Dragnet

What began as an outstanding updated version of the classic cop/detective show was picked and hacked at by TV executive dolts until it finally bore little or no resemblance to the original, and did away with a central character.

TV executives are absolutely clueless. The show did not instantly get top rating, and therefore Mr. Moneybags or Mr. Big Cigar or whoever over at the network called up and said, "Change it so we get more sponsorship and I can afford to put another wing on my chalet in the south of France. Oh, and my wife wants a solid gold Maserati for her birthday."

If they had left the show alone, it would have gained steam and become a very successful series. Instead, they ruined it and then threw it away.

Ed O'Neil was excellent as Joe Friday.

I have listened to the original. YES, listened. Dragnet was originally a radio show. Not that at 45 I'm old enough to have heard it live but I have heard tapes.

The later television show with Harry Morgan as the partner aired every night after the 6 PM news where I grew up. Joe Friday was not cynical he was a flag waving TRUE BELIEVER. There were never dirty cops in the original Dragnet, the crooks were all bad guys and Joe and his partner put as much energy into catching the thief of a Baby Jesus statue as they did in finding a murderer. They didn't worry so much about "civil rights" and TECHNICAL things like that. They were only interested in arresting the crooks. I don't think Joe Friday ever cracked a joke or took a drink. They SAID that all the cases were REAL but I have read that it was partly due to the way you could define "real" in those days.

Ed is playing Joe Friday as at 21st Century cop. There may have been a better choice for Friday but I don't know who. The chemistry between the two leads seems great to me. I love the way Mike Post has updated the theme, One of the most easily recognizable TV Themes ever! The new version sounds like L.A. to me. Frankly just because of that I was willing to give it a chance. It showed some respect for it's predecessor.

I am enjoying the show and I think it will last a while. Sometimes you can go home.

Well, I liked this show from it's initial outing on Sunday nights on ABC Television. It was in a great time slot, and I liked the chemistry on the show. Plus, the Dick Wolf factor is there. Gritty, ripped from the headlines sort of stories.

But, ABC has decided to tinker with the formula. Change the title of the show, move it to Saturday nights, and remove one of the leads. I liked Ethan Embry, a lot. I'd love to know why he was dropped from the show.

I will continue to watch, as I like Ed O'Neill, and the whole concept of the show. I'd like to see a tie in, perhaps with some of the other Dick Wolf family of shows, like what was done with "Law & Order/Homicide" in the 90's. Tie all four of the Wolf shows together in a week long plot.

Might be fun to see Katey Sagal turn up on a show, too. "Awwww, Pegggggg!" But that might be just too much.

Watch It!

This show takes a cast of top-notch pros (like Lindsay Crouse and Erick Avari, just to name two) and uses their talents to the hilt.

The storytelling is taut and well-paced, the secondary characters very well-written (check out Cleo the hooker in "Silver Strangler").

In a word, I like this show.

What are the producers doing? They create a show which is good but the characters needed to be given time for viewers to be comfortable with. But in their all the same corporate panic stricken lack of mentality, they change them and when it makes the show worse the cancel it.

Ed O'Neil's Joe Friday was great, viewers needed to let him grow into the role, like Raymond Burr did with Ironside after Perry Mason. Ethan Embrey was more than quite capable as Bill Smith. I am of an older generation and just want to watch shows with good scripts and believable characters.

Some one have sense and bring it back as it was in the first few episodes, and like good wine let it mature.