It’s a Man’s World

Starring: Glenn Corbett, Michael Burns, Ted Bussell, Randy Boone
First Aired: September 17, 1962
Number of Seasons: 1
Estimated Production Cost: $85,000* per episode with inflation

Comedy dramas about a group of friends living together in an apartment are nothing new, but what about four guys living together on a houseboat? It’s a Man’s World had a fascinating mix of individuals that came together, including recently orphaned brothers Wes (Corbett) and Howie (Corbett) (Burns). Dawn Wells, Joan Tewkesbury, Hope Summers, and Med Flory were among the high-profile guests who appeared on It’s a Man’s World. Since there were no other programs on at the time, the NBC show didn’t have much competition from ABC or CBS for the 7:30ET Monday time slot. The only other programs on were Cheyenne (ABC) and two CBS quiz shows. Despite the show’s rich origins and compelling plotlines, NBC decided to terminate it midway through the season. There have been many praises for It’s a Man’s World, praising it for being ahead of its time in terms of subjects such as feminism and the ever-increasing dissatisfaction between different generations during a time of rapid change. Glenn Corbett went on to star in Route 66, which was a show that was similar to but more established.

It’s A Man’s World

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Starring: Edward Andrews, Nita Talbot, Harrison Page, Robert Alda, Patrick Collins, Charlie Ball
First Aired: February 7, 1979
Number of Seasons: 1
Estimated Production Cost: Over $1 million* per episode

Consider the following scenario: a luxurious vessel with swimming pools, magnificent retail malls, fully-equipped gyms, and even a nightclub for when the mood strikes. However, it was a hypothetical nuclear-powered super train that was constructed for television, not a perfect cruise holiday. However, there was a cost associated with each episode, which concentrated on the complicated lives and activities of individuals onboard. Supertrain, as you may recall, cost NBC a fortune. The network paid $10 million (equivalent to $35.85 million in today’s money) for the three trains required for the set, which was a sum that was practically unheard of at the time. To make up for its losses, NBC spent even more money to market the show strongly in the hopes that viewers would tune in and help the network recover its losses. While the show only had nine episodes, the production of it was extremely expensive, making it the most expensive television series ever aired at the time of its debut. A massive amount of advertising for the series was done before it was released in an attempt to secure a return on investment, however it failed miserably.

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