# The Fugitive (1963)

> A falsely convicted doctor escapes a death-row train and roams the country hunting the one-armed man who killed his wife while a dogged lieutenant hunts him.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/9364

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 120
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, thriller, mystery
- Created by: Roy Huggins
- Network: ABC
- Cast: David Janssen, Barry Morse, William Conrad, Gabriel Dell, Norma Crane, Robert Ivers, George Savalas, James Broderick
- TMDB rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056757/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: earnest, suspenseful, melancholic, hopeful, steady

## What critics say

Audiences rate the series positively, valuing its tense chase structure and David Janssen's performance as a wrongly accused man on the run.

## Synopsis

The Fugitive (1963-1967) is an American network drama series created by Roy Huggins for ABC, a classic episodic thriller running four seasons and 120 hour-long episodes. David Janssen plays Dr. Richard Kimble, a surgeon convicted of murdering his wife, who escapes when his prison train derails and spends each week drifting across the country, taking odd jobs and helping strangers while hunting the one-armed man he saw at the crime scene. Barry Morse plays the relentless Lieutenant Philip Gerard, who dogs his every step and keeps the chase tense. The engine is simple and sturdy: Kimble wants to clear his name, the law wants him back, and each town brings a new stranger with a problem Kimble must solve before moving on. Most episodes are self-contained stories of ordinary people caught in trouble, stitched together by the long search. The tone is earnest and steady, with suspense, loneliness and a stubborn hope running through every hour. Set in 1960s America, it moves through motels, rail yards and small towns with a sense of open road. Fans of The Invisible Man, Wanted: Dead or Alive and The Following will find resonance in its wrongful-accusation pursuit and moral resolve.

## Shows like The Fugitive

- [The Incredible Hulk (1977)](https://ember.film/tv/612)
- [Logan's Run (1977)](https://ember.film/tv/33679)
- [If Tomorrow Comes (1986)](https://ember.film/tv/24618)
- [The Hunting Party (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/163276)
- [The Last Frontier (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/140539)
- [Diagnosis: Murder (1993)](https://ember.film/tv/2494)
- [Have Gun, Will Travel (1957)](https://ember.film/tv/10215)
- [The Rebel (1959)](https://ember.film/tv/12903)
- [Prey (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/54802)
- [The Six Million Dollar Man (1974)](https://ember.film/tv/1563)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt