On this day, 59 years ago, a classic TV show aired its series finale, and it remains one of the most-watched episodes of all time.
August 29 marked an important date in television history for a few different reasons. In 2005, Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) and Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) made their debut in the pilot of the hit American crime drama Prison Break. And in 2011, Rob Dyrdek’s comedy clip show Ridiculousness aired its first episode as well.
But on Aug. 29, 1967, the action drama TV series The Fugitive aired its series finale on ABC.
The overall premise of The Fugitive follows Dr. Richard Kimble, played by David Janssen, a physician who is falsely convicted of murdering his wife and sentenced to death before a train crash allows him to escape.
The series finale, titled “The Judgment: Part II,” follows Dr. Kimble as he confronts his wife’s real killer and finally clears his name after four years on the run. The first of the two-part series finale was aired on Aug. 22, 1967.
The Fugitive would end up earning five Emmy nominations during its four-season run from 1963-67, winning the Most Outstanding Dramatic Series in 1966. It also inspired two future remakes and the 1993 film of the same title starring Harrison Ford as Dr. Kimble and Tommy Lee Jones as U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard.
The Fugitive’s Final Episode is Among the Most-Watched Ever
Vera Miles as Monica Welles and David Janssen as Dr. Richard Kimble in “The Fugitive.”CBS Photo Archive / Getty Images
The final episode of The Fugitive remains relevant to this day, still ranking among the “most-watched TV episodes of all time.” The finale was watched by an estimated 78 million people.
The most-watched episode of all time belongs to the M*A*S*H series finale, viewed by almost 106 million people on Feb. 28, 1983.
This story was originally published by Men’s Journal on Aug 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.