From: kevink@fugitive.soac.bellcore.com (Kevin Klinge)
Subject: Re: Anyone remembers The Fugitive ???
Organization: Bell Communications Research
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 92 17:55:43 GMT

In article <3484@joker.tegra.COM>, nad@tegra.COM (Nancy Durgin) writes:
|> In article <Bs1A75.Lor@news.cso.uiuc.edu> lcpg8275@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Encoreson) writes:
|> |>I watched the TV series "The Fugitive" when I was a small kid in
|> |>my home country.  Recently, I spotted reruns of the show on A&E
|> |>here in the States and made me recalled memories of my childhood.

I never saw the Fugitive when it was originally aired (somewhat before
my time), and didn't watch it until a couple years ago when it hit A&E.  
I've since seen them all and consider it one of my favorite (if not #1) 
TV shows of all time.

|> |>Since I'd never finished watching the entire series and cannot
|> |>afford the time to see the reruns, I am turning to the net to
|> |>see if some old-timers can answer a few questions that had long
|> |>been buried at the back of my mind.

Although you may not have time to see all the reruns, I'd highly recommend 
watching the 2 part finale.  Classic TV.

|> |>Was it a big hit in America?
|> 
|> I believe the final episode was the most watched program in history, and held
|> that record for quite some time.  Also, people used to come up to the actors
|> in the street and yell at them for harrassing poor Doctor Kimble.

I believe it was #1 until the M*A*S*H movie, "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen".

|> |>Who played Dr. Campbell?  Is he still around?
|> 
|> The character's name is Richard Kimble.  He was played by David Janssen. 
|> David Janssen was also in the TV series "Harry O" (Private detective
|> show in the mid 70's).  He died around 1980, at the age of about 50. 

He died of cancer.  Too many cigs if you ask me.  David Janssen was also in
a movie in the late 70's about an art robbery during the Super Bowl (I forget
the name), and you could really see how much he had aged since his role as 
Dr. Kimble in the mid-60's.

|> |>Now, the most important question(s):  Did Dr. Campbell ever find the
|> |>man whom he saw escaping from the crime scene (his home?) ??
|> |>Did he get acquitted of the murder charge?  
|> |>Why did the murderer kill Dr. Campbell's wife?
|> |>
|> 
|> SPOILERS!  SPOILERS!
|> 
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|> I suppose one doesn't need to worry about spoilers for an episode that
|> aired 25 years ago, right?  Well, I know of at least one person who hasn't
|> seen the final episode, plans to some day, and doesn't want it spoiled.

Agreed.  I know a couple people who still don't know what happened who 
consider themselves fans - I keep urging them to see the finale!

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|> Anyway, in the final episode he catches up with the one-armed man, and
|> has a final struggle with him on top of some tall structure in an
|> amusement park.  The one-armed man falls to his death, but Lt.  Gerard
|> witnesses it, and with some other evidence that came to light, is
|> convinced that Kimble didn't do it.  They don't actually show a re-trial
|> in the episode, but the idea is that his innocence is satisfactorily
|> proven. 

The "other evidence that came to light" was a nieghbor who actually witnessed
the one-armed man kill Dr. Kimble's wife.  The reason he kept silent about
it all those years is because he didn't want people to know he just sat there
like a coward and didn't help Dr. Kimble's wife when she was being attacked.
He finally came to terms with this and admitted that he witnessed Fred Johnson
(the one-armed man) kill Kimble's wife (after Johnson had died).  That
is how Kimble gets set free.

|> I think the one-armed man killed Kimble's wife because she caught him in the
|> act of robbing the house, or something.  No complicated motives.

Exactly.  She just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time...

|> |>Oh, one more: Ever noticed Dr. Campbell was always involved with
|> |>a variety of (troubled) women during his escape?
|> |>
|> 
|> Yeah, I guess he met his share...  Makes for interesting plots, right?

And keeps the ratings up too!

-- 

Kevin H. Klinge
Bell Communications Research
kevink@soac.bellcore.com