b ett ▁first ▁appeared ▁on ▁television . ▁The ▁stories ▁initially ▁closely ▁followed ▁the ▁scripts ▁written ▁for ▁the ▁un pub lished ▁newspaper ▁com ic ▁strip ▁Tom ▁R anger , ▁Space ▁Cad et , ▁by ▁Joseph ▁Gre ene ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 9 . ▁ ▁Tom ▁Cor b ett ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁only ▁six ▁TV ▁series ▁to ▁appear ▁on ▁all ▁four ▁networks ▁of ▁the ▁time , ▁along ▁with ▁The ▁Arthur ▁Murray ▁Party , ▁Down ▁You ▁Go , ▁The ▁Er nie ▁K ov acs ▁Show , ▁P antom ime ▁Qu iz , ▁and ▁The ▁Original ▁Am ateur ▁H our : ▁▁ ▁CBS ▁from ▁October ▁ 2 ▁to ▁December ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁ ▁ABC ▁from ▁January ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁to ▁September ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁ ▁N BC ▁from ▁July ▁to ▁September ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁ ▁Du Mont ▁from ▁August ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁to ▁May ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁▁ ▁N BC ▁again ▁from ▁December ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁to ▁June ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁with ▁the ▁final ▁broadcast ▁on ▁June ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 9 5 5 . ▁ ▁Cast ▁ ▁Tom ▁Cor b ett ▁– ▁Frank ie ▁Thomas , ▁Jr . ▁Ast ro ▁– ▁Al ▁Mark im : ▁A ▁Ven us ian ▁cad et ▁Roger ▁Mann ing ▁– ▁Jan ▁Mer lin : ▁A ▁sm ug , ▁e got ist ical ▁cad et ▁with ▁an ▁in ordin ately ▁high ▁opinion ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁ab ilities , ▁although ▁he ▁occasionally ▁proved