Customer Reviews

TV Classics, Vol. 4 (Dragnet / Racket Squad)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Here's a contradiction for you: The more you like both shows, the more you'll regret having purchased this disc. Here's why. For about $10 more, you can get Best of TV Detectives 150 Episodes, which contains 25 "Dragnet" and 6 "Racket Squad" episodes!

The "Racket Squad" episodes on "TV Classics, Vol. 4" aren't representative of the best that this show has to offer. The "Dragnet" samples, on the other hand, aren't bad at all, but I recall that at least one of them is included in the larger collection.

If it's just a taste of these two shows that you want, the disc might be satisfactory.

Transfer quality is solid; and the episodes of RACKET SQUAD and the original DRAGNET are fine examples of early 1950s filmed television. Highly recommended, especially if you've only seen the 1960s DRAGNET, which was pretty terrible, if interesting in a an instant "camp" sort of way, and also because RACKET SQUAD is one of the most brutal and realistic of 50s cop shows, along with such classics as M SQUAD and PETER GUNN. In short, buy this now.

Interesting. I thought Racket Squad kinda sucked but if you like it fine. I mainly want to comment on some interesting things in Dragnet. A show I like but have never seen in this era. The first 2 episodes Friday says 'My names Friday. I'm a cop." The third he goes to the series standard "My names Friday. I carry a badge." The cop just did not sound right. Another interesting thing is when he started to cary a badge they promoted him to Lieutenant. I guess they later decided that Sergeant was just right.I have no idea if these episodes are #1,2&3 or taken from the series at random. Anyway if you like Dragnet get it and if you like Racket Squad ditto. The quality is OK for TV this old.