Officer Bill Gannon’s Donut

Officer Bill Gannon, played by actor Harry Morgan, was a character in the television show Dragnet which appeared from 1967 to 1970 on the NBC Network. The show has appeared somewhere on the television dial ever since thanks to syndication and cable TV.

You may not have noticed the first time you watched this television series, but Officer Gannon is quite a foodie – maybe the original foodie. There were several segments of Dragnet devoted to Bill Gannon’s love of food and cooking.

In Dragnet 1967 (Season 2, Episode 6) entitled The Big Frustration, Friday and Gannon are charged with the task of tracking down a police sergeant who has turned to alcohol before he loses his job.

After searching several possible places where the missing officer might be, Friday and Gannon decide to visit a donut shop. Now, you might ask yourself – why isn’t this the first place they looked?

2:18 a.m. Before we called it a night, we decided to stop and see Champ Ridgely. He is an ex-light heavy we used to follow when he used to fight at the Olympic Auditorium. He runs a donut shop now.

Champ: How about some coffee?

Gannon: No! No doughnuts! Too fattening. Just coffee, Champ.

Champ: Anything you say, Gannon.

Champ: Sugar and cream?

Friday: No. No thanks.

Gannon: No, sir. Never use it. Too fattening.

Champ: Gannon, I got a new kind of donut since I last saw you.

Champ: Chocolate-orange with marshmallow, toasted almonds and peanuts on top.

Gannon: Well, I guess I’ll try one after all.

Champ: Give it a little shot of whipped cream too, if you like Bill.

Gannon: No, no.

Gannon: Well, all right!

Champ: Sure you’ll like it Gannon. Been selling like hotcakes.

Gannon: That was great Champ you’ll sell a lot of those. You ought to try one Joe. 

Friday: No thanks, Bill.

Gannon: Nice and light. Real taste sensation.

And, that’s the facts.