The Man and the Challenge

30min

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

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.

Episodes

Cast

The Sphere of No Return

1. The Sphere of No Return

30min

12th Sep 1959

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.

Maximum Capacity

2. Maximum Capacity

30min

19th Sep 1959

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.

Odds Against Survival

3. Odds Against Survival

30min

26th Sep 1959

Sky Diving

4. Sky Diving

30min

3rd Oct 1959

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.

Experiments in Terror

5. Experiments in Terror

30min

10th Oct 1959

Invisible Force

6. Invisible Force

30min

17th Oct 1959

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.

Escape to Nepal

7. Escape to Nepal

30min

24th Oct 1959

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.

Border to Border

8. Border to Border

30min

31st Oct 1959

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.

Trial by Fire

9. Trial by Fire

30min

7th Nov 1959

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

White Out

10. White Out

30min

14th Nov 1959

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.

The Breaking Point

11. The Breaking Point

30min

28th Nov 1959

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

Jungle Survival

12. Jungle Survival

30min

5th Dec 1959

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

I've Killed Seven Men

13. I've Killed Seven Men

30min

12th Dec 1959

Man Without Fear

14. Man Without Fear

30min

19th Dec 1959

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.

The Visitors

15. The Visitors

30min

26th Dec 1959

The Storm

16. The Storm

30min

1st Jan 1960

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

Killer River

17. Killer River

30min

9th Jan 1960

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

Rodeo

18. Rodeo

30min

23rd Jan 1960

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

The Windowless Room

19. The Windowless Room

30min

30th Jan 1960

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.

Nightmare Crossing

20. Nightmare Crossing

30min

6th Feb 1960

Barton tests candidates for command positions in space.

The Lure of Danger

21. The Lure of Danger

30min

13th Feb 1960

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

Recovery

22. Recovery

30min

20th Feb 1960

Buried Alive

23. Buried Alive

30min

27th Feb 1960

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

Recondo

24. Recondo

30min

3rd Mar 1960

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

Flying Lab

25. Flying Lab

30min

12th Mar 1960

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

Hurricane Mesa

26. Hurricane Mesa

30min

19th Mar 1960

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

Astro Female

27. Astro Female

30min

26th Mar 1960

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

The Extra Sense

28. The Extra Sense

30min

2nd Apr 1960

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

Man in a Capsule

29. Man in a Capsule

30min

9th Apr 1960

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

The Dropper

30. The Dropper

30min

23rd Apr 1960

High Dive

31. High Dive

30min

30th Apr 1960

Daredevils

32. Daredevils

30min

7th May 1960

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

Shooter McLaine

33. Shooter McLaine

30min

21st May 1960

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

Early Warning

34. Early Warning

30min

28th May 1960

Breakoff

35. Breakoff

30min

4th Jun 1960

Highway to Danger

36. Highway to Danger

30min

11th Jun 1960

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

First air date

12th Sep 1959

Last air date

11th Jun 1960

Status

Ended

Type

Scripted

Original language

en

Networks