Spoiler Alert !
A 'Gene Barry' Segment Episode
Some presumably Sci Fi fans now claim this story to be the GREATEST ever episode of the entire series...But I can't agree.
First 'The Name of The Game' was NEVER ever a Sci Fi series - For this story could far more easily be a 'Twilight Zone' episode (similarly you might just as easily have had one of the three 'Name of The Game' Lead characters featured in Dennis Weaver's famous role having the scary 'cat & mouse' freeway experience in the Spielberg TV movie 'Duel' which was at least set in the same time period - yes ?)
Thus it's perhaps uneasily 'shoehorned' into the Seventies contemporary series by the 'to be expected' means of a groan inducing (and in truth quite predictable) explanation ending in order to then get 'back to series Reality'...
Second, In my view, it's not only NOT the best 'Name of The Game' story ever...but also not really the best of the 'Gene Barry' segment tales either...being relatively untypical of his normal style shows, (bar a handful of 'offbeat' styled episodes), in which he excelled.
That said I'm certainly NOT belittling it either I hasten to add...for it IS a very powerful thought provoking episode asking: 'what if...?' and 'Where are we going as a Society ?' ....chillingly it IS more relevant now than way back in 1971, so it Does carry a punch, tho' the colourful late sixties/early seventies Production style rather dates it now....
It's a bit OTT but the points it makes re a bleak future pollution ruined Earth, underground society...most amusingly 'Dinosaur Rock Bands' etc...are all valid and quite possibly very accurate predictions of things that do indeed lay up ahead...
It's one of the small but very memorable group of more 'offbeat' Gene Barry segment stories (like: 'Love-in At Ground Zero', 'Tarot', 'One of the Girls in Research', 'The Showdown',etc) and it stands out as the show at it's most artistic, arty, and ambitious...
....but then again perhaps is not Gene Barry at his strongest or most comfortable - his more conventional battle of wits 'chess games' with powerful business or political opponents probably see his finest acting performances ( - for example anyone could have been the young scientist guy in 'War of The Worlds'...but Gene Barry deftly made 'Bat Masterson', 'Capt.Amos Burke', and here Publisher 'Glenn Howard' totally his own)
The tale shows an uneasy and weary Glenn Howard driving back from a conference to discuss growing World pollution problems...very topical for 1971...Howard's car swerves and crashes (guess the ending ?)...
...He 'awakens' to find himself suddenly now in 2017 A.D. - in a crazy world gone all wrong....society driven underground due to world pollution..with overpopulation problems (clear shades of 'H.G.Wells' nightmarish visions of the future...)
A good support cast make this a fascinating and indeed memorable 'one off' futuristic Sci Fi flavoured episode of a contemporary set TV show that is really well directed by the young Steven Spielberg, with a most compelling musical score.
Now perhaps it's become a little over rated by Sci Fi fans somewhat (?)
...but it's nevertheless a great offbeat memorable if perhaps uncharacteristic 'The Name of the Game' episode !
A 'Gene Barry' Segment Episode
Some presumably Sci Fi fans now claim this story to be the GREATEST ever episode of the entire series...But I can't agree.
First 'The Name of The Game' was NEVER ever a Sci Fi series - For this story could far more easily be a 'Twilight Zone' episode (similarly you might just as easily have had one of the three 'Name of The Game' Lead characters featured in Dennis Weaver's famous role having the scary 'cat & mouse' freeway experience in the Spielberg TV movie 'Duel' which was at least set in the same time period - yes ?)
Thus it's perhaps uneasily 'shoehorned' into the Seventies contemporary series by the 'to be expected' means of a groan inducing (and in truth quite predictable) explanation ending in order to then get 'back to series Reality'...
Second, In my view, it's not only NOT the best 'Name of The Game' story ever...but also not really the best of the 'Gene Barry' segment tales either...being relatively untypical of his normal style shows, (bar a handful of 'offbeat' styled episodes), in which he excelled.
That said I'm certainly NOT belittling it either I hasten to add...for it IS a very powerful thought provoking episode asking: 'what if...?' and 'Where are we going as a Society ?' ....chillingly it IS more relevant now than way back in 1971, so it Does carry a punch, tho' the colourful late sixties/early seventies Production style rather dates it now....
It's a bit OTT but the points it makes re a bleak future pollution ruined Earth, underground society...most amusingly 'Dinosaur Rock Bands' etc...are all valid and quite possibly very accurate predictions of things that do indeed lay up ahead...
It's one of the small but very memorable group of more 'offbeat' Gene Barry segment stories (like: 'Love-in At Ground Zero', 'Tarot', 'One of the Girls in Research', 'The Showdown',etc) and it stands out as the show at it's most artistic, arty, and ambitious...
....but then again perhaps is not Gene Barry at his strongest or most comfortable - his more conventional battle of wits 'chess games' with powerful business or political opponents probably see his finest acting performances ( - for example anyone could have been the young scientist guy in 'War of The Worlds'...but Gene Barry deftly made 'Bat Masterson', 'Capt.Amos Burke', and here Publisher 'Glenn Howard' totally his own)
The tale shows an uneasy and weary Glenn Howard driving back from a conference to discuss growing World pollution problems...very topical for 1971...Howard's car swerves and crashes (guess the ending ?)...
...He 'awakens' to find himself suddenly now in 2017 A.D. - in a crazy world gone all wrong....society driven underground due to world pollution..with overpopulation problems (clear shades of 'H.G.Wells' nightmarish visions of the future...)
A good support cast make this a fascinating and indeed memorable 'one off' futuristic Sci Fi flavoured episode of a contemporary set TV show that is really well directed by the young Steven Spielberg, with a most compelling musical score.
Now perhaps it's become a little over rated by Sci Fi fans somewhat (?)
...but it's nevertheless a great offbeat memorable if perhaps uncharacteristic 'The Name of the Game' episode !