The Name Of The Game TV Series 3 Opening

[miamimann1]

TV went down hill after Miami Vice went off the air......miss TV of the 60's 70's and 80's...

[miamimann1]

Ahhh the days when TV was entertaining any night of the week....

[creolelady182]

Universal always had a high class look and sound to it . Even if they did not use the Universal logo at the beginning of their films and television shows-you knew that it was a Universal production just by the look. Tony Franciosca was in just about every tv show in the seventies and commercials as well. How he arranged that i will never know.Probably had a great agent

[LB9997]

Television from the 50s, 60s, and 70s is so much more interesting than any of the so-called "top" rated dramas/comedies on today. Television producers back then took a great deal of pride in their work and scripts and used only the BEST talent out there. I don't even watch prime-time television any more.

[lavernemariebutler]

I forgot this one. But wow! Three major stars together! Must search for it.

[chuckcollins]

@tomservo56954 Tony Franciosa himself admitted that he had anger issues that required years of therapy. He was not easy to please and was not a happy person even in the midst of what most would see as the pinnacle of his career. Universal sacked him and brought in several guest stars in his place, but the ratings never really justified the expense of the series anyway.

As it turns out, in a forty year Hollywood career, "VALENTINE'S DAY" was actually Tony Franciosa's longest-lasting role.

[Billo912]

@chuckcollins

Tony Franciosa did 3 episodes in season 3, Robert Wagner, Peter Falk, & Robert Culp (2 episodes) subbed for the other 4 episodes of his segment (Universal probably knew the show was ending after season 3)

NBC Universal should now issue the complete three seasons (1968-1971) & the 1966 pilot film 'Fame is....' on DVD ( maybe put at the end to feature Tony Franciosa more on the final box set ?) .... & restore the original 'rotating' opening graphic order for each episode.

[fabrikk60]

This show was on when I was a little kid, but I couldn't remember ever seeing it. Just now I played this clip and *wham* instant recognition! 40 years later it comes back to me. The theme is great; must try to find this show now.

[tonkehar]

The Name of the game was like watching a movie.Love this Show....love this show.

[pbanta62]

That two-color film process they used in opening credits for shows like this, Ironside, etc, used to scare the crap out of me when I was a kid.

[chuckcollins]

@pbanta62 Then you were probably having nightmares every time you saw the final series of "THE BOLD ONES" with it's weird red double shifting thing that Sandy Dvore perpetrated. I truly believe that was a major part of the reason people tuned out and that show was cancelled.

[super6910]

Thumps up if 9th sent u here B)

[whiskeyify]

It doesn't get any better than this...a great cast of actors and some good stories. I remember watching re-runs around 1am in the morning here in los angeles.

Sad to see these shows are gone now.

[nathanstan]

Such memories watching and listening to that video. Universal Studios produced so many entertaining shows back then. Men in the cast LOOK like men, not boys, and the women were sophisticated and lovely. None of the GQ on steroids crap with waxed torso's at the pool scenes. People looked real back then and the scripts were not too bad. Now TV is full of model types who go to tanning salons and get ridiculous tattoo's. What we need is a new John Wayne, Tony Franciosa, etc.

[chuckcollins]

@nathanstan The other day, I was talking to another long-time Universal star, Mr. James Drury, and I can tell you right now there's no way he would get hired today. He's too intelligent!

[creolelady182]

@chuckcollins

I will have to agree withat statement!

[iwantoldschool]

@chuckcollins I'll hire him. My studio makes retro style modern shows. We're in New York City. Have him contact us.

[chuckcollins]

@iwantoldschool Luckily he is one of the few stars of his era who was wise and invested his money. In fact, he quit acting back in the 70's and went into finance as a career. Almost any appearance he has made anywhere in the past forty years has been at his leisure rather than actually living off of the $10 autograph fee at memorabilia shows like so many of his contemporaries.

[iwantoldschool]

@chuckcollins I understand. I've seen former stars having to do that and it is sad. Glad James was smart about it. Funny enough, I know an actor/banker also, and he's pretty darn good - he starred in my last film and did an *excellent* job. Very effective. Do you think James would know any venture capitalists interested in backing modern shows made retro-looking like NOTG? Feel very free to PM me...

[tomovox]

@nathanstan Wow! You put into words what I could not figure out about the difference between the males on television today vs. the males from years ago. Yes- on shows back then on up through the 70's, the men looked like MEN. Most shows now just have men who pretty much look like overly processed, manufactured creations. The women all look like they have had one too many botox injections. PS- Love this opening sequence!

[danvalenti]

The days of good actors on TV... Not these reality tv hacks

[lavernemariebutler]

@danvalenti Do you think there is any way we( viewers) could petition Hollywood to write better scripts and fashion them in the style of these great old shows with the best( and i mean the best) young talent today?

Also write for great stars of yesterday? Television right now is so bad it's depressing.

[Mandi7882]

@lavernemariebutler - I agree...which is why most people have gravitated towards cable TV and the experimental programming they produce. I gotta be honest, I barely look at Network anymore, I find myself on HBO, AMC, Showtime, Starz, USA, Comedy Central/Adult Swim, etc. Maybe its because they hire writers/producers/directors over 35...

[farnumbp]

A wonderful series , each show was better than most movies are today. TV today is 90% junk

[juanunderground]

The Greatness of The Name of The Game is that this show was tuned into the troubled 60s. Socially, the show showed deeply the moral decadence into societies. The episode about death penalty keeps a contemporary controversy about the issue today. Gene, Robert, and Tony left a very strong message at the end of every episode. Finally, The Name of The Game was ahead of its time. Three shows have shown the way which organized crime has operated: Hawaii 50, Mannix, and The Name of The Game.

[tomservo56954]

@juanunderground And don't forget their foray into environmentalism, "L.A. 2017"--a Gene Barry episode directed by a rising young man named Steven Spielberg. Barry finds himself transported into the future date, where the city's population is forced underground by pollution (yet names the tunnels they walk through after their freeways).

[juanunderground]

I'm very proud of the 60s and part of the 70s. Tv was liberal and art. When the 80s started everything faded into conservatism very stubborn. The attempt of the 90s was really lazy and unorganized into liberal perspective. Today all of you hace is TV tired and nihilistic facing a menace into internet because heads into industry are without guide and scheme and it seems that they have their brains empty.

[chuckcollins]

@juanunderground Thanks to DVD and the internet, we can revisit those "golden" years of which you speak and relive them in living color this time around. What you may find that you thought was so splendiforous back then may prove to be lesser than what you recall though. Thankfully, this programme is one of the few that lives up to our memories.

[BobbyColePopMusic]

@juanunderground

I couldn't have said it any better.......

[pnull]

....actually, it thought it was called: Fame is The Name of The Game.

[chuckcollins]

@pnull That was the title of the pilot movie. I also usually called it that back when it aired because that was how it was first introduced.

[viewdemonde]

Such a great theme.

[kendizzleful]

WHAT EVER HAPPENED 2 ALL THE COOL COP AND PRIVATE EYE SHOWS???? WE HAVENT HAD A COOL COP SHOW SINCE "NEW YORK UNDERCOVER" AND A COOL PRIVATE EYE SHOW SINCE "MAGNUM PI" PLEASE BRING THESE BACK ON RETRO TV OR SOMETHIN!!!!!

[kendizzleful]

Yes I remember this show watching TV with my grandparents and the theme music was 2 cool!!! And I remember all 3 of these great actors even after the series ended!! Back when TV shows were creative and not about reality TV!!!!

[Tubewings]

They should do a ThatGuyWithTheGlasses version of this, with the Nostalgia Critic, Linkara, and Spoony.

[johnLA1961]

I was 7 and thought how great the theme was,and how pretty Peggy Maxwell(Susan St. James) was.

[eowyn1964]

Eighth grade, Friday nights, with this show, and Star Trek at 10 PM....Thanks, guys, for brightening my Friday nights....

[blackghost263]

I always caught an episode or late Sunday nights if I had a 3 day weekend from school. The NYC CBS station would show reruns after the Sunday news. I'd love to see these again!

[bartletteagle]

Wow, haven't thought about this show in years. Used to come on Friday nights on our NBC station. Could be wrong on both counts since we had a local station that shared 2 networks. Anyway great theme and it was so long ago I couldn't even describe one plot.

[chuckcollins]

@bartletteagle Cool. Me, too. What was the station and what networks did they carry?

[bartletteagle]

@chuckcollins I was wrong on that. Our NBC only carried that network feed. I've googled and can;t figure out if our local CBS carried that and ABC at one point.

[chuckcollins]

@bartletteagle My local station carried all three networks. We had a split between whatever was the most popular on NBC and ABC. Then CBS was on Sunday afternoons when the Cowboys played. This went on well into the 80's.

[tine214]

Groovy theme music...damn good!!! thnx made my night shift easy to deal with.

[tyrese3745]

Sound just like it's from 1966.

[truro007]

Superb theme music as they all were written by the genius QJ.  I used to watch this when I was over at my nan's flat in Stevenage, Herts back in 1971!! Tony Franciosca was one of my heroes as he was so cool. RIP Tony. Great series and underrated too.

[mickeba1]

This was such a classy program, with feature film production values. Can't understand why it's not on DVD yet

[frankftw]

Optical effects rock!

[49jubilee]

When men were men/ not 'macho or wimpy'

[imn4ag]

I remember sitting at the foot of my mothers bed watching the name of the game, mannix,Judd for the defense,abc's movie of the week just to name a few.I'm 51 now with over 200 chanels of nothing to watch back the there were 6 channels with great tv shows.I mean Columbo alone beat out anything they have today.I'm from Phila, pa. if tarzan was on the late,late, show it was a good saturday night

[chuckcollins]

@imn4ag "JUDD FOR THE DEFENSE" just never worked for me. I liked "OWEN MARSHALL" better a couple of years later. I think part of it was the fact that the Texas accent was totally inauthentic. Ironically Carl Betz was from Pittsburgh!

[cdishmo1]

I am 59 years old and I never saw one episode of the program...how did I miss it?

[chuckcollins]

@cdishmo1 If you lived in a place where NBC was not available or you were in a cave during the latter half the the sixties. Reruns have been seen in only a very few markets due to the odd length of 90 minutes.

[cdishmo1]

@chuckcollins

I was not living in a cave but an apartment but I don't no what I was doing that would prevent me from seeing a thrilling show...I had NBC... maybe I was spending a lot time with my girl friend?

[chuckcollins]

@cdishmo1 That would definitely take up your Friday nights! I can't imagine too many 18 year olds sitting at home on the weekend back then anyway. Weren't they all protesting the war or fighting in it?

[tonkehar]

@cdishmo1 The whole movie the Name of the Game is on my ch. Don't miss it before it is gone!

[IanKMcL]

This is a series that I would very much like to see released on DVD. 

[7188181]

This isn't the season 3 opening. Franciosa was long gone by then. This is the opening that was used on the syndicated airings.

[JetMechMA]

@7188181: This isn't the season 3 opening. Franciosa was long gone by then. This is the opening that was used on the syndicated airings.

JM: What's the dif?

[Billo912]

@JetMechMA

Tony Franciosa did three episodes in season three....

and they left his face on the opening graphic to the end of the season.

[MaliceInWonderland04]

THE NAME OF THE GAME Starring GENE BARRY, ROBERT STACK and TONY FRANCIOSA - AUDACIA ES EL JUEGO in LatinAmerican countries and Caribbean Isles

[whiskeyify]

this was the best tv ever...I think the late 60's and 70's. after that things started going downhill. there was some good stuff in the early 80's however. I grew up watching these shows.

[whiskeyify]

A quality show...I used to watch the re-runs late at night, I think around 12 midnight.

I was working a late shift so I'd watch this when I got home.

Susan St. James was just so good...her later series I did not care for however.

[JetMechMA]

@whiskeyify: Susan St. James was just so good...her later series I did not care for however.

JM: She had good direction, good writing, and good co-stars in TNOTG but was mishandled, squandered, in most other shows. I liked her in McMillan. I think her and Rock had fun doing that show.

[whiskeyify]

@JetMechMA I liked her relationship with Tony Franciosa on the show.

I think in real life he must have been fond of her, you could just see that

when they were together on screen.

[JetMechMA]

@whiskeyify These were entertainers. They went about it very professionally....the actors, the directors...they had great direction. And everybody inbetween worked very hard. Unfortunately I don't see that in my generation. (people in the 50's)

[TheSpelldoctor]

The one time everyone sat down and was quiet. Other than I Spy.

[creolelady182]

Back in those days every hipped TV show during the mid sixties thru the seventies used Dave Grusin to write the jazzy theme songs. I also noticed that networks used the same actors in different shows

[sigvoice]

Is this theme song available as an mp3?

[creolelady182]

@sigvoice

yes

[us71]

@sigvoice

televisiontunesdotcom

[us71]

@sigvoice

televisiontunes(dot)com

[rockintetster]

@sigvoice Dave Grusin wrote this theme music, a version is on the "Television's Greatest Hits" CD

[Laceykat66]

As usual.

Biy, these guys have a goldmine and they just sit on it. They blew it with Banacek also. By the time they put it on DVD it was the cut up syndicated version and not the original show.

Why are these guys so dense????

Thanks for the post.

[FlashFace]

Gene Barry RIP.  The coolest series ever.

[ethurst2]

I like this theme better. You can tell that the season three theme was done on a stereorized 24 channel mix board with the new Dolby Noise Reduction standard in place. You can hear the horn accents better. The season 1 theme had a dominating synth which was groundbreaking by Dave Grusin. In my opinion, Grusin runs circles around Quincy Jones anytime. Jones is overrated!

[chuckcollins]

What is amazing is that the same composer who did the theme to "The Ghost & Mrs. Muir" is also the composer of a theme song that goes, "Just lookin' out of the window, watching the asphalt grow..."

[willardlockejr]

@ethurst2 Maybe if you took the time to listen to some of Quincy Jones music (In the

Heat of the Night, The Pawnbroker, Dollars, The Getaway, The theme from "ironside" just to name a few) you might have a change of opinion. What you really meant to say that Quincy Jones runs circles around Sean "P-Diddy"Combs any day of the week and P-Diddy is definitely OVERRATED.

[chuckcollins]

@willardlockejr When PissDaddy starts writing TV themes, then we can add him to the discussion. Actually, when that happens, it might be time to turn the TV off permanently! In the meantime, let's all agree that both Dave Grusin AND Quincy Jones have written some classic TV themes that stand the test of time.

[MEXICOesMIERDA]

I saw this program, when has only seven years young!

I remember the only female co-starring SUSAN SAINT JAMES, then would be the Trilogy "McMillan & Wife", with Rock Hudson.

[ethurst2]

Dave Grusin is amazing!

[serberious]

Didn`t know the man was gone, take care big guy.

[RandyBell2007]

Gene Barry was the last surviving co-lead. Sorry to hear about his passing. He was one of m y favorites. Yes, the S3 theme can be heard on the closing credits and with GB's graphic likeness attached. S3 theme was my favorite one. I should also note there was one episode in S1 where none of the stars appeared. It was under TF's tittle card. Just Susan Saint-James and Ben Murphy were in it. Only rare episode to feature none of the 3 stars.

[Billo912]

@RandyBell2007

That's not correct I'm afarid - season one always included one of the three Leads - 'Pineapple Rose' guest featured Cliff Potts as 'Andy Hill' (tho' GB cameos 'as Glenn Howard' & it's put under GB segment)

Season Two 'The king Of Denmark' co-stars TF & Sue Saint James...put under TF segment.

Besides two guest star episodes 'Goodbye Harry' & 'Man of The People' (GB cameos & in his segment) all the other season one & two stories feature either TF, GB or RS as Lead.

[TCall2004]

RIP, Gene Barry.

[telebob59]

Just learned of Barry's passing myself. And I know of him primarily through this series, the one I remember having seen when it was originally on. Had somehow missed 'Bat Masterson' and 'Amos Burke' evidently. Gave "dapper" a real good name on-screen, eh? And I only knew about his Tony for 'La Cage Aux Folles' upon his death. Indeed.

[TCall2004]

I LOVED "Burke's Law."

[mikefastener]

Yes, just heard of Barry's tragic passing 15 minutes ago. I so remember the "Name of the Game". He was a class act--take care Barry--you will be remembered!

[jsbach15]

His passing sure wasn't mentioned by the media outlets! I just found out that he died via a tiny mention in the TV guide; after they had done a HUGE spread on every celebrity who died this year. Gene wasn't included in that article!

[MEXICOesMIERDA]

QUE RECUERDOS!! y que musica tan chida!!

[tonkehar]

Love the sound of the typewriter as a musical effect !

[JetMechMA]

@tonkehar: Love the sound of the typewriter as a musical effect !

JM: Didn't notice that. Good catch. This piece is musically rich. In a funny sort of a way I blame shows like this for my disillusionment phase of life. Listening to Dave Grusin and watching "The Name of the Game" as a child.....I thought America was firing on all cylinders and always would be. Wha haaaappen?

[tonkehar]

@JetMechMA Some ppl now days would say what's a typewriters. The new generation would only no texting. What happen?...your guess is as good as mine. This show was before People Magazine. Great show..Gene Barry as Glenn Howard was the best part of the show. 90 minutes it was like a movie.every week. I believe that TV will go back again to great entertainment...maybe with the 3D TV. Hotel Babylon BBC is my new show. Check it out on my ch!

[JetMechMA]

@tonkehar I really enjoyed clicking into you guy's replies just to here the theme music again.

[kresblain]

Incidentally, KNXT (now KCBS) in Los Angeles did that as well.

Just to clarify, despite the accuarte theme song identified on the closing, the musical arrangement heard here is actually from series (season) 1 from 1968-69. Also, notice the billing rotation (based on who's on which episode) is limited to what you see here. The series 3 episode "L.A. 2017" initially had Barry, Franciosa and Stack in said order. This was one of many shows to get a generalized opening title in reruns. Kudos.

[chuckcollins]

Really strange considering there was no "Sponsored By" to edit out. I would say it was just laziness, but then you had the music substitution which would have required effort. Maybe whoever put it together for syndication simply liked this music arrangement the best.

[us71]

I thought S1 and S3 had the same theme? I know Tony Franciosa left during S3, but they kept his title slide.

My sister loved the show, but I never got into it. I'd love to watch it and see if my tastes have changed. ;)

[kresblain]

The actual S3 arrangement can be heard on the closing credits posted here as well. Just follow the corresponding link on the "More From" and/or "Related Videos" column.

[RandyBell2007]

This is the best explanation of the rotation and theme music I've heard yet about Name. I tried explaining 2 years ago, the themes from Seasons:1-3 are different in arrangement. Yes you are correct. Whoever was the lead in that particular story, their title card would go first. Franciosa, Barry and Stack.

[fromthesidelines]

This aired on Friday nights at 8:30pm(et), right after "THE HIGH CHAPPARAL" on NBC, from 1968 through '71. Channel 2, WCBS-TV in New York, used to repeat them as "individual movies" (often without the opening title sequence) on late Sunday nights in the '70s...

[chuckcollins]

Friday nights in the 70's used to be incredibly hard to choose from with all the excellent TV crammed into three hours and not a VCR in sight.

[RandyBell2007]

Yes! Will Name ever go on DVD? Excellent show and brilliantly written. Its music, stories and format were ahead of its time. People Mag and so many other things were copied. Franciosa said in an interview, Name's music and opening was copied by other shows.

[wmbrown6]

@fromthesidelines - WBBM-TV (Channel 2) in Chicago also aired original "Name of the Game" episodes in syndication during the 1970's.

[StukInBuf]

@wmbrown6 During the mid 70s, my folks and I lived in Minnesota's *Iron Rim.* There, WDIO/WIRT, 10 and 13, aired it on weekend afternoons before the newscasts.