Dragnet and Crime Classics

At first glance these Detective Dramas seem to have little in common except that they both present crimes for the sake of entertainment. The tone of the shows is completely different. A large portion of Dragnet's appeal is Sgt Friday's very business like, although not passionless, reporting of the fact of the case. Crime Classics' "Connoisseur of Murder", Thomas Hyland, played by Lou Merrill, isn't as playful or flippant as Raymond from Inner Sanctum or Paul Frees' The Man in Black, but he does seem to be genuinely amused by the grisly tales he presents.

Both programs use supposedly true stories. Dragnet famously uses the "only the names have been changed" approach; the stories on Crime Classics, while dramatized, are based on court records and historical reference, and the facts can all be checked by the listener if they so desire. Sgt Friday deals with all sort of crimes, from the spectacular such as murders, missing persons, and armed robbers, to the mundane like shoplifting and check fraud. Crime Classics limits itself to the high crime of murder, and historically significant murders at that. The murders range from jealous lovers to victims of blackmail to psychopaths to political assassins; from ancient Greece through modern America.

The sounds at the beginning of each program are important. The trademark "Dum de Dum Dum" of Dragnet' immediately sets the mood (the title of the theme music is "Danger Ahead".) Thomas Hyland introduces each of his stories with a unique sound, perhaps drops of rain, horses hooves, pebbles being dropped in a well, or, ominously, a rope stretching. These sounds raise the listeners curiosity, because we know they will be an important part of the upcoming story.

The role of the narrator is markedly different in both shows. Sgt Friday's narration simply sets the scene and connects bits of the story. The story itself sets the mood and tone of the episode. Thomas Hyland is a bit more editorial, but he is dealing with history.

The one element that is most common between the two shows is the high quality of the productions.

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