This was the first series to feature a "final episode" in which all the plot lines were resolved, and all questions answered.
Richard Kimble was originally fleeing his hometown in Wisconsin, until the producers discovered that Wisconsin did not execute murderers. The locale was quickly changed to Indiana.
According to Barry Morse after completing the first show he was walking up the road with David Janssen and he said, "Do you think we will get more than a couple of weeks work out of this?"
While originally conceived as a modern-day western, many plot points were also taken from Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. Like Jean Valjean, Richard Kimble is on the run from the law, and must frequently change locales to stay free. His pursuer, Gerard, is both inspired by, and named after, Inspector Javert.
Barry Morse (Lieutenant Philip Gerard) recalls that he was in a London restaurant when a waiter handed him a note. It read, "Kimble is in the kitchen."