The Fugitive-A QM Production (1 Viewer)

What's the holdup with "The Fugitive" starring David Janssen?

Arguably,this was one of the best series to air on network tv and spawned a highly successful movie starring Harrison Ford...

Yes, it's been hashed out in several threads by now. "The Fugitive" gets my vote as the #1 oversight for vintage television series not on DVD. The VERY ZENITH of classic tv drama--and it shows no signs whatsoever of being targeted for release. Just boggles the mind...

Ain't it the truth. Are there some hidden rights/clearance issues about this one? I wonder since this one has a popular following, according to the posts I've read at HTF.

It may require a lot of restoration work. The VHS tapes that were released in the late '90s were a mixed bag of grainy and scratched film sources along with others that were sourced from syndication video tapes and had digital speed-up problems.

Let's hope that when it finally DOES appear, it's done right. I, for one, am not interested in another bunch of digitally sped-up episodes, and I'm a huge fan.

Harry

There hasn't been a former Worldvision show yet that has come out remastered. Both Combat and Doris Day have both been released in their timesped forms. Apparently Worldvision didn't have the good sense to make clean, non sped-up masters on their shows when they were putting them to tape in the 80s.

Amen to that.

Repeating a message I found elsewhere on the Internet in mid-2005 (re. Quinn Martin programs):

"As of 2005, the Republic Pictures holdings consist of a catalog of 3,000 films and TV series, including the original Republic library (except for the Roy Rogers and Gene Autry catalogs, which are owned by their respective estates), the pre-1973 NBC library (including Bonanza), most of the Quinn Martin shows (The Fugitive, The Streets Of San Francisco, etc.), and Aaron Spelling's catalog (The Love Boat, Twin Peaks, Beverly Hills 90210, etc.), and selected pre-1952 UA (High Noon, Copacabana, etc.) and NTA holdings (Fleischer cartoons, It's a Wonderful Life, etc.). These are now sold on video through Lions Gate Home Entertainment, while Paramount Pictures holds television and theatrical distribution rights. In September of 2005, Paramount will gain full use of the Republic library as they will inherit the video rights from Lions Gate."

http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/fug...4?viscount=100


Here's what "The Fugitive '63-'67" deserves (via my personal it's-never-gonna-happen make-believe "Dream DVD"):

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

Healthwatch: Fred Johnson's remaining limb

Seriously, for $18.99 I'd buy it!

I might even pay up to $19.05 for that mega set.

"Keep hope alive", David. A true labor of love, here--superbly conceived. No price is too high for a set like this...

Well, I have to disagree with Harry regarding the 1990s VHS releases of The Fugitive. The ones I bought looked great -- and they were all remastered even then. My only complaint is that a few of the volumes I had suffered from video dropouts, but that's to be expected with videotapes. They weren't sped up either. The VHS releases from World Vision Video were all 50 minutes each (plus the intros by Barry Morse as well).

My tapes were from an outfit called NuVentures Video (I think that's the name), and had the Barry Morse intros. Some of the episodes were sourced from video and sped up, (like "Nightmare At Northoak", one of the classic episodes), and some were sourced from fairly grainy prints (like "Landscapes With Running Figures") that ran at the proper speed.

As I recall, the color episodes were all from film, and were inconsistent in their color rendering, sometimes appearing too pink, other times too green.

All of the syndication prints that WOR/EMI Service ran in the late '90s were time-sped. You can easily tell, just by listening to the warbling of the great Pete Rugolo score and other source music.

Harry

Well, TSoD has posted a rumor about a possible release coming. Hope it pans out.

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=5751

Thanks for posting this, Jeff. Hopefully, it's a situation of "where there is smoke, there is fire." This is encouraging news.

I haven't been quite this keyed up since March 8, 1966, when Dr. Richard Kimble slipped through Lt. Philip Gerard's fingers yet again in "Ill Wind" (after twice saving Gerard's life).

Now....if only one or two of my "Dream" special features could be worked into the Season-One DVD collection.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/cus...679552-6293763

I'm willing to wait in order for it to be done right, i.e., remastered and at the proper speed and running time. This is probably the best dramatic show in television history and deserves proper treatment. Better they take their time than throw it out there as is like Image did with Combat.

I fully agree with those sentiments, Michael. But, by the same token, we "Fuge fans" have already been "waiting" for quite a few years for this great show to come to season-by-season DVD form.

But, actually, in a way, I'm kind of glad the show wasn't released in, say, 2000 or 2001, when the "Season Sets Of TV Shows" craze was just getting underway....because by waiting for a few years, the overall quality of DVD products has no doubt gotten better, and Paramount has gotten very experienced with how to do TV-on-DVD right (IMO).*

* = I.E.: Great transfers from original source material, if possible, and nice user-friendly packaging...plus darn-good prices on many DVD sets. I, for one, am glad it's "Paramount" producing "The Fugitive (1963)" on DVD. Their track record should = Good-looking Fugitive episodes.

~knocking all wooden surfaces within reach~

The Fugutive was indeed one of the most outstanding TV series ever made. You'd think after all these years and a 1990s VHS release that it would have been on DVD by now. That time will come, so I wouldn't worry about it.

I've been scouring the net trying to find other tidbits of information, but no luck. I feel confident, just the same that "The Fugitive" will see a release sometime in '06-'07. There are just too many fans clamoring for what is widely regarded as the tv drama by which all others are measured. And I do breathe a sigh of relief that it was not released 5 years ago, along with Paramount in control of this. For, better a Paramount '06 than a Universal '03, if you catch my meaning...

If you mean in terms of a drama series with continuing characters, then The Fugitive is definitely a contender....but only one of the contenders. Naked City and Route 66 before it are too. However...GUNSMOKE has the supreme honor. All of them are fueled by performances from the guest stars just as much as the regulars.

When it comes to stellar drama that others are judged by, The Twilight Zone wins in the Anthology category.