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The Man and the Challenge

Season 1 · 36 episodes · Sep 12, 1959

  1. Episode 1

    The Sphere of No Return

    Sep 12, 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.

  2. Episode 2

    Maximum Capacity

    Sep 19, 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.

  3. Episode 3

    Odds Against Survival

    Sep 26, 1959

  4. Episode 4

    Sky Diving

    Oct 3, 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.

  5. Episode 5

    Experiments in Terror

    Oct 10, 1959

  6. Episode 6

    Invisible Force

    Oct 17, 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.

  7. Episode 7

    Escape to Nepal

    Oct 24, 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.

  8. Episode 8

    Border to Border

    Oct 31, 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.

  9. Episode 9

    Trial by Fire

    Nov 7, 1959

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

  10. Episode 10

    White Out

    Nov 14, 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.

  11. Episode 11

    The Breaking Point

    Nov 28, 1959

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

  12. Episode 12

    Jungle Survival

    Dec 5, 1959

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

  13. Episode 13

    I've Killed Seven Men

    Dec 12, 1959

  14. Episode 14

    Man Without Fear

    Dec 19, 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.

  15. Episode 15

    The Visitors

    Dec 26, 1959

  16. Episode 16

    The Storm

    Jan 1, 1960

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

  17. Episode 17

    Killer River

    Jan 9, 1960

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

  18. Episode 18

    Rodeo

    Jan 23, 1960

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

  19. Episode 19

    The Windowless Room

    Jan 30, 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.

  20. Episode 20

    Nightmare Crossing

    Feb 6, 1960

    Barton tests candidates for command positions in space.

  21. Episode 21

    The Lure of Danger

    Feb 13, 1960

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

  22. Episode 22

    Recovery

    Feb 20, 1960

  23. Episode 23

    Buried Alive

    Feb 27, 1960

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

  24. Episode 24

    Recondo

    Mar 3, 1960

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

  25. Episode 25

    Flying Lab

    Mar 12, 1960

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

  26. Episode 26

    Hurricane Mesa

    Mar 19, 1960

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

  27. Episode 27

    Astro Female

    Mar 26, 1960

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

  28. Episode 28

    The Extra Sense

    Apr 2, 1960

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

  29. Episode 29

    Man in a Capsule

    Apr 9, 1960

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

  30. Episode 30

    The Dropper

    Apr 23, 1960

  31. Episode 31

    High Dive

    Apr 30, 1960

  32. Episode 32

    Daredevils

    May 7, 1960

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

  33. Episode 33

    Shooter McLaine

    May 21, 1960

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

  34. Episode 34

    Early Warning

    May 28, 1960

  35. Episode 35

    Breakoff

    Jun 4, 1960

  36. Episode 36

    Highway to Danger

    Jun 11, 1960

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