[Tau Food]

I'll tell you why I think that Dragnet is a poor choice. If you watch the way the show portrayed the characters in the show, nearly all of the police were portrayed as being clear-thinking and upright citizens whereas nearly every member of the public (whether criminal, victim, bystander or witness) was portrayed as distracted dimwits who constantly had to be reminded to please provide "just the facts"so that the clear-thinking LEO's could right the wrongs of the world.

Generally, Dragnet described a world in which agents of the government (LEO's) protected the citizen-sheep from their own stupidity. I'm not sure that that is a conservative world-view.

[greene66]

Well, you’re getting into sub-categories. I recall a book I have which ideologically divided up movie messages into five categories: conservative; conservative-centrist; centrist; liberal-centrist; liberal. Most 50s/60s tv is actually “conservative-centrist.” Which is a bit more inclined to put faith in institutions, compared to strict “conservatism,” which usually involves individuals taking charge and resolving conflicts. The post-war years were indeed more heavy on “conservative-centrist” attitudes. Compared to pre-WW2. Now this is in terms of the culture, moreso than actual politics.

In other words, the 1930s might be regarded as a hugely progressive era, owing to FDR and politics. But the cultural attitudes of the populace at large were in many ways more ‘conservative’ than the postwar Eisenhower 1950s. At least, in that sort of sense, involving things like individuals and personal responsibilities.