"L.A. 2017" is a 1971 episode of the NBC

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

'' The Name of the Game''. Sometimes referred to as "Los Angeles: AD 2017" (the name of

Philip Wylie Philip Gordon Wylie (May 12, 1902 – October 25, 1971) was an American writer of works ranging from pulp science fiction, mysteries, social diatribes and satire to ecology and the threat of nuclear holocaust. Early life and career Born in Bever ...

's subsequent novel based on his script) or "Los Angeles 2017", it is a

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

piece, shot for $375,000. The episode was directed by

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...

. This is the sixteenth episode of the third season, and the cast includes Barry Sullivan, Severn Darden, and Edmond O'Brien. The episode is 76 minutes long (90 minutes including commercials). The episode has never been released on home video, either as a stand-alone film, or as a part of the series. Presenting the story as a dream was the only way that Wylie's science fiction tale could be fitted into the peculiar format of ''The Name of the Game'', a show about the magazine business set in the present and rotating between Gene Barry, Tony Franciosa, and

Robert Stack Robert Stack (born Charles Langford Modini Stack; January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was an American actor and television host. Known for his deep voice and commanding presence, he appeared in over forty feature films. He starred in the America ...

(and in the third season also featuring

Peter Falk Peter Michael Falk (September 16, 1927 – June 23, 2011) was an American film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Columbo (character), Lieutenant Columbo on the NBC/American Broadcasting Company, ABC series ''Columbo'' (196 ...

, Robert Wagner, and Robert Culp).

Plot

A publisher, Glenn Howard ( Gene Barry), while driving and dictating a memo to the President regarding the saving of the environment, finds himself suddenly plunged 46 years into the future only to learn that the people of Los Angeles are living underground to escape the

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause harm. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the component ...

which has made living on the surface no longer possible. A fascist America is run like a corporation with a number of vice-presidents. The police department of the subterranean Los Angeles is led/managed by psychiatrists. His identity is discovered and he's asked to join the government by re-starting his publication as propaganda. He considers, then refuses when he discovers that the corporations are still emitting pollutants into the air, further destroying the atmosphere. At the end, Howard wakes up to discover it was all a dream—apparently he passed out in his car from carbon monoxide inhalation from the dash vents. A police officer had just administered oxygen and, after he came to, was asked if he was okay and able to drive. He replied in the affirmative, starting his Chrysler 300 which spews exhaust out the tailpipe. As he drives away there is a chilling final image of a dead bird that hints at a troubled future ahead.

Cast

* Gene Barry as Glenn Howard * Barry Sullivan as Dane Bigelow * Edmond O'Brien as Bergman * Severn Darden as Cameron * Paul Stewart as Dr. Rubias *Alicia Bond as Dr. Barton * Regis Cordic as Chairman * Walt Davis as technician * Sharon Farrell as Sandrelle * Michael C. Gwynne as Dr. Parker *Steven Karpf as Karpf * Louise Latham as Helen Bigelow * Geoffrey Lewis as Bates *Sarah Lord as technician * Gloria Manon as Dr. Arnold * Phil Montgomery as Keeger * Stuart Nisbet as Dr. Simmons * Jason Wingreen as Hammond

References

External links

* {{Steven Spielberg 1971 American television episodes Works by Steven Spielberg Fiction set in 2017 Television episodes set in Los Angeles Television episodes set in the 2010s