alan_paul
As I watched this classic series recently, I found myself visiting the Internet Movie Database site frequently. Bruce Dern plays five different roles over the course of the show's four year run. Louise Latham and Diane Baker, two of Dern's co-stars from Hitchcock's film Marnie show up in the series finale. Robert Duvall appears in three episodes playing two unique characters, elevating both otherwise formulaic stories. Dozens of performers return to play new characters throughout the series run (not that unusual for a TV series of this vintage). Watched over the course of four years, viewers might not have noticed the returning actors. Modern binge viewers can check on Internet Movie Database to see how many times Telly Savalas, Shirley Knight, Michael Constantine and Sue Randall will appear (three). Look for Kurt Russell (as Philip Gerard Jr!) early in Season Two, as well as fellow kid stars Bill Mumy and brothers Clint and Ron Howard. A random episode cast: Pat Hingle, Dabney Coleman, Mary Murphy, Tom Skerritt, Dabs Greer, Burt Mustin. In most cases, if they are still alive, they are still working. Each of the four seasons has thirty episodes, with David Janssen on screen as Dr. Richard Kimble (The Fugitive) for most of the hour, often looking appropriately stressed or exhausted, a believable performance perhaps made easier by a frantic work schedule. Barry Morse as Lt. Philip Gerard, Kimble's nemesis, does not appear in every episode. Instead he pops up just enough to keep the main storyline of pursuit going. Series villain Bill Raisch as Fred Johnson (The One-Armed Man) is featured in just ten episodes, and is still (deservedly) ranked as one of TVs all-time greatest villains. Yes, some of the episodes are exceptionally good, others not quite so much, but every episode is watchable, even if you are just admiring the quality of the acting, or simply anxious to get to the end of the series. And the series finale is what sets the entire show apart from so many genre TV shows. The basic premise of the series can be summed up in a few questions. Those questions are answered in the two hour series finale, after a few twists and surprises, with a very satisfying conclusion. What are the cliffhanger resolutions for Flash Forward, Carnivale, Twin Peaks (okay, a great final episode, but it ends with multiple cliffhangers), X-Files, Invasion, Lost In Space, Land of the Giants, Vanished, The Dead Zone, Deception, Kyle XY, Stargate Universe, Alcatraz, Sliders, Las Vegas, The Border, Endgame (and dozens of other past, present and future TV shows)? Fifty years after The Fugitive's first broadcast, the entire series is still worth watching from the intriguing beginning, through an occasionally suspenseful middle, to the rewarding payoff at the end.
tnutty925
My dad introduced me to when it first came out, must have been around 16 or 17 at the time. Now 21, yet I still can get enough. Absolutely love the show. Every episode just has some kind of thrilling twist. Show isn't about highly cost cameras that can do just about anything these, this is old school. Yet how in depth they get with each character, and certain camera angles really puts this show way past its time. Sad they didn't run the show longer, but there are plenty of episodes and think they did a great job on how they ended it. For anyone looking for good ol' black and white shows, The Fugitive is a must for checking out.
fosterbandit
This series has it all. Great acting, solid writing and awesome, suspenseful music. It is one of the best dramas in television history and offers an attractive sidebar as the viewer gets to see up and coming stars(as well as established stars) making some great guest appearances. Look for Ed Asner, Leslie Nielson, Ron Howard and Kurt Russell. Also, David Janssen as Dr. Richard Kimble and Barry Morse as Philip Gerard are absolutely outstanding. I can't wait for seasons 3 and 4 to come out on DVD! With todays sophisticated technology, it is hard to imagine a fugitive escaping the arm of the law the way these episodes play out but back then in much simpler times, it was plausible and it all just seems to....fit. An incredible dramatic series!
jbull1968
This was a truly great and inventive series of the 1960's. Intelligent scripts, great acting by the guest stars as well as the series leads, Janssen and Morse, coupled with excellent production values. I understand that Paramount holds the rights to this great series. I for one can't understand why it hasn't been released onto DVD. I know that were periodic releases of the series on video by legitimate companies including, I think, Columbia House. I picked up a used VHS edition which had two episodes on a tape and an introduction to each episode by Barry Morse. Somebody at Paramount is definitely letting a cash cow slip through their fingers by not releasing it...wake up Paramount!
