"The Big Departure" or "Sgt. Friday's Lonely Hearts Club Band (of Thieves)"

Hi everybody! A couple of weeks ago, we covered Gypsy Halloween costumes; this week - your groovy hippy costumes are in order. Keep scrolling, as per usual!

"This is the city-- Los Angeles, California.

The city earns its living mostly in retailing, heavy industry, aerospace, motion pictures, and television. Just about everything it needs to live on has to be brought in from someplace else.

Our water is piped down from the Owens Valley in the Sierras. Turn it off, and two and a half million people start getting thirsty inside of three days. 

Our electric power is produced at Hoover Dam. Stop that, and the city goes dark in a split second.

It's just about impossible to be totally self-sufficient these days. 

There are ways of feeling like you are. Some of them are legal. Some of them aren't.

When they're not, then it becomes my job. I carry a badge."

This looks like one of the Bel Air establishing shots:

And another:

And, of course, the kids smashing the sporting goods store window sequence. 

Let me guess…working out of Juvenile this week? You bet.

Creating the back room of a grocery store in total chaos? Okay!

I BET RUSSELL KIMBALL NEVER THOUGHT HE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A SET LIKE THIS

I BET IT WAS FUN FOR THE SWING GANG, THOUGH.

YES THEY HAD A PARTY AND THREW ORANGES AT ONE ANOTHER

Okay, let's check on Dragnet regular Howard Culver.

WHAT'S UP YOU GUYS? HOW ABOUT SOME CARROTS. I PUT THEM IN THE FOREGROUND FOR YOU.

YOU LIKE CARROTS, DON'T YOU?

NO.

DANGIT. I THOUGHT I ASKED CRAFT SERVICES TO SKIP THE CARROTS.

I GUESS WE CAN READ THIS LONELY PIECE OF FAN MAIL TOGETHER.

I THINK IT IS IN CODE:

STRANGE PHOTOS OF BROKEN WINDOWS ARE ALSO ENCLOSED

THAT'S NOT A FAN LETTER, JOE. 

IT'S A PRECOG LETTING US KNOW ABOUT NIGHT VALE.

I MIGHT TRANSFER OUT OF THE LAPD AND INTO THE NIGHT VALE SECRET POLICE.

 Come on, guys, let's focus on the 459 call, okay?

It looks like Nat Vollmer's market is on Figuroa Street. Fancy that.

I don't care. I'm digging this costumery. Very Sergeant Pepper. (Or maybe Diet Sgt. Pepper.)

Oh boy. Joe's going to sermonize us. It's Dragnet. We love it. No problem.

WHO IS CLEGO?

Not me. 

Kevin Coughlin has a pretty snappy red jacket.

SNAPPY YES

Lou Wagner gets asked back to Dragnet a few times. He has the best textile. His character grates on me every time. He's coming up in S3e1.

The universal refuge of human kindness and love?

"That's some address."

Roger Mobley has a couple of appearances in Juvenile episodes, too.

He looks like he's wearing hippy pajamas.

Happy Halloween, Everybody!

Charles L. Vail

Paul Seever

Dennis J. Meldon

Now on probation

S2e24

Starred

Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday

Harry Morgan as Officer Bill Gannon

Kevin Coughlin as Paul Seever
Roger Mobley as Charles L. Vail
Lou Wagner as Dennis J. Meldon
Howard Culver as Nathan Vollmer
Ed Deemer as Officer Jim Edwards
Lindon Crow as Officer Wilson

Art Direction - Russell Kimball

Set Decor - John McCarthy & John Sturtevant

Costumes - Vincent Dee

Aired 7 March 1968

Written by Preston Wood

Don't get uptight, pops,
Suzy Dragnet