The Fugitive - Season Two, Vol. 1 (1963)

Oh No!

Just when I thought I was in sight of trashing all my VHS tapes (I have 109 of the episodes) I hear of this horror!

I KNEW there was something weird about about the latest DVD set but I hadn't compared with my tapes. I've just finished watching the first DVD and, bless her, my wife said something about the music but I hadn't twigged.

I can't believe it!

Don't you still have capital punishment in the USA? Line those executives up against a wall! July 21, 2008

Alterations Unnecessary

If CBS/Paramount had bothered to check, they would have discovered:

1) Rugolo's underscore is a work-for-hire and royalty-free to use;

2) The five or six "questionable" cues from their own CBS/Capitol library were in fact not so questionable, since the very cues appear not only in the season one sets still on shelves, but in sets they are still releasing (e.g. Perry Mason, S3V1, etc.);

3) Editing out the song from BALLAD FOR A GHOST was unnecessary as the song was not only written for the episode, but included in the script, which makes performance rights a non-issue.

I'll stop at three points because I've made my point. Even if I concede the five or six stock cues had to go (and I don't), it would have taken a lot less time to fill the holes with Rugolo's underscore than to totally rescore. No question this would have been a better solution, but since cutting and altering has become a reflex for CBS/Paramount, a rule instead of an exception, they probably didn't even consider it.

Since 2002, believe it or not, I have spent more than $5500 on Paramount and CBS/Paramount DVDs (most of that was 29 seasons of Star Trek). The days of feeding them my greenbacks are over. I have written several letters and received no response. The disingenuous spokesperson's comment, and the suspicious positive reviews here, suggest CBS/Paramount has no plans to correct or re-issue this set.

If that is the case, they just lost one of their best customers. And doomed the greatest American TV show of all-time to DVD obscurity.
July 20, 2008

Musical Score - Second Season, The Fugitive

I was very disappointed with the musical score change for The Fugitive's second season. I don't know what rocket scientist thought of this but undoubtedly future sales will be affected. Carol July 17, 2008

Worse desecration than colorization

I really did not like the concept of colorization, but at least when Ted Turner issued a colorized version he also issued a straight B&W one, often bringing some titles out for the first time and making them available. The buyer had a choice, but not so with this edition of "The Fugitive" TV series. No choice is possible as only this altered version of the 15 episodes with new music is on offer. I purchased it before I realized this was the case. I actually need a magnifying glass to read the disclaimer on the back as it is in as small a font as possible without disappearing from view, "Some music has been changed for the home entertainment version." From what I gather from CBS Video's own admission is that "ALL" the background music has been replaced, so this is not only almost hidden, it is not honest and would not fit into very many people's definition of "truth in advertising." But even more dishonest is the fact that in a much larger font and all caps and in a much more prominant place on the back cover is the statement, "TRANSFERRED FROM THE ORIGINAL NEGATIVE WITH RESTORED AUDIO"... As I have read from another review, this is not a "restoration" as the audio portion should really be termed "desecrated" as the music is not restored at all. To restore something in my opinion is to bring it back as close to the original as possible, not re-do it almost entirely.

The only way I know to really get the attention of the marketing folk at CBS is to vote with our pocketbooks. I will not buy any future releases that have altered music such as this volume. The majority of people posting reviews here are very disturbed by this release and I would guess sales have been affected compared to the prior two volumes where the background music was in place. I have to wonder what legal difference there was between the first and second seasons to make this change necessary. I would guess that it would not be hard to resolve any issues. The point is that after lulling purchasers into expecting the original music found in the prior released volumes, which both carried the same disclaimer phrase but in larger type, there is no real warning before purchase except in forums such as this. I can read the phrase on both earlier volumes without the magnifying glass, especially the first volume where all caps have been used. I find it ironic that it can be read on the versions with the background music intact, and is barely legible on the one where all the background music has been replaced. Was this the intent, to dupe unsuspecting buyers? Whatever the case I feel defrauded.

Perhaps there is a chance that the popular opinion of fans of the series, my all-time favorite, will hold sway and we can get essentially orginal versions in the future. Reduced sales would help send the message. July 16, 2008

Critics are right about the revised music.

I have the old VHS anthology series of The Fugitive (that have the Barry Morse intros) and compared its music with that on this DVD set. Sadly the familiar Fugitive cues and transitions into the various acts are all gone. The replacement music is not bad, but clearly inferior to the original. That's too bad since the video is excellent. I'm not as down as others are about the missing original score since the acting and stories are still superb, and watching them on DVD is so much better than on video tape. July 16, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...