" ▁as ▁the ▁title ▁character , ▁a ▁b umb ling ▁sp y ▁in ▁a ▁tren ch ▁coat ▁who , ▁with ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁a ▁young ▁paper boy ▁called ▁H . B ., ▁tried ▁to ▁catch ▁the ▁villa in ous ▁Dig by ▁Drop out ▁and ▁his ▁hen ch man ▁Dun ce ▁using ▁cl ues ▁from ▁H . B .' s ▁" Al phabet ▁Book ". ▁Initial ly , ▁the ▁Man ▁was ▁also ▁to ▁have ▁had ▁a ▁chief , ▁" T each er ". ▁The ▁segments ▁were ▁created ▁by ▁Ses ame ▁Street ▁executive ▁producer ▁David ▁Con nell ▁and ▁referenced ▁such ▁tongue - in - che ek ▁sp y ▁series ▁as ▁Get ▁Sm art ▁and ▁The ▁Man ▁from ▁U . N . C . L . E .. ▁Despite ▁the ▁advance ▁public ity , ▁and ▁Con nell ' s ▁invest ment ▁in ▁the ▁series , ▁" The ▁Man ▁from ▁Al phabet " ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁failure ▁with ▁test ▁aud ien ces . ▁The ▁combination ▁of ▁the ▁Man ▁from ▁Al phabet ' s ▁constant ▁b ung ling ▁and ▁problem ▁solving ▁attempts ▁confused ▁k ids , ▁and ▁the ▁less ons ▁never ▁came ▁across . ▁H . B .' s ▁role ▁as ▁the ▁true ▁problem - sol ver ▁was ▁not ▁clearly ▁understood , ▁a ▁fact ▁ex ac erb ated ▁by ▁the ▁child ▁actor ' s ▁st ilt ed ▁delivery ▁and ▁poor ▁diction . ▁As ▁ass essed ▁by ▁Edward ▁L . ▁Pal mer , ▁" The ▁amount ▁of ▁truly ▁effective ▁educational ▁content , ▁relative ▁to ▁our ▁goals , ▁is