Dragnet Follows the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners. The show takes its name from the police term "dragnet", meaning a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects. Details Casts Season Lists Title Dragnet Genres Drama Crime First Air Date 1951-12-16 Last Air Date 1959-08-23 Episode Runtime 00 Hours 30 Minutes Total Season(s) 8 Total Episode(s) on All Seasons 276 Runtime 30 Production Companies Mark VII Ltd., Universal Television Jack Webb Joe Friday Ben Alexander Frank Smith Season 1 14 Episodes 1951-12-16 Season 2 33 Episodes 1952-09-11 Season 3 39 Episodes 1953-09-03 Season 4 39 Episodes 1954-08-26 Season 5 39 Episodes 1955-09-02 Season 6 34 Episodes 1956-09-27 Season 7 39 Episodes 1957-09-26 Season 8 39 Episodes 1958-09-23