Dragnet (1951)

Crime · Drama · Mystery

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 or suspects.

IMDb rating: 7.5 (2,673 votes)
Episode average: 7.8 ↑ +0.3 vs IMDb
Seasons: 7
Language: EN
Type: TV series

Rating trend: this show's seasons do not settle into one shape. Rising Shows ranks whole shows by the shape of their rating trend rather than one average score, which is how you find a show that got better rather than a show that started well.

Browse shows by rating shape → Open in Rising Shows app → View on IMDb

Ratings refreshed Oct 3, 2026 · 7 seasons indexed

Cast

Seasons

Season 1 (1951)

7.85 avg 13 episodes 7.5 → 7.8 30 min avg

Mid-peak

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Human Bomb	7.5	160
2	The Big Actor	7.5	111
3	The Big Death	8.0	37
4	The Big Mother	7.4	83
5	The Big Cast	8.1	187
6	The Big Speech	8.1	25
7	The Big Parrot	8.3	26
9	The Big Blast	8.2	21
10	The Big Trial	8.5	22
11	The Big September Man	7.3	138
12	The Big Phone Call	7.5	103
13	The Big Casing	7.9	86
14	The Big Lamp	7.8	80

Season 2 (1952)

7.71 avg 18 episodes 7.5 → 7.6 30 min avg

Season 2 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Big Jump	7.5	63
2	The Big Sorrow	8.0	59
4	The Big Seventeen	7.0	125
6	The Big Imposter	7.1	25
7	The Big .22 Rifle for Christmas	7.8	126
9	The Big Grandma	7.5	85
11	The Big Show	7.8	106
14	The Big Hate	7.6	66
18	The Big Run	8.1	38
19	The Big Break	7.6	90
20	The Big Light	7.8	53
22	The Big Test	7.6	45
26	The Big Frank	7.9	70
27	The Big Lease	8.2	57
28	The Big Hands	7.5	100
30	The Big Market	8.2	21
32	The Big Barrette	7.9	57
33	The Big Dance	7.6	53

Season 3 (1953)

7.68 avg 18 episodes 8.9 → 7.3 30 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 3 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
3	The Big Bull	8.9	27
4	The Big Betty	7.5	107
9	The Big Dream	9.2	21
11	The Big Will	7.5	50
16	The Big Thief	8.1	97
17	The Big Little Jesus	7.7	133
19	The Big Trunk	7.5	79
21	The Big Boys	7.2	104
22	The Big Ham	7.4	50
23	The Big Chance	7.7	21
24	The Big Children	7.8	49
27	The Big Winchester	7.5	59
28	The Big Shoplift	7.6	83
29	The Big Hit-Run Killer	7.4	90
31	The Big Girl	7.4	98
34	The Big Frame	7.3	88
37	The Big Threat	7.2	40
39	The Big False Make	7.3	83

Season 4 (1954)

7.78 avg 14 episodes 7.5 → 7.6 30 min avg

Season 4 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Big Producer	7.5	134
2	The Big Fraud	8.1	46
3	The Big Crime	7.5	102
4	The Big Pair	7.7	72
6	The Big Kid	8.2	21
8	The Big Bar	7.2	77
9	The Big Present	7.9	43
12	The Big New Year	7.7	68
18	The Big Rod	8.1	62
20	The Big Family	8.2	53
23	The Big TV	7.7	48
24	The Big Dog	7.4	20
29	The Big Tar Baby	8.1	39
30	The Big Number	7.6	56

Season 5 (1955)

7.79 avg 16 episodes 7.4 → 8.7 30 min avg

Season 5 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Big Pipe	7.4	22
2	The Big Chet	8.5	21
3	The Big No Rain	7.3	41
4	The Big Lift	7.4	62
5	The Big Confession	7.7	37
6	The Big Gap	7.4	57
7	The Big Look	7.4	63
8	The Big Glasses	8.4	35
9	The Big Bird	7.3	62
11	The Big Smoke	8.0	43
12	The Big Bounce	8.4	31
14	The Big Locker	7.0	22
15	The Big Student	7.8	20
34	The Big Deal	7.9	51
35	The Big Wish	8.1	24
38	The Big Gift	8.7	20

Season 7 (1957)

8.06 avg 5 episodes 8.6 → 8.4 30 min avg

U-shaped

Season 7 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Big Constitution	8.6	18
28	The Big War	7.3	64
34	The Big Cracker Box	8.0	34
35	The Big Perfume Bottle	8.0	39
36	The Big Bed	8.4	42

Season 8 (1958)

7.68 avg 5 episodes 6.5 → 7.8 30 min avg

Season 8 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
4	The Big Oskar	6.5	73
5	The Big Little Boy	8.8	20
25	The Big Starlet	7.6	26
38	The Big Counterfeit	7.7	44
39	The Big Red	7.8	23