The Man and the Challenge

The Man and the Challenge

1959
The Man and the Challenge
The Man and the Challenge

The Man and the Challenge

8.5 | en | Action & Adventure

The Man and the Challenge is a 36-segment half-hour television adventure/science fiction series which ran new episodes on NBC from September 12, 1959, to June 11, 1960. It starred George Nader as Dr. Glenn Barton, a research scientist for the Institute of Human Factors, an agency that conducted experiments designed to measure human endurance for the United States government. The series was produced by Ivan Tors. Nader's costars included Jack Ging as Dan Wright, Michael Masters as Bill Locke, the Canadian-born Joyce Meadows as Lynn Allen, and Michael Keith as Matt Adams. The episodes focused on various individuals setting world records of strength, endurance, and mastery of various difficult skills. The program also featured appearances by Bethel Leslie as Eleanor Beck in "The Early Warning", Ted Knight, as Dr. Herter in the episode "Daredevils", and Raymond Bailey, in the role of Dr. Kramer on the series opener "The Sphere of No Return". Joining Knight in that segment was Paul Burke.

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Seasons & Episodes

1
EP36  Highway to Danger
Jun. 11,1960
Highway to Danger

Barton researches highway hypnosis by subjecting himself to driving conditions that have killed five truck drivers.

EP35  Breakoff
Jun. 04,1960
Breakoff

We don't have an overview of this episode, please check back later.

EP34  Early Warning
May. 28,1960
Early Warning

We don't have an overview of this episode, please check back later.

EP33  Shooter McLaine
May. 21,1960
Shooter McLaine

Barton almost dies when a scientist ignoring his own physical limits and Barton's warnings misreads important test instruments.

EP32  Daredevils
May. 07,1960
Daredevils

Barton puts the king of syut drivers through an incredibly dangerous test believing that the secret to survival lies in body chemical reactions.

EP31  High Dive
Apr. 30,1960
High Dive

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EP30  The Dropper
Apr. 23,1960
The Dropper

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EP29  Man in a Capsule
Apr. 09,1960
Man in a Capsule

Barton conducts a survival test on the surface of the ocean.

EP28  The Extra Sense
Apr. 02,1960
The Extra Sense

In order to prove that emotional stress promotes telepathy, Barton parachutes from a high precipice.

EP27  Astro Female
Mar. 26,1960
Astro Female

Barton puts four women against four men in order to prove that woman can equal and perhaps surpass males as astronauts.

EP26  Hurricane Mesa
Mar. 19,1960
Hurricane Mesa

Barton conducts a test on a pilot to prove that he can be switched successfully to a desk job.

EP25  Flying Lab
Mar. 12,1960
Flying Lab

Barton performs and experiment to show that ignorance and fear cause lack of efficiency.

EP24  Recondo
Mar. 03,1960
Recondo

A warden's daughter is held hostage by four escaped convicts.

EP23  Buried Alive
Feb. 27,1960
Buried Alive

Barton experiments with Yoga to show that it can be helpful in adverting tragedy.

EP22  Recovery
Feb. 20,1960
Recovery

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EP21  The Lure of Danger
Feb. 13,1960
The Lure of Danger

Barton looks individuals that subconsciously want to destroy themselves. He wants to learn why some men desire death.

EP20  Nightmare Crossing
Feb. 06,1960
Nightmare Crossing

Barton tests candidates for command positions in space.

EP19  The Windowless Room
Jan. 30,1960
The Windowless Room

A crack test pilot crashes his aircraft. After the crash he experiences a self-induced paralysis that slowly destroys his career and marriage. Barton restores the pilot's confidence by using hypnotic techniques.

EP18  Rodeo
Jan. 23,1960
Rodeo

Barton investigates the effects of a new rocket belt at a rodeo.

EP17  Killer River
Jan. 09,1960
Killer River

On a cliff above the Colorado River, Barton rescues a parachuted pilot.

EP16  The Storm
Jan. 01,1960
The Storm

Glenn Barton is asked to clear the reputation of a man who died mysteriously.

EP15  The Visitors
Dec. 26,1959
The Visitors

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EP14  Man Without Fear
Dec. 19,1959
Man Without Fear

Barton uses a chemical names LSD-25 on a firefighter. The chemical removes fear, but raging forest fires prove that fear is a necessary part of courage.

EP13  I've Killed Seven Men
Dec. 12,1959
I've Killed Seven Men

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EP12  Jungle Survival
Dec. 05,1959
Jungle Survival

Glenn Barton is sent on a dual mission: test survival techniques in the Amazon Basin and determine the fate of four lost fliers.

EP11  The Breaking Point
Nov. 28,1959
The Breaking Point

A volunteer is sealed in a cell for 30 days and is subjected to psychological torment in order to determine his breaking point.

EP10  White Out
Nov. 14,1959
White Out

Barton researches hypothermia in Antarctica by reducing the body temperature of two doctors. He hopes the experiment will lead to an understanding of how to freeze astronauts to withstand certain aspects of interplanetary flight.

EP9  Trial by Fire
Nov. 07,1959
Trial by Fire

Barton enters an active volcano to test a new type of fire suit. He nearly loses his life in the experiment.

EP8  Border to Border
Oct. 31,1959
Border to Border

Two antagonistic jet pilots are entered into a Mexican auto race to prove that a team can overcome obstacles better than any single person could.

EP7  Escape to Nepal
Oct. 24,1959
Escape to Nepal

In order to test the U2-21 drug which supposedly increases a man's ability to retain oxygen at great heights, Barton puts a group of mountaineers through a rigorous test in the Rockies before sending them to the Himalayas for a final test.

EP6  Invisible Force
Oct. 17,1959
Invisible Force

In a hostile country, three Americans are being held captive. Barton is asked by a Washington official to form a clandestine athletic unit to free them.

EP5  Experiments in Terror
Oct. 10,1959
Experiments in Terror

We don't have an overview of this episode, please check back later.

EP4  Sky Diving
Oct. 03,1959
Sky Diving

To study the effects of gravity on potential astronauts, Barton goes to France to learn free fall parachuting from a brother-and-sister team of skydivers: Suzanne and Georges Bolet.

EP3  Odds Against Survival
Sep. 26,1959
Odds Against Survival

We don't have an overview of this episode, please check back later.

EP2  Maximum Capacity
Sep. 19,1959
Maximum Capacity

Barton sends two men into the frozen north to test their endurance in extreme levels of cold and isolation. He wants to determine the best way to train men for high security jobs in the Arctic.

EP1  The Sphere of No Return
Sep. 12,1959
The Sphere of No Return

In order to test human stamina at high altitudes, Barton and two other men go up in a balloon. When one panics and fails the required standards he is replaced by a woman which draws a hostile response from the remaining pilot.

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8.5 | en | Action & Adventure , Sci-Fi | More Info
Released: 1959-09-12 | Released Producted By: , Country: United States of America Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website:
Synopsis

The Man and the Challenge is a 36-segment half-hour television adventure/science fiction series which ran new episodes on NBC from September 12, 1959, to June 11, 1960. It starred George Nader as Dr. Glenn Barton, a research scientist for the Institute of Human Factors, an agency that conducted experiments designed to measure human endurance for the United States government. The series was produced by Ivan Tors. Nader's costars included Jack Ging as Dan Wright, Michael Masters as Bill Locke, the Canadian-born Joyce Meadows as Lynn Allen, and Michael Keith as Matt Adams. The episodes focused on various individuals setting world records of strength, endurance, and mastery of various difficult skills. The program also featured appearances by Bethel Leslie as Eleanor Beck in "The Early Warning", Ted Knight, as Dr. Herter in the episode "Daredevils", and Raymond Bailey, in the role of Dr. Kramer on the series opener "The Sphere of No Return". Joining Knight in that segment was Paul Burke.

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Cast

Jack Ging , Joyce Meadows , George Nader

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Reviews

qatmom I watched this series when it was on NBC (and I was 9) and a few years later when it had a brief syndicated run.It made a huge impression on my 9-year-old self. I was already a fan of science fiction by way of Science Fiction Theatre (remember that sf was considered purely of interest to male audiences in those days) and this series was far closer to actual science--I don't think they thought they were reaching 9 year old little girls.One episode in particular never left me--"Astro Female", which opened with the rescue of a woman who is the only survivor of a shipwreck; all the others, males, died, but the tough woman survived. This led to an exploration of women as astronauts, something the US never did until decades later. In an age where women on TV were almost invariably portrayed as emotional and weak, this show showed a different possibility that probably is part of why I am in a career in the sciences.Beyond that episode, there were many others exploring human potential beyond the expected.I'd love to see these episodes again. I'd buy them on DVD. I've gone and watched other series that I enjoyed, and usually I have been pleasantly surprised with how well they hold up, not just classics like Twilight Zone, but others like Route 66.
jcstumm Or released on DVD or screened on a cable channel like Amer. Life TV network. I have been watching another favorite, "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", as well as "Lost in Space" and Land of Giants". They've been showing them forever but aren't receptive to suggestions for other shows. My father and I were big fans as I was already a big science/electronics nut, (still am) and my father was an old school chum of Nader. They both attended Oxy together. I still have memories of several of the episodes even though I was only 9. More so than any show that old. I think it was televised on Sat. after "Bonanza". Some of the episodes I recall are the one where he takes the experimental drug that slows down action. Or the one where he body surfs the big ones, (I did that too!) Or the one where there was a mine cave in and he conveys how to use mind control to have the trapped people slow their breathing by entering a trance-like state. That is the one show that I wish I could see again. I got my wish with the original "Outer Limits" and "Sci-Fi Theater...John
f_elber In 1967 I visited the Lake Elsinore glider-port and flew a yellow Pratt Read sailplane. Returning to Germany the above serious ran on TV and one segment was about the high altitude sailplane flights in California in the early 50ies. (The real life pilot was Bill Ivans, I don't know who played him in the series) It turned out that the sailplane in the film was the same (same N-number) as the one I had flown at Lake Elsinore. Ever since I saw that segment I have been searching for it and have been wondering if it is somewhere available. (other segments in that serious were about the Baker Ejection Seat; an instrument to find avalanche victims etc.
susanj50 I liked this show every much. Of course I was a pre-teen and had no taste. It would be interesting to see it again and see if was any good. My father hated it, but what did he know. He hated all interesting television.