"The Name of the Game" (1968) TV series 1968-1971

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Writer:

Philip Wylie (writer) (episode)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

20 September 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure

Plot:

This odd series had three rotating stars, who were featured in independent episodes tied together by a loose common theme...

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 9 nominations

Cast

Gene Barry	...	Glenn Howard (44 episodes, 1968-1971)
Robert Stack	...	Dan Farrell (24 episodes, 1968-1971)
Susan Saint James	...	Peggy Maxwell (21 episodes, 1968-1971)
Anthony Franciosa	...	Jeff Dillon (17 episodes, 1968-1970)

Runtime:

90 min (76 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

The pilot for this episode was a two-hour TV-movie produced by Universal for N.B.C. called Fame Is the Name of the Game (1966) (TV). Universal and N.B.C. were the same entities that pioneered the made-for-TV movie (with 1964's See How They Run (1964) (TV), the first full-length film produced especially for home television). "Fame is the Name of the Game", aired in 1966, was the first tele-film produced as a pilot that was picked up for a regular TV series.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Spielberg on Spielberg (2007) (TV)

This 90 minute show ran on Friday nights with three great rotating stars and a young Susan St James. Howard Publications was the company owned by Gene Barry.

I had just visited Universal Studies, Hollywood in 1968, when I was 15 and saw sets where they filmed The Name of The Game. Growing up with Bat Masterson and The Untouchables, I was a big fan of two of the stars, Gene Barry and Robert Stack. Susan St. James was just a young lady as Peggy Maxwell at 22 years of age. Tony Franciosa was fine too though I think he got into some type of dispute with the studio and disappeared from the show.

The 90 minute show ran on Friday nights and I remember enjoying it quite a bit. I have not seen it in some time and really hope it will be available on DVD sometime soon. It was shot in color and I think ran for about three years. Though the show is now almost 40 years old, I know I would still have fun watching it. My kids would laugh at the rotary dial telephones and lack of computers but to me it would still be a blast. They would recognize Robert Stack from Airplane though! Tony Franciosa was good but my favorites were Barry and Stack. The action, cars, outfits and setting were all classy. Please bring it back on DVD!