"The Fugitive: Season 2, Volume 1" -- A Personal Review (1 Viewer)

[David Von Pein]

THE FUGITIVE: SEASON TWO, VOLUME ONE
(THE "REPLACEMENT DISCS" VERSION)




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QUICK DVD STATS:

• Number of DVDs -- 4.
• Number of Episodes -- 15.
• Video -- Full Frame OAR (1.33:1). B&W.
• Audio -- English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono.
• DVD Distributor -- CBS Paramount Television / Paramount Home Entertainment.
• DVD Release Date -- June 10, 2008. (Replacement Disc Program made available to the public on February 17, 2009.)
• DVD Cover (Back Side).

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UP-FRONT NOTES ABOUT THE MUSIC:

After eight months of extreme displeasure and "Oh My God, How Can Paramount Treat A Classic Series Like This So Shabbily?!" backlash from fans of "The Fugitive" due to the fact that every single bit of background music for these fifteen episodes on DVD was replaced with new (and less-appealing) musical arrangements, CBS/Paramount pulled a real surprise out of their hat on February 17, 2009, when that DVD studio officially announced that it was introducing a Replacement Disc Program for "THE FUGITIVE: SEASON 2, VOLUME 1". [Details HERE.]

And I'm one of those "Fugitive" fans who was certainly thrilled to hear that particular announcement, because it means that Peter Rugolo's exquisite music for this series has been inserted back into each of these 15 episodes on the replacement DVDs. And most of the CBS Library music that accompanied each of these shows when they first aired in 1964 has also been put back onto the soundtrack for these four DVDs as well.

So, maybe I was right when I said this last June:

"Hopefully enough fans of this exquisite series known as "THE FUGITIVE" will make a big enough stink so that Paramount will feel compelled to right this atrocious wrong. They did fix a problem with some "Andy Griffith" laugh tracks a while back, remember. So they aren't totally unreasonable when it comes to responding to public opinion and/or outcries (and I can only assume that Paramount didn't fix those TAGS tracks on their own, sans any outside prodding from some angry consumers). .... Paramount must fix this. Not fixing this appalling hack job that has been done to one of the finest shows ever to grace the tube would be like leaving a bunch of graffiti all over the Mona Lisa and not caring about it at all." -- DVP; June 10, 2008

Thank you, CBS/Paramount, for listening to the many outraged fans of this outstanding TV series, and for re-doing these DVDs with Mr. Rugolo's music intact. Some of the newly-created music score (composed mostly by Mark Heyes) can still be heard in several of these episodes. But for the most part, the original 1960s background music is back where it belongs.

"The Fugitive" is a series that relies quite heavily on its musical arrangements (composed mainly by Peter Rugolo). A lot of the mood, soul, drama, and atmosphere of this television series rest within its music. And when Paramount ripped the musical guts out of the first fifteen episodes of Season 2 by releasing this DVD set in June 2008 with completely-different background music, it was a very bitter pill to swallow for fans of the series (and fans of Mr. Rugolo). The episodes just aren't the same without that famous Rugolo (and CBS Music Library) underscore. And, thankfully, Paramount Home Entertainment has apparently realized that fact as well.

Overall, I'd have to say that I'm very pleased with the final "music" results on these replacement discs, and even Mr. Heyes' arrangements seem to blend in fairly well with the original Rugolo and CBS cues in the locations where Heyes' material is retained. I haven't heard any of the annoying and loud "blasts" of Heyes' music that appear many times on the 2008 re-scored discs.

I think "Man On A String" is probably the episode that has the most Heyes music retained for these replacement discs, especially in Act IV, which is "Heyes heavy" to be sure.

More of my own thoughts concerning CBS/Paramount's replacement disc program HERE.

And for lots more talk about "The Fugitive" and this wild and messy "We've Come Full Circle And We've Got The Good Music Back In Season 2, Volume 1" subject, CLICK HERE.

And for additional information about the Replacement DVD Program for "The Fugitive: Season 2, Volume 1", go HERE.

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REVIEW OF SEASON 2, VOLUME 1:

David Janssen is back as Dr. Richard Kimble in "THE FUGITIVE: SEASON TWO, VOLUME ONE", the greatest dramatic series ever put on television (in my opinion anyway).

Like the two first-season sets, CBS/Paramount serves up 15 "Fugitive" programs in this 4-Disc DVD collection. The episodes appear to be complete and uncut, running about 51-and-a-half minutes each, just as they did when they were first aired on ABC-TV in late 1964.

Just as a sample, here are the exact run times for the four episodes that appear on Disc #1:

"Man In A Chariot" = 51:35
"World's End" = 51:35
"Man On A String" = 51:25
"When The Bough Breaks" = 51:38

The 51+-minute average run time includes the "preview" segments that appear prior to the opening credits for every show. These previews (or trailers) were a new feature implemented for the second season of the series.

However, I'd advise first-time viewers of these classic '60s shows to skip the previews and go directly to "Act I" of each episode, in order to avoid any "spoilers" (or even mini-spoilers) revealed within the preview clips.

Even after having seen each of these episodes numerous times, I still tend to want to skip past the preview/trailer snippets, to avoid having some of the scenes diluted or spoiled when watching the complete program.

Clicking "chapter advance" or "skip" on the remote control after the episode begins playing will bypass the preview section and the opening credits too. You can go straight to "Act I" with one click.

There are a total of 7 individual DVD chapters per show, logically placed at the end of each of the four "Acts" and at the end of the "Epilog" scene for every episode.

The video and audio quality for these fifteen black-and-white shows is very good indeed, with only one (partial) exception to this rule--and that's during a small portion of "Cry Uncle", where parts of Act II of that episode suffer from some apparent damage to the original film print, resulting in white lines and dots showing up on the screen.

The outdoor scenes (which are abundant in number throughout the four-year history of "The Fugitive") look particularly clear and pristine throughout these DVDs, with only a small amount of grain visible in the indoor scenes as well.

All things considered, I couldn't be more pleased with the way this series looks and sounds on these Paramount DVDs (as of March 2009, that is, thanks to the replacement discs). Like with the Season-One sets, this first volume of Season Two contains a notation on the back of the case which indicates that these episodes have been "TRANSFERRED FROM THE ORIGINAL NEGATIVE WITH RESTORED AUDIO".

Every single episode in the 120-show lifespan of "The Fugitive" (1963-1967) is definitely a worthwhile experience (IMO). Of course, different people are bound to have their personal favorites vs. some episodes that didn't quite make the top grade.

Among the fifteen shows that comprise this four-disc DVD set, my favorites are: "World's End", "Nemesis", "Man In A Chariot", "Escape Into Black", "Tug Of War", and "Tiger Left, Tiger Right".

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DVD SCREEN CAPTURES:

Below are some sample DVD images from "The Fugitive: Season 2, Volume 1", courtesy of "DVD Beaver". Click on each picture to see a larger version:

 

[Gary OS]

Another top notch review, David. Thank you so much!

Gary "I'm always amazed at your reviews because of the pics you are able to work into them" O.

 

[Carabimero]

First class work from a first class Fugitive expert.

 

[David Von Pein]

Thank you all -- very much.

 

[Steve...O]

Excellent job, DVP. First class all the way. Your work is always informative and entertaining. HTF is very fortunate to have contributors such as yourself.

Steve

 

[Doug Wallen]

Great review. Thanks for your hard work David. I really enjoy reading your reviews because they seem to be so much of a labor of love.

Doug

 

[Gary OS]

I'm a pretty fast reader, David. I just happened to refresh the TV page here exactly when your review popped up. I'm kinda in the habit of hitting refresh a good bit anyhow, but I did catch yours just as it came up. So I did read it in about 5 or so minutes and then posted a quick thank you. And let me say it again - "Thank You"! Great, great review. You are to be commended for all that hard work, my friend.

Gary "David, who really filmed the JFK motorcade in '63?" O.

 

[David Von Pein]

Thank you, Doug.

I'm deeply in love with the TV series "The Fugitive", that's for sure. But I doubt I know as much about the specific musical cues and other details connected with the series as do other HTF members here -- e.g., Gary, Carab, and Jack (and perhaps others too).

I consider myself to be merely a big fan of the show (and a lot of other things 1960s-ish). There's something about the early '60s that is just amazing, IMO, when it comes to outstanding quality TV (and movies too -- I doubt there was a better year at the cinema than 1962; the number of my favorite movies from that exact year alone is rather staggering).

As for TV, there's:

This tremendous series being discussed in this thread (and others) here at HTF -- "The Fugitive" (1963-1967).

And "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (1961-1966);

"Leave It To Beaver" (1957-1963) (with LITB's best seasons, IMO, being the ones from the early '60s);

"The Andy Griffith Show" (1960-1968);

"Route 66" (1960-1964);

and even my favorite game show:

"Password", which debuted in 1961 (with the best episodes coming during the '61-'67 CBS era of the series, IMO).

And there are many other '60s shows, too, that I like better than anything from the 21st century.

Are they still producing TV shows nowadays, BTW? I hardly ever turn on commercial television anymore, so maybe all channels are filled with static in 2009--I'd never know.

But who needs 21st-century TV when you've got David Janssen's masterpiece "The Fugitive" (and all of those other vintage shows I mentioned above) on Digital Versatile Disc at your fingertips 24/7?

 

[David Von Pein]

I'm almost certain it was Fred Johnson. (Although how he managed to make the film with just one arm is a good-sized mystery to me.)

 

[TravisR]

Cool review, David!

 

[Jack P]

Excellent job!

 

[Gary OS]

I don't know, he got around pretty good with just that one arm. Never seemed to be a hindrance to him.

Gary "maybe it was Kimble's brother-in-law" O.

 

[Carabimero]

DVP, have you seen the Password set recently released on DVD of old 60s episodes? I don't have it, but thought I'd mention it in case you didn't hear about it. It has episodes in the time frame you mentioned as being the best.

Amazon.com: Best of Password: Allen Ludden, Betty White, Sammy Davis Jr., Nancy Sinatra, Martin Landau, Carol Burnett, Lucille Ball and Gene Kell, Various: Movies & TV

Edit -- I just ordered it!

 

[David Von Pein]

Yes, you're quite right about that. But I believe that operating a movie camera (circa 1963) would have taken two hands/arms. I'm not sure you could operate it properly with just a single limb. (I could be wrong of course.)

 

[David Von Pein]

Yes, indeedy. I have that 32-episode set. It's got several really good '60s episodes on it....including this one from 1964.

 

[michael_ks]

Absolutely masterful, David for both commentary and episode synopses! As with your other two reviews for the S1 sets, your in depth analyses and praise of "The Fugitive" never fails to elevate my unbridled enthusiasm for the series. I'm greatly looking forward to the next five reviews...!

Not since I began seriously watching "Star Trek" in the mid-70s and "The Outer Limits" (another high watermark series from the early 60s) in the 80s have I been so entranced with a television series as I have with "The Fugitive". The show has a wonderful "microcosmic" quality that I instantly noticed when I watched the S1 episodes and has that rare distinction of reaching out to the viewer and enveloping him or her directly into the drama.

 

[jquirk]

Now that's a review! Great, great stuff, David.

 

[Jeff Willis]

VP, you've done it again

As a 1st-time Fugitive viewer, I probably get a different perspective from your reviews than the seasoned vets of the show here. After reading your reviews here, it further validates the quality of this show as far above most TV shows aired during the last 50 years in the U.S.

And to think I used to wonder if Gary was giving this show an inflated build-up when he was prepping me for my initial viewing of the Fugitive's S1 DVD's. I remember he said once "I hope I'm not setting you up for a disappointment with this show". Not even close

You guys should hear Mom saying after each episode..."That's the best one yet"

Since I'm about halfway through S2, I'll mention a couple of my favorite "One-Armed Man" moments so far:

"Search in a Windy City" That look from the back of that Greyhound Bus seat out the window at Kimble as he was pulling away to the next stop (Chicago Heights)
classic!

"Escape into Black" As he turns slowly to look at Betty Garrett (Margaret Ruskin) at the diner dishwashing job ...... masterful direction by Jerry Hopper.

It's impossible to pick my favorite episodes so far, but I'd still rate the 2-parter "Never Wave Goodbye" very high on my list along with "Smoke Screen". I have "Smoke.." high on my list due to the outstanding performances of Alejandro Rey and Beverly Garland. That no-dialog moment when "Paco" tries to thank Kimble for delivering "Maria"s & his baby just blew me away. Who can forget John Milford in a somewhat rare "good guy" role? It's hard to watch that guy in anything without recalling those "bad guy" roles in the Big Valley.

 

[Harry-N]

So THIS is where everyone got to!

Usually, if I leave my computer for an hour or so there are fifteen more FUGITIVE posts to read through - and this morning - nothing!

You people have certainly learned to be elusive - I wonder where from?

David, excellent review as always. Given last year's bump in the road, I thought we'd be deprived of more excellent FUGITIVE reviews, but now even THAT's back on track.

And there's only three more weeks to the next release!

I watched the excellent "World's End" last evening and "Man On A String" this morning. (Heh! I spent the evening with Suzanne Pleshette and this morning with Lois Nettleton!

) It was wonderful to simply enjoy the episode without worrying about the music score. If Heyes is represented heavily in "Man On A String", it didn't bother me at all - there;s enough Rugolo and CBS cues to sustain the episode's integrity.

Note to David: You might want to fix the reference to "Gerard" in your "Man In A Chariot" blurb. You typo'd it as "Gerald".

Harry

 

[David Von Pein]

It's fixed now. Thank you, Harry. I hate typos. Hate 'em...with a passion!

I'm very glad HTF allows edits, otherwise I'd be apt to pull out the two remaining lonely hairs on my head...because even though I hate typos and I think I'm being extra careful when typing, I still seem to run across one or two typos in every post. I hate that.

And I especially hate misspelling someone's name--even a fictional name, like "Gerard". I've always felt it was somehow rude, in a sense, to not spell a person's name correctly. And I've had my own mangled many times -- "Von Pain" is a favorite among those who enjoy spiting me on occasion.

(My name is pronounced Von PINE, btw.)

If anybody sees any more typos in any of my posts, I'd like to know about them. Because even though I re-read my stuff, I'll still miss one now and then -- like Gerald/Gerard in this thread.

BTW, if anyone's interested, I've added a little more commentary to my review above -- in the "Episodes" section, for "When The Bough Breaks".