Dragnet

In 1965, Universal Pictures approached Jack Webb to produce a Dragnet television movie for NBC, and after seeing it, NBC programming director Mort Werner decided it would be more valuable to develop Dragnet as a weekly TV series instead.

Jack Webb was actually more interested in continuing the Dragnet franchise through a series of TV movies rather than a weekly show, but he ultimately agreed to NBC's plan for a series.

The TV movie that sparked the series was not broadcast until January 27, 1969, midway through the show's third season, airing as 'World Premiere: Dragnet' on The NBC Monday Movie.

The working title in the TV movie's script was 'Dragnet 1966,' though its official title was simply 'Dragnet'; it is commonly nicknamed 'Dragnet 1966' to distinguish it from other entries in the franchise, and it was later included as a bonus feature on the Dragnet 1968 DVD set.

To distinguish it from the original 1950s Dragnet series, each season's on-screen title incorporated the year it ended, starting as 'Dragnet 1967' and finishing as 'Dragnet 1970.'

The series is noted as one of the first examples of a discontinued American TV series being revived years later with some of its original cast members.

Every single episode across all four seasons was both directed by and starred Jack Webb, who played Sgt. Joe Friday throughout the show's run.