Dragnet backdrop
Drama•Crime

The Best Episodes of Dragnet

Every episode of Dragnet ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Dragnet!

Binge this in 5d 18h•Peaking at 10.0/10

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

Airs on
NBC
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons8

All12345678

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Click to reveal
    Dragnet Season 1 Episode 1 - The Human Bomb
    10.0/10(2 votes)

    #1 - The Human Bomb

    S1:E1

    A man walks into City hall carrying a live bomb. He threatens to blow up the building if his brother isn't released from jail.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. Dragnet Season 1 Episode 2 - The Big Actor
    10.0/10(2 votes)

    #2 - The Big Actor

    S1:E2

    Friday and Jacobs track down a drug ring through a small-time television actor who is hooked on heroin.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. Dragnet Season 1 Episode 5 - The Big Cast
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #3 - The Big Cast

    S1:E5

    The police interrogate a suspect whom they believe to have murdered more than a dozen men.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. Dragnet Season 1 Episode 12 - The Big Phone Call
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #4 - The Big Phone Call

    S1:E12

    Friday confronts a jeweler with tape recorded evidence that proves he hired someone to rob his own store.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. Dragnet Season 1 Episode 13 - The Big Casing
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #5 - The Big Casing

    S1:E13

    A man claims that his wife committed suicide right in front of him, but the evidence suggests otherwise.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. Dragnet Season 2 Episode 1 - The Big Jump
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #6 - The Big Jump

    S2:E1

    A man stands upon the ledge of a tall building and threatens to jump to his death below.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 WORST Episodes of Dragnet

    READ
  7. Dragnet Season 2 Episode 19 - The Big Break
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #7 - The Big Break

    S2:E19

    Friday and Smith track down an escaped convict who is armed and dangerous.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. Dragnet Season 2 Episode 26 - The Big Frank
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #8 - The Big Frank

    S2:E26

    While investigating a routine robbery with Friday, Smith suffers a critical gunshot wound. Sergeant Friday is out for vengeance.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. Dragnet Season 3 Episode 21 - The Big Boys
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #9 - The Big Boys

    S3:E21

    The cops must stake out a hotel lobby and deal with a drunken desk clerk as they wait for four juvenile armed robbers to show up.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. Dragnet Season 3 Episode 29 - The Big Hit-Run Killer
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #10 - The Big Hit-Run Killer

    S3:E29

    A woman and her grandson are run down by a bakery truck, but the driver has an airtight alibi.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. Dragnet Season 3 Episode 31 - The Big Girl
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #11 - The Big Girl

    S3:E31

    Friday and Smith hunt down the bandit queen; a tall, gorgeous woman who is on a rampage of robberies and shootings.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. Dragnet Season 3 Episode 39 - The Big False Make
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #12 - The Big False Make

    S3:E39

    Friday begins to question a local gardener, who has been arrested for holding up a grocery store. During the interrogation Friday begins to have strong doubts about the man's confession.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. Dragnet Season 4 Episode 1 - The Big Producer
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #13 - The Big Producer

    S4:E1

    A man claims to be a big Hollywood producer, but Friday and Smith discover that he's merely the leader of a pornography ring.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. Dragnet Season 4 Episode 2 - The Big Fraud
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #14 - The Big Fraud

    S4:E2

    A group of con artists are posing as cops and victimizing out-of-town businessmen in fashionable hotels.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. Dragnet Season 4 Episode 3 - The Big Crime
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #15 - The Big Crime

    S4:E3

    Four-year-old twin girls are abducted from the local park.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. Dragnet Season 4 Episode 4 - The Big Pair
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #16 - The Big Pair

    S4:E4

    An old man and his granddaughter are burglarized, leaving them broke and starving.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. Dragnet Season 2 Episode 2 - The Big Sorrow
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #17 - The Big Sorrow

    S2:E2

    Friday must cope with the sudden death of his partner as he and his new partner track a pair of escaped convicts.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  18. Dragnet Season 2 Episode 20 - The Big Light
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #18 - The Big Light

    S2:E20

    Friday and Smith must decide between accident or murder when a crewman working on a movie set is killed by a falling light.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  19. Dragnet Season 3 Episode 24 - The Big Children
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #19 - The Big Children

    S3:E24

    Three children are found abandoned, filthy and starving. Friday and Smith charge the mother with neglect.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  20. Dragnet Season 1 Episode 11 - The Big September Man
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #20 - The Big September Man

    S1:E11

    A secretary is beaten to death and the search for the killer leads police to a religious fanatic.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  21. Dragnet Season 2 Episode 9 - The Big Grandma
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #21 - The Big Grandma

    S2:E9

    An elderly woman is passing bad checks, but no one suspects her because she looks harmless.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  22. Dragnet Season 2 Episode 14 - The Big Hate
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #22 - The Big Hate

    S2:E14

    Gordon Miller, a young pianist, is found near an abandoned freight car holding the dead body of a woman in his arms. He claims he has killed her.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  23. Dragnet Season 3 Episode 17 - The Big Little Jesus
    7.0/10(2 votes)

    #23 - The Big Little Jesus

    S3:E17

    A statue of the Child Jesus is stolen from a church. Friday and Smith must find it before the paritioners miss it on Christmas morning.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  24. Dragnet Season 3 Episode 19 - The Big Trunk
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #24 - The Big Trunk

    S3:E19

    Three men are taken into custody for the murder of a former vaudeville actress who owned a large steamer trunk. The three men maintain innocence.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  25. Dragnet Season 3 Episode 28 - The Big Shoplift
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #25 - The Big Shoplift

    S3:E28

    Friday and Smith are surprised to find a wealthy house wife is a shoplifter, until they discover that she is a kleptomaniac.

    Director:Jack Webb
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Best Episodes Summary

"The Human Bomb" is the best rated episode of "Dragnet". It scored 10/10 based on 2 votes. Directed by Jack Webb and written by Unknown, it aired on 12/16/1951. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Big Actor".