Source:IMDB– Vera Miles & David Janssen. I don’t think you need Superman’s vision to tell who is who.

Source:The New Democrat 

“Being a physician with keen clinical acumen, Kimble is quick to pick up on the husband’s dangerous paranoia, but is confronted with an internal moral conflict to flee in the interest of self-preservation versus to stay out of Hippocratic devotion to the desensitized pianist and her son.”

From IMDB

“Pilot,S01 Ep01,The Fugitive,Fear In A Desert City,1960s Full Episode. 1960s American Television Series.”

Source:Johns Films– Brian Keith as Edward Welles.

From Johns Films

The Fugitive is not a TV series that I can watch all the time or am interested in every episode. I think it got off to a great start with the pilot film and with this pilot episode and it closed with what I would say perfectly with the movie at the end, where the one-armed man is finally caught in Stafford, Indiana. And in-between the pilot film and the series finale, there are episodes that really do stand out, with excellent plots, writing, and guest stars. This episode is a perfect examples of that.

Most of the cast members in this episode either had major movie or TV careers or both. We’re talking about excellent character actors, as well as lead actors and actresses, who all had major TV and film careers. I think that’s one way you can tell if a show is not just an excellent show, but a memorable show, something that’s shown over and over and has a long run either in syndication or in cable. Shows like that, are shows that people want to work on because they know they’re working with great people both actors and writers, as well as directors. The Fugitive was one of those shows.

Just look at the cast of Fear in a Desert City:

David Janssen – Richard Kimble

Vera Miles – Monica Welles

Brian Keith – Edward Welles

Barry Morse – Phillip Gerrard

Harry Townes – Sergeant Burden

Barney Phillips – Cleve Brown

William Conrad – the narrator

The Fugitive was not some TV series that starts out in syndication and then struggles just to get through one season, with most of the cast just looking for any break that leads them to something big and better. This was a show that good, successful, intelligent, people in Hollywood, wanted to part of and work on.

Vera Miles as usual, plays the beautiful pussycat, who seems too cute to scare a fly. But as usual, she plays a woman whose a lot tougher than her adorable disposition. And unlike from the Columbo episode, she really is too cute to kill a fly.

Richard Kimble (played by David Janssen) of course is The Fugitive whose simply trying to survive on the run and avoid capture, who simply wants a job to support himself in the latest town that he’s hiding in. But as most things in life, it’s never as easy as someone might want it to be. He meets Monica Welles (played by Vera Miles) a co-worker of his at this casino bar, who has her own problems and he falls in love with her and helps her out.

The pilot film where the murder and trial goes down, where everyone actually gets to meet Dr. Kimble’s wife, is a great way to start off a TV series. But this episode just keeps that ball moving and you see why this series was as good as it is and why the reruns are still on cable today.