Only the Names Have Been Changed : Dragnet, the Police Procedural, and Postwar Culture

Among shifting politics, tastes, and technology in television history, one genre has been remarkably persistent: the cop show. Claudia Calhoun returns to __Dragnet,__ the pioneering police procedural and an early transmedia franchise, appearing on radio in 1949, on TV and in film in the 1950s, and in later revivals. More than a popular entertainment, __Dragnet__ was a signifier of America’s postwar confidence in government institutions—and a publicity vehicle for the Los Angeles Police Department. __Only the Names Have Been Changed__ shows how __Dragnet__’s “realistic” storytelling resonated across postwar culture. Calhoun traces __Dragnet__’s “semi-documentary” predecessors, and shows how Jack Webb, __Dragnet__’s creator, worked directly with the LAPD as he produced a series that would likewise inspire public trust by presenting day-to-day procedural justice, rather than shootouts and wild capers. Yet this realism also set aside the seething racial tensions of Los Angeles as it was. __Dragnet__ emerges as a foundational text, one that taught audiences to see police as everyday heroes not only on TV but also in daily life, a lesson that has come under scrutiny as Americans increasingly seek to redefine the relationship between policing and public safety. Among shifting politics, tastes, and technology in television history, one genre has been remarkably persistent: the cop show. Claudia Calhoun returns to Dragnet, the pioneering police procedural and an early transmedia franchise, appearing on radio in 1949, on TV and in film in the 1950s, and in later revivals. More than a popular entertainment, Dragnet was a signifier of America’s postwar confidence in government institutions—and a publicity vehicle for the Los Angeles Police Department. Only the Names Have Been Changed shows how Dragnet ’s “realistic” storytelling resonated across postwar culture. Calhoun traces Dragnet ’s “semi-documentary” predecessors, and shows how Jack Webb, Dragnet ’s creator, worked directly with the LAPD as he produced a series that would likewise inspire public trust by presenting day-to-day procedural justice, rather than shootouts and wild capers. Yet this realism also set aside the seething racial tensions of Los Angeles as it was. Dragnet emerges as a foundational text, one that taught audiences to see police as everyday heroes not only on TV but also in daily life, a lesson that has come under scrutiny as Americans increasingly seek to redefine the relationship between policing and public safety. "A study of the early, paradigmatic police procedural "Dragnet" (radio, TV, and film), showing how the narrative emphasized the need for a civil, democratic society and implied that order could be maintained by citizens' cooperation with police. The book includes discussions of the program's media convergence; the relationship between producers and the real-life LAPD, who advised, provided story ideas, reviewed scripts, and served as on-set technical advisors and who benefited as a result of this positive association with the beloved program; the show's role in the development of the police procedural; and current calls for police reform among accusations that the genre has not accurately reflected all communities' experiences with the police and that it has helped audiences turn a blind eye toward police abuses"-- Provided by publisher In the postwar era, the police procedural series Dragnet informed Americans on the workings of the criminal justice system and instructed them in their responsibilities as citizens.