Would you believe Dragnet and.....Star Trek???
Their is a very specific connection with Dragnet and the original Star Trek series....who can tell me what it is?
shareHmmm.....
Gene L. Coon and John Meredyth Lucas? They were writers on both series.
Although Gene Roddenberry was a police officer before he got his start in show biz, and he wrote a buncha episodes for cop shows. But none for Dragnet that I see.
Leonard Nimoy guest starred a couple of times.
I take it that I'm incorrect on these? :)
This is the connection:
Yes Roddenberry was a member of the LAPD in the early 50s. In fact, he moved up in the ranks very quick, and by the time Dragnet came on the air in 52, he was a Sergeant, working directly for Chief Parker as a public relations assistant - he wrote the many speeches that Parker was making at the time, when Parker was trying to change the department. So when Webb was needing his 'real cases', Roddenberry was the one he came to - at first pocketing the $100 that Webb was paying at the time (not the $25 the Trivia page says)- when a LAPD cop made about that every two weeks. Roddenberry quickly put the word out among his friends on the force , and splitting the money with them when they brought him a story that Webb used. This is what got Roddenberry interested in TV writing.
Also - Both Roddenberry and Webb had a mutual friend on the force, a guy whose name Rodenberry made very (in)famous on Star Trek....when he needed a name for the alien race that would be the Federation's nemesis...The officer's name? .W.L. Clingan!
then in the Dragnet 6x second season episode, The Missing Realtor, Webb gave that name to polygraph officer in the episode played by Dennis McCarthy. I wonder how many times Webb used real cops names on the show...
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No reason to be rude Maja.