Did you know there was a remake of The Fugitive in 2000?

The story worked as a series and a movie, so why not try another series?

Hollywood can't leave the classics alone.

The Fugitive has been a bankable property for a long time. And, unlike many other stories told across multiple mediums, The Fugitive has been compelling on TV and the big screen. There was, of course, the David Janssen Fugitive, which saw Dr. Richard Kimble on the lam from 1963 to 1967. Its four seasons and 120 episodes include some of the most thrilling moments in television history. It was a wholly original idea that bucked a lot of trends. According to Roy Huggins, who pitched the concept, the story upset a lot of TV executives due to the tale's mistrust of the American justice system. Regardless, The Fugitive went on to be a classic.

Then, the story was told again in 1993. This time, Harrison Ford was the cinematic Dr. Richard Kimble, again accused of murdering his wife. The theatrically released Fugitive was a box-office smash and earned enough to be the third highest-grossing movie of the year. It was also incredibly well-received critically, garnering seven Academy Award nominations as well as rave reviews.

CBS attempted to milk the property even further in 2000, to considerably less success. In this reiteration, Wings star Tim Daly was tasked with outrunning the law as Dr. Kimble. The show was part of an exciting slate of CBS premiers which included CSI. Audiences were much more interested in the futuristic, forward-thinking forensics series than they were in another retread of the same old story. Television critics agreed.

"No wonder The Fugitive feels tired," wrote LA Times contributor Howard Rosenberg, "for it and its numerous progenies have been synonymous with prime time for nearly four decades. There are four, perhaps five basic formats that keep recurring in TV drama, one of which stems from The Fugitive, prototype for scores of 'chase' series about innocent characters either on the run or doing the pursuing themselves." 

The 2000 version of The Fugitive featured exciting action sequences that couldn't distract from the story's overwrought predictability. Like a flashy car with no engine, this Fugitive didn't have the fuel or mechanism to drive itself in new directions. 

"None of this is bad, just rather humdrum and familiar. Just as Daly appears unable to break free from Janssen's underplayed Kimble, so is The Fugitive very much a series of another time." 

Watch The Fugitive on MeTV!

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26 Comments

Cougar90 9 months ago
I predicted that the 2000 edition would run for 5 years. I will not be heading to the casino at any time.
NickG 11 months ago
I liked it a lot! The original was great; but, as a Chaplain whose wife had recently died suddenly, I appreciated the way the show dealt with grief
BradBeall 13 months ago
It seems that Hollywood - be it as a TV or movie maker - has little if anything new to offer anymore. Re-do's of something from the past, but likely done with some new, high profile, semi-teen who can double as a pop singer when needed. There must be big, red neon signs hung all over the Hollywood area that say "NO NEW IDEAS - VIOLATOR WILL BE PUNISHED".
Karellen 13 months ago
I watched the first episode of the remake. Only thing I remember is that John Walsh did a fake "America Most Wanted" sequment on Dr. Kimble's escape. Thought it was both weird, since AMW was on Fox, and this show was on CBS, and somewhat poor taste, because it kind of cheapened AMW.
Wiseguy70005 13 months ago
"The show was part of an exciting slate of CBS premiers which included CSI. "

The correct spelling, MeTV, is premieres.

Nikita Khrushchev was a premier.
CarolCoons 13 months ago
The original tv series was fantastic, the movie, aside from the actors, was pitiful. However this remake wasn’t bad, and given a chance, might have been a good show. It certainly had a stellar cast. That said, most remakes are awful, especially the ones today, jammed with people who can’t act their way out of a paper bag.
pellinigroup 13 months ago
I LIKED THE REMAKE. I WAS VERY UPSET WHEN THE LAST EPISODE WAS A CLIFFHANGER AND THE STORY WASN'T FINISHED.
BenSobeleone 13 months ago
I watched the remake series. It was ok but not better than and memorable as the original with David Janssen and Barry Morse. I didn't know Barry Morse was British until several years ago when I watched an interview with him on youtube. Tim Daly's dad James Daly was on two episodes of the original. One in black and white and one in color.
PierreKhoury 13 months ago
I never liked remakes!! Why do filmmakers have to mess with perfection! Leave the classics alone!
Create your own series or whatever you call it.
Avie 13 months ago
"['The Fugitive's] four seasons and 120 episodes include some of the most thrilling moments in television history. It was a wholly original idea that bucked a lot of trends."

"Wholly original, oh, yeah, IF you ignore that it's a blatant reworking of Victor Hugo's novel "Les Miserables," first published in 1862.
CarolCoons Avie 13 months ago
Well, it was based on the Sam Shepard case, but it was stated that Gerard’s character was influenced by Hugo’s novel. Nothing is original however, Shakespeare copped most of his stories.
Moverfan 13 months ago
I remember that The Fugitive was supposed to be the big giant hit of the 2000-2001 season. Instead, it played out its thirteen weeks and the show that really exploded was one that studio executives didn't think had a chance...a little thing called CSI: Crime Scene Investigations...
AgingDisgracefully 13 months ago
Maybe MeTV could show the 23 episodes of the 2000 version?
Or Me TVPlus. Perhaps after the hundredth cycling of Harry O?
GaryGoltz 13 months ago
I was enjoying the remake and disappointed it didn't catch on.
Pacificsun 13 months ago
The story is well-said. Remakes don't work unless the younger crowd has never seen it. And that's one approach. The problem is, a second run can't help but be self-conscious. As in trying to top itself, or adding superfluous action and so on. The original versions needed to concentrate on storytelling and character development. Yes, Fugitive TOS was predictable. But that worked in its favor. Because the plot became all about, how does he get out of this one?? To DJ's credit, he played that role very, very understated. In fact, my assumption became, that was DJ's personality. Except it actually was the role. If you watch, he underplays to everyone else, who create all the suspense for him. True, it might've been the producer's and director's purpose. But it worked.
MrsPhilHarris 13 months ago
I saw the remake. It was okay but I don’t usually like remakes.
birddog 13 months ago
The original, when will they learn to leave greatness alone!! :))
justjeff birddog 13 months ago
When they have thoroughly milked, drained, abused, cashed in on, ruined, farcified, mangled, manipulated, dethroned, embarassed, cheapened, watered down, regurgitated, overkilled, demoralized and otherwise !!*$$!!!-up anything and everything that Hollywood has ever produced before they got their greedy little paws on it! Now, do ya wanna know how I *really* feel about this??? LOL!
texasluva justjeff 13 months ago
Yes let's hear it. This time do it in some crazy kind of fonts. I am still watching The Fugitive series and first movie. That's it for me. They probably have some sort of sit down and go over "What Can We Do Over Now That's Been Done 100 Times Before?" They have messed up so many movies. One being Blonde (2022) about Marilyn Monroe. It was up for worst movie of the year. At least if you are going to do it, do it right. Finally in 2023 they are ending the Indiana Jones Sequels (with Harrison Ford). I guess they are running out of ideas so they copy from previous ones. They've even used Santa as Bad, Violent Night (Santa with superpowers and fights off the home invasion terrorists). Halloween Kills, Halloween Ends (finally) 🎃. Maybe Eastwood will come back in The Return of Dirty Harry 2024. I know, don't give them any ideas 😵.
Pacificsun justjeff 11 months ago


Aw, come on, tell us what you really think.


When they do that sort of thing, it continues to cheapen Hollywood, as if no one has a brain left.
Pacificsun texasluva 11 months ago
I wouldn't ding the actors as much as the incompetence of the Creators.

I follow another website, which is directed towards James Bond fans. Not that I am, specifically. But Eon's approach to development is insightful. Yes, it takes them years to get a JB story off the ground. They fret over every little gnat. And have millions of fans to appeal too. But, at least they think it out. Take some chances. Give fans a ride for their money. Right now they're being challenged by boxing themselves into a corner regarding the last plot (no spoiler alerts). So the interest will become, how do they dig themselves out of that pit. And give the fans something fresh.

I hope they can pull it off.
Runeshaper 13 months ago
I'm sure the original was GREAT and I enjoyed the film with Harrison Ford. Tim Daly is a good actor, but I can see this attempt flopping in 2000.
cperrynaples Runeshaper 13 months ago
One joke they missed: When Daly said "I didn't kill my wife", the next line SHOULD have been "Yeah, that's what OJ said!" I suppose since the cop was Bubba from Forrest Gump, they didn't want to risk it...LOL!
DocForbin 13 months ago
In 2020 the rather short-lived Quibi streaming service came out with another reboot of The Fugitive. This time the story was entirely different. The protagonist was named Mike Ferro and he was accused of setting off a bomb in the Los Angeles subway system by a newspaper reporter and an LAPD detective. The show only ran for 14 episodes and the episodes themselves only ran about 6-9 minutes, Apparently social media was heavily used in this reboot as well. Could you imagine Dr. Kimble, Lt. Gerard and the one-armed man slinging vicious tweets against each other on X (formerly Twitter)? I don't think so.
cperrynaples DocForbin 13 months ago
Yep and their "Gerald" was Kiefer Sutherland!
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