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Show
Guide: Men Into Space
Written by Rick Ellis,
February 28th, 1999
Also known as Space
Challenge in syndication, this half-hour series managed to
last 38 episodes on CBS, airing from September 1959 to September
1960.
Produced in black-and-white,
the series attempted to show what space flight would be like in
the near future--with an emphasis on the astronauts. Each episode
featured a similiar plot: an astronaut would find himself in trouble
on the moon, in space or in training, and would heroically manage
to survive, thanks to his bravery and the support of his fellow
astronauts. In many ways, it was the late 1950's version of the
1990's series The Cape.
THE
CAST:
William Lundigan
as Colonel Edward McCauley
Joyce Taylor
as Mary McCauley
FUN
FACTS:
The role of
Mrs. was played by Angie Dickinson in the series pilot.
William
Lundigan had a long career in mostly B-movies before this show
hit the air. Overall, his best-known role is as "Mr. Clancy"
in the 1968 movie, "Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows."
Some suits
and sets from the show were reused in the 1959 C-movie "The
Phantom Planet." That film starred silent movie actor Francis
X. Bushman and Richard Kiel.
Reruns of
the show sometimes air on The Sci-Fi Channel, during their weekend
show, "Retro TV."
The series
was nominated for a Hugo in 1960 in the category of "Best
Dramatic Presentation." The Hugo is an award given out in
the science fiction industry.
EPISODE
GUIDE:
"Moon
Probe", aired 9-30-59
"Moon
Landing," aired 10-7-59
"Building
A Space Station," aired 10-14-59
"Water
Tank Rescue," aired 10-28-59
"Lost
Missile," aired 11-4-59
"Moonquake,"
aired 11-11-59
"Space
Trap," aired 11-18-59
"Asteroid,"
aired 11-25-59
"Edge
Of Eternity," aired 12-2-59
"Burnout,"
aired 12-9-59
"First
Woman On The Moon," aired 12-16-59
"Christmas
On The Moon," aired 12-23-59
"Quarantine,"
aired 12-30-59
"Tankers
In Space," aired 1-6-60
"Sea
Of Stars," aired 1-13-60
"A Handful
Of Hours," 1-20-60
"Earthbound."
1-27-60
"Caves
Of The Moon," 2-3-60
"Dateline:
Moon," aired 2-10-60
"Mooncloud,"
aired 2-17-60
"Contraband,"
aired 3-2-60
"Dark
Side Of The Sun," aired 3-9-60
"Verdict
In Orbit," aired 3-16-60
"Is
There Another Civilization?" aired 3-23-60
"Shadows
On The Moon," aired 3-30-60
"Flash
In The Sky," aired 4-6-60
"Lunar
Secret," aired 4-13-60
"Voice
Of Infinity," aired 4-20-60
"From
Another World," aired 4-27-60
"Emergency
Mission," aired 5-4-60
"Beyond
The Stars," aired 5-11-60
"Mission
To Mars," aired 5-25-60
"Moon
Trap," aired 6-1-60
"Flare
Up," aired 8-17-60
"Into
The Sun," aired 8-24-60
"The
Sun Never Sets," aired 8-31-60
"Mystery
Satellite," aired 9-7-60
"Flight
To The Red Planet," unaired during network run
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