Radio Players Present Drama Classics

Dragnet and Father Knows Best casts

The SAG-AFTRA Radio Players presented two classic shows and commercial jingles on June 25 at the Autry National Center of the American West. Approximately 200 audience members watched as the performers presented the pilot episode of Father Knows Best and Dragnet: The Big Father.

One of the most influential early crime drama series, Dragnet originally starred Jack Webb as Sergeant Friday. It aired as a radio show from 1949 to 1957 and on television from 1952 to 1959. Father Knows Best was a popular radio and television series about the “all-American” family, the Andersons. With the pilot episode first airing as an audition in 1948, the series’ popularity grew and it went on to win six Emmy Awards, running until 1963.

This item was originally featured in the September 2015 local newsletter.