when the case appears open and shut, examination of the death bullet shows it could not possibly be fired from the gun the man was holding, so Friday must reinterview the man's mother-in-law, who'd been reading The Bible when the man stormed into her house. NOTE: This episode was remade for Dragnet 1967...episode "The Bullet", aired May 11, 1967.[which?] | ||||||
| 102 | 16 | "The Big Bindle" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Jack Webb | December 10, 1954 | |
| Friday goes under cover to bust a drug ring that is operating out of a high-class hotel. | ||||||
| 103 | 17 | "The Big Office" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | December 17, 1954 | |
| Friday and Smith are assigned to the business office, where they must deal with the paperwork on a busy weekend. | ||||||
| 104 | 18 | "The Big Rod" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | December 31, 1954 | |
|
An expectant mother is run down and killed by a teenager in a hot rod. The Big Rod is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 105 | 19 | "The Big Rescue" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | January 7, 1955 | |
| A group of bandits arm themselves and break their comrades out of jail. | ||||||
| 106 | 20 | "The Big Family" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | January 14, 1955 | |
|
CAST: Robert Knapp, Herb Butterfield, Sarah Selby, J.P. O'Donnell Local businessman John Keith Jarrett disappears and evidence of suicide is discovered. Friday and Smith check on the surviving members of his family and find them not the least concerned about their father's death, with his son a tennis bum, his daughter promiscuous, and his wife drunken. The case gets even murkier when a report comes in of a traffic incident upstate involving a camper in which the driver was using Jarrett's license. The Big Family is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 107 | 21 | "The Big Shock" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | January 21, 1955 | |
| Friday and Smith go after a burglar who plans to break into a bank through a tunnel. | ||||||
| 108 | 22 | "The Big Screen" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | January 28, 1955 | |
| Friday and Smith team up with a newspaper reporter so they can investigate television repairmen who may be overcharging their customers. | ||||||
| 109 | 23 | "The Big TV" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | February 4, 1955 | |
|
The detectives search for a missing mother and child at the behest of her mother-in-law, unaware that the girl's husband has died in action and is not overseas as the woman had claimed. The Big TV is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive (note: this episode is mislabeled as The Big Bounce at the Internet Archive.) | ||||||
| 110 | 24 | "The Big Dog" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | February 11, 1955 | |
| An old man sits on his front porch with a shotgun, threatening to kill the man who poisoned his dog. | ||||||
| 111 | 25 | "The Big Underground" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Earl Schley | February 18, 1955 | |
| Friday and Smith use a stolen check as a lead to a series of used car lot robberies. | ||||||
| 112 | 26 | "The Big Key" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Earl Schley | February 25, 1955 | |
| A woman's badly mutilated body is found in a churchyard on Christmas eve. The only clue is a key lying under her. | ||||||
| 113 | 27 | "The Big Mailman" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | March 4, 1955 | |
| Friday and Smith go after a bandit who is robbing mailboxes and then trying to cash other people's checks. | ||||||
| 114 | 28 | "The Big Customer" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | March 11, 1955 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a man who is writing bad checks. | ||||||
| 115 | 29 | "The Big Tar Baby" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | March 18, 1955 | |
| A bartender's wife is kidnapped, beaten and rolled in hot tar. | ||||||
| 116 | 30 | "The Big Number" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | March 25, 1955 | |
| Friday and Smith Investigate a Bank Robbery. The suspect is found by a witness getting three numbers from his license plate. | ||||||
| 117 | 31 | "The Big Mask" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | April 1, 1955 | |
| A masked bandit is holding up supermarkets and the police are not able to catch him. | ||||||
| 118 | 32 | "The Big Sucker" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | April 8, 1955 | |
| A con artist is swindling jewelers using fake diamonds. | ||||||
| 119 | 33 | "The Big Mustache" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | April 15, 1955 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate the robbery of an appliance store. | ||||||
| 120 | 34 | "The Big Heel" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | April 22, 1955 | |
| Friday and Smith use an unusual footprint to help solve a murder case. | ||||||
| 121 | 35 | "The Big Gone" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Earl Schley | April 29, 1955 | |
| The owner of a flower shop kills a man who is trying to rob him, but the corpse mysteriously vanishes. | ||||||
| 122 | 36 | "The Big Student" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | May 6, 1955 | |
| Friday and Smith are on the trail of a bunch of teenagers selling fake magazine subscriptions. | ||||||
| 123 | 37 | "The Big Watch" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | May 13, 1955 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a man based on a tip from an informant. | ||||||
| 124 | 38 | "The Big Dig" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | May 20, 1955 | |
| Friday and Smith are looking into a report of a missing woman that turns into a murder investigation. | ||||||
| 125 | 39 | "The Big Mug" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | May 27, 1955 | |
| Two hold-up men are robbing and beating pedestrians in the downtown area. | ||||||
Season 5 (1955–56) edit
Friday's partner throughout this season is Officer Frank Smith.
| No. in series |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 126 | 1 | "The Big Pipe" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | September 2, 1955 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate the murder of a young woman who was beaten to death with a lead pipe. A filmed remake of radio episode #4, "Who Killed Helen Corday". | ||||||
| 127 | 2 | "The Big Chet" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | September 9, 1955 | |
| 128 | 3 | "The Big No Rain" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | September 16, 1955 | |
| 129 | 4 | "The Big Lift" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | September 23, 1955 | |
|
Sgt Friday and officer Smith struggle to crack a case involving a cat burglar. The Big Lift is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 130 | 5 | "The Big Confession" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | September 30, 1955 | |
| A man walks into the station and tells Friday that he wants to confess to a murder, but the cops have a hard time verifying his story. | ||||||
| 131 | 6 | "The Big Gap" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | October 7, 1955 | |
|
Cast Lillian Powell, Peggy Webber, James Stone, Red Barry, Mel Ford A pawn shop owner alerts Friday and Smith when a man claimed to have purchased an expensive ring that turns out to be junk and then asked the pawn shop owner to sell him a gun. Friday and Smith find the man and learn he is the latest victim of two con artists, Ernest Wilcoxson and Parker Cleaver, who are now working with a third man named Norman Crist. But when Crist is found dead in a car accident, the two conmen cannot be prosecuted. The Big Gap is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 132 | 7 | "The Big Look" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | October 14, 1955 | |
|
Friday and Smith are assigned to a case of a woman who was beaten outside her home. The Big Look is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 133 | 8 | "The Big Glasses" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | October 21, 1955 | |
|
Cast Red Barry, Edward Keane A housewife, Ella Ryburn reports to Friday and Smith that she cannot contact her mother, who is married to Alfred Rudolph Shroder. When he is questioned, Shroder claims his wife left him and that he sold their house and put her items in storage, but Friday and Smith do some more checking and find some discrepancies, then when they go to the house with Ella Ryburn they discover the basement ceiling contains blood. But it isn't until the two officers find a pair of glasses that they deduce what happened. | ||||||
| 134 | 9 | "The Big Bird" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | October 28, 1955 | |
|
Sgt. Friday investigates a robber who only targets pet stores and homes that have pet birds. The Big Bird is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 135 | 10 | "The Big Laugh" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | November 4, 1955 | |
| A con man makes lonely women fall for his charms, then steals their money and disappears. | ||||||
| 136 | 11 | "The Big Smoke" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | November 11, 1955 | |
| An invalid woman and her elderly father are brutally beaten, the father fatally, and the trail leads police to a former handyman. | ||||||
| 137 | 12 | "The Big Bounce" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | November 18, 1955 | |
| Joe Friday searches for a check forger who has been using the name of the old-time movie villain Parker Allington, who died three years ago. The search takes him to a former extra who has given up show business for crime. | ||||||
| 138 | 13 | "The Big Shot" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | November 25, 1955 | |
| A night club owner is shot down and there are no witnesses to the crime. | ||||||
| 139 | 14 | "The Big Locker" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | December 2, 1955 | |
| Friday and Smith happen to catch a man trying to sell a stolen ring at a pawn shop. | ||||||
| 140 | 15 | "The Big Note" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | December 9, 1955 | |
| Friday and Smith receive an anonymous note that leads them to a group of neglected and drug-using teenagers. | ||||||
| 141 | 16 | "The Big Genius" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | December 16, 1955 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate what seems to be the perfect crime. | ||||||
| 142 | 17 | "The Big Reminisce" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | December 30, 1955 | |
| Friday and Smith talk about some of their past cases during a slow New Year's Eve shift. | ||||||
| 143 | 18 | "The Big Tour" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Frank Burt | January 6, 1956 | |
| 144 | 19 | "The Big Sisters" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | January 13, 1956 | |
| Friday and Smith are sent to investigate a burglary report filed by an elderly person, only to find out that the report is a fake. | ||||||
| 145 | 20 | "The Big Ruling" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | January 20, 1956 | |
| 146 | 21 | "The Big Fall Guy" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | January 27, 1956 | |
| Friday and Smith are on the trail of a robbery suspect that has robbed two stores. | ||||||
| 147 | 22 | "The Big Set" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | February 3, 1956 | |
| A city councilman is beaten to death outside a bar and it's up to Friday and Smith to find his killer. | ||||||
| 148 | 23 | "The Big Child" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | February 10, 1956 | |
| A report of a two-year-old child drinking bleach sends Friday and Smith on a hunt to find the mother for questioning. | ||||||
| 149 | 24 | "The Big Slug" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | February 17, 1956 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate the fatal shooting of a liquor store owner. | ||||||
| 150 | 25 | "The Big Daughter" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | February 24, 1956 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a missing persons report. | ||||||
| 151 | 26 | "The Big No Suicide" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | March 2, 1956 | |
| Friday gets a call from a former mental patient who is threatening to kill himself and his family. | ||||||
| 152 | 27 | "The Big Siege" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | March 9, 1956 | |
| Police find themselves in a stand-off when an armed bank robber takes a woman hostage in her home. | ||||||
| 153 | 28 | "The Big Mama" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | March 16, 1956 | |
| 154 | 29 | "The Big Revision" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | March 23, 1956 | |
| Friday and Smith have a hard time getting a robbery suspect to confess to his crimes. | ||||||
| 155 | 30 | "The Big Ex-Blonde" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | March 30, 1956 | |
| Friday goes undercover to catch brothers who steal people's money by posing as real-estate agents. | ||||||
| 156 | 31 | "The Big Bobo" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | April 6, 1956 | |
| A police officer is suspended from duty when he is accused of taking a bribe in exchange for a prisoner's release. | ||||||
| 157 | 32 | "The Big Rush" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | April 13, 1956 | |
| Friday and Smith start an investigation of two men who killed an off-duty policeman in a downtown Los Angeles bar. | ||||||
| 158 | 33 | "The Big Setup" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | April 20, 1956 | |
| An informant tips off police to a shipment of heroin coming into the country. Friday goes undercover to bust open the ring. | ||||||
| 159 | 34 | "The Big Deal" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | April 27, 1956 | |
|
Friday and Smith are investigating a rash of car thefts. The stolen cars are being sold with forged pink slips. The Big Deal is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 160 | 35 | "The Big Wish" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Frank Burt | May 4, 1956 | |
| A teenage boy turns himself in and confesses to being an addict, but he refuses to give up the names of his friends who supplied him. | ||||||
| 161 | 36 | "The Big Hat" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | May 11, 1956 | |
| A young man is found hiding in an empty train car with the strangled body of an older woman next to him. | ||||||
| 162 | 37 | "The Big Housemaid" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | May 18, 1956 | |
| 163 | 38 | "The Big Gift" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Frank Burt | May 25, 1956 | |
| 164 | 39 | "The Big Salvage" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Frank Burt | June 1, 1956 | |
Season 6 (1956–57) edit
Friday's partner throughout this season is Officer Frank Smith.
| No. in series |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 165 | 1 | "The Big Cat" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Frank Burt | September 27, 1956 | |
| A circus man reports that a tiger escaped from his truck and is now on the loose in Los Angeles. | ||||||
| 166 | 2 | "The Big Missus" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | October 11, 1956 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a report from a wife that her husband is about to commit a crime. | ||||||
| 167 | 3 | "The Big Beer" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Frank Burt | October 18, 1956 | |
| 168 | 4 | "The Big Net" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Frank Burt | October 25, 1956 | |
|
Cast Norman Bartold, Peter Brocco, Julie Van Zandt Women are attacked in a small area at bus stops, but when the attacker is scratched in the face in a fight with a woman he is cornered and shoots an officer. | ||||||
| 169 | 5 | "The Big Convertible" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | November 1, 1956 | |
| A man forges checks to keep himself and his wife in an expensive lifestyle, but he goes too far when he buys a slick convertible. | ||||||
| 170 | 6 | "The Big Limp" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Frank Burt | November 8, 1956 | |
| A teenage boy under arrest admits to police that his brother is planning to rob a loan company. | ||||||
| 171 | 7 | "The Big Tattoo" | Jack Webb | Milton Geiger | November 15, 1956 | |
| Friday and Smith are looking for a robber with an unusual tattoo. | ||||||
| 172 | 8 | "The Big Odd" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Frank Burt | November 22, 1956 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a gabling racket. | ||||||
| 173 | 9 | "The Big Bill" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Frank Burt | November 29, 1956 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate reports of counterfeit money appearing all over the city. | ||||||
| 174 | 10 | "The Big Search" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Frank Burt | December 6, 1956 | |
| A distraught father reports that his teenage daughter is missing, and things look more bleak when her murdered pet is discovered in her room. | ||||||
| 175 | 11 | "The Big Talk" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | December 13, 1956 | |
| A watch salesman reports that he was robbed by two men whom he drank with the night before. | ||||||
| 176 | 12 | "The Big Doting Mother" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | December 20, 1956 | |
| 177 | 13 | "The Big Handcuffs" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | December 27, 1956 | |
| 178 | 14 | "The Big Father" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | January 3, 1957 | |
| Friday and Smith are on the trail of a burglar who breaks into houses in broad daylight. | ||||||
| 179 | 15 | "The Big Switch" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Frank Burt | January 10, 1957 | |
| 180 | 16 | "The Big Steal" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Frank Burt | January 17, 1957 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a rash of burglaries. | ||||||
| 181 | 17 | "The Big Manikin" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Frank Burt | January 24, 1957 | |
| A woman reports that her husband has failed to come home after going out with his business partner. | ||||||
| 182 | 18 | "The Big No Tooth" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | January 31, 1957 | |
| A bandit carrying a sawed-off shotgun is robbing hotels in the downtown area. | ||||||
| 183 | 19 | "The Big Skip" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | February 7, 1957 | |
| 184 | 20 | "The Big Fin" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | February 14, 1957 | |
| A tourist leaves her purse in the back of a cab and it's up to Friday and Smith to track it down. | ||||||
| 185 | 21 | "The Big Game" | Jack Webb | Jerry Gruskin | February 21, 1957 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate another con ring. | ||||||
| 186 | 22 | "The Big Coins" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Frank Burt | February 28, 1957 | |
| Friday and Smith are on the trail of a robber/arsonist that takes nothing of value and then sets the house on fire. | ||||||
| 187 | 23 | "The Big Close" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy, John Robinson | March 7, 1957 | |
| Friday and Smith reopen a closed case because a tip leads them to believe they have the wrong person. | ||||||
| 188 | 24 | "The Big Tie" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | March 14, 1957 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate the former employee of a tie manufacturing company. | ||||||
| 189 | 25 | "The Big Cup" | Jack Webb | Jerry Gruskin | March 21, 1957 | |
| A howling dog leads to the unearthing of the battered body of an old woman in her garden. | ||||||
| 190 | 26 | "The Big Truck" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | March 28, 1957 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate the hit and run of a little girl. | ||||||
| 191 | 27 | "The Big Saint" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Jack Webb | April 4, 1957 | |
| Friday and Smith try to prove that a salvage yard operator is using his business to fix up stolen cars. | ||||||
| 192 | 28 | "The Big Match" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy, John Robinson | April 11, 1957 | |
| An auction house is held up and the only clue to the bandits lies in a dropped matchbook. | ||||||
| 193 | 29 | "The Big Help" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy, John Robinson | April 18, 1957 | |
| Friday and Smith get a tip about a case from an unexpected place. | ||||||
| 194 | 30 | "The Big Celebration" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | April 25, 1957 | |
| Friday and Smith are on the trail of a thief whose victims are attending weddings and funerals. | ||||||
| 195 | 31 | "The Big Cry Baby" | Jack Webb | Jerry Gruskin | May 2, 1957 | |
| 196 | 32 | "The Big Lesson" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | May 9, 1957 | |
| Friday and Smith are on the trail of three masked men responsible for over thirty robberies. | ||||||
| 197 | 33 | "The Big Soldier" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | May 16, 1957 | |
| 198 | 34 | "The Big Make" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, James E. Moser | May 23, 1957 | |
| A bakery owner and his daughter are shot down during a robbery. | ||||||
Season 7 (1957–58) edit
Friday's partner throughout this season is Officer Frank Smith.
| No. in series |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 199 | 1 | "The Big Constitution" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | September 26, 1957 | |
| 200 | 2 | "The Big Candy Box" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | October 3, 1957 | |
| 201 | 3 | "The Big Button" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | October 10, 1957 | |
| 202 | 4 | "The Big Yak" | Jack Webb | John Robinson | October 17, 1957 | |
| 203 | 5 | "The Big Howard" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | October 24, 1957 | |
| 204 | 6 | "The Big Tomato Cans" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | October 31, 1957 | |
| 205 | 7 | "The Big Dip" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | November 7, 1957 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate money being taken from a department store's registers with the help of store security. | ||||||
| 206 | 8 | "The Big License Plates" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | November 14, 1957 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a con involving fake license plates. | ||||||
| 207 | 9 | "The Big Blank" | Jack Webb | John Meredyth Lucas, Frank Burt | November 21, 1957 | |
| A bunch of forged checks are popping up all over the city and it's up to Friday and Smith to catch the forger. | ||||||
| 208 | 10 | "The Big Tease" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | November 28, 1957 | |
| 209 | 11 | "The Big Love" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | December 5, 1957 | |
| A man reports that his wife ran off with his little girl and the man she was having an affair with. The trail leads Friday and Smith to a suicide pact. | ||||||
| 210 | 12 | "The Big Red Wagon" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | December 12, 1957 | |
| 211 | 13 | "The Big Prescription" | Jack Webb | Ken Kolb, James E. Moser | December 19, 1957 | |
| Mrs. Eileen Multon picks up the wrong prescription. Now it's up to Friday and Smith to find her before it's too late. | ||||||
| 212 | 14 | "The Big Full Moon" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | December 26, 1957 | |
| 213 | 15 | "The Big Jade" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | January 2, 1958 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a series of jade robberies. | ||||||
| 214 | 16 | "The Big Tip" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | January 9, 1958 | |
| 215 | 17 | "The Big Stubby" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | January 16, 1958 | |
| 216 | 18 | "The Big Baby Face" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | January 23, 1958 | |
| 217 | 19 | "The Big Lip" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | January 30, 1958 | |
| Friday and Smith are on the trail of a hit-and-run driver. | ||||||
| 218 | 20 | "The Big Boot" | Jack Webb | Ken Kolb | February 13, 1958 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a home invasion and their only clue is a boot print in the mud by a window. | ||||||
| 219 | 21 | "The Big Rip" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | February 20, 1958 | |
| A man accuses his son of stabbing him, but Friday and Smith find out that his son has an airtight alibi. | ||||||
| 220 | 22 | "The Big Excuse" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Michael Cramoy | February 27, 1958 | |
| 221 | 23 | "The Big Knot" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | March 6, 1958 | |
| 222 | 24 | "The Big Hobby" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | March 13, 1958 | |
| 223 | 25 | "The Big Organizer" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | March 20, 1958 | |
| Friday and Smith are trying to bring down a street gang but are having a hard time getting to the top man known as The Organizer. | ||||||
| 224 | 26 | "The Big Gent" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | March 27, 1958 | |
| An ex-con called The Gentleman Bandit begins working again when he holds up a bank with two helpers. | ||||||
| 225 | 27 | "The Big Wardrobe" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | April 3, 1958 | |
| Friday and Smith track a man who writes bad checks for expensive clothes and then sells the clothes for a profit. | ||||||
| 226 | 28 | "The Big War" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | April 10, 1958 | |
|
Friday and Smith investigate a report of a teen gang war in the middle of Los Angeles. The Big War is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 227 | 29 | "The Big Bad Count" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | April 17, 1958 | |
| 228 | 30 | "The Big Evans" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | April 24, 1958 | |
| A man reports that a police officer blackmailed him for money and then beat him up, and he has the bruises to prove his story. | ||||||
| 229 | 31 | "The Big Pack Rat" | Jack Webb | Ken Kolb | May 1, 1958 | |
| 230 | 32 | "The Big Honeymoon" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | May 8, 1958 | |
| Friday and Smith are looking for a man who sells fake honeymoon trips to unsuspecting couples. | ||||||
| 231 | 33 | "The Big Eyes" | Jack Webb | Jack Jacobs | May 15, 1958 | |
| 232 | 34 | "The Big Cracker Box" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | May 22, 1958 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a rash of supermarket robberies, and the burglar's calling card is leaving crackers scattered all over the floor of the store. | ||||||
| 233 | 35 | "The Big Perfume Bottle" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | May 29, 1958 | |
| A unique and costly perfume bottle is taken from an upscale home and it's up to Friday and Smith to get it back. | ||||||
| 234 | 36 | "The Big Bed" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | June 5, 1958 | |
| 235 | 37 | "The Big Ruthie" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | June 12, 1958 | |
| A disgruntled ex-con helps Friday and Smith take down a forgery ring that has cashed thousands of dollars in forged payroll checks. | ||||||
| 236 | 38 | "The Big Grifter" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | June 19, 1958 | |
| A con artist operating in the gentle swindle steals money from grieving relatives after their loved ones die. | ||||||
| 237 | 39 | "The Big Irony" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | June 26, 1958 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a murder-suicide of a husband and wife. | ||||||
Season 8 (1958–59) edit
Both Friday and Smith receive promotions in the 8th and final season. Lt. Friday's partner throughout this season is Sgt. Frank Smith.
| No. in series |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 238 | 1 | "The Big Beating" | Jack Webb | Ken Kolb | September 23, 1958 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a report of a man hitting his wife. | ||||||
| 239 | 2 | "The Big Sweet Annie" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | September 30, 1958 | |
| Friday and Smith have to watch out for sweet Annie. | ||||||
| 240 | 3 | "The Big Star" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | October 7, 1958 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a robbery report. | ||||||
| 241 | 4 | "The Big Oskar" | Jack Webb | William Spier | October 14, 1958 | |
|
The detectives take a report of valuables stolen from the home of a somewhat eccentric old lady. They begin to suspect something is amiss when she starts talking about how she gets the "scoop" on crimes by being the first to report them to the local newspaper. The Big Oskar is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive | ||||||
| 242 | 5 | "The Big Little Boy" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | October 21, 1958 | |
| Friday and Smith are looking for a missing child. | ||||||
| 243 | 6 | "The Big Voice" | Jack Webb | Ken Kolb | October 28, 1958 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a gang of thugs. | ||||||
| 244 | 7 | "The Big Juke Box" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | November 4, 1958 | |
| Friday goes undercover as a bar owner in order to break up an illegal jukebox operation. | ||||||
| 245 | 8 | "The Big Doll" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | November 11, 1958 | |
| 246 | 9 | "The Big Border" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | November 18, 1958 | |
| Friday and Smith must track a pair of escaped convicts across the Mexican border. | ||||||
| 247 | 10 | "The Big Nazi" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | November 25, 1958 | |
| Friday goes undercover to catch a racist murderer. | ||||||
| 248 | 11 | "The Big Hot Rod" | Jack Webb | Ken Kolb | December 2, 1958 | |
| Friday is on the hunt for a group of teens that are stealing sports cars. | ||||||
| 249 | 12 | "The Big Green Monkey" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | December 9, 1958 | |
| A woman reports her Jade collection stolen and it's up to Friday and Smith to find it. | ||||||
| 250 | 13 | "The Big Hype" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | December 16, 1958 | |
| 251 | 14 | "The Big Maria" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | December 23, 1958 | |
| 252 | 15 | "The Big Donation" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | December 30, 1958 | |
| Two con artists are selling phony magazines subscriptions to unsuspecting suckers. | ||||||
| 253 | 16 | "The Big Malcolm" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Ken Kolb | January 6, 1959 | |
| 254 | 17 | "The Big Smart Girl" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | January 13, 1959 | |
| 255 | 18 | "The Big Doctor" | Jack Webb | Ken Kolb | January 20, 1959 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a doctor making false insurance claims. | ||||||
| 256 | 19 | "The Big Signet" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | January 27, 1959 | |
| Friday and Smith have to find a man selling forged passports and paperwork. | ||||||
| 257 | 20 | "The Big Accident" | Jack Webb | Ken Kolb | February 3, 1959 | |
| An insurance adjuster files a report with Friday about possible fraudulent insurance claims. | ||||||
| 258 | 21 | "The Big Mail" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | February 10, 1959 | |
| Friday works with a postal inspector to catch a gang using the mail to scam money from people. | ||||||
| 259 | 22 | "The Big Roll" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | February 17, 1959 | |
| 260 | 23 | "The Big Thirteen" | Jack Webb | Ken Kolb | February 24, 1959 | |
| 261 | 24 | "The Big Sour" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | March 10, 1959 | |
| An elderly couple are beaten and robbed. The key to finding the bandits lies in a paper boy and an alert bartender. | ||||||
| 262 | 25 | "The Big Starlet" | Jack Webb | Ken Kolb | March 17, 1959 | |
| 263 | 26 | "The Big Holdup" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | March 24, 1959 | |
| A robber called "The Rattlesnake Bandit" takes pleasure in beating and shooting his victims after he takes their money. | ||||||
| 264 | 27 | "The Big Name" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | March 31, 1959 | |
| 265 | 28 | "The Big Couple" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | April 7, 1959 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a husband and wife con team that have a long criminal record. | ||||||
| 266 | 29 | "The Big Squeeze" | Jack Webb | Michael Cramoy | April 14, 1959 | |
| Friday investigates a robbery that is caused by a blackmail victim's refusal to pay. | ||||||
| 267 | 30 | "The Big Picture" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | April 21, 1959 | |
| A young girl commits suicide after she is tricked by a pair of movie talent scouts who are really operating a prostitution ring. | ||||||
| 268 | 31 | "The Big Carnation" | Jack Webb | John Robinson, Ken Kolb | April 28, 1959 | |
| 269 | 32 | "The Big Operator" | Jack Webb | Jack Laird, Wilton Schiller, Frank Burt | July 7, 1959 | |
| 270 | 33 | "The Big Bray" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | July 12, 1959 | |
| 271 | 34 | "The Big Infant" | Jack Webb | Jack Jacobs | July 19, 1959 | |
| Friday and Smith track down a missing baby. | ||||||
| 272 | 35 | "The Big Appetite" | Jack Webb | Gene Coon | July 26, 1959 | |
| 273 | 36 | "The Big .38" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | August 2, 1959 | |
| Cab drivers are being held up, but the descriptions given by the victims don't match. | ||||||
| 274 | 37 | "The Big Byron" | Jack Webb | Frank Burt | August 9, 1959 | |
| Did someone really try to kill George Byron? Friday and Smith are on the case to find out. | ||||||
| 275 | 38 | "The Big Counterfeit" | Jack Webb | Ken Kolb | August 16, 1959 | |
| A man impersonating a police officer is going to local businesses and asking for donations for the widows and orphans fund. Smith and Friday set out to stop the con man. | ||||||
| 276 | 39 | "The Big Red" | Jack Webb | James E. Moser | August 23, 1959 | |
| Friday and Smith investigate a series of robberies. This is the final episode of the series. | ||||||
References edit
- ^ Hayde, Michael (June 2000). "List of Dragnet TV Episodes, 1951–1959". Retrieved 17 May 2010.
- ^ "Episode list for "Dragnet" (1951)". Internet Movie Database. 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
- ^ ""Dragnet" (Mark VII/NBC) (1951–59) starring Jack Webb". The Classic TV Archive. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
- ^ Michael J. Hayde, My Name's Friday: The Unauthorized but True Story of Dragnet and the Films of Jack Webb, Cumberland House, 2001, ISBN 1-58182-190-5