At some point in life, we all run from something. Thankfully for most of us it’s a work deadline or a crazy ex-boyfriend/girlfriend who keeps including your name in their Facebook status update. As annoying as both of these might be, it’s not like you’re criss-crossing America trying to run from the law and catch the man who killed your wife like Richard Kimble does in the classic television drama The Fugitive.

In the second collection of the groundbreaking show’s first season, Kimble (David Janssen) continues his flight from justice like a high-brow hobo, stopping in and helping others around the country who have their own issues and problems. From plotting murder to patching up dysfunctional families, Kimble can seemingly do it all. But this is all really just a backdrop for the real story in The Fugitive – Kimble’s daunting journey to free his name and bring his wife’s murderer, the mysterious yet iconic One-Armed Man, to justice.

The Fugitive is a cat-and-mouse thriller on two levels. On the one hand you have the hero – that’d be Kimble – tracking the villain – One-Armed Man. You’ve also got Kimble on the run from the plotting Lt. Philip Gerard (Barry Morse). It opens up many possibilities just begging to breathe a little bit of new life into the old “always looking over your shoulder” cliché.

The show’s tone is what makes it so delicious. Janssen is so serious in the lead role, taking no crap from anyone. Yet even with his straight and stoic face that rarely changes expression, there’s some vulnerability in his eyes. He’s a layered character that shows his true Boy Scout colours time after time. Although it could have easily been warm and fuzzy all the time, most of the storylines are closer to the edgy side given the period in which they were made.

Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones may have updated The Fugitive for modern times as a thrilling film with a bigger train wreck, but there’s nothing like the original. Sure, there might not be the same ear-piercing effects or men jumping off of dams, but there’s something to be said for multi-layered characters and drama. That's what makes this incarnation of the show so successful and this brief collection is a great showcase for it.

DVD Features

The second half of The Fugitive's inaugural season is a pretty basic release, but one that hits in the right places. It collects the final 15 episodes of the year and presents them in their original broadcast order.

The picture has been transferred from the original narrative and the mono English sound has been restored, making the episodes look and sound as though they were brand new (circa 1964 standards). The back of the packaging does warn of possible edits and musical changes, although seeing as how I wasn't around for the original airings, I couldn't tell you what these are and how extensive they are.

There are no bonus features to mention on this collection.

Buy the DVD.

©Movie Views; March 5, 2008