Venture back to 1949, when Dragnet was on the radio telling an un-heartwarming Christmas story that would upset the NRA, all while selling cigarettes! Seems perfect for Christmas 2020, doesn’t it?
Ending Song: “Carol of the Bells – Epic Version” by L’Orchestra Cinématique
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Oh, my! I can certainly understand why this episode of “Dragnet” was controversial and generated a lot of mail! Leaving aside any pro- or anti-gun reactions, imagine the family sitting down and turning on the radio to listen to an episode of “Dragnet” THREE DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS, to hear a story of the death of an 8-year old kid! I get that the L.A. Police Chief, and the producers of “Dragnet” wanted to put out an episode of a popular network radio program with a strong message against giving young kids guns for Christmas, but, . . . really, . . . ?! I imagine many of those letters were complaints about the death of a kid at Christmastime, because that’s the thing that upset me the most here. If such a story were to be aired today, I imagine there would be all sorts of listener or viewer advisories, at the beginning, and at each commercial break.