Editing Jack Webb (section)

==1960s==
From September 1962 through May 1963, Webb was the executive producer of ''[[GE True]]'', an [[anthology series]] that ran for 33 episodes, each of which Webb acted as host-narrator for while also directing and acting in some episodes.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sunday-gazette-mail-webbs-tv-series-wil/122526534/ |title=Webb's TV Series Will Face Stiff Competition |first=Cynthia |last=Lowry |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |newspaper=[[Charleston Gazette-Mail]] |location=[[Charleston, West Virginia]] |page=9s |date=September 30, 1962 |accessdate=April 8, 2023 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122525135/jack-webb-in-pursuit-of-truth/ |title=Jack Webb in Pursuit of Truth |newspaper=[[Press & Sun-Bulletin]] |location=[[Binghamton, New York]] |page=Ent. 3 |date=September 29, 1962 |accessdate=April 8, 2023 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> At the beginning of June 1963, it was reported that ''GE True'' would not continue.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122938813/jack-webb-is-running-warner-lot/ |title=Jack Webb Is Running Warner Lot |first=Joseph |last=Finnigan |agency=[[United Press International|UPI]] |newspaper=[[Cumberland Evening Times]] |location=[[Cumberland, Maryland]] |page=3 |date=June 1, 1963 |accessdate=April 15, 2023 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>

In February 1963, Webb succeeded [[William T. Orr]] as executive in charge of [[Warner Bros. Television]], with Orr moving to the motion picture part of Warner Bros.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123016112/webb-lands-post-with-warner-bros/ |title=Webb Lands Post With Warner Bros. |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |newspaper=[[The Ardmoreite]] |location=[[Ardmore, Oklahoma]] |page=2 |date=February 20, 1963 |accessdate=April 17, 2023 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Webb brought about wholesale changes to the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]/Warner Bros. detective series ''[[77 Sunset Strip]]'' retaining only [[Efrem Zimbalist Jr.]], in the role of private detective Stuart Bailey.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122940194/tv-and-me/ |title=TV and Me |first=Sidney |last=Skolsky |newspaper=Los Angeles Evening Citizen News |page=C-2 |date=June 5, 1963 |accessdate=April 15, 2023 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> The result was a disaster, and critics accused Webb of being out of touch with the younger generation of viewers.{{Citation needed |date=January 2023}}

That same year, Webb sold ''[[Temple Houston (TV series)|Temple Houston]]'' to [[NBC]]. The show, starring [[Jeffrey Hunter]], followed the exploits of [[Temple Lea Houston]], a circuit-riding lawyer and the youngest son of [[Sam Houston]]. Despite Webb and Hunter's high profiles, however, it ended after its 26-week run. In a 1965 interview with ''[[The Milwaukee Journal]]'', Hunter described the situation:{{blockquote|In the first place, we had no time to prepare for [the series]. I was notified on July 17 to be ready to start August 7 for an October air date. When we reached the screen we did not have a single segment ready. It was done so fast the writers never got a chance to know what it was all about. We all wanted to follow the line indicated by the [[Television pilot|pilot]] film, which we thought would make a charming series. NBC, however, favored making it serious.<ref>Spiro, J. D. "Happy in Hollywood," ''[[The Milwaukee Journal]]'', July 4, 1965.</ref>|}}

Webb's role with Warner ended in December 1963.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122939448/tv-notes/ |title=TV Notes |newspaper=[[The Salinas Californian]] |location=[[Salinas, California]] |page=14 |date=December 23, 1963 |accessdate=April 15, 2023 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>

===1967: ''Dragnet'' returns===
[[File:Jack Webb and Walter Strenge on the set of Dragnet 1966.jpg|thumb|Jack Webb and [[Walter Strenge]] on the set of ''Dragnet'', 1966]]
Shortly after leaving his position at Warner Bros., he first attempted to produce an adaptation of the ''Selena Mead'' books by [[Patricia McGerr]] for CBS,<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 30, 1964 |title=Shorter and funnier in 1965-66 |pages=28 |work=[[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting]] |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/64-OCR/1964-11-30-BC-OCR-Page-0028.pdf |access-date=October 26, 2023}}</ref> then Webb teamed with [[Universal Television]] to begin work on a new ''Dragnet'' series.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 27, 1965 |title=Program notes |pages=76 |work=[[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting]] |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/65-OCR/1965-09-27-BC-OCR-Page-0076.pdf |access-date=October 26, 2023}}</ref> A pilot television film, based on the [[Harvey Glatman]] serial killings, was produced in 1966 for NBC, with Webb's Sgt. Joe Friday joined by Harry Morgan as Officer Bill Gannon. Webb had tried to get Ben Alexander to reprise his role as Frank Smith, but Alexander would not leave the ABC series ''[[Felony Squad]].''

The new ''Dragnet'' premiered as a midseason replacement series on January 12, 1967, and aired until April 16, 1970. To distinguish it from the original series, the year of production was added to the title (''Dragnet 1967,'' ''Dragnet 1968,'' etc.). The revival emphasized crime prevention and outreach to the public. Its attempts to address the contemporary youth-drug culture (such as the revival's first episode, "[[The LSD Story]]", guest-starring [[Michael Burns (actor and historian)|Michael Burns]] as Benjamin John "Blue Boy" Carver, voted 85th-best TV episode of all time by ''[[TV Guide]]'' and [[TV Land]]) have led certain episodes on the topic to achieve cult status due to their strained attempts to be "with-it", such as Joe Friday grilling "Blue Boy" by asking him, "You're pretty high and far out, aren't you? What kind of kick are you on, son?" [[Don Dubbins]], who had acted alongside Webb in ''The D.I.'' in 1957, was featured in the second ''Dragnet 1967'' episode, "The Big Explosion," and was another featured actor in Mark VII Limited programs beginning in the 1960s. Other Webb-affiliated actors featured in the revived series many times in different roles were [[Virginia Gregg]], [[Peggy Webber]], [[Clark Howat]], [[Olan Soule]], [[Bobby Troup]], [[Tim Donnelly (actor)|Tim Donnelly]], and [[Marco Lopez (actor)|Marco Lopez]].

In 1968, Webb and his production partner [[R.A. Cinader]] launched ''[[Adam-12]]'' on NBC. A spinoff of ''Dragnet,'' ''Adam-12'' starred [[Martin Milner]] and [[Kent McCord]] as a pair of LAPD officers, and followed their escapades while on patrol. Running until 1975 for a total of seven seasons, ''Adam-12'' was Webb's second-longest running television series, with the eight seasons recorded by the original ''Dragnet'' being the longest.

Also in 1968, Webb and [[Johnny Carson]] performed a sketch on ''[[The Tonight Show]]'' that has since become known as the "Copper Clapper Caper" sketch. Webb, in character as Joe Friday, was working on the case of a robbery at a school-bell factory. Carson played the owner of the factory and victim of the theft, which consisted of each bell being relieved of its clapper (the device that makes the bell ring). The sketch's dialogue consisted of Webb and Carson discussing the situation in deadpan style and using alliteration and tongue twisters to describe the incident, each word having either a "c" or "cl" sound at the beginning. Both Webb and Carson tried desperately not to lose composure, but both did, near the end of the sketch.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgYbogp1Ha0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/jgYbogp1Ha0| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live| title=Dragnet Clapper Caper with Jack Webb| series=The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson| date=1968| website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>