The Fugitive

The newest version of The Fugitive from CBS is as much fun as ever, a first-class, fast-paced, smoothly executed production packed with suspense, thrills and style. [6 Oct 2000, p.E-1]

I really, really, like the newest incarnation on the little screen. [6 Oct 2000, p.117]

This update is well-written, well-acted, well-shot and, well, just darned entertaining. [6 Oct 2000, p.55]

This new Fugitive has a very good Kimble in Tim Daly.

despite some clunky moments, Daly's The Fugitive sprints well past the vast majority of this fall's freshman series. [6 Oct 2000, p.5E]

This extremely promising series combines the human drama of the David Janssen TV show with the stuntwork of the 1992 Harrison Ford movie. And while neither lead has the Hollywood aura of Ford or Tommy Lee Jones, Williamson and Daly are well-matched as the cat and mouse. [6 Oct 2000, p.E1]

The stunts and set pieces are impressive (though the show can't keep having Kimble jump off things every time he's about to be caught), but The Fugitive will ultimately rise or fall on Daly and Williamson. [6 Oct 2000, p.10E]

In a subtle tip to the original series and its narrator, William Conrad, look for a cameo from "America's Most Wanted" John Walsh, who repeats Conrad's memorable opening to the series. Heavy hand of fate, indeed. [6 Oct 2000, p.S32]

Tim Daly of "Wings" is surprisingly strong in the role of Kimble, offering a nuanced portrayal of an honorable man trapped by extraordinary, anguish-fueled circumstance. [6 Oct 2000, p.1D]

The key, as with all action series, is turning repetitive, predictable outcomes into suspenseful beats, and at this, the series seems to have a genuine flair. [5 Oct 2000]

So far, so good. [6 Oct 2000, p.D7]

I have no major complaint with this Fugitive as an act of filmmaking imitation. I just wish they had tried to emulate the spirit of the original and re-imagine this "Fugitive" in a way that made it connect as vitally with America today as the original connected with America in 1963. [6 Oct 2000, p.1E]

In serialized form, The Fugitive is nothing more than "Touched by an Angel on the Lam." Kimble moves from town to town, staying a step ahead of Lt. Gerard, a step behind the one-armed man, and inevitably involved in the life of someone he meets on his peripatetic way. [5 Oct 2000, p.E2]

Perhaps The Fugitive will slow its frenetic pace in future episodes. The original show had its share of narrow escapes but didn't rely on heavy-duty action every week. They instead focused on Kimble's close encounters with strangers, some kind, others sinister. [6 Oct 2000, p.1C]

It's a very enjoyable hour and it's easy to get caught up in the action and the scenery and forget what we all know from the movie and the first series. But it's a tossup whether the manhunt will bring us back week after week. This time around, Kimble's chase could be much shorter. [6 Oct 2000, p.1E]

Moderate achievement. [6 Oct 2000, p.F1]

Tim Daly is miscast as Richard Kimble in this new CBS remake of the classic '60s series. It's worth seeing once, though, just to see the effort. [6 Oct 2000, p.150]

Still, familiarity undermines the updated Fugitive. If you've seen the David Janssen series or the Harrison Ford movie version, you know how the story starts and how it ends. [6 Oct 2000, p.E1]

It is formulaic but built to last. Think of this expensive remake as 'Touched by a Kimble.'... The workmanlike hour continues to mine old themes of alienation, injustice and the search for truth. [5 Oct 2000, p.E-03]

It was all cool years ago, but today it seems just a bit too contrived, even if it does mean lots of work for Hollywood stuntmen. TV has never had a successful remake of an old show, and there's no reason to believe The Fugitive, which debuts Friday at 8 p.m., will escape that bleak statistic. [6 Oct 2000]

TV fave Daly is more personally accessible than Janssen and Harrison Ford. And his show is beautifully produced. But we've seen it all before. CBS must figure this old-style genre-single- lead hero, chase drama, closed-end action-is primed for a comeback, though it's hard to imagine younger viewers sitting still for this Diagnosis Pursuit. [6 Oct 2000, p.B51]

While the pacing and acting of the new show is admirable, it's an overtold story and its familiarity lessens the intrigue. Baby, maybe he wasn't born to run, and run, and run. [6 Oct 2000, p.D1]