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Rating: - David Janssen made The Fugitive the great series that it is
The Fugitive had, for the most part, great scripts and directors who contributed mightily to the show's quality (the show slipped somewhat in it's last season due to the departure of producer Alan Armer). However, what really made this show special was the presence of David Janssen as Dr. Richard Kimble. At the same time actors like Adam West and William Shatner were over-emoting and hamming their way into infamy, Janssen conveyed his emotions and feelings with subtle facial expressions and through his eyes. This technique played perfectly into the nature of the character -- a person who had to be guarded and cautious 24 hours a day so as not to give away his true indentity. Janssen was the only acting constant on The Fugitive (Barry Morse appeared in less than half of the episodes and Bill Raisch -- the one armed man -- barely appeared at all before he presence was increased for the fourth and final season) and was in almost every scene of every episode. It's no wonder Janssen was relieved when the series ended in 1967.

David Janssen never really reached the heights he achieved during the run of The Fugitive. He was never out of demand, to be sure. He starred in other TV series (O'Hara, US Treasury, Harry O) and made many theatrical and TV movies (the underrated Warning Shot, The Green Berets, Marooned, Two Minute Warning, etc.). However, The Fugitive was (and will always be) the crowning achievement of his career. It's sad that Janssen died so young -- he was such a good actor that it's likely that he could have been cast in a role that would have given him the recognition he deserved. Along with Roy Huggins and Alan Armer, David Janssen made The Fugitive one of the finest dramatic series in televison history.

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