It's a Man's World

It was the most intelligent show on television at the time. I wrote to the Television Museum in New York when they first opened to see if they had this in their archives but they did not. I would really love to see this show again. I was only eleven years old when this show was on the air but remember how incredibly disappointed I was when it was taken off. I remember it being about a bunch of brothers that lived together and their issues around relationships. I think the show "Thirty Something" was close to the themes discussed in this show. Way ahead of its time for television. I felt it was a very deep and adult show and appreciated their appeal to my intelligence.

It is Sunday and I was Googling around and ran out of people - so entered It's A Man's World not knowing I would actually find something! I was an extra in Hollywood back when extras were heavily unionized and one had to be registered with Central, Independent and other casting agencies to work. I landed a permanent job on It's A Man's World as double (for Glenn), stand-in (for Randy), and extra on all episodes. I submitted a story line that Peter Tewksbury and James Menzies (co-creators) almost bought - almost! So, they gave me an acting part in the episode entitled "I Count My Life in Coffee Cups" - one line "Hey Gerri" (to actress Diane Sayer). I've been 40+ year personal friends with Kate Murtagh (Mrs. Dobson) and saw Randy at a country music event at the Pomona Fairgrounds about ten years ago. I knew about Ted Bessell of course, but, until visiting this site, knew nothing of Michael Burns or the sad news about Glen. I heard that the negatives were lost - but the TV Archives at UCLA might have them. I would also like to know. This was posted earlier but my email address has changed - is now midnite-zephyr@kc.rr.com Bill Doty

It's difficult to explain exactly why IAMW was such an extraordinarily fine piece of television theater. Partially, of course, is that it was produced at a time when most television drama was either heavy-duty major productions or amazingly stupid sit-coms. IAMW was well acted, well produced and well written. It showed a group of ordinary, nice people getting on with their lives as best they could. The dialog was intelligent. The characters were people you knew from your own life. There were no terrible crises, no violence, no darkness beyond people worrying about what the right thing to do was, but it wasn't Beaver Knows Best and Father is a Dope, which were your other choices. It wasn't bland. It wasn't simple. It wasn't boring. It was real and it was decent and it was interesting. What more can you ask for?

I too, remember this show. I can't remember specific episodes, but there must be a good reason for a ten year-old boy to keep a lasting impression of a TV show that was on over forty years ago. If memory serves, I believe it was on Monday nights on NBC. It's funny that all of us who remember this show were young children at the time. This was not a "kid's" show, per se. Although it was on only for a year, it is still fondly remembered even after all these years. That says something! I'm sure there are thousands more out there who feel the same. The cast and writers should be proud. I would like to see it again someday if it becomes available.

There are 19 episodes of the one-hour series which aired on NBC from Fall, 1962 until just after the turn of the year, 1963 - and was then canceled by NBC, over many protests nationwide. Copyright is owned by Universal and the "masters" (16mm I believe) are among the holdings of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Archives at UCLA. Director Peter Tewksbury and stars Glenn Corbett (Wes) and Ted Bessell (Tom Tom) are all now deceased. Star Michael Burns (a Yale PhD, author and retired professor from Mt.Holyoke College lives in Danville, KY); star Randy Boone still lives in southern California. How do I know? I worked on all 19 episodes of "It's A Man's World." Bill (Now ret. in Kansas City)