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The Man and the Challenge (1959-1960)

 
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 10:07 pm    Post subject: The Man and the Challenge (1959-1960) Reply with quote



Here's another great show from the late 1950s that thrilled kids like myself. I haven't seen it since it went off the air in 1960, but I have fond memories of it. Here's an excerpt from the Wikipedia article about it.
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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.

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Here's the link to the article.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_and_the_Challenge

George Nader starred in another TV series which began just one year later. This one wasn't science fiction, but it was high tech (for it's time). The series was called Shannon. Here's what Wikipedia has to say about it
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Nader stars as Joe Shannon, an insurance investigator for the Transport Bonding and Surety Company. Regis Toomey portrayed Shannon's boss, Bill Cochran.

Shannon drove a modern 1961 Buick Special, equipped with cameras, a dictating machine, tape recorders, weapons, and notably, a mobile phone (decades before cell phones) when car phones were rare. The car required a long whip antenna required for the phone.



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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 5:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

_________________________________

While looking for downloads of The Man and the Challenge and Shannon (unsuccessfully), I stumbled onto two episodes of a science fiction series from 1958 I'd never even heard of before!

It's called WOG (World of Giants), and it stars two of the most well-known actors from 1950s sci-fi — Marshall Thompson and Arthur Franz. Here's how Wikipedia describes the premise.
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American spy Marshall Thompson, while on a covert mission, shrinks to a height of 6 inches after an accident. This series stars Marshall Thompson as Federal Counter-Espionage Agent Mel Hunter, who uses his small size to infiltrate areas that a full-sized man could not.

When not on assignment, he lives in a specially outfitted dollhouse-like miniature. The series co-stars Arthur Franz as his full-sized partner, Agent Bill Winters.


______________ WORLD OF GIANTS: "Off Beat"


__________



__________ WORLD OF GIANTS: "Special Agent"


__________

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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orzel-w
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 6:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ah, yes. I have memory scraps of WOG. Thanks for the dredge, Bud.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 6:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

orzel-w wrote:
Ah, yes. I have memory scraps of WOG. Thanks for the dredge, Bud.

Hot dang, I wish I could find downloads of all 13 episodes. The little I've watched of the ones from YouTube looks really interesting!
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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Pow
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 6:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If I recall correctly on WOG the miniature hero would be transported via a specialized attache case.

Ten years later Gerry Anderson produced a TV series called The Secret Service where the hero could shrink in size via the Minamizer device hidden in a book.

This character also had a specialized attache case for use when he was small. Unlike WOG though our hero could be restored to his normal height.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 9:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

____________________________________

Bulldogtrekker and I watched our downloads of the "WOG" pilot episode, and we loved it! It was extremely well done. We're both hoping to find a source for the other 11 episodes, and a better download for the one we haven't watched yet.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sat Dec 24, 2022 3:33 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 08, 2023 2:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

_________________________________

Here are the only two episodes of The Man and the Challenge I found on Youtube.


______ The Man and the Challenge - The Dropper


__________




__ The Man and the Challenge - The Windowless Room


__________

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Pow
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 08, 2023 3:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I vaguely recall seeing this show as a kid and enjoying it.

I remember watching a black & white TV series where the lead character would be traveling in his car and could press a button, a camera on a rod would extend upwards next to him so he could film things. It might have been this show, but I'm not sure.
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orzel-w
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 08, 2023 9:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pow: Sounds like the series Shannon, also starring Nader, which Bud mentioned in his first post above.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 09, 2023 1:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

______________________________________________

The Shannoon thread is at this link —

https://www.allsci-fi.com/viewtopic.php?t=4509

— and it includes the one episode which YouTube has. The picture quality is pretty good, but the opening credits are missing. However, YouTube does have the 19 second opening in another video.

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
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Pow
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 09, 2023 1:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You're right, Bruce, Shannon was the show with the high-tech camera in the car. I just read a description of the series on IMDB. I recall nothing else from the show at all. I sure do remember being very impressed with that camera deal in Shannon's vehicle as a kid.
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Gord Green
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 09, 2023 2:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As I recall "The Man and the Challenge" was on the same night as "MEN INTO SPACE". Maybe even a hour package. Anyone remember?
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