Dragnet - Premiere - 2/2/03 (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Sun]

Don't quite know what to make of this show. Sure, it follows the cadence of the old show, but this is one grisly show, almost becoming "Pre-CSI" in showing the RHD portion of the cops on the chase.

It's a good thing Kingpin isn't on opposite Dragnet because I'd pick it over Dragnet if I had to.

I'm willing to give Dragnet a few more episodes to win me over, but not too optimistic.

 

[Sheldon C]

I feel like they may have blown their wad on the first episode. I mean, how often are they going to have a serial killer to go after? That being said, I think Ed O'Niell (sp?) is a good actor and I'm going to give it a few weeks.

 

[Jason Seaver]

this is one grisly show, almost becoming "Pre-CSI"

CSI has had a huge influence over the entire police-procedural genre on TV, hasn't it? Even the Law & Order shows are much more graphic now.

Overall, I liked it. Sure, the scene of Friday losing his temper seemed wrong, but only because you know Jack Webb wouldn't have done it. I liked the different feel it gave, with the narration out of a true-crime paperback, the sense of urgency, the trademark Dragnet bookends. I like the casting a lot, too - especially Lindsay Crouse as the captain.

Dick Wolf's got something to be proud of here, and it's a very worthy addition to the perhaps overcrowded police procedural genre (3 L&Os, 2 CSIs, Dragnet, Boomtown, and Without A Trace with Crossing Jordan, Hack, and NYPD Blue on the edge of the genre). In the end, that may be the show's biggest challenge - just how many cop shows are we willing to watch in a week?

 

[Patrick Sun]

I just heard about the 6-episode deal with Kingpin. I don't watch the L&O (any of them!) so I'm not quite all 'copped' out yet.

 

[Jason Seaver]

I don't watch either CSI, myself (bad, bad, bad pilot), but I think I'm about at my limit, especially with the three high-quality ones on Sunday night. Ironically, if I were to drop any, it would probably be the original Law & Order, whose success is largely responsible for there being so many PP's on right now.

 

[Kevin*R]

I agree that this show will have trouble succeeding. I'm trying to picture the dry and smart mouthed Friday skolding a gang in Comptom.

The Tom Hank's Dragnet movie was good, but they had to turn it into a comedy to make it work.

 

[Jason Seaver]

The Tom Hank's Dragnet movie was good, but they had to turn it into a comedy to make it work.

Well, I'd call it the Dan Aykroyd Dragnet movie, and argue that it didn't exactly work - it's a five-minute sketch extended to feature length.

(Also, I'd heard that Aykroyd originally wanted to do a non-spoof Dragent movie, since he was a huge fan and in fact majored in criminology in college, but that he couldn't get that sold)

Anyway, I don't really think Dragnet's style will be its issue - the first half of a Law & Order episode is basically the original Dragnet minus narration, and audiences don't have much trouble with that. I just question where there's a spot on the schedule for the show - in three weeks, it'll be on opposite Boomtown, which has a Law & Order: Criminal Intent lead-in. I like this genre a lot, but three hours of police procedural in an evening is a lot.

And there's a lot of crime dramas on right now:

Monday - CSI Miami is straight up PP; Crossing Jordan and Third Watch overlap
Tuesday - No real PPs, but NYPD Blue and JAG are in the ballpark
Wednesday - Law & Order
Thursday - CSI, Without A Trace
Friday - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; Hack, Monk and John Doe have crime elements
Saturday - Reruns of all three L&Os, The District, Cops, America's Most Wanted
Sunday - Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Boomtown, Dragnet

And, heck, CBS cancelled Robbery Homicide Division because though they believed in the show, but didn't have a slot for it where it wouldn't be up against a similar (and probably more established) show. People talk about how there's "too much reality TV", but I'd argue that this genre is even more saturated.

(And just wait... CBS apparently wants to be the "Crime Broadcasting System", with a bunch of crime pilots on the drawing boards for fall, and then there's Fox's NYPD 2069...)

 

[Paul_Medenwaldt]

Having just read both the "Kingpin" thread and then the "Dragnet" thread, it sounds like I picked the wrong show to watch last nite.

I watched Dragnet.

The responses in these 2 threads are very different in tone. The "Kingpin" thread was very up beat and positive, while this thread "Dragnet" has people saying that they will give it a few weeks. I happen to agree with the responses regarding "Dragnet". For some reason the show just didn't grab me, like say a L&O show would. I'm not sure the show will last, but that is just my opinion.

Also with "Dragnet" there is one story throughout the show, there is no 2nd or 3rd story being revolved with the main story. That may of been my problem, that there was nothing else to hang on to. For instance "The Shield" "NYPD Blue" all have revolving stories within a show. L&O's keep a good pace even with one story but it then goes into different aspects of a case. I've only watched CSI and CSI Miami a few times, and do enjoy the shows, but they keep stories going pretty good there. These shows keep you interested and not wanting to miss any part of it, because almost every scene has something to add to the plot. Unlike "Dragnet" you could walk away for a few minutes and pick up the story where you left off.

Ok breathe.....

Are there any other cop shows currently on that deal with 1 set of cops and 1 case throughout the show and still keep you interested?

Paul

 

[Chuck C]

How was Ethan Embry? The teamed up in the movie "Dutch" Ya know.

 

[Garrett Adams]

Having just read both the "Kingpin" thread and then the "Dragnet" thread, it sounds like I picked the wrong show to watch last nite.

I recorded the Dragnet digital stream to my PC and watched it following Kingpin. At the same time I had two VCR's working. There was a lot to choose from last night.

I liked Dragnet -- loved Kingpin.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

Pat I agree I'll stick with it a few more shows especially since Boomtown is off for a bit, I like Al Bun..I mean Ed O' Neill, but the show seems very Law And order Like. I even see they had the traditional L&O shot as the 3 principals walked down a corridor. They kept a few of the Dragnet trappings. We'll see when Boomtown comes back I might be gone.

 

[Ashley Seymour]

Being a fan of Ed O'Neil I had to give it a look last night. And... Got to give it a few weeks.

Seems like they were out to go over the top to draw in an audience. I sometimes forget how much you have to compress time in movies and even more so in TV, but it really moved at warp speed.

What do we call Ed now? Al Friday, Joe Bundy? He has kept a sarcastic tone which is nice. I hate to see Ed not do comedy. It's easy to find pretty face actors, but a good comedian is in short supply on TV. With a face like that, how straight can Ed play it anyway?

Also, I'd heard that Aykroyd originally wanted to do a non-spoof Dragent movie

What do you mean? It thought it was straight. The Jack Webb and Col. Potter team did the comedy version.

So where does Dragnet go from here with story lines? He hung out with the prostitutes this week. Maybe tranvestites next week. Serial killers now are the norm. Serial monogomy may could be an option. Oops, too risque.