Man of the World (TV series)

Lore & Background

The series stars Craig Stevens as Michael Strait, a world-renowned photographer whose assignments lead him into investigating mysterious goings-on amongst the rich and glamorous and intrigue from far-flung places such as Iraq, French Indochina and Algiers. Tracy Reed co-stars in the first series as Maggie MacFarlane. The main cast also includes a wide array of guest stars, including Alfred Burke, Shirley Eaton, Burt Kwouk, Anthony Quayle, Warren Mitchell, Leela Naidu, Eric Pohlmann, Donald Sutherland, Carlos Thompson, Patrick Troughton, Sam Wanamaker, Patrick Wymark, and John Meillon.

Reader's Guide

Man of the World represents a mid-century British adventure drama that capitalized on the international intrigue and exotic locations popular in television of the early 1960s. Produced by ITC Entertainment, the series was distributed widely and featured a distinctive theme by Henry Mancini, with incidental music controlled by Ivor Slaney using many musical cues of Edwin Astley. The show was filmed on location and at Shepperton Studios, and its 20 monochrome episodes aired on ATV London between 1962 and 1963, though ITV regions varied date and order. The series is notable for its guest cast, which includes early appearances by actors such as Donald Sutherland and Patrick Troughton. Its legacy is preserved through home video releases and archival availability, including a colorized episode on the Internet Archive.

Did You Know?

• The series' theme music was composed by John Barry.
• Tracy Reed co-starred only in the first series as Maggie MacFarlane.
• The show ran for 20 one-hour episodes in monochrome.