History Series / TheFugitive

* HollywoodLaw: Kimble's motive for killing Helen is supposed to be... that they disagreed over adopting a child?!? Apart from that, the only evidence is his lack of an alibi. It's discussed several times during the show, most notably in "Man in a Chariot" and "Dossier on a Diplomat" that Kimble, whether or not he's guilty, should never have been sentenced on the evidence presented by the prosecution.

A groundbreaking American drama series created by Roy Huggins and produced by Creator/QuinnMartin, which aired for four seasons (1963–67) on Creator/{{ABC}}.

* ChickMagnet: Kimble racks up a truly impressive number of [[GirlOfTheWeek Girls of the Week]] during his time on the run.[[note]]David Janssen was known to complain about the lack of attractiveness of some of the female guest stars.[[/note]]

* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: For the first two seasons, the rarely seen One-Armed Man has no other name. As he becomes seen a little more often, he uses the name "Fred Johnson" along with several other aliases. Kimble and Gerard, having no other consistent name to go by, often refer to him as "Fred Johnson", but most everyone just remembers him as, well, the One-Armed Man. In the final episode, [[spoiler: he vehemently denies that "Fred Johnson" is his real name, and there is some evidence (albeit inconclusive) that his name could be "Gus Evans".]]

* FeetFirstIntroduction: Kimble, getting off the bus in "Fear in a Desert City".

The premise: Dr. Richard Kimble (Creator/DavidJanssen), a pediatrician from Stafford, Indiana, has been [[FrameUp wrongly convicted]] for the murder of his wife, Helen. However, while he's being transported to Death Row by train there is an accident that enables him to escape.

''The Fugitive'' was [[TheFilmOfTheSeries adapted]] into a 1993 [[Film/TheFugitive feature film]], starring Creator/HarrisonFord as Kimble and Creator/TommyLeeJones as Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard. There was also a short-lived {{remake}} series in 2000, which starred Creator/TimDaly as Kimble and Creator/MykeltiWilliamson as Gerard. Meanwhile, the show's premise has provided the template for an entire subgenre of action and drama shows.

[[Series/TheFugitive2020 Another remake]] of the series, starring Creator/BoydHolbrook as the protagonist (now named Mike Ferro) and Creator/KieferSutherland as his pursuer (now called Detective Clay Price), premiered on August 3, 2020, on Creator/JeffreyKatzenberg's short-lived streaming platform Quibi. It ran for one season.

[[Series/TheFugitive2020 Another remake]] of the series premiered on August 3, 2020 on Quibi, starring Creator/KieferSutherland and Creator/BoydHolbrook. It ended after a single season as a result of the shutdown of Quibi.

The rights to the original series were originally owned by QM Productions. They were subsequently acquired by Taft Broadcasting through Worldvision Enterprises (which actually had syndication rights before either it and QM were both acquired by Taft), [[Creator/AaronSpelling Spelling Television]] (which once had a movie production arm, Spelling Films), Creator/{{Paramount}} Television (which produced ''Series/{{Wings}}'', also starring Tim Daly, and the television arm of Paramount Pictures), and currently Creator/{{CBS}} Studios. None of these companies (either TV or theatrical) were involved in the subsequent remakes of ''The Fugitive'', all of which were produced by Creator/WarnerBros Entertainment, a result of Keith Barish taking the rights to the IP (but not the series itself) with him upon leaving Taft, and eventually teaming up with former QM Productions employee and latter-day producer Arnold Kopelson to produce the 1993 film with WB, which has retained the remake rights ever since. [[Series/TheFugitive2020 Another remake]] of the series premiered on August 3, 2020 on Quibi starring Creator/KieferSutherland and Boyd Holbrook. The series was not renewed for another season as a result of the shutdown of Quibi.

* AccidentalKidnapping: Kimble to Philip Gerard, Jr. in "Nemesis".

The rights to the original series were originally owned by QM Productions. They were subsequently acquired by Taft Broadcasting through Worldvision Enterprises (which actually had syndication rights before either it and QM were both acquired by Taft), [[Creator/AaronSpelling Spelling Television]] (which once had a movie production arm, Spelling Films), Creator/{{Paramount}} Television (which produced ''Series/{{Wings}}'', also starring Tim Daly, and the television arm of Paramount Pictures), and currently Creator/{{CBS}} Studios. None of these companies (either TV or theatrical) were involved in the subsequent remakes of ''The Fugitive'', all of which were produced by Creator/WarnerBros Entertainment, a result of Keith Barish taking the rights to the IP (but not the series itself) with him upon leaving Taft, and eventually teaming up with former QM Productions employee and latter-day producer Arnold Kopelson to produce the 1993 film with WB, who has retained the remake rights ever since. [[Series/TheFugitive2020 Another remake]] of the series premiered on August 3, 2020 on Quibi starring Creator/KieferSutherland and Boyd Holbrook. The series was not renewed for another season as a result of the shutdown of Quibi.

The rights to the original series were originally owned by QM Productions. They were subsequently acquired by Taft Broadcasting through Worldvision Enterprises (which actually had syndication rights before either it and QM were both acquired by Taft), [[Creator/AaronSpelling Spelling Television]] (which once had a movie production arm, Spelling Films), Creator/{{Paramount}} Television (which produced ''Series/{{Wings}}'', also starring Tim Daly, and the television arm of Paramount Pictures), and currently Creator/{{CBS}} Studios. None of these companies (either TV or theatrical) were involved in subsequent remakes of ''The Fugitive'', all of which were produced by Creator/WarnerBros Entertainment, a result of Keith Barish taking the rights to the IP (but not the series itself) with him upon leaving Taft, and eventually teaming up with former QM Productions employee and latter-day producer Arnold Kopelson to produce the 1993 film with WB, who has retained the remake rights ever since. [[Series/TheFugitive2020 Another remake]] of the series premiered on August 3, 2020 on Quibi starring Creator/KieferSutherland and Boyd Holbrook. The series was not renewed for another season as a result of the shutdown of Quibi.

Now Kimble must continually travel throughout the country, looking to find the true murderer – a one-armed man (Bill Raisch) whom he saw running from his house that night before finding his wife's body – and [[ClearMyName clear his name]].

** After appearing on a recurring basis in the first two seasons, Captain Carpenter (Paul Birch), Gerard's superior at the Stafford PD, was written out of the series without explanation. (Since Carpenter was really never more than a sounding board for Gerard to talk to about the Kimble case – he was never seen in any other situation, and had no character development at all – he was very easy to lift out of the series. After the second season, instead of discussing the case with Carpenter before leaving to pursue Kimble, Gerard would just simply ''go''.)

** [[GoodIsOldFashioned Good Cannot Comprehend Evil]]: Sometimes Kimble gets caught off-guard by seemingly-helpful people who happen to be pulling a BatmanGambit and now need a patsy – say, a WronglyAccused doctor – for their plans to work.

* IdiotBall: Ties in with GoodCannotComprehendEvil - sometimes Kimble's lack of mistrust in people is amazingly stupid, considering his situation.

* SayMyName: ''"KIMBLE!"'' -- It's practically a CatchPhrase for Gerard.

** [[GoodIsOldFashioned Good Cannot Comprehend Evil]]: Sometimes Kimble gets caught off-guard by seemingly-helpful people who happen to be pulling a BatmanGambit and now need a patsy -- say, a WronglyAccused doctor -- for their plans to work.

** After appearing on a recurring basis in the first two seasons, Captain Carpenter (Paul Birch), Gerard's superior at the Stafford PD, was written out of the series without explanation. (As Carpenter was really never more than a sounding board for Gerard to talk to about the Kimble case – he was never seen in any other situation, and had no character development at all – he was very easy to lift out of the series. After the second season, instead of discussing the case with Carpenter before leaving to pursue Kimble, Gerard would just simply ''go''.)

** After appearing on a recurring basis in the first two seasons, Captain Carpenter (Paul Birch), Gerard's superior at the Stafford PD, was written out of the series without explanation. (As Carpenter was really never more than a sounding board for Gerard to talk to about the Kimble case -- he was never seen in any other situation, and had no character development at all -- he was very easy to lift out of the series. After the second season, instead of discussing the case with Carpenter before leaving to pursue Kimble, Gerard would just simply ''go''.)

Now Kimble must continually travel throughout the country, looking to find the true murderer -- a one-armed man (Bill Raisch) who he saw running from his house that night before finding his wife's body -- and [[ClearMyName clear his name]].

* CuffsOffRubWrists

* TheKillerBecomesTheKilled: [[spoiler: Fred Johnson, murderer of Helen Kimble, is in the showdown killed by Gerard, just as he was about to shoot Kimble.]]

* DiplomaticImmunity: Kimble is able to take advantage of this in "Dossier on a Diplomat", after coming to the aid of an African ambassador who has a fainting spell in the street.

* TheLostLenore: Helen Kimble and a literal example with Gerard's first wife, who was named. . .[[MeaningfulName Lenore]].

Now Kimble must continually travel throughout the country, looking to find the true murderer -- a one-armed man (Bill Raisch) who he saw running from his house that night before finding his wife's body --and [[ClearMyName clear his name]].

A groundbreaking American drama series created by Roy Huggins and produced by Creator/QuinnMartin, which aired on Creator/{{ABC}} from 1963–67.

Meanwhile, Kimble is pursued by Lt. Philip Gerard (Creator/BarryMorse), the Stafford police detective who was escorting him at the time of his escape. Gerard is determined to recapture Kimble, thus precluding the fugitive from simply settling down in some remote area with an assumed identity. In the meantime, Kimble takes small jobs and inevitably gets involved in the personal lives and problems of the strangers he encounters.

* {{Narrator}}: Voiced by Creator/WilliamConrad, who's [[VoiceOfDramatic ideal for this]].