TV: THE FUGITIVE, Season 3 (Vol 1) can't escape from DVD Oct 27 (+ Vol 2 on 12/8)

" The hunt is on in this first batch of episodes from the series' 3rd season.

Blu-ray and DVD news

By Mondo Kane
First published Oct 26, 2009

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

A doctor, wrongly convicted for a murder he didn't commit, escapes custody and must stay ahead of the police to find the real killer.

This classic 1960s television series features David Janssen as Dr. Richard Kimble, a man falsely convicted of murdering his wife. While he's being transported to death row, his train derails, setting him loose and granting him the opportunity to clear his name. As Kimble scours the country for his wife's murderer—the famed "one-armed man"—he must also keep one step ahead of the lawman, Lt. Gerard (Barry Morse), who is pursuing him.

A groundbreaking series with an engaging storyline and excellent direction, THE FUGITIVE was such a pop-culture phenomenon that its finale was the highest-rated television episode of its time. The hunt is on in this first batch of episodes from the series' third season.

THE FUGITIVE, Season 3, Volume 1
— now on DVD (4-Disc Set) »
(released October 27 - Vol 2 coming December 8)

Paramount Home Entertainment today releases Season 3, Volume 1 (4 discs) of the classic series The Fugitive, starring David Janseen, William Conrad, Barry Morse, and Bill Raisch. Suggested Retail Price is $39.98. The Volume 2 set for Season 3 is set for release on December (again, a 4-Disc set) - see listings further below.

The Fugitive is an American television series produced by QM Productions and United Artists Television that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1967. David Janssen starred as Richard Kimble, a doctor from the fictional town of Stafford, Indiana, who is falsely convicted of his wife's murder and given the death penalty. En route to death row, Kimble's train derails and crashes, 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, Dr. Kimble is hounded by the authorities, most notably by Stafford Police Lieutenant Philip Gerard (Barry Morse).

The series premise was set up in the opening narration (read by William Conrad), but the full details about the crime were not offered in the pilot episode, which started with Kimble having been on the run for six months.

It was not until episode 14, "The Girl from Little Egypt," that viewers were offered the full details of Richard Kimble's plight. A series of flashbacks reveals the fateful night of Helen Kimble's death, and for the first time offers a glimpse of "the one-armed man." The Fugitive aired for four seasons, and a total of 120 one-hour episodes were produced. The first three seasons were filmed in black and white, while the final season was in color.

The series was conceived by Roy Huggins and produced by Quinn Martin. It is popularly believed that the series was based in part on the real-life story of Sam Sheppard, an Ohio doctor accused of murdering his wife. Although convicted and imprisoned, Sheppard claimed that his wife had been murdered by a "bushy-haired man." Huggins denied basing the series on Sheppard.

The plot device of an innocent man on the run from the police for a murder he did not commit while simultaneously pursuing the real killer was a popular one with audiences. It had its antecedents in the Alfred Hitchcock movies The 39 Steps, Saboteur and North by Northwest (review). The theme of a doctor in hiding for committing a major crime had also been depicted by James Stewart as the mysterious Buttons the Clown in The Greatest Show on Earth.

In its debut season, The Fugitive was the 28th highest rated show in the US (with a 21.7 Rating), and it jumped to 5th in its second season (27.9). It fell out of the top 30 during the last two seasons. However, the show's finale in 1967 held the record at that time for the highest share of American homes with television sets to watch the finale of a series, at 72%, and learn the fate of Dr. Richard Kimble.

The show also came away with other honors. In 1965, Alan Armer, the producer and head writer of the series, received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for his work. And in a 1993 ranking, TV Guide named The Fugitive the best dramatic series of the 1960s.

Currently, Republic Pictures and CBS Paramount Television own the copyrights to the series (while CBS themselves now own distribution rights); CBS Home Entertainment (with distribution by Paramount) released "Season 1, Volume 1" on DVD in Region 1 in late 2007. Reviews of the first DVD set have been very positive as the show appears uncut and uncompressed, re-mastered from the original negatives and magnetic soundtrack, although a disclaimer by CBS mentions some episodes are "edited from their original broadcast versions" and some music changed for home video. (Incidental music was altered in at least two episodes, "Where the Action Is" and "The Garden House".) There are no subtitles or alternate languages, and the "liner notes" consist merely of TV-Guide-style episode synopses inside the four-disc holder. "Season 1, Volume 2" was released on February 26, 2008. "Season 2, Volume 1" was released on June 10, 2008. "Season 3, volume 1" was released on October 27, 2009 and "Season 3, volume 2" will be released on December 8, 2009.

Series Synopsis:
A doctor, wrongly convicted for a murder he didn't commit, escapes custody and must stay ahead of the police to find the real killer.

This classic 1960s television serie
Dr. Richard Kimble is accused to be the murder of his wife. The night before his execution, he escapes. The only chance to prove his innocence is to find the man who killed hi wife. Kimble, persecuted by the Lt. Gerard, risks his life several times when he shows his identity to help other people out of trouble.

This classic 1960s television series features David Janssen as Dr. Richard Kimble, a man falsely convicted of murdering his wife. While he's being transported to death row, his train derails, setting him loose and granting him the opportunity to clear his name. As Kimble scours the country for his wife's murderer—the famed "one-armed man"—he must also keep one step ahead of the lawman, Lt. Gerard (Barry Morse), who is pursuing him.

Please Note - More details:
Be sure to check out the full details under related releases.

For other releases:
DVD & Blu-ray release calendar »

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.