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Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,221
Registered: ‎11-08-2014

FLASH ALERT "THE FUGITIVE" WEE HOURS 2:00 A.M. EASTERN MeTV

[ Edited ]

2:00 a.m. Eastern (early Monday)  "The Fugitive"  Ground-breaking mid-Sixties T.V. series with David Janssen, Barry Morse

 

Sorry for short notice, but just saw that this is a particularly good episode, for either newbies who want to sample this soulful series, or for seasoned "Fugitivistas".  MeTV (channel 67 on DirecTV system) runs "The Fugitive"  only once weekly, in this painfully early Monday a.m. Eastern time slot...

 

"The Chinese Sunset"--    Fugitive Dr. Richard Kimble has found employment in a rather fancy, colorful L.A. hotel on Sunset Boulevard, with its own little culture and long-time residents.  A somewhat shady operator (Paul Richards) checks in with his girlfriend, (Laura Devon) a free spirit on a quest to "improve herself".  In Janssen's multidimensional Kimble, she perceives a sensitive soul and intellect who can help her, and she attempts to turn him into her own private "Henry Higgins" to her "Eliza Doolittle".   The boyfriend is not amused....

 

Juicy little character roles abound in this one, including for a very young Wayne Rogers (pre- "M.A.S.H."), and old pros like Ned Glass.  It's a nice showcase for Janssen's skill at conveying the uneasiness and ambiguity of his exile from 'normal life' and flight from the legal authorities hunting him down...

Esteemed Contributor
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Registered: ‎08-18-2016

Re: FLASH ALERT "THE FUGITIVE" WEE HOURS 2:00 A.M. EASTERN MeTV

My Decades station runs an episode of The Fugitive every Mon -Fri night, at 11:30pm.

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,221
Registered: ‎11-08-2014

Re: FLASH ALERT "THE FUGITIVE" WEE HOURS 2:00 A.M. EASTERN MeTV

"Decades" is a channel I'd love to get, @x Hedge.  Weren't they also showing the police drama "Hunter" with Fred Dryer, at one point?  (Or was that on another retro channel I unfortunately don't get?!)

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Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,048
Registered: ‎06-14-2010

Re: FLASH ALERT "THE FUGITIVE" WEE HOURS 2:00 A.M. EASTERN MeTV

I loved the TV series when it first showed and now I am able to get some episodes to DVR from MeTV. It is on at two A.M.  and right after an episode of the Untouchables is on.  Love MeTV, very nostalgic and in my opinion many shows are better than what is currently on TV.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,602
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: FLASH ALERT "THE FUGITIVE" WEE HOURS 2:00 A.M. EASTERN MeTV

Love that show!  I wish they would do a block of these great old shows earlier in the day. Thanks @Oznell  for the heads up. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,221
Registered: ‎11-08-2014

Re: FLASH ALERT "THE FUGITIVE" WEE HOURS 2:00 A.M. EASTERN MeTV

[ Edited ]

Agreed, @spiderw and @godi!  I find I watch almost no 'contemporary' episodic TV now--  the retro channels are my place of choice for that.  And "The Fugitive" TV series has been named by a number of critics as the greatest American TV series, period.  If I didn't have it on DVD, I'd be DVR'ing it like crazy!

 

If anyone wants a flavor, but missed the episode and didn't record it, here it is streaming free online:

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKWICJrwcEY

Honored Contributor
Posts: 38,157
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: FLASH ALERT "THE FUGITIVE" WEE HOURS 2:00 A.M. EASTERN MeTV


@Oznell wrote:

2:00 a.m. Eastern (early Monday)  "The Fugitive"  Ground-breaking mid-Sixties T.V. series with David Janssen, Barry Morse

 

Sorry for short notice, but just saw that this is a particularly good episode, for either newbies who want to sample this soulful series, or for seasoned "Fugitivistas".  MeTV (channel 67 on DirecTV system) runs "The Fugitive"  only once weekly, in this painfully early Monday a.m. Eastern time slot...

 

"The Chinese Sunset"--    Fugitive Dr. Richard Kimble has found employment in a rather fancy, colorful L.A. hotel on Sunset Boulevard, with its own little culture and long-time residents.  A somewhat shady operator (Paul Richards) checks in with his girlfriend, (Laura Devon) a free spirit on a quest to "improve herself".  In Janssen's multidimensional Kimble, she perceives a sensitive soul and intellect who can help her, and she attempts to turn him into her own private "Henry Higgins" to her "Eliza Doolittle".   The boyfriend is not amused....

 

Juicy little character roles abound in this one, including for a very young Wayne Rogers (pre- "M.A.S.H."), and old pros like Ned Glass.  It's a nice showcase for Janssen's skill at conveying the uneasiness and ambiguity of his exile from 'normal life' and flight from the legal authorities hunting him down...


 

 

@Oznell   Last year, I bought the entire boxed series, and I have enjoyed the episodes immensely.  I have not finished as I watch every so often.

 

It's been fun seeing so many of the stars of long ago when they were young and starting out, the acting quality of which is not seen often now.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,221
Registered: ‎11-08-2014

Re: FLASH ALERT "THE FUGITIVE" WEE HOURS 2:00 A.M. EASTERN MeTV

You are so right, @mousiegirl --  so many of the greats were still around in the Sixties and it's one of the great pleasures of the series to see them pop up here and there, along with younger "hot" performeres.

 

Andrew Prine, Vera Miles, Ralph Bellamy, Richard Anderson, Janis Paige, Tuesday Weld, Diana Hyland, Ruby Dee, Suzanne Pleshette, Shirley Knight, Diane Baker, Tim O'Connor, Jack Klugman, James Dunn, Mickey Rooney, Ed Nelson, Gloria Grahame...

 

And on and on...

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Posts: 2,206
Registered: ‎09-18-2010

Re: FLASH ALERT "THE FUGITIVE" WEE HOURS 2:00 A.M. EASTERN MeTV

@Oznell   I remember when this series ended and they interviewed David Janssen.  He stated he thought it should have ended with Dr. Kimble unscrewing his arm and walking off into the sunset!  Loved it!!

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,221
Registered: ‎11-08-2014

Re: FLASH ALERT "THE FUGITIVE" WEE HOURS 2:00 A.M. EASTERN MeTV

Ha, ha, wow, @Somertime!.  What a great story.  Typical of David Janssen's impish sense of humor apparently.  I saw an interview with Suzanne Pleshette (who adored him and was involved with him, on and off) in which she said she wished the series had been able to explore his humor.  She said he was extremely funny.

 

I think you can see little glimpses of that throughout the long series....