TMG: THE NAME OF THE GAME: SEASON 1 8/19/2014 (1 Viewer)

[Pathfiner]

I've heard that too - a guy posted on an Amazon forum some years ago (probably that same guy you were in contact with) telling me he had (or did) worked in Australian TV and loved TNOTG, he tried to get it but was told it had various 'clearance issues' (then) and episodes recorded in differing formats (whatever that meant) requiring both 'standardisation' then 'cleaning up' etc...at that time prevented a full rerun of the show


a few 'dodgy' copies of episodes were posted on youtube a while back - the pilot TV Movie 'Fame is...TNOTG' (Tony Franciosa) & the Robert Stack episode 'Witness' (with poor 'muffled' sound but watchable picture) , while a guy who runs a Pete Duel appreciation society has posted a 'rough' TV 'off air' recorded copy of The Robert Stack episode; 'The Savage Eye' (almost complete barring the opening graphic & start of episode credits)


Quite a lot of the 32 or so Cozi TV episodes were posted on youtube a while ago (removed now) but; 'A Hard Case of The Blues' (Robert Stack) - a TV 'off air' recording it seems - was up in full (recently may still be) also 'All The Old Familiar Faces' (Gene Barry) - the one with the strange choir repeatedly popping up (!) - was up on youtube in full recently too...


Obviously some might not look as good as those Encore / Cozi properly 'cleaned up' episodes look, but I'd settle for anything watchable !


Some dubious 'bootleg' sites have advertised episode sets that include some different episodes to those on the Encore / Cozi TV reruns, (I'd NEVER touch them of course !) so it does seem the show does survive in one form or another, but may require some work (& expense) put into it...


That said they HAVE put out shows which are much older & whose episodes suffer from sheer time deterioration on picture or soundtrack (some very old 'Wagon Train' episodes have sound distortion notable on incidental music etc)


An episode of 'Laramie' in season two (DVD set) could not be located in the archive - by sheer luck a fan had a home recording of that one (guest starring Robert Vaughn) - it looked a bit 'off air' and the picture wavered a few times early on but thanks to that guy's home recording it completed the season (!)


Hopefully at least some of TNOTG episodes will get a DVD set release, with any luck ALL ....

 

[Professor Echo]

With regards to the opening credits, another show which followed this format of three rotating lead actors, SEARCH, features the same billing order on the credits of every episode, Hugh O'Brien first, then Doug McClure and then an "AND" credit for Tony Franciosa. Not a Universal series, so I am assuming the credits were done differently, not billing the lead actor for that specific episode first, and are correct on the WA release of the complete series?

 

[Frank Soyke]

I never watched this show growing up as I was too long young and as was stated earlier, it wasn't heavily syndicated. I had really high hopes for it considering the genre and the stellar cast but I watched about 5 of them on COZI and I have to admit I didn't really like it much. I found it pretty slow moving and boring. I guess the 90 minute length might have had something to do with it but I was really disappointed. Strangely enough, after recently seeing the Bold Ones for the first time, I felt the same about it.

Someone brought up Run For Your Life and Switch. I personally would love to both of those released (good luck) about 10 times more than either of these 2, but for you fans of the show, I hope they do eventually put it out like they said.

 

[hypnohighball]

I have only vague recollections of TNOTG myself and this could very well happen to me, too. We all know how memories get sweeter with time and it also wears off the jagged edges so often things we covet from the past don't live up to expectations in the present. I'm going to be careful with this one and see what the reviews look like before I jump so no preorder for me.

 

[Pathfiner]

I have seen about 30 episodes recently and they are just as I remembered them back in the late sixties and early seventies


The episodes ARE much slower than any 50 minute or now 42 minute shows we are used to


this applies to shows such as 'Arrest and Trial' - which inspired 'Law and Order' but one A & T episode was nearly longer than two 'L & O' stories combined & moved at a much slower pace with far deeper characterisation of the guest cast


Similarly, TV Westerns 'The Virginian' & 'Cimarron Strip' had far slower drawn out storylines than say 'Bonanza' or 'Alias Smith and Jones'


The seventies 'Mystery Movies' also had longer 70-90 minute episodes and ran at a far slower pace than we are used to now - Columbo (whom TNOTG's 'Jeff Dillon' earlier had a similar approach to of a dogmatic hounding and wearing down his opponent, with a razor sharp eye for details...) particularly moved slowly with no real action besides the murder at the start...


so TNOTG having that more drawn out pacing, three 'rotating wheel' leads, plus scripts that dealt with many differing aspects, would seem very much TV of another era in our fast cut mega quick, forever wise cracking 'explain it all away at the end for the sake of the dim viewer' shows with the obligatory shallow stereotyipcal baddies etc....(and often an obsession with sex crimes)


I like Law & Order but you can almost 'tick off all the boxes' as it goes:


Law: Totally irrelavent people (whom we never see again) often having an argument, suddenly discover victim / Cops arrives, & lead cast exchange witty banter with CSI guy - Jerry Orbach has last 'smart ass' word - (cut to opening credit sequence), / female Police chief makes 'sassy' comment as she sets Dets to work / Dets follow leads 'A' to 'B' to 'C' & arrest obvious suspect, normally without any struggle or chases, gunfights, all done in about 15 minutes (!) - continue onscreen details fill in times dates etc to cover for 'fast cut' style complete with a 'tap tap' noise to keep attention of short span viewer......Jerry Orbach makes obligatory 'smart ass' remark as they cuff the "amazed" suspect...final quick scene in Police cell where they determine clear guilt (to them)


commercials then:


Order: Sexy female asst(s) to ADA argues with 'horrid' defence lawyer we don't like (boo hiss) in front of 'wise cracking' judge who ALWAYS rules against bail.../ ADA Jack McCoy explains WHY he knows legally the suspect should be done for max term (sometimes shrink guy or gal get involved) / McCoy appears to be losing case as defence lawyer (we don't like) scores points with bland faced jury / sexy female asst often then comes up with fact the Police missed / cut to part 98 of trial as McCoy argues in court (string music begins to tell us how 'deep' this is all getting) / McCoy wins (a few times he loses to shock us all) / mostly suspect looks shocked as led off.../ McCoy, sexy asst(s) & DA go to the elevator with 'poignant or whimsical deep observation remark' (often bearing little meaning to case !) then it's: 'exec producer Dick Wolff'...


They vary it a bit of course but in essence that is a standard blueprint of a (later era) 'Law & Order' episode for you...pure formula fast food TV as are many other shows these days ...


Warners show 'Search' always put up 'starring' Hugh O'Brien, then Doug McClure, followed by Tony Franciosa in the opening credits.

 

[FanCollector]

I went back and looked at the email from Madman. They said that some of the episodes were on Digital Betacam and some were on 1" video. I suppose the result is that either the set comes out with two very different looks for different episodes, or they have to fix up the older elements.

What I hoped was that they were using the Timeless label because they wouldn't have the same visual quality standards. But it seems that now, even the Timeless releases are under the same scrutiny.

 

[Pathfiner]

THANKS for that info ! - On another forum I once simply mentioned what the Aussie TV guy told me about him being told that the episodes were recorded in differing formats (and you've just confirmed he was indeed telling it straight up) when some guy came charging in telling me that was all complete nonsense !!

- appears it wasn't...


I would think any legal issues and 'clearances' - mainly re music it often seems - should have been settled by now, certainly Timeless seem to have a 'season one' box cover prepared (which is no guarantee of anything release wise I know), so it probably is the 'standardisation' & 'cleaning up' of episodes that is the cause of the delay


I wouldn't mind if episodes looked a bit different (tho' they probably have set standards etc) - a 'Wagon Train' episode; 'The Sarah Drummond Story' (season one) looks as if a few bits are 'lost' as a couple of times scenes just 'morph' into a moment or so later - at one point Gene Evans 'appears' from nowhere (like a ghost !) - I presume they have 'patched up' the episode as best as they could (maybe at some point in the past before DVDs ?) so it could be rerun and later included on DVD.


so given the archive nature of these shows a few things could be allowed for re quality I think...

 

[Tooncy]

The original elements are likely gone. We will probably never know how much was lost in the Universal fire.

 

[Jack P]

The original elements, meaning the 35mm masters the episodes were shot on, are *not* gone. We need to clear up this misperception about the fire once and for all. What was lost were earlier tape transfers of Universal programs for cable airings. Universal can always make a new set of masters but the cost keeps them from doing so. One problem with Name Of The Game is that the transfers made before do exist but the problem is that Universal didn't transfer the entire run at the time.

 

[FanCollector]

The cable transfers are the Digital Betacam ones for those episodes that aired on Encore. The 1" transfers of the other episodes, which according to the Australian source were not destroyed or lost, are just very old. I don't know if they were on hand at Universal or were being used for international airings, but that technology hadn't been employed in quite a while, so those episodes would be the problem. Although I don't think they could look worse than some of the Checkmate and M Squad episodes that Timeless released.

 

[Pathfiner]

There are some particularly good episodes that are NOT in the restored Encore 'bundle' currently on Cozi TV


'Shine On Shine On Jesse Gil' - TF - where Jeff Dillon investigates a popular local figure who it appears may implicated in a murder (Darren McGavin guests as 'Jesse Gil')

(Gene Barry briefly cameos as 'Glenn Howard')


'The Protector' - GB - Glenn Howard looks into a millionaire right wing extremist (Guest Robert Young - here the total opposite of Marcus Welby !) after a young reporter dies...a private Army appears to be being put together on his vast estate...


'The Bobby Currier Story' - RS - Dan Farrell is kidnapped by the pair when he tries to obtain the real 'story' of why Bobby (Brandon deWilde) & his girlfriend have gone on a random 'spree killing' rampage ala Charlie Starkweather - does the vengeful local sheriff (Steve Forrest) have some cuplability re Bobby's actions...?

(Gene Barry briefly cameos as 'Glenn Howard')


'The Black Answer' - TF - Jeff Dillon investigates a case where racial tensions arise after a Afro-American who runs a non violent 'revolutionary' style paper is murdered and a number of key figures are prime suspects - with a surprising turn of events leaving both some black & white people looking at themselves and their respective attitudes...(Ivan Dixon guests)


' The Taker' - GB - Glenn Howard finds himself in an increasingly desperate situation as the totally ruthless Arthur Jellicoe (Burl Ives) seeks to destroy Howard's reputation & steal his publishing empire out from him, Jellicoe is aided by a determined sidekick (guest star Bradford Dillman)

(Tony Franciosa briefly cameos as 'Jeff Dillon')


'High On A Rainbow' - RS - Dan Farrell looks into drug pushing after the death of a girl and goes undercover as a lorry driver (Van Johnson guests), in an episode with some striking photographic effects re a 'drug trip'

(Gene Barry briefly cameos as 'Glenn Howard')


I don't recall seeing any of those in the current restored batch of episodes...tho' maybe on or two have been (?)

 

[Pathfiner]

Shout replied to my latest email (!) re TNOTG yesterday advising they had 'technical issues' re the show (presumably the differing formats issue & remaining episodes and the pilot TV Movie still requiring restoration etc, besides the 30 or so episodes COZI TV ae currently rerunning in the USA ) BUT they confirmed they were still hoping to release TNOTG later in the year....


so no immediate news but at least they still appear hopeful of finally bringing TNOTG to DVD in 2015...


I thanked them re both TNOTG & The Bold Ones, and pointed out that people were eagerly awaiting DVD release of both shows in full with related pilots etc, per the postings on many forums (here, Amazon.com Amazon UK.com Amazon.Ca.com plus few other Classic TV forums, & the Facebook page 'Remembering TNOTG') - so at least Shout know there IS some demand for these classic Universal TV shows.

 

[Jack P]

There are *two* classic Universal shows of this era that they need to restart.

 

[FanCollector]

That's good news. At this stage, it would be very easy for them to end the release plans quietly, but they do seem to be working on the problems.

 

[Pathfiner]

True - I think it is important for as many of us as possible who want to see TNOTG on DVD to enquire via emails etc to Shout, and to Universal via their NBC Universal shop website etc to let both know there IS an ongoing demand / interest for the show to be released on DVD so they are aware of the potential market

 

[Professor Echo]

.


I thanked them re both TNOTG & The Bold Ones, and pointed out that people were eagerly awaiting DVD release of both shows in full with related pilots etc, per the postings on many forums (here, Amazon.com Amazon UK.com Amazon.Ca.com plus few other Classic TV forums, & the Facebook page 'Remembering TNOTG')

Are there other classic TV forums with more activity than this one? I like many of the users here, but threads and posts are few and far between these days. The subject is great and I'll always participate here as it's the first HTF forum I ever posted in, but I miss discussing classic TV in depth and with more frequency, beyond just the ostensible talk of TV on DVD and Blus.

 

[Pathfiner]

Amazon have TV forums as do the IMDB for each show...and alot of classic shows have or had their own forums - most TV Westerns have - just Google the shows' name


- but with the seeming obsession with social media via Twitter and Facebook it appears most fans forums are posted on less and less and it seems they are dying a death due to apathy these days....a shame !

 

[Neil Brock]

The cable transfers are the Digital Betacam ones for those episodes that aired on Encore. The 1" transfers of the other episodes, which according to the Australian source were not destroyed or lost, are just very old. I don't know if they were on hand at Universal or were being used for international airings, but that technology hadn't been employed in quite a while, so those episodes would be the problem. Although I don't think they could look worse than some of the Checkmate and M Squad episodes that Timeless released.

The other issue is that the DigiBeta episodes are chock full of music replacements and Shout, unlike Universal, is not adverse to clearing music and they would prefer not to put the shows out that way. The problem would be easily solved if Universal would let Shout strike a new set of masters without having to go through the ridiculously expensive in-house Universal transfer costs. Not holding my breath on that happening.

 

[phenri]

There are *two* classic Universal shows of this era that they need to restart.

Those shows would be Ironside and Marcus Welby, of course. I'm still waiting for those as well.

 

[FanCollector]

The other issue is that the DigiBeta episodes are chock full of music replacements and Shout, unlike Universal, is not adverse to clearing music and they would prefer not to put the shows out that way. The problem would be easily solved if Universal would let Shout strike a new set of masters without having to go through the ridiculously expensive in-house Universal transfer costs. Not holding my breath on that happening.

Thank you for the update, Neil. I just can't understand why studios like Universal won't let licensing companies make new prints if they want to do so. I realize that they often can't afford, or prefer not to shoulder, the expense. But in the cases where the smaller companies are willing, why not let them do it at whatever facility they choose? The refusal results in worse products, and in cases like this, actually jeopardizes the existence of the product at all.