Marking a sharp departure from radio's hard-boiled gumshoes, the 1949 premier of Jack Webb's "Dragnet" was a breath of fresh air. No exaggerated characterizations, no purple dialogue, just a dedicated law enforcement officer determined to do his job as completely and as thoroughly as possible. Lt. Joe Friday may have been just another workaday guy trudging thru his daily routine but, in Webb's hands, the characterization took on a fascinating edge of realism, giving the show a feeling and a mood unlike that of any other radio program of its era. This second Radio Archives collection, offering ten hours of fully restored shows from the program's first season, demonstrates just how powerful, just how creative, and just how fascinating radio drama could be when it found itself in the hands and mind of a master.
Programs include: The Garbage Chute Murder - December 15, 1949 / .22 Rifle for Christmas - December 22, 1949 / The Flowerland Roof Murder - December 29, 1949 / The Big Escape - January 5, 1950 / The Big Man, Part One - January 12, 1950 / The Big Man, Part Two - January 19, 1950 / Claude Jimmerson: Child Killer - February 2, 1950 / The Big Girl - February 9, 1950 / The Big Grifter - February 23, 1950 / The Big Kill - March 2, 1950 / The Big Thank You - March 9, 1950 / The Big Boys - March 16, 1950 / The Big Gangster, Part One - March 23, 1950 / The Big Gangster, Part Two - March 30, 1950 / The Big Book - April 6, 1950 / The Big Watch - April 13, 1950 / The Big Trial - April 20, 1950 / The Big Job - April 27, 1950 / The Big Badge - May 4, 1950 / The Big Knife - May 11, 1950