Dragnet is an American radio, television and film series, following the exploits of dedicated Los Angeles Police Department Detective Joe Friday and his partners, created by actor and producer Jack Webb. The show took its name from the police term "dragnet", a term for a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects. Dragnet remains a key influence on subsequent police dramas in many media. The show's cultural impact is such that seven decades after its debut, elements of Dragnet are familiar to those who have never seen or heard the program: