"The Fugitive" (1963): Season 1; Volume 1 Rumored To Be In The Works! (1 Viewer)

[Harry-N]

I'm partial to that one too, since it officially takes place in my home state.

My fave fourth season episode though has to be "The Ivy Maze". That one really had me on the edge of my seat when ABC aired it originally!

But since this new DVD release is the first half of the first season, I'll have to say my faves from that era are the two-parter, "Never Wave Goodbye" and "Nightmare At Northoak".

Geez, I'm getting goosebumps just *thinking* about these episodes and how great they are. And I'm a bit envious of the first-time viewers, getting to experience these as *new* shows!

Harry

 

[Jeff Willis]

I'm one of them Harry But thanks to you, Bob H, Gary O, Mike_KS, and the "gang" at HTF I'm looking forward to this blind-buy. The only memories of this one are dim ones from Dad watching this show. He was a fanatic fan of this one in it's original airing days.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

My interest in seeing this series for the first time is still burning. Let me ask you longtime fans of the show -- what was David Janssen's feeling about it? Did he enjoy doing it? Did he want "out"? I'd like to think he was fond of THE FUGITIVE and that he didn't have what I call "Fred Gwynne Syndrome" (as Gwynne really regretted doing THE MUNSTERS). Looking forward to your replies!

 

[Harry-N]

David Janssen genuinely enjoyed doing THE FUGITIVE. There are stories of him getting a bit weary in the fourth season, and was likely the reason that the show was ended at that point. Part of the problem was grueling work schedule. Due to the nature of the series, David Janssen pretty much had to be in virtually every scene of every show. There are exceptions of course, but it was pretty much all him.

He and Barry Morse became fast friends - but were instructed not to do any public appearances together as it wouldn't look good for the police lieutenant and his prey to be seen as friends during the run of the show.

I don't know if it's possible for us here to build up expectations too much - it is afterall a TV series, and it has its ups and downs - but I feel safe in stating that I've not witnessed a finer drama series in my fifty+ years on this planet.

Certainly there are some elements to the show that are "of their time." Today with the Internet, GPS tracking, cell phones, credit cards, privacy restrictions, it would be near impossible for a fugitive to live the way Dr. Kimble is portrayed in the series. He seems to be able to wander into a town and get a job as a dishwasher or bartender without any ID or references. That's just unthinkable today. So you have to sort of put yourself in the time frame of the series.

"...this is Richard Kimble, and this is how it is with him."

Harry

 

[Hank Dearborn]

Agree with you 100%. Of the first set that'll be released, those are my favorites as well. And I also remember watching The Ivy Maze when it first aired on ABC and how exciting it was. I know some people don't like that episode but to me it was one of the best. BTW, does anyone know yet if Paramount is remastering the show or going with the timespeds like Image did with Combat?

 

[Harry-N]

I don't think anyone (in the general public) yet knows what the video source is for THE FUGITIVE on DVD. Given that we're only getting 15 episodes and we have waited forever, I'm hoping for the best.

Harry

 

[David Von Pein]

And complete with that incomparable Peter Rugolo music too. (They better not change any of the Rugolo music for this series, or I'm sending the one-armed man out to Paramount Studios to beat the heck out of somebody with his remaining limb.)*

* = And as we know by watching the outstanding Fugitive episode with Ed Begley Sr. ("Man In A Chariot"; first episode of Season 2), when a person loses a limb, he gains additional strength in his remaining limb.

Here's some fun Fuge stuff, for anyone who might care:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/discussionb...e=ReviewDetail

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...e=ReviewDetail

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...e=ReviewDetail

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...e=ReviewDetail

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...e=ReviewDetail

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...e=ReviewDetail

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...e=ReviewDetail

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...e=ReviewDetail

http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/fug.../?viscount=100

 

[Harry-N]

Speaking of "Nightmare At Northoak", it's a great example of something we were discussing earlier in this thread, about the use of music cues from other shows in THE FUGITIVE. Early on, as Kimble is being treated by the town doctor and we meet the family with whom Kimble is staying during his recuperation, strains of Bernard Herrman's music from THE TWILIGHT ZONE's "Walking Distance" can be heard.

The irony here is in the casting: Frank Overton appeared in both "Nightmare at Northoak" and in "Walking Distance."

Harry

 

[Marty M]

DeepDiscount and other etailers are selling the entire season. DeepDiscount has the entire Season 1 available for $53, which is cheaper than buying both sets indivually from Amazon.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

The packaging claims the transfers come from the original negatives. I've watched the first seven episodes and think they look pretty darned good. Surprisingly few source flaws - some specks, thin lines and whatnot - but not much for a 44-year-old show. The sound is fine for old mono. No extras, unfortunately, but I think fans will be VERY pleased with the quality. My full review should go up next week!

 

[Steve...O]

Colin - looking forward to your review as this will be a "blind" buy for me.

From what you've seen, are the episodes complete and not time sped? CBS/Paramount is usually very good at this although there has been some bad news this week with some of their releases (one S2 Perry Mason episode edited, Gunsmoke S1 may have edits, Hawaii Five-0 S2 missing an entire episode).

Thanks in advance,

Steve

 

[Harry-N]

I just want to clarify the nature of the series to some of you first time viewers. THE FUGITIVE comes from a simpler time, so anyone expecting a series with continuing intensity like say 24 or LOST might feel a bit let down.

THE FUGITIVE chronicles the wanderings of a man who is searching for the murderer of his wife, all while eluding the law himself. Society has branded him a criminal and sentenced him to death, and he must do whatever he can with his new-found freedom to change the situation.

As he drifts from town to town, he becomes involved in the loves of the people he meets. As such, the series often plays like an anthology, as we meet new people every week and watch Dr. Kimble either help them out with their own problems, or allow them to help him with his.

Kimble's persuer, Lt. Gerard is not a factor in every episode, indeed he doesn't even appear in all of them. Generally, whenever Gerard is present, the situation tends to get more intense, but even that isn't always the case. Sometimes the threat for Dr. Kimble comes from local law-enforcement people, or those around them. You just never know where each episode is headed when you start watching.

There are a few episodes where the threat to Kimble is fairly light, even allowing him to rest and become comfortable with his surroundings and the new people he's become involved with. And there are others, like the aforementioned "Nightmare at Northoak" where Kimble finds himself in deep trouble.

Each hour is its own self-contained little drama within the larger framework of Kimble trying to prove his innocence. His larger quest is for the one-armed man, who rarely appears at all, particularly in the first couple of seasons.

So watch these episodes in the context of them being great little dramas in their own right, not as any kind of continuing story. There are seldom, if ever, references to prior characters or situations that Kimble has been in, so you don't need to remember the names and faces of the people he meets. They aren't clues to some larger mystery like you might find on LOST or HEROES. They're just people - everyday people with the same kinds of problems that you and I might encounter in our daily lives.

The only continuing characters are Kimble himself, of course; Lt. Gerard; Kimble's sister and brother-in-law and their family in a few episodes; and the fact that Gerard has a wife and child who we meet along the way (though the actress playing Mrs. Gerard changes); and the mysterious one-armed man. We meet Kimble's wife only through flashbacks a few times over the course of the series. Gerard himself has a recurring boss in the early episodes but later acts more autonimously.

Everyone else in the series is really just a character-of-the-week, unimportant to the larger drama at hand, but like all of us, facing our own problems as we work our way though life. That's what makes THE FUGITIVE seem so real to many who've viewed it. It's an authentic slice-of-life each week, and while we're always interested in the larger puzzle, putting together the smaller pieces each week can be nearly just as rewarding.

Colin, I can't wait for your full review. I'll be watching this space daily as I count down the days to the release of THE FUGITIVE - now just 23 days away!

Harry

 

[Colin Jacobson]

The box does make mention of some music changes. I don't have it with me right now, so I can't quote it, but it refers to those alterations.

As for the episodes otherwise, they seem fine. I gotta admit I've never seen them, so I don't know them from experience, but they all run at 50+ minutes, and they certainly don't seem to be sped up in anyway...

 

[Jeff Willis]

Colin,

Thanks for the early info on this set. Can't wait for it! I wonder what music clearance issues could have been associated with this series? As long as the eps (scenes) are uncut, the rest doesn't bother me.

Harry_N, thanks for the post on the series. Well-written as always

 

[Harry-N]

Uh-oh! This news is somewhat disquieting...

The only think I can think of that might have held up production on this show on DVD all these years is the music cues used from other series as we've mentioned in this thread.

I'll await further word from Colin before reacting any more.

Harry

 

[David Von Pein]

...

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Well, I won't be able to tell you more than what it says on the packaging. I've not noticed anything that screams "replaced music", but as I mentioned, I don't know the original shows. I could recognize changes for programs I've seen multiple times, but I'm at a loss to ID alterations here.

But it's not like they all of a sudden introduced disco into the shows or anything...

 

[David Von Pein]

As does the boy who plays Gerard's son. Kurt Russell plays "Phil Jr." in the top-notch ep. "Nemesis"; but another young boy plays Lt. Gerard's son (who is known as "Flip") in a first-season episode...which I think is "Never Wave Goodbye".

 

[TravisR]

I don't know the ins and outs of music rights but I really doubt that's the case. I don't think the score has ever had to be replaced for a DVD release.

Unfortunately, this thread is going to become the usual music replacement bitch fest with the usual people typing paragraph upon pargraph about the evils of the practice and how they'd rather be dead than buy the set now.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I sure hope not! I will certainly buy the show regardless, because I am very interested in seeing these episodes for the first time. Sure, I never like to read anything about "replaced music" - and I hear the same thing happened with HAPPY DAYS, and is going to occur for Season 2 of THE ODD COUPLE, which I really love (both are distributed by Paramount) - but what's the alternative? Having cruddy-looking or incomplete syndicated episodes? No way. Fans would only be hurting themselves if they adopt a staunch "No Sale!" attitude.