The Fugitive-A QM Production (1 Viewer)

[David Von Pein]

No, this is wrong. Part 1 aired on Tues., Aug. 22, 1967 (you've got the year wrong above too).

Part 2 aired Aug. 29, '67, but, as mentioned, it was delayed one week in some foreign markets. ......

"August 29, 1967 was "the day the running stopped" in the United States. However, because of problems encountered in dubbing the episode, other countries had to wait until sometime in September to see the finale (in West Germany, viewers had to wait until October)." -- Excerpt from Page 180 of "The Fugitive Recaptured" by Ed Robertson (c.1993)

http://www.tv.com/the-fugitive-1963/...&tag=nav_bar;4

 

[Harry-N]

Wow. I hate it when I'm wrong. I only posted that because I watched the Laserdisc I have of the final episode where it clearly said "September 5th" - and was Willam Conrad's voice.

Harry

 

[David Von Pein]

That LD must have been made from a non-U.S. print evidently.

 

[Dan McW]

I've watched a Worldvision tape and one or two p-d (or otherwise low-quality) tapes of the final two-parter but haven't seen one with the "Aug. 29" narration. Did that version ever make it to home video? I assume "Aug. 29" was retained for U.S. reruns.

 

[Jeff#]

Not quite, Harry..."The Judgment" finale aired on August 22 (Part 1) and Part 2 was on August 29, 1967. And August 29 was the date that Conrad stated.

William Conrad.... radio's Matt Dillon. That reminds me to put transfer some more episodes of GUNSMOKE on my I-Pod Nano to listen to at work tomorrow.

 

[Harry-N]

Thanks. David has already corrected me, and I'm now sure that those August dates are correct.

It still doesn't change the fact that my LaserDisc says "September 5th".

Harry

 

[Michael Alden]

As does the pre-recorded VHS tape that was released way back in the early 80s. I found it extremely odd that it had the wrong end date on the narration as well. I believe that came from a print that aired in Canada for some reason. The syndicated episode does have the right narration on it but for some reason all of the commercially released versions have the next week's date.

I was too young to really get into and appreaciate the show in it's ABC run, although I did watch the final 2-parter on ABC. I also remember being more emotionally involved in that episode than in anything I've ever watched on television, as were many people. My friend's mom was hysterically yelling during the last episode. I don't think I've ever gotten that into an episode of a TV show.

BTW, I've now been collecting tapes and DVDs for over 25 years and I have literally hundreds of thousands of shows and sporting events saved, with at least 1 of almost every prime time series ever run. And still to this day, the most requested and watched thing in the collection, the tape that gets asked for by friends the most, The Judgment.

 

[Harry-N]

Just for my own piece of mind, I dug through my many VHS tapes to find my recording of NBC's airing of "The Judgment Part II". Yes, I said NBC. They aired it in 1993 - I believe around the time of the Harrison Ford movie premiere - along with the first season episode, "The Girl From Little Egypt", which, though not the pilot, acted as such in setting up the series through flashbacks.

Anyway, on the NBC airing of "The Judgment Part II", the correct August 29th date is used. How curious that I never noticed this discrepancy before.

How odd it is to me to see the episode titles with an NBC peacock logo in the corner!

Harry

 

[Jeff Willis]

I can hardly wait for this one. It was my Dad's favorite series next to Combat!. This one will be a blind-buy since I don't remember hardly any of this series when it aired and haven't seen any of the eps in syndication. But from reading the HTF'ers, it sounds like a sure-thing for me as I like a lot of the 60's series, (TT, Combat!, UNCLE, Mission:Impossible, Perry Mason, Secret Agent, Voyage...Sea, The Invaders)

 

[Harry-N]

A QM PRODUCTION: THE FUGITIVE is deserving of the fact that it appears on many lists of best series of all time - it was THAT good. The show generally played like an anthology, with different locales, settings and casts every week. The only real constants were Janssen as Kimble and Morse as Girard - and Barry Morse was only in some of the episodes.

TONIGHT'S EPISODE: Each week Kimble would find his way into the lives of ordinary people in ordinary places, often running into and trying to avoid being seen or identified by the local police which added to the dramatic tension. The episodes that people tend to remember most are the ones with Lt. Girard getting closer to capturing him, or where Kimble himself closed in on the elusive one-armed man.

THE GUEST STARS IN TONIGHT'S STORY: Adding to the pluses for the series was the normal Quinn Martin stable of actors in their guest roles. Some pretty impressive people acted on the series over its four-year run, many in multiple roles over the years.

I sure hope this one is in the pipeline and will be done correctly. It deserves only the best.

Harry

 

[Bob Hug]

Paul Brownstein has done quite a bit of bonus material production work on Paramount TV-on-DVD releases. I really hope that he becomes involved in any DVD release of "The Fugitive" as that would pretty much assure that the release would be "done correctly."

 

[David Von Pein]

Only 37 of the 120 to be exact (not counting the opening-title sequence, which he was always in).

It seemed like Gerard was in more of the shows. He's referred to in several others episodes (and somebody might be talking on the phone to him, but Gerard is not on screen).

And "Fred Johnson" (the one-armed man) appeared in even fewer eps. -- only 10, mostly in Season 4 (not counting a few flashbacks and the opening titles).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/cus...ews/6304865457

 

[phil*]

"the story of Dr. Richard Kimble, an innocent victim of blind justice. Falsely convicted for the murder of his wife. Reprieved by FATE when a train wreck freed him en route to the deathhouse. Freed him to hide in lonely desperation. To change his IDENTITY. To TOIL at many jobs. Freed him to search for a one-armed man he saw leave the scene of the crime. Freed him to RUN before the relentless pursuit of the police lieutenant obsessed with his capture . . . "

I wonder why the producers of the 1993 movie felt it necessary to change the name of one of the central characters of "The Fugitive" from "Phil" Gerard
to "Sam" Gerard...just what is wrong with the name "Phil"????

 

[Jeff#]

I've often asked that question myself. Here's another one: His rank was also changed from Lt. Philip Gerard to U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard. Tommy Lee Jones is a good actor, but he was crazy to do the "U.S. Marshals" sequel, in which Gerard chases another fugitive played by Wesley Snipes. That was the least anticipated sequel since Superman IV!

 

[Johnny Angell]

Seems like I read once that the final episode of the Fugitive wrapped up the series so well, that it killed audience interest in it for syndication. Why watch it when you know how it ends, I guess?

I don't think that way, but the Fugitive has been been on tv much.

 

[Jeff#]

That's easy! There's a certain pleasure of watching a great series again with someone you know.

 

[RickER]

I think it will be a sure thing for you too Jeff. I watched it when it was on A&E 10 years ago, and while i liked it, and i am a Jansen, and Morse fan i am not sure if it will be for me. Just like, dare i say it, The Invaders, and The Incredible Hulk after it i grew tired of the wandering man story. But hey i finally got the itch to buy Nowhere Man today, so who knows!

 

[Jeff#]

That was a very good choice, Rick, and I think you'll enjoy it. I saw Nowhere Man on UPN when it originally aired in 1995-96. Not only was it one of the first series on that network, but it was far superior to a lot of the shows on the air at the time. I found it even more entertaining than Star Trek: Voyager (which often aired before and also after it during that season). Bruce Greenwood got a rare leading role as Tom Veil, and everything he's done since has been as a character actor in a variety of big screen roles (usually as the bad guy, such as the crooked NSA advisor in "Rules of Engagement". He was also the husband whose widow Ashley Judd was falsely accused of murdering in the Fugitive inspired "Double Jeopardy". Tommy Lee Jones starred in both films, and was almost typecast post-Gerard after The Fugitive remake!

For years I wanted to get the Nowhere Man on home video, and I finally did when it was released on DVD months ago and I bought it about a week after it came out. There are only 25 episodes, but there is a satisfying series finale even though Lawrence Hertzog and his crew thought it would be renewed. UPN cancelled the series because it was always at the bottom of the broadcast TV ratings out of 100+ shows. But had the series continued production, it would have taken Veil in a whole different direction and in a modified format. You'll notice a few changes taking place even during its single season to move the story along.

The DVD interview extras and commentaries recorded in 2006 by the show's cast and crew (including Greenwood, Megan Gallagher, Hertzog, and some of the other writers and producers) are well-done.

 

[Marty M]

That was the theory that was floating around after the series concluded. The Fugitive was one of the first serialized TV series and I don't think the people who made decisions regarding syndication thought there would be an interest in a show when you already knew how it would end. In their short-sided thinking, they didn't realize people wanted to see a quality drama, no matter what. The Fugitive was definitely a quality drama.

 

[phil*]

Once again, another rumour concerning a DVD release of "The Fugitive".

One of these days, rumour will turn to fact...