L'uomo e la sfida

I was in my late teens when this program aired and I watched it every week with my older brother. To me it was an inspiring series that seemed to show that man could go beyond his previous limitations and do what had theretofore been considered impossible. One incident comes to mind to serve as an example: The George Nader character is in an elevator with several other people when the elevator begins to fall out of control. Somehow they have to find a way to survive. Because of Nader's quick thinking and resourcefulness, they are able to transcend their human limitations and survive the fall, although in retrospect it stretches one's credibility. Even at that, though, it inspired me to strive to go beyond my own limitations and to try for seemingly impossible goals.

I, too, watched this series as a pre-teen and loved it. What new jet would George Nader fly, what new car would he test - one week he learned "body surfing" from notes left by a researcher who had died in the attempt - thus proving the concept and reinstating the reputation of the dead man. I guess they hired Nader for the way he looked in a T-shirt - biceps and pecs galore. It certainly wasn't for his acting skills. Various biographers place him as one of Rock Hudson's early Hollywood boy friends. If he'd stayed with it, like Hudson, maybe he would've improved on his acting.

With the death of GEORGE NADER, on 4 February 2002, I thought of this most interesting program, which even though it had only a short run, was a tremendous idea with good story lines throughout. Generally unseen for over 40+ years it would be worth viewing again. The opening credits showed many differing images, one of which was a snippit of COLONEL JOHN PAUL STAPP, riding his famed rocket sled, at the point where he was often referred to as "The Fastest Man Alive".

I've remembered the opening sequence of this show for quite some time, but no one I mentioned it to could ever come up with the show's title. Finally I found it with a properly worded Google search - amazing tools we have today.

I remember a specific episode where there was a crazed driver who was tormenting the motorcycle cops by speeding through their speed traps and - once the motorcycles were in pursuit - releasing numerous logs out of his rigged trunk and the poor policemen would wreck their bikes after running over the logs. Yeah, far-fetched, but it got worse.

The hero of the show then took some sort of mind-altering drug and demonstrated in the lab that - under the drug's influence - he was capable of amazing feats of concentration and dexterity. He grabbed speeding arrows out of the air effortlessly.

So after the lab tests, the cops were given the drug and were then capable of driving their bikes around the logs and catching the demonic motorist.

With some 50 years of retrospection, I'm wondering now if that magic drug might have been LSD? It was a more innocent time...

Anyway, it was a favorite show of my 7-year-old self. That and "The Troubleshooters" and "Rescue 8".

So glad to find others who loved this show, too. No one I ever asked remembered the show. I found it inspiring as well. I was all psyched by science and space, too, and at the time wanted to be "the first woman geologist on the moon." I understand that position has not been filled, but I probably won't make it now ;-) I was in a science club in Niagara Falls, where Bell Labs tested their rocket belt. We were scheduled to see one of those tests, although I think the day we went it was postponed and we missed it.

Kudos to all of you who went on to pursue your dreams. Mine changed to the field of psychology, and I now work with adults who have AD(H)D as a coach. Many people who have ADD are the very ones who have become the adventurers and entrepreneurs, etc., who make a difference in the world and inspire us. It is very gratifying work.