The Fugitive (1963 TV series)
The Fugitive is an American crime drama television series created by Roy Huggins and produced by QM Productions and United Artists Television. It aired on ABC from September 17, 1963 to August 29, 1967. David Janssen starred as Dr. Richard Kimble, a physician who is wrongfully convicted of his wife's murder and sentenced to death. En route to death row, Dr. Kimble's train derails over a switch, allowing him to escape and begin a cross-country search for the real killer, a "one-armed man" (played by Bill Raisch). At the same time, Richard Kimble is hounded by the authorities, most notably by Police Lieutenant Philip Gerard (Barry Morse).
| The Fugitive | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Crime Drama |
| Created by | Roy Huggins |
| Starring | David Janssen Barry Morse |
| Narrated by | William Conrad Dick Wesson (episode credits) |
| Theme music composer | Peter Rugolo |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 120 (90 in black-and-white, 30 in color) (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Quinn Martin |
| Producers | Alan Armer (1963–1966) Wilton Schiller (1966–1967) |
| Running time | 51 minutes |
| Production companies | Quinn Martin Productions United Artists Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | September 17, 1963 – August 29, 1967 |
The Fugitive aired for four seasons, with 120 51-minute episodes produced. The first three seasons were filmed in black-and-white, while the fourth and final season was filmed in color.
The series was nominated for five Emmy Awards and won the Emmy for Outstanding Dramatic Series in 1966. In 2002, it was ranked number 36 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. TV Guide named the one-armed man number five in their 2013 list of the 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time.
The popularity of the series led to the various adaptations, and the realization of a titular franchise.