21st Precinct

The 21st Precinct shows ran from July 7th 1953 through November 1st 1956 and were broadcast on the CBS network. This police 'show' takes the format of a serious drama which unlike many others places the listener in the character of a 'fly-on-the-wall' of a real criminal investigation. You feel are really there amongst the detectives as the drama unfolds with the emphasis on factual accounts rather than drama.

The city backdrop for the cases is New York and from the opening phone call where the crime is first reported you can almost close your eyes and feel you are there , squeezed into that "nine tenths of a square mile between Fifth Avenue and the East River."

Commander Captain Frank Kennelly effectively leads a force of 160 patrol men, eleven sergeants, and four lieutenants and although you never see them (of course) you can often feel their presence, such was the powerful writing of this series. One thing you may not notice is the wonderful use of silence. This series relies entirely on the writing and acting to build mood and carry the story and when this is done well (as it is with The 21st Precinct) the result is a real gem of a show.

As the main character the Captain also acted as the narrator but not in the style of other shows such as the extremely popular and entertaining Dragnet. Rather the tone of these dramas was much more that of a factual re-enactment than an overly dramatic thriller. The style is nonetheless exiting, informative and tremendously engaging. The small allowance for drama seems to be the short injections of Captain Kennelly's private life. The 'stolen' moments he manages to enjoy with his wife which are always interrupted by a call from the precinct. None of this is over-played or made melodramatic though, the listener is simply being informed that the 21st Precinct (like all police precincts) is always on watch.

Three actors played the Captain's role: Everett Sloane as Kennelly for the first 109 episodes and returned briefly in episode 135; James Gregory as Vincent Cronin for episode 109-144; and Les Damon as Thomas Keough starting in episode 145 through the remainder of the series. In supporting roles were Ken Lynch as Lt. Matt King and Harold Stone as Sgt. Waters. Santos Ortega appeared frequently as Lt. Patrick "Red" Gorman.

Happy listening my friends,