The Name of the Game was an Americantelevision series that ran from 1968 to 1971 on NBC, totaling 76 episodes of 90 minutes — an unusual length for a U.S. series, which generally runs 30 or 60 minutes. The series rotated between three characters working at a large magazine company: a crusading reporter with "People Magazine" (Tony Franciosa) -- before there was a real-life People Magazine -- the sophisticated publisher of a family of magazines (Gene Barry), and the editor of "Crime Magazine" (Robert Stack).
The series was based on a 1966 TV movie called Fame Is the Name of the Game directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Franciosa. The show had a relatively large budget for a television series.http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/N/htmlN/nameoftheg/nameoftheg.htm Franciosa left the series during the third season of the show's run, and his rotation taken by various characters played by actors including Peter Falk, Robert Culp, Robert Wagner, and Darren McGavin. Serving as a common theme was newcomer Susan Saint James as Peggy Maxwell, the editorial assistant for each. As well, Franciosa, Barry, and Stack occasionally crossed over into each others' shows, though all three leads never appeared onscreen simultaneously.
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