Dragnet : Why was it called Dragnet?

Why was it called Dragnet?

I never could figure this out...granted I haven't seen too many episodes, but of the ones I have, the police dragnets were rarely brought into action, mainly it was just Friday and his partner. So why was it called Dragnet?

Re: Why was it called Dragnet?

Watch the 1948 film HE WALKED BY NIGHT and you'll see where Webb got a LOT of his ideas.

Re: Why was it called Dragnet?

Some programs from that era (radio and early TV) took their titles from specific police-related terms, just to evoke the general idea of law enforcement. (In scholarly language, it's metonymy.) For example, I don't recall a police lineup on "The Lineup". Some episodes of "Gangbusters" were about solving crimes by individuals rather than busting up gangs.

Re: Why was it called Dragnet?

There are some actual dragnets, in the original radio series. Dragnet started on radio.
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