Rocket Squad

"Rocket Squad" is not entirely based on "Dragnet," but rather an obscure early television show entitled "Racket Squad," which had appeared in 1950. Of course, by 1954, without VCRs or reruns, the show was probably forgotten, and "Dragnet" was on TV and still on radio (another fact lost on audiences today is that shows that made the transition from radio to TV were produced in tandem for years!). On the surface, then, it's easy to see that the cartoon mimics "Dragnet" more so than "Racket Squad," but it's a parody of almost any straight-laced cop show of the day. Look closely and you'll see some familiar names on the computer's keyboard. Dr. David S. Silverman, Media Historian