The Fugitive Guy Collection on Letterman, 1985-87

There were eight episodes of Chris Elliott's "The Fugitive Guy" on Late Night. Included here are the episodes plus all visits and references by Chris to his show.
With lead players Matt Wickline as the one-legged guy, Sandy Frank as security and assistant, and Paula Niedert as Chris's wife.
1. July 10, 1985 (taped June 5): The character is introduced.
2. June 18, 1985: Chris visits, 1; Jury Duty and plug for the pilot episode.
3. June 19, 1985: Episode #1: "Music Soothes The Savage Killer."
4. June 25, 1985: #2: "Cue For Murder."
5. July 31, 1985: #3: "Lights, Camera, Murder".
6. August 20, 1985: "#4: Hold Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me."
7. August 22, 1985: Chris visits, 2.
8. September 17, 1985: #5: "Eenie Meenie Minie Murder."
9 September 25, 1985: Chris visits, 3.
10. October 2, 1985: #6: "Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Dead."
11. October 9, 1985: Chris visits, 4: "The Long Hot Summer."
12. October 17, 1985: The Fugitive Guy Under the Seats: #7: "A Pinch of Salt, a Dash of Death."
13. October 24, 1985: Chris visits, 5.
14. November 7, 1985: The Fugitive Guy as Mummenshanz.
15. November 14, 1985: Chris visits, 6.
16. November 21, 1985: #8: "Murder-Go-Round."
17. January 9, 1986: Viewer Mail #3.
18, February 6, 1986: Chris as Marv Albert.
19. April 30, 1987: Return of The Fugitive Guy.

[@akiblue]

I love how he started off as a custodian, cleaning, and every job he had after that, he still cleaned. Whether he was a cameraman or tambourine player, he cleaned.

[@CarmieSchulz]

Two twisted guys with warped senses of humor-you can't beat that. I miss NBC Letterman.

[@laudarevsonhunt]

NBC Letterman was the best.

[@karlsimonian1424]

These clips take me back to high school days when watch Letterman and laugh my ass off.

[@lowcatalina6638]

Same here. My mom would get pissed with me staying up so late. Miss them.

[@sinicalypse]

Isn't this the point of the late night talk show? To make you gleefully remember the past and stop thinking about how fucked your future is?

[@evanabbott2737]

@@sinicalypse I’m gonna be ok.😁👍

[@dharmabeachbum6330]

The Fugitive Guy was edgy and exciting. Hard to believe that it was canceled.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

The ripoff series with, get this, 'Richard Kimball', had more clout and got Elliott's show blackballed.

[@NecroticCadaver]

Lmaooooo the way he's escorted to the awaiting chopper 27:25 !!! Gosh I miss these days and this brand of humor.

[@zabagar]

Lol, I’ve been a huge Chris Elliott fan since the 80s! I’m thrilled I accidentally stumbled onto this!

[@aaronchristopher71]

These bits also showcase Letterman himself as a really good sketch actor. He was just as natural conversing with a fictional character as he was with his regular guests. Genius.

[@evanabbott2737]

Makes me miss Letterman even more. He was the best host of all time.👍😁

[@redacted2275]

Letterman was the first and last talk show host to treat celebrities like just normal human beings and I respect him so much for that! He was able to treat characters and everyday people with the same respect and snarky humour.

[@bijibadness]

i love two things especially: one: the crappy, repetitive sound effect of the wooden leg walking around the floor (even when the guy's not walking) and two: that no matter what "job" he's doing, he's almost always simply wiping whatever workplace tool he's involved with.

[@kayak0055]

I never noticed the wiping part! He’s even wiping down the cue cards 😂😂

[@TimThomason]

19:50 - "You're not gonna see this on CBS, ladies and gentlemen." Unintentional foreshadowing.

[@JoeCnNd]

Then he mentions Jay Leno right after that being on the show.

[@mggailitis7231]

Thanks for posting this series. Chris Elliott is always my go-to guy when feeling depressed. He makes what he does seem so easy and manages to stay in character even when the crowd is silent. He is a genius.

[@Mr._Sandman]

No wonder you're depressed.

[@crs290]

Chris' dedication to staying in character is impressive. How did he never crack??

[@pronemanoldbutyoung5548]

Chris is one of those people that comes across the same in interviews as well as when he was in character

[@James-ll3jb]

He knows American culture is absurd b.s.

[@peaceandlove544]

Those wigs, nobody wore them better than Chris Elliot!

[@sinicalypse]

Probably because he was so used to wearing them.

[@WhatCanSmith]

The one advantage to being bald

[@gallery7596]

I really like Paul telling Dave to "ease up" with the incessant questions about where Roger Campbell worked before he came to "Late Night."

[@willbuck7952]

Yeah-Dave always struck me as as bit arrogant, not really that funny and condescending

[@PapaRikkiBalls]

@@willbuck7952 it was just an act

[@BeachBumm4U]

The Fugitive Guy needs to come to TV/Netflix/KZbin, immediately.

[@kevinwright5106]

I'd like that. That would be nice.

[@chrisf8855]

The show was so good on NBC. It lost its soul on CBS.

[@makeadifference4all]

I like when Chris Elliott is the tambourine guy, lovingly polishing his cymbals as he vaguely recounts the dive bars he played before his sudden ascension to the "Late Night" band. And he gets the perfect play-out song: "Mr. Tambourine Man." Classic!

[@BladeRunner-td8be]

I always loved Chris Elliott. He looks just like his father Bob Elliott who was half of the comedy radio show "Bob and Ray". It's easy to see where he got his comedic chops.

[@seaoftranquility7228]

I’m in Australia but I’ve heard of Bob and Ray through the author Kurt Vonnegut. Very funny, had no idea they were related.

[@jordycline3188]

Wow I had no idea about his dad.

[@rockturtleneck]

Don Giller, you are a national treasure for creating this compendium.

[@rockturtleneck]

Nice to be able to binge-watch Roger Campbell.

[@PittsburghMarky]

YES!

[@gavinbrando8255]

That name was soooo perfect 👌 😅😅🤣

[@mggailitis7231]

Oh man, to spend a day in Chris Elliot's melon. This guy is a fucking genius. I've got friends who are funny, and sometimes I crack wise, but what he did on a consistent basis is truly astounding. Imagine taking the stage to do a skit that on paper looks really dumb and manage to make you laugh out loud. That takes a lot of guts. Thanks again for posting these gems.

[@jeffreyhubbard9740]

Oh, Don! Now you've truly made my day! The Elliott pieces like Fugitive Guy, the Regulator Guy, and Man Under the Seats, they were the true peaks of comedic surrealism during the genius stretch that was mid-to-late 80's Late Night. I'm gonna hunker down with this all morning. You are doing a wonderful thing for humanity, Don.

[@tedkier3264]

i was weened on Fugitive. Fugitive Guy blew my mind from 1st reference to it that i saw in '85!

[@judasrhoadssabbathslayer4726]

"Get the Hell out of my way!!!" "He wasn't even in your way" I remember sneaking up on a school night to watch that when it first aired and laughing hysterically into my pillow so I wouldn't wake my parents 😂😂

[@Angel-cd5qq]

Chris Elliot brilliant comedic genius 😊😃😊

[@kyilmaz2]

thanks again ...great job Don GIllers I love your collections

[@manwhodrinksbeer]

Every other skit guy on any other show like Conan, Fallon or Colbert pales in comparison to Chris. A true talent.

[@davidmathews2599]

Conan sucks hard!!!

[@sugarjoe50]

Conan, Fallon, Colbert. God help us.

[@pronemanoldbutyoung5548]

Whoa whoooooaa!!!! Conan is 1 MILLION times better than Kimmel, Colbert and Fallon combined. What the hell is wrong with you? Channel your anger at the right targets that is post Letterman and Conan hosts 😡

[@prodevus]

Brian Stack did great work on Conan back in the day. Hannigan the Traveling Salesman and Artie Kendall the Singing Ghost are all-time classics. He's on Colbert now.

[@wellesradio]

@@prodevus Indeed, I grew up on Conan. Brian Stack was always my favorite. Letterman's Late Night was before my time. I always heard all this talk about how great Letterman's NBC tenure was, especially from guys like Conan who worship Letterman to this day. It isn't until now that I've caught this KZbin channel that I'm finally able to see this show. My conclusion: it's sunny everything they said and more. Early Letterman IS funnier than Conan, and I absolutely LOVE Conan. And Chris Elliott is a genius. The difference is that Conan's best writers were great sidemen. Chris exudes star power. I've likex Chris since Get a Life and Cabin Boy (I was a weird little kid) and never knew he was on Letterman. I even read a couple of his books when I was younger. One he wrote with his dad, Bob Elliott, called Daddy's Boy. Funnily enough, I was familiar with his dad's work in Bob and Ray from old comedy records before I ever watched Letterman or knew that they were related.

[@albertdesigncompany6964]

Don, you are a LEGEND!! Thanks so much for all your fine work.

[@williamhenderson8371]

Comedy brilliance. Chris Elliot was an integral part of Dave’s early success.

[@captainscentsible1811]

Yes he was.why did he stop appearing ? Any idea

[@dandapper2397]

@@captainscentsible1811 he got his own show for a few years "get a life" on fox

[@Unkle_Mike]

Laughing at how Chris was cleaning the tambourine

[@evanabbott2737]

I love that...😂

[@Exasperatus]

I lost it when he was cleaning the cue cards.

[@angrysumoxxx]

More and more credits added to each episode of The Fugitive Guy.

[@smc9108]

My God I had forgotten all about this.. about spit out my coffee just watching the first few episodes

[@mantra3000]

There's something about Chris Elliott that tickles me inside.

[@evanabbott2737]

He plays the best “idiot-cool guy” he cracks me up...😁

[@jnnnpollis]

always loved the theme music ! For those wondering its "The Detectives" by Alan Tew

[@douglasjohnson4382]

I was wondering. Thank you.

[@hughmcaloon6506]

BRILLIANT!!! Thanks for compiling these, Don.

[@martind349]

What magnificent locks on this man of the eighties

[@khogg3581]

“You’re not going to see this on CBS,” how prescient of Dave.

[@46monkeyes]

Pure comedic genius....I don’t think many people realize how in depth these bits were....nothing was accidental...all was rehearsed.

[@maddielopez8625]

Thank you for compiling these!

[@JoeCnNd]

"Oh you know, here, there..."

[@richardsiciliano7117]

I saw that production of Beatlemania up in Vancouver, it was quite good.

[@makeadifference4all]

The lighting was excellent 👍

[@robertbrewster8622]

Thanks for putting these together!

[@ccr55forever23]

The anti-talk show theme Letterman built was the best. It was an inside club of viewers those first few years. It was still a great show when it moved on to CBS but it was different. The audience size...the interaction with them. Viewer mail. I’m sure I have the same feelings that those who felt Steve Allen and Jack Paar were better than Johnny back in the day. Great Time Capsule of 80s late-night television. I could go down on this rabbit hole and never eat, sleep, or drink for several weeks watching repeats. In the 90s A&E television ran the early NBC 80’s episodes during the day while Late Night was still on the air. I was working overnight and afternoon shifts then and two hours of every weekday I blocked off to watch the A&E episode after coming home from work or catching it before heading into work. And on the overnight shift, My office had a television where Dave played in the background while I did computer work.

[@PeaceTrainUSA-1000]

Pretty much defined the comic sensibilities of the era. If you didn't like Letterman, you were dull or too old.

[@georgemaranville3305]

As much spired by National Lampoon and definitely defined my college sense of humor

[@THECLARENCES]

80’s era Letterman is THE best!!! xoxo The Clarences

[@theivory1]

Fantastic job putting this together.

[@sinicalypse]

In the early to mid 90s I had a friend who used to tape letterman every night to archive it. I bet your archives would bring a tear or two to his eyes

[@RustyCyler]

You can tell that Dave is genuinely amused by Chris.

[@axeman6598]

I have seen this collection dozens of times and enjoy it every single time. The Donz rules.

[@rockingrolling3503]

Pure Gold! Thank you 🙏🏻

[@rockturtleneck]

Edge-of-your-seat riveting from start to finish.

[@InfamousGUNN]

God thank you for these , they are keep me going 😂

[@smartypants4571]

We appreciate you doing this for us !😄😅😃😇😈😂😁😀😊☺

[@kyilmaz2]

great job Don GIllers I love your collections

[@FranktheTank70]

Great to see you back, Don.

[@dongiller]

Great to be back!

[@dongiller]

Tommy Salami The short version: I lost the channel, then got it back.

[@arlLaFong]

Thank you for taking the time to put all of theses together. They're truly dreadful.

[@KJ-rb7kn]

The fat guard from “Midnight Express”😆

[@klondike69none85]

Whatever you like in a show, Fugitive Guy had it. Action, Check. Suspense, Check. Drama, Check.

[@ltken123]

Thanks Don!

[@THECLARENCES]

Love that “Roger” always has a rag in his hand!!! xoxo The Clarences

[@cygnustsp]

Watching this stuff while having been awake way too long and knowing it was insanity was so great back then

[@stevea.7406]

Watching this reminds me of how late night comedy was so creative, edgy and funny we didn't know what their politics were and we didn't care.... it was called entertainment.

[@tomdulski3729]

this is great thanks for sharing

[@superfly3990]

You know, and I think that I can speak for everyone. I'd like to take a moment and speak from the Heart. Roger Campbell is such a terrific person. I really hope, as I believe that we all do, that he finally ditches the One Legged Man one day and can live a peaceful and fulfilling life of tranquilness.

[@martymcdonough1111]

YES! YES! YES! Awesome! Don, you are the man!

[@richardsiciliano7117]

Did the Fugitive Guy inspire the Sabotage video from the Beastie Boys?

[@ImSonnyBurnett]

I wish the PEACOCK streaming included the old Late Night episodes.

[@FranktheTank70]

Sweetness, thank you Don.

[@drumsamerica6158]

That theme song is baller

[@WTFG78]

It's rare to hear Dave laugh as hard on-air as he did at 47:04. :)

[@luukeluketer1024]

check his interviews with Norm Macdonald........What you've seen at 47:04 is absolutely nothing.........

[@footwrappedinaloldraglake8966]

I loved hearing it. I miss this dave I watched everynight then in later years he just got bitter and mean

[@crs290]

You know you've done something great when you can make him laugh like that.

[@01lexus]

@@footwrappedinaloldraglake8966 He got way too political.

[@richardsiciliano7117]

Chris Elliott made Dave laugh that way many times.

[@smcchandler3430]

A Quinn Martin Production... LOL.... Streets of SF, Cannon and Barnaby Jones. love them all and watch them religiously on MeTV

[@PeaceTrainUSA-1000]

Early Letterman in high school, then early Conan in my 20s. Peak talk show times.

[@raydematio7585]

I watched Jonny and Save for 20 years, never knew how they voted, never asked to hate any politician or people who voted for them. How I miss those days.

[@winonafrog]

Completely brilliant-I immediately thought of Kalter doing Double Indemnity. So niche, so timeless-like Spy v Spy

[@halfabeet]

Absolutely amazing

[@namename4012]

Chris Elliott explaining his stint on The Long Hot Summer, and then the subsequent promo clip, is the funniest TV talk show skit ever. And I am old enough to remember Carson in the early 70s and everyone since then . The combo of Chris doing his shtick and Letterman's genuine laughter combine to make a comedy masterpiece.

[@swissarmyknifecomedywestte7268]

CHRIS ELLIOT IS A LEGEND

[@seanwelch71]

Dave's excellent appearance on Colbert got me thinking "Giller"! These clips are still funny.

[@trs4437]

“A Pinch of Salt, a Dash of Death.”

[@CheefChaos]

What's really impressive is that the stuff in the Intro Song actually happen in the bits later on (falling into Trash can, fighting janitor, ext..)

[@p4t21ck]

The real question is: How do I change my ringtone to the fugitive guy theme song?

[@peterw.5984]

Seconded

[@THECLARENCES]

Dave & Chris are comedic geniuses!!! xoxo The Clarences

[@crs290]

Ha! Episode #1's outro music is "Tambourine Man."

[@jackd.ripper3139]

Chris Elliot..... what a MENSCH!! 😂❤️They broke the mold when they made Mr. Elliott

[@fosbury68]

I saw Chris in “My One And Only”. It was magical.

[@tomhinshaw6814]

Love Chris Elliott, this is funny funny stuff!

[@donaldsmith7077]

Very funny. Well executed. I think in the original tv show The Fugitive, David Janson, was looking for the one-armed man not running from him.

[@DSAK55]

I wish I could relive those days

[@funkymonk7]

I loved these..

[@gpan62]

3 minute episodes? So they could put them on KZbin in the future...Chris was ahead of his time. 😉

[@KarstensCreationsKC]

31:42 Insert Nicolas Cage voice over... "NOT BEEEEES!!! NOOOOO"

[@jonathanabbott8579]

Roger Campbell. Love the '70's show's send up's. Quinn Martin would be proud.

[@mediapowersolutions]

Ha ha, the intro to the fugitive guy gets me every time. LOL!

[@norbnar7197]

This shit is brilliant.

[@arkyandy9612]

Loved this dude as the documentary presenter on CB4

[@happydayz7857]

50:12 I love scenes like this where Dave just loses it and starts laughing before the skit even gets going lol

[@FaceFacie]

This gets funnier then longer it goes i cant believe it.

[@rodroller6634]

It goes Tonight Show, Late night with David Letterman and then the rest. The originators of everything you see today.

[@richardsiciliano7117]

I can't lie, when the horns kick in on the intro, I'm raring to go!!!

[@maynardsmoreland]

22:25 Chris Elliott's future wife, Paula Niedert.

[@giovanna8187]

@Tommy Salami I happen to think Chris Elliot is cute.❤

[@giovanna8187]

@Tommy Salami Well, that's difficult to say. Technically he's no Adonis, but his tall rangey body plus his humour and personality make him attractive to me.

[@jimsnider3852]

Due to my work schedule never got to see much Letterman, like everyone else I sure knew who he was though. I first saw Chris Elliot on 'Get a Life', recently ordered it off Amazon Prime on DVD. Happened to Google his name and found these. Wow! What a riot. Watched all the 'Man under the Seats' and others. Can't stop watching them. Don't know exactly why, but just love them! Thanks!

[@milart12]

RIP Sandy Frank