The TV show was one of the best shows in television history with good writing and 3-dimensional chracters The movie was a second rate thriller, easily forgotten. I still watch the series today. When I get to the end of the 120 episodes, I start again with Episode 1, which features the lovely Vera Miles.

The intelligence with which the comments are precented here is a testament to the quality of the fans of the show.

If I remember correctly, an article inTV Guide said that Lt. Gerard was inspired by the character of Javert in Les Miserables.

I wish I could give a dozen "thumbs-up" to this review! I was a young teenager when the show was on the air, and remember watching it occasionally. But the concepts and impact--especially of the last episode--have always stayed with me in the years since. Your excellent and insightful analysis does a great job of distilling the key points of the series. Very well done!

Gerard’s family situation was certainly strained more-so than usual after his son’s encounter with Kimble in the “Nemesis” episode & later Gerard’s wife’s encounter with Kimble in the 2-part “Landscape with Running Figures.”

I remember watching the first episode of “The Fugitive” and losing interest part way through and changed the channel. After a time however, I heard that it was an entertaining series and started watching it again during its original broadcast run on Tuesday nights at 10:00 pm. It became my favorite TV show during two-thirds of my years in junior and senior high school. I remember telling my mother that they would end the series and not leave it hanging. She thought otherwise, and the odds were with her. But this time the job was done right, and a popular TV series was given a capstone as was the intent of Roy Huggins who created the series and wanted it to end appropriately. Janssen put his heart and soul into this series. His facial expressions of nervousness and apprehension were superb, filling in for the times he had no lines. The original score by Peter Rogolo was absolutely brilliant, expressing all the poignant emotions that were unique to this TV series. Ken Wilhoit also did an excellent job of incorporating Peter Rogolo’s score into the various scenes. It is so sad that some of the background music has been changed in the release of this classic TV series. Those who never saw it in its original run are unaware of this. But the original background music was a major reason for this series appealing to me so much, along with Janssen’s and Morse’s great portrayals. During the seventies, television shifted over into a slew of cheaply made sitcoms, some of which took delight in mocking conservative values. But the artistry of “The Fugitive” has never been equaled, and when it went off the air, I knew nothing would ever replace it.

When I was young and watched R Kimble I always wished he would stop in my town. I would have helped him. LOL Now many years later I am still watching all the episodes again. I'm realizing he was such a great actor his facial expressions, his body language, were to the point, he was so expressive. He died so young smoked 4 pks of cigarettes a day.

Let's mention that Quinn Martin produced the TV series. It has his quality production values stamped all over it

Excellent summary. If you notice in the original series the actors and actresses were wore very serious faces most of the time. Very few times did you see light moments until the bittersweet endings. Occasionally you would see some early 1960s stereotypical hard person change their behavior near the end of the show. Both Males and Females and it gave audiences hope that not everyone who appears hard on the outside is actually that way on the inside. It was a small thing but given the times, it was memorable

Kimble’s parents aren’t conflicted over his guilt (his mother is never seen in the series & only his brother is doubtful but doesn’t want him caught). Kimble’s father (also a doctor) tells Kimble that he’s stipulated that his medical books gifted to the university be returned to Richard the day that he’s cleared.

In the early days of the series, the FBI tried to get the show cancelled as it was deemed 'subversive propaganda' by none other than the (in)famous long-time FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. Hoover, and others in law enforcement, viewed Kimble's weekly escapes from the law as a slap in the face to the American legal system. Thankfully, the show went on anyway.

The adoption motif was a clever way to make Kimball look like a good guy. Generally the dispute goes in the other direction with the husband being reluctant

Watched as a kid in the early 90s when it was already 30 years old. Just finished for at least the 3rd time. Unlike most shows that I don't enjoy as much, this series is still excellent. Such a well done show. The episodes with Girard are some of the best. He drove you crazy but still respected him. David Janssen did amazing with the character.

Having remembered catching the odd episode on bbc2 [90's or early 2000's] and enjoying it, I searched out the whole series and watched it during the lockdown. It was great and a well needed escape, I actually preferred the black and white episodes so turned down the colour on the later ones, worked better for some reason.

Another change from TV to movie: Dr. Kimble goes from a pediatrician (hence his involvement with children you mentioned) to a vascular surgeon.

I bet a lot of fans of the series never knew that Barry Morse--Girard--is English and when not on screen talked badically like the narrator here.

I loved that show

Although series creator Roy Huggins denied it, the series was based on the Dr. Sam Shepard murder case.

I don't know how Tommy Lee Jones won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for such a mediocre role & performance. Especially when Ralph Fiennes performance in Schindler's List was so extraordinary. Harrison Ford pales in comparison to David Janssen as Richard Kimble.

The greatest drama series of all time Ever! It made A B C a powerful network like CBS and N B C !!!!!

It's not OHMSS, but it's always welcomed hearing you talk film.

Loved that show. One thing always troubled me - how did Kimble (in the TV series) acquire so many different identity papers/driving licenses under all his assumed names? He had no connection with the underworld who could've supplied them and since he changed his name every other week I can't see how he always had one when a policeman asked him.

I like your commentary. I'm an original viewer, being a teen what it was on. I've been watching some of them again and still enjoy the show. David Jansson is really good always underplayed. I saw the movie when it came out but have zero memory of it, other than I didn't think it was as good, plus series cast is better.

Given the time the series was made, I don't think society was as accepting- or even aware- of how deeply and permanently people could be scarred by emotional trauma. "Time heals all wounds" was something said back then that many people actually believed, but we know now that it's not always true. I think the producers were, indeed, trying to say that Kimble could now relax and enjoy his life as a free man. It's the advancement in understanding of human psychology over the last 57 years that enables viewers today to see that their reassuring view of Kimble's future is not likely to be so happy and carefree.

I think the film tried to give some level of service to Kimble trying to help out. He does so with the shanked guard and the football kid in the hospital whose chart he changes. They just didn't have the time to really probe that much in the span of a film. And to be honest, I always found the corporate angle of the film to be really unfulfilling. It feels like such a departure from the spirit of the film to just kind of have that "oh, big pharma sent in a hit man." It doesn't really feel like the rest of the film is building up to it,

I remember watching the TV series with my mum, it (seemingly) went on forever. I don’t remember ever seeing the ending ☹️

S4 (the final season of The Fugitive) was in color.

During the PLANDEMIC, I stayed home mostly, and watched each episode in order, chronologically. SUCH a delight, and very good writing. I was always riveted by his nervousness, or rather his edgy self (always "looking" guilty). The greatest suspense series in my opinion. David Janssen was THE BEST, and no movie will EVER do him justice, nor the viewing public.

Interesting spin.

In the final episode we learn that a neighbor witnessed the murder and remained silent, which is by no means the legal system's fault. And Girard constantly muses about the limits of his role, which is to carry out judgment rather than render his own. He may be obsessed, but ultimately this Ahab figure is more honorable and accountable than many jurists today who freely substitute their personal politics for precedent and jurisprudence.

the 60's fugitive was a very good TV series it was a QM production which at that time in TV shows meant very good writing , the 2000' era fugitive was ok but i think that it was taken off the air because of the baby bush regime , the bottom line is that it's a great rip off from the classic la'masraible ( may have spelled it wrong ) but the old 60's TV series and the modern 1' were both entertaining

I loved the last episode, but hated the specific plot device that proved his innocence. The neighbor secretly witnessed the murder, but didn't come forward because it'd look bad. He went there to talk about how he adopted a kid, but he thought people would get the wrong idea because he visited his female neighbor alone in the evening. "Yeah, I watched my friend get murdered, let my other friend go on trial, get sentenced to death, and go on-the-run for four years, while letting the actual killer go free. BUT... gossipy neighbors!" WHAT!? It's so goofy.

It is a great show if you can overlook two problems with logic. The one-armed man killed Helen Kimble with a lamp . A routine dusting of fingerprints when compared to Kimble's would not have revealed a match. This would have exonerated Kimble. At the trial Kimble said he was at a lake and saw a boy at about the time the murder was commited . The boy said he didn't see Kimble but that is irrelevant because the boy admitted to being at the lake at that time Kimble claimed that he,Kimble, was there. This should have resulted in an acquittal.

❤😊David Janssen was the hardest working actor in Hollywood. He was a contributing factor for the film industry unlike those who only claim to be actors. I’m so happy to subscribe

Showing my millenialness but had no idea there was a tv series

I disagree!! It was a very happy ending!!

The TV series was magnificent and full of pathos in the noble sense. The movie was PC pabulum with no purpose but to preach a left-wing agenda*; therefore, it made no effort to explore depth and intricacy of character. Having viewed each when freshly released, I witnessed the deterioration. Pharmaceutical companies may engage in some questionable practices, but hiring hit men? Be that as it may, Rhubba did a fine job of explication. ______ *It even threw in an image of a nurse wearing a pink AIDS twisty ribbon, a completely irrelevant and superfluous bit of virtue-signaling.