Fugitive comes to DVD in a 33 disc set on Nov. 1st 2011 (1 Viewer)

I also like the sympathetic cop who is at least curious, and wants to find the one armed man.

You mentioned that many of the shows back then had a blind episode but most of them also had the amnesia episode which no one knocks on The Fugitive as it is such a spectacular episode. Second Sight is no Escape Into Black but I enjoyed it and place it among the better color episodes.

Tonight's Episode:
Wine is a Traitor

James Gregory, Roy Thinnes (The Invaders), Pilar Seurat, Dabbs Greer (again)

This episode tries so very hard, front loaded with talent and a very good first act break and then it just seems to become average. I really liked the desk clerk Dabbs Greer; very creepy and the Outer Limits cues really underscored the creep factor. But this episode squandered the opening and just became average IMO. The immigrant wine story felt rushed. A better story than those on disc 1 but not as good as the prior episode.

A hunted man can clutch at a single straw, that one day the hunters will lay down their guns. But for Richard Kimble, that day has not yet come

Next disc next weekend.

I always liked "Second Sight" better than most seemed to. Perhaps it was Ed Robertson's dismissal of the episode that tilted the episode toward the negative. It's hard to disagree with him on the point that Janssen's eyes were a key to his acting ability and that this episode stripped him of that asset. I think he did a remarkable job with it.

Harry

Most of us here agree on Second Sight. It's good.

Remember Ed Robertson in truth is a Fugitive viewer who wrote a fine book on the show - his opinions are just that - HIS opinions, not any kind of 'fact' at all - his views carry no more weight than your opinion, or mine, or anybody's

I really enjoyed 'Second Sight', and a number of episodes Ed Robertson dismissed, I enjoyed and value his book on the show alot, but his opinions on the episodes certainly does not influence my views on them one bit, and I expect others feel that way too

Agreed - tho' they were only Robertson's opinions

I understood your meaning in your post, I agree re Janssen's acting, his 'eye acting' was so vital in The Fugitive - he had an alarmed 'reaction' look to the Police and especially at very mention of the name "Gerard" that was quite brilliant !

there's an animalistic survival angle to The Fugitive that strikes a very primeval chord in all of us I think...and DJ had that superbly honed in his acting performance - his Kimble really looked like a hunted animal at times


on the general point it's common for writers or reviewers to end up putting their own 'spin' on things - mostly you see this in music where reviewers opinions are often taken as being 'fact', then in the internet age this has taken off big time on some fans forums etc...

"A Clean and Quiet Town" is fun on the surface, but there are a few problems that hold this one back. It would be nice if Kimble or the credits referred to "Cramer" as Fred Johnson. He's a little too influential for my taste, but I suppose it makes sense if Enwright owed him something.

Michael Strong is badly miscast. Contrary to his name, he's a weak performer and hardly intimidating.

A personal niggle: I'm pretty tired of Carol Rossen. She seemed to appear a little too often.

This town certainly had a lot Burlesque shows. And what was the era's fixation with "The Saints Go Marching In?"

These things really stand out because, other than the fun of the OAM, it's such a weak episode. But a guilty pleasure.

I agree with all you wrote and it's an episode I will skip nearly every time.

Tonight's Episode:
Approach With Care

Denny Miller, Collin Wilcox, Malcolm Atterbury, Nicholas Colasanto, Dabney Coleman, Michael Conrad (Let's be careful out there)

Another mentally disabled individual episode. Seems that Kimble runs across his fair share of these troubled individuals. Denny Miller plays the type well. The story is less interesting. This one is not a good family drama. Predictable and not very engaging.

Aired Nov. 15, 1966
The day after this episode aired, Dr. Sam Sheppard was finally acquitted of murdering his wife, twelve years after he had been originally convicted. Sheppard's case was the one that inspired this series.

Doug Wallen said:

Tonight's Episode:
Approach With Care

Denny Miller, Collin Wilcox, Malcolm Atterbury, Nicholas Colasanto, Dabney Coleman, Michael Conrad (Let's be careful out there)

Another mentally disabled individual episode. Seems that Kimble runs across his fair share of these troubled individuals. Denny Miller plays the type well. The story is less interesting. This one is not a good family drama. Predictable and not very engaging.

Click to expand...

Pretty believable escape though, wasn't it? Just kidding. This one's pretty high on my dud list. Pee-eww!

Doug Wallen said:

Sheppard's case was the one that inspired this series.

Click to expand...

Series creator Roy Huggins repeatedly explained that his inspiration for The Fugitive was the wandering cowboy, but in a modern setting. He said that he had been vaguely aware of the Sheppard case, but had come up with the idea for The Fugitive long before he had ever heard of the Sheppard case.

Series creator Roy Huggins repeatedly explained that his inspiration for The Fugitive was the wandering cowboy, but in a modern setting. He said that he had been vaguely aware of the Sheppard case, but had come up with the idea for The Fugitive long before he had ever heard of the Sheppard case.

Quote came from imdb.com I guess I should have realized how reliable that site is for info.

Roy Huggins - who would have been MORE than just 'vaguely aware' of the Sheppard case I'm sure especially after 'Perry Mason' creator Erle Stanley Gardner got involved - always denied the Sheppard case was his inspiration - but let's be honest it's VERY similar in many aspects:

a respected Doctor (who specialised in children's illnesses) , his marriage in trouble, the poor wife battered to death, talk of a mysterious 'bushy haired man' / 'one armed man' who got into the house, and everybody split over the accused Doctor's guilt or innocence...with ONLY the Doctor's version about what had occurred, a Doctor who had nobody to confirm his version of events...

...and nobody apparently saw the 'real killer' (tho' some in Sheppard's home area did claim to have seen such a 'Bushy haired' figure in the area ...as did Capt Eckhart re the OAM in 'Trial By Fire')


'Les Miserables' was a big influence of course (hence 'Gerard') as well...but the Sheppard case was still very fresh in viewers minds in 1963 - the TV show certainly increased American (and worldwide) public awareness of Sheppard's case and probably helped him get that second trial in 1966

while many years later even in the court case brought by Sheppard's son against Ohio State the State lawyer asked the jury if they had ever watched 'The Fugitive' TV show (to determine if the jury members had any sense of siding with the accused Doctor by being influenced by the show etc !)

ironic Ken Wilhoit (have I spelt his surname right ?) having a connection between The Fugitive show and the actual Sheppard case !

Tonight's Episode:
Nobody Loses All the Time

Robert Pine, Joanna Moore, Barbara Baxley, Barry Morse, Bill Raisch

A Gerard and OAM episode, I am expecting good things from this one.

Excellent use of stock footage and a nice quandry for Dr. Kimble. Good to see the doc working and acting as a doc. He must miss his actual profession. So interesting to see how ER admissions were much easier back then (I realize it is tv). No suspicion of Kimble investigating ("I'm a doctor.") Kimble's guilt over her accident seems real. Nice to see him in the med jacket. Seeing the OAM on tv was more believable than some of his "convenient" appearances. Nice interplay between him and the nurse.

I really enjoyed this one. Anything featuring Philip Pine is always worth a watch. Nice characterization from all in this one. Good suspense in the hospital "chase" scene. A truly tense and suspenseful episode. Elevators are always the hero's best ally, and trains. Another episode making good use of the music cues to add to the suspense.

Gerard questioning Maggie about her motivations. Is Gerard beginning to have personal doubts? I realize he still has his job to do, but it seems to me he may be having some doubts, especially after seeing the picture. It does seem that Gerard understands Kimble and his motivations.

Interesting how often train tracks and railroad crossing signs appear in this show - random observation.

Pretty good episode.


"I will practice my profession with conscience and dignity; even under threat, I will not use medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity. I make these promises solemnly, freely, and upon my honor." And for Richard Kimble, Fugitive, they still apply.

Tonight's Episode:
Right in the Middle of the Season

Dean Jagger, Nancy Malone, James Callahan, Douglas Henderson

Dean Jagger (White Christmas) is an actor I enjoy. Not sure I like this ship/union story. Conflict seems a bit manufactured. Son against father. Strained storyline. Kimble once again in a police station being finger-printed. Wonder how much Janssen appreciated the constant inky fingers. Not much other than the location color photography to recommend this one.

One more to go on this disk, maybe tomorrow.

Did you notice the blooper at time index 36:43?



The film editor may have noticed the man's head in the lower left corner of the frame, but may have used this footage anyway, as it never would have been seen on television displays of the 1960s because of CRT overscan.

'Nobody Loses All The Time' was an excellent episode - I loved the train yard chase sequence and yes I'd noticed the railroad crossing sign does pop up quite a number of times - you see it in 'The Judgement' too when Kimble and Gerard are on another passenger train (echoes of the start) and the OAM is on a truck train all bound for Stafford Indianna...

The depiction of Gerard varies I noticed - some writers liked to make him look a 'baddie' just out to GET Kimble....while others are careful to portray him as a damn good cop STILL checking after any possibility of a OAM existing who might have eluded him...

early on Gerard seems more open to a OAM maybe existing...then over time he seems to have become more fixated re the idea of a OAM being merely an invention in Kimble's mind (Gerard's exchanged with Joe Campanella's police Captain early on in 'The Judgement' takes that line) but there are episodes where Gerard even later in the show's run reluctantly admits the possibility of the OAM existing - 'The 2130' showed this - but he assumes Kimble has just seen a OAM 'Fred Johnson' and taken him as his 'killer' - the episode 'Wife Killer' (1966) shows Gerard acting just as he does back in 'Never Wave Goodbye' (1963) and heading directly to the location where a OAM has been reported which is not in line with other episodes in between where Gerard dismisses out of hand the fact of any OAM figure in the Kimble case as possibly really existing !

Gerard's interrogation of Fred Johnson scene in 'The Judgement' is a very important key scene (Gerard destroys Johnson's explanations of his whereabouts around the time of the murder ) as Gerard for once 'loses control' ('did you kill Helen Kimble ?', 'why did you lie ?") as he finally realises this OAM figure just might be the real killer...and that those 'nagging doubts' he always had re Kimble's guilt but had firmly put right to the back of his mind - occasionally creeping forth - all come bursting out

hence Gerard is visibly sweating and needs to re-compose himself after interrogating Johnson - brilliant performance by the Great Barry Morse, both in the final episode and across the whole show as he kept Gerard credible despite various writers depicting him quite differently in their scripts from time to time...

sorry to go on - and jump ahead a bit - but the depiction of Gerard's own feelings re Kimble's guilt is such an important aspect of the show

I'm watching many of these episodes along with you and I have to tell you that I'm starting to reevaluate my feelings of the 4th season. I've dismissed much of it in the past, but I'm seeing a few of them in a new light. After a shaky start, some episodes are really quite good.

The Blessings of Liberty. Here's an episode I think I've only seen once or twice before. Not a bad "parallel fugitive" type story, only it involves an entire family. The cast is pretty good with the exception of Julie Sommars. She explicitly said they all ran from Hungary a few years earlier, yet she shows absolutely no sign of an accent. Everyone else does, but she doesn't even try. She's so apple pie middle American, it strains credibility. A shame, because she's otherwise a good actress, but her lack of effort stands out.

It was great to see Jan Merlin in a sympathetic role. Often, I've watched him as Nazi's, aliens and Russian spies (yeah, I watch a lot of Irwin Allen TV shows). Arlene Martell is hot even in dowdy clothing and hair.

Lots of good suspense in the beginning as the police look for someone other than Kimble, who is boxed in. Refreshingly, Janssen plays it cool and doesn't draw attention to himself. Once again, Noam Pitlik makes a nuisance of himself and screws it all up for our Fugitive. There's also a great scene where Kimble describes an APB to Josef. The man speaks volumes of experience.

Liked this one a lot.