The Real Story Behind DRAGNET & JACK WEBB | 15 WEIRD Facts Fans Never Knew

15 weird facts about DRAGNET, the classic TV cop show (NBC, 1951–1959) — Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday, Ben Alexander as Officer Frank Smith, Badge 714, and the four notes everybody knows. It looked like it was filmed inside police headquarters, but much of it was made on the Walt Disney lot. The LAPD read every script, nobody memorized their lines, a future Star Trek creator worked the police side of the show, and the famous line "Just the facts, ma'am" was never actually said by Joe Friday. Here are 15 weird Dragnet facts most fans never knew. CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 0:48 #15 – A Cop Show On The Disney Lot 2:36 #14 – The Real Cops Kept Their Real Names 4:07 #13 – Nobody Memorized Their Lines 5:32 #12 – Future Stars In The Squad Room 6:29 #11 – Jack Webb Didn't Want The Part 7:34 #10 – Star Trek's Creator Worked The Case Files 8:14 #9 – The LAPD Read Every Script 9:26 #8 – Friday's Partners 11:02 #7 – Frank Smith Was A Silent-Film Child Star 12:29 #6 – The Four Notes 13:21 #5 – One Show, Two Names 15:15 #4 – The Parody That Beat The Original 16:39 #3 – He Never Said It 17:34 #2 – He Hired His Ex-Wife, And Her New Husband 19:00 #1 – The Badge That Was Retired 21:04 Your turn Which fact surprised you most? Did you watch Dragnet on NBC, or in reruns? Tell us in the comments. Subscribe to Turn the Dial for more stories from behind the classic TV shows you grew up with. ABOUT THE FOOTAGE Episode clips come from 1950s Dragnet film episodes that circulate as public domain on the Internet Archive. They are used briefly, without the original soundtrack or theme music, under our own narration. All facts were checked against published sources; claims that rest on a single account are labeled "reportedly." PHOTO CREDITS Publicity photos via Wikimedia Commons, public domain: Ben Alexander (1959, and as a child actor), Jack Webb and Julie London with Stacy and Lisa (1953), Bobby Troup and Julie London (1959), Jack Webb and Harry Morgan (1968), the Emergency! cast (1973), Julie London and Bobby Troup in Emergency! Narration and music created for Turn the Dial. #Dragnet #JackWebb #ClassicTV