The Networks
I was introduced to The Networks by its designer, Gil Hova (I still have the badge to prove it – it says " Almost a Winner"), and it was an immediate hit with me. Players are running their own TV network, competing to buy shows (and hire stars) to fill their schedule and attract the all-important viewers. To finance all this, they need to find advertisers, of course.
The game is played over five seasons and shows and stars become less popular over time. This gives players a real challenge as they have to plan across all five seasons, refreshing and replacing shows (and stars) as appropriate. And there are a lot of decisions to be made along the way. The aim is to attract the biggest audiences.
What makes the game even better, as far as I'm concerned, is the humour in the cards. Clearly, no real names have been used. Instead we have people like " That fading actor your mother likes" (Paul Newman?) and shows like " You Too Can Play The Recorder" (hey, it's educational!). Great fun.
There are expansions, too: On the Air, Telly Time and Executives.
For 1-5 players, aged 13+, playing time 60-90 minutes: £40.00 (£33.33 without tax outside the UK)
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