8/19/1967 The Fugitive's final TV Guide cover

August 19, 1967.  This week's TV Guide celebrated the end of the line for one of the most popular escaped criminals in television history.  If I am counting correctly, this is the fifth time David Janssen made the cover of the media's main magazine in four years of The Fugitive.

This was probably the first series in TV history to be given the dignity of an actual ending, as opposed to merely vanishing forever between summer and fall. After 120 episodes of chasing and being chased Richard Kimball finally catches the guy who killed his wife.  And TV Guide was there to celebrate.  

8/29/1967 The Fugitive finds justice

August 29, 1967.  In the 1960s it was almost unheard of for a TV series to have an actual ending.  When it got cancelled the characters just faded off the screen.  Each episode was generally self-contained anyway, so there weren't any outstanding issues to resolve.

The Fugitive was an exception.  After 120 episodes of running from the death penalty for a crime he didn't commit, the public wanted to see Dr. Richard Kimble exonerated.  And in a special two-part episode, ending tonight, he was.

Roy Huggins created the series.  David Janssen starred.  Quinn Martin produced.  Plenty of credit (and Emmys) to go around.