It’s hard to think of a better detective name than Joe Friday. The LAPD detective began life on the Dragnet radio drama in 1949, made his way into the indelible 1950s TV show, and all the way through an ‘80s-era movie and even newer reboots.
But it was the Dragnet show from the 1950s that by far made Joe Friday into one of the greatest fictional characters in TV history. Each episode began with a narration that got you dialed right the hell in:
“Ladies and gentlemen: the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.”
Followed by an image of Friday’s badge number, 714.
That version of the show is timeless and sucked generations of fans in. Frankly, Law & Order should give it yearly thank-you gifts. And of course, we remember all of Joe Friday’s famous lines… right?
Do you remember this famous catchphrase from the original TV version of Dragnet?
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The answer is: All we want are the facts, ma'am. Perhaps the timelines changed, because most people will remember Joe Friday uttering the famous words, “Just the facts, ma’am.” Just one problem — he never said that, not in the original series.Some point to comedian Stan Freberg’s parodies as the source for the mixup — but he never said those exact words either, instead saying "I just want to get the facts, ma'am." Source
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