In tense scifi drama The Man Out There, made for the Armchair Theatre strand, Russian astronaut Nicholai Soloviov (Patrick McGoohan) is trapped in space with only a few hours to live. He surprisingly makes radio contact with Marie (Katharine Blake), the wife of a trapper stranded in a remote part of Canada. Marie has an ill child but Nicholai is able to use his medical knowledge to make her better.
Director Charles Jarrott had some nice touches including showing the receding Earth from Nicholai’s point of view. McGoohan spends the whole play strapped alone in his capsule and interacts only with the voice of Marie. Jack Watson who plays the colonel was making his TV debut here.
Katharine Blake who plays the Canadian Marie was South African born, grew up in England and spent many years in Canada becoming one of their top TV actors in the process. She is probably still best known for playing one of the governors on Within These Walls.
Cast: Patrick McGoohan as Nicholai Soloviov; Katharine Blake as Marie; Jack Watson as Colonel; Clifford Evans as The General; Marne Maitland as Deputy Commander; Hermione Gregory as Olga; Brenda Kaye as Natasha; Martin Sterndale as Professor; Reed de Rouen as MacFarlane; Heather Lyons as Cora; Michael Adrian as Sergeant; Ivan Craig as Dorov; Michael Peake as Boriansky
Writer: Donal Gittinan / Producer: Sydney Newman / Director: Charles Jarrott
UK / ITV – ABC / 1×65 minutes / 12 March 1961
