As I wrote in a review of The Fugitive - Season One, Volume Two, I believe the series stands out as a television masterpiece; creator Roy Huggins, producer Quinn Martin, and all of the actors involved came together to create one of the finest dramas in television history. More than forty years after the series left the air, Dr. Richard Kimble's fear remains palpable and each of his attempts to avoid capture remains gripping.
Since the basic premise of The Fugitive remained the same each week — Dr. Kimble has moved to a new location with a new identity and job to avoid authorities — a cursory look at the storylines might have led some television executives to believe the show was destined to fail. However, while the series finished 28th in the Neilsen ratings after the first season, the show was ranked fifth by the end of the end of the second season — television's second highest rated drama, behind only Bonanza, which was the highest rated series in the United States.
It is hard to pinpoint exactly why The Fugitive was so popular with American viewers. Some say it's because of the series' striking similarities to the Dr. Sam Sheppard case that was in the news during those years — Sheppard was a doctor convicted of killing his wife, despite his claims of innocence — while others believe that the plot more closely resembles that of Les Miserables. There are certain parallels that can be drawn between Lt. Gerard's (Barry Morse) dogged pursuit of Kimble and the pursuit of Jean Valjean by Inspector Javert in Les Misérables. While Javert followed every law in his pursuit of Valjean, Javert kills himself when Valjean receives the justice he sought. Likewise, Lt. Gerard is so obsessed with catching Kimble that he risks the lives of his men on several occasions. Series creator Roy Huggins said at times that The Fugitive was not based on the Sam Sheppard case, at other times, he insisted it was. Producer Quinn Martin claimed the series was a "sort of modern rendition of the outline of Les Misérables." Whatever the inspiration, The Fugitive struck a chord with viewers and remains a fan favorite today. In 1993, the series was voted the best dramatic series of the 1960s by TV Guide.
As the only actor to appear in all 120 episodes of The Fugitive, David Janssen deserves much of the credit for the series' success. He received three Emmy nominations for his role as Dr. Richard Kimble, including one for the second season. Janssen is utterly believable as a likeable, innocent man on the run from the law. He gives Kimble an uneasiness that lays not far beneath an exterior of calm and pleasantness. While the tension obviously centered around Kimble's fear of being captured from week to week, and whether he would find the one-armed man he believed killed his wife, some forty years later it is amazing to watch the number of famous, soon to be famous and occasionally downright legendary actors that made guest appearances on the show.
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