https://screenrant.com/fugitive-tv-show-finale-1967-record-breaking-audience/

Over half a century ago, more than 78 million people watched the tense finale of the most popular show on television. It's a record hard to beat.

This August will be 57 years.
Why was the two part finale held back until August? Episode 28 aired in April, and episodes 29 and 30 were held back until August.

The most popular drama finale ever, not TV show. Nothing will top M*A*S*H overall..

I remember that I was forced to miss the final episode of “The Fugitive” due to a wedding in my family that same day. Although, my younger brother, who did not attend that wedding ceremony and reception, did watch that final episode and he told me how, very ironically, that it was Lieutenant Gerard who saved Dr. Kimble from being thrown off an amusement park by the one-armed man by shooting the evil man with a rifle.

I did not get to see that dramatic final episode of “The Fugitive” until many years later on the A & E Channel. It was terrific to see the late, great David Janssen as the unfailingly decent and honorable Dr. Richard Kimble finally be exonerated of that murder charge.