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Peace through
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Older members will likely rememberThe Name of the Game which aired on NBC from 1968 to 1971.

I am not alone in my opinion that LA 2017, broadcast January 15, 1971, is the best episode of the series, and certainly the most memorable. Directed by Spielberg, the episode portrays a dystopian future in which humanity has been forced underground by a global environmental disaster (brought about by evil Mankind, no doubt). The late 1960s / early 1970s saw the popular rise of environmentalism and people were certain that the planet wouldn't survive the decade. IOW, the same stupid shit going on today.

That silly stuff aside, I was nine years old when I saw this episode and one of the things that intrigued me was the idea that in the future, people would use mathematics as a form of verbal communication. This is shown only briefly in the episode but it's stayed with me.

Also, I feel confident in saying that this is the only piece of fiction ever to contain the term "surface negro". You're just going to have to find it on your own.

This youtube vid shows the complete episode but for one scene. In the comments, you will find the following:

"This version on YouTube is missing a scene that I remember from the original 1971 broadcast. When Gene Barry and Sharon Ferrell were in his room together, Gene asked her what she did in her spare time. She said she went to the chapel. I remember a scene where they went to the chapel. The chapel was full of computer terminals where visitors could type any questions they had and the computer would respond (simulating God, I guess). Gene typed the question 'Who is buried in Grant’s Tomb?' This question completely confused the computer and it couldn’t answer. That’s what I remember from when I was 12 years old."

So, as you can see, this episode left an impression on more than a few young viewers, and I suppose that's a tribute to Spielberg's talent, although as far as I'm concerned, it's past time for him to retire.

Anyway, enjoy this artifact of its time.



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Posts: 107587 | Registered: January 20, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hold Fast
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We watched it every week so I'm sure I've seen this episode before, thought my memory is not nearly as good as yours.


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Posts: 7632 | Location: Georgia  | Registered: May 16, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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