The BEST Episodes of Dragnet
Every episode ever - ranked by fan votes!
Last Updated: Jan 21, 2022
Network: NBC
Dragnet 1967-1970 was the second run of the Dragnet series. It began in January of 1967, and ran to September of 1970. The lead character, Sgt. Joe Friday, was played by Jack Webb, who also directed and produced the series. The show's focus is on two detectives, Sgt. Joe Friday, and Officer Bill Gannon, played by Harry Morgan. The two track down criminals all throughout the city of Los Angeles, California. The original "Dragnet" was the grandfather of ALL of today's police drama shows. This was the first time a cancelled network TV series was successfully revived. In late 1965, Universal and NBC hired Webb to revive "Dragnet" as a made-for-TV movie. This was filmed in early 1966, but didn't air until January 1969. Titled "World Premiere: Dragnet," the well-made film has Friday and Gannon linking the slayings of photographer's models to the disappearance of a war widow, while Gannon prepares to retire.
#1 - Homicide - Who Killed Who?
Season 4 - Episode 15 - Aired Jan 29, 1970
There is a multiple homicide at a rooming house. When Joe and Bill arrive, they find two dead in the lobby near a broken TV set and the manager has been shot and is near death. The manager mumbles the words "oft one" to Joe as he is taken away to the hospital. Bill and Joe start searching for clues and what the managers word mean.
8.29 
#2 - Public Affairs - DR-12
Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired Nov 14, 1968
Joe and Bill are assigned to help arrange a press conference for the President of the United States at LAX
8.27 
#3 - The Fur Job
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired Mar 16, 1967
Gannon goes undercover as a buyer in order to trap fur theives.
8.25 
#4 - Administrative Vice - DR-29
Season 3 - Episode 17 - Aired Feb 6, 1969
Joe has a new partner, Lt. Chris Drucker while Bill recovers from the flu. Joe and Chris are trying to catch bookies. Drucker is really working for the bookies and has been tipping them off when a raid is planned. Drucker tries to bribe Joe to help him.
8.25 
#5 - Homicide - DR-22
Season 3 - Episode 14 - Aired Jan 9, 1969
Joe and Bill are called to an apartment where the manager has found a young woman bound and dead. The 91 year old manager of the apartment building is a suspect until joe find out that the old man was chief of detectives in Chicago. Finger prints lead Joe and Bill to a couple.
8.17 
#6 - The Big High
Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired Nov 2, 1967
An elderly businessman, concerned about the welfare of his grandchild, informs Friday and Gannon that his daughter and son-in-law are using marijuana regularly. The young couple make no apologies for their lifestyle, which inevitably leads to disaster.
8.15 
#7 - D.H.Q. - Medical
Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired Oct 9, 1969
Joe and Bill are working a medial detail at a hospital. They handle an old man who's hobby is sitting in hotel lobbies, question a man who brings in a dead woman, investigates a man who had writing a letter threatening to blow up a radio station and try to get a dieing declaration from a shooting victim.
8.14 
#8 - D.H.Q. - Missing Person
Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired Nov 13, 1969
Joe and Bill investigate a missing high school student. They find that both the student and her older sister are missing. However, the apartment manager and neighbor say that there is no younger sister. Joe and Bill must find the truth.
8.13 
#9 - The Big Dog
Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired Nov 23, 1967
A purse-snatching dog? This is the case Friday and Gannon must solve. Making things more difficult, victims give different descriptions of the four-legged thief.
8.07 
#10 - The Candy Store Robberies
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired Mar 9, 1967
Friday and Gannon try to figure out a pattern to a series of candy store hold-ups. The solution comes when they discover that there are two suspects.
8.06 
#11 - Narcotics - DR-21
Season 3 - Episode 16 - Aired Jan 30, 1969
The Captain ask Joe and Bill to investigate having dogs trained to sniff out narcotics. They contact a dog trainer to train dogs for the job. Joe and Bill do a demonstration for Judges to prove the effectiveness of using a dog to detect marijuana.
8.00 
#12 - The Trial Board
Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired Dec 14, 1967
An officer accused of taking a bribe has chosen Sgt. Friday to represent him at his trial board hearing. Witnesses saw the officer accept the money, but he insists it was for the payback of a loan made years ago.
8.00 
#13 - Management Services - DR-11
Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired Oct 10, 1968
Joe and Bill are called back to work because of an emergency. It's April 4, 1968, and Dr Martin Luther King has been assassinated less than an hour ago. They are assigned to the police emergency control center to monitor potential unrest in the LA area
8.00 
#14 - Vice - DR-30
Season 3 - Episode 22 - Aired Mar 13, 1969
The Captain assigns Joe and Bill to find the location of a high stakes poker operation that has been preying on visitors. Bill and Joe pose as farmers and check into a hotel where an agricultural convention is occurring.
8.00 
#15 - Frauds - DR-36
Season 3 - Episode 26 - Aired Apr 10, 1969
Someone is embezzling from Summers Department Store by opening up false credit card accounts at the store. Joe and Bill figure it is an inside job and question employees in the credit department.
8.00 
#16 - Internal Affairs - Parolee
Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired Nov 27, 1969
The warden of a Colorado prison has notified the department that an inmate is about to be paroled, but there is a hold from LA because of an outstanding warrant. Joe and Bill investigate whether there is still a case after 15 years.
8.00 
#17 - Burglary - Helpful Woman
Season 4 - Episode 14 - Aired Jan 22, 1970
A woman befriends elderly people and then steals from them. Joe and Bill contact a radio personality and ask to have him talk about the scam. The radio broadcast turns up a lead, and a stakeout is set up where Bill poses as an invilid.
8.00 
#18 - I.A.D. - The Receipt
Season 4 - Episode 23 - Aired Mar 26, 1970
Two of the department's veteran homicide detectives are accused of stealing $800 from a dead man. Joe and Bill investigate and try to find a missing receipt that would clear the detectives.
8.00 
#19 - The Investigation
Season 2 - Episode 26 - Aired Mar 14, 1968
Friday and Gannon are screening applicants for the Police Academy. One seems to have all the right qualifications, except that six months are missing from his application.
7.89 
#20 - Burglary - Mister
Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired Oct 16, 1969
An old woman has all her possessions including her cane stolen by her grandson, "Mister Daniel Lumis". Joe and Bill try to locate Lumis and find a trail of bigamy and thievery.
7.87 
#21 - The Senior Citizen
Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired Oct 26, 1967
A series of daring daylight house burglaries are taking place; perpetrated by an octegenarian who uses the wedding and obituary notices in the paper to select his victims.
7.87 
#22 - The Joy Riders
Season 3 - Episode 18 - Aired Feb 13, 1969
A 15-year-old car thief is given a tour of the jail in an attempt to impress him of the consequences for choosing crime. Unfortunately, it doesn't work - the young man later kills someone with a shotgun.
7.86 
#23 - Forgery - DR-33
Season 3 - Episode 23 - Aired Mar 20, 1969
An actress' pay checks have being stolen and someone have cashed them. Joe and Bill visit the actress' apartment and find her roommate the prime suspect. They try to track the roommate down, but are unsuccessful until her husband contacts them.
7.86 
#24 - Juvenile - DR-35
Season 3 - Episode 25 - Aired Apr 3, 1969
An infant girl is found in a garbage can; Joe and Bill use the child's blanket to track down the mother.
7.86 
#25 - S.I.U. - The Ring
Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired Oct 2, 1969
Joe and Bill are working the Special Investigation Unit. Informant “Black 10” asks for a meeting with Joe and Bill and gives them a tip about a bartender who is fencing stolen jade ring. Joe and Bill set up a sting to recover the ring and other stolen jewelry.
7.86