Special for Women (also known as Purex Specials for Women) is a drama/documentary anthology series broadcast on NBC from 1960 to 1965. It dramatized problems faced by everyday women, including menopause, sexual dysfunction and the feminine beauty ideal, followed by a discussion of that episode's topic with a panel of experts.
CreatorGeorge Lefferts
The Cold Woman
Oct 14, 1960
Leora Davis confronts her sexual frigidity with her husband, Charles.
The Trapped Housewife
Nov 10, 1960
Wilhemina Ross realizes she is dissatisfied with her life as a housewife when she leaves a note for the milkman that reads 'Help.' She confronts this with her husband, Mike.
The Working Mother
Dec 8, 1960
Laura Tyler has been accused of child neglect simply because she works a job in addition to raising children. With her husband, Ross, she confronts the existential issues around working women in society.
The Single Woman
Feb 2, 1961
A troubled single woman is torn between a single man and an affair with a married man.
Mother and Daughter
Feb 3, 1961
A mother and daughter, Ruth and Jeannie Evans, confront their mutual resentment of each other.
Change of Life
Apr 13, 1961
As Minna Borden goes through menopause, she reflects on her life, her regrets and her missed opportunities.
What's Wrong with Men?
Oct 19, 1961
Henry Fellow is dissatisfied with his office job and life in general. He confronts this with his wife, Helen.
The Glamour Trap
Nov 16, 1961
Five women at a beauty salon face society's pressures to conform to the feminine beauty ideal.
The Lonely Woman
Jan 8, 1962
Martha Sloan is married and has a full social life on the surface of things, but secretly, she deeply fears loneliness.
The Indiscriminate Woman
Feb 1, 1962
A couple break off their engagement after the woman's promiscuity comes to light.
The Problem Child
Apr 19, 1962
Reports that a nine-year-old has been pushed down a flight of stairs by his father leads to intervention by a social worker. Conflicting stories are heard in a Rashōmon-esque fashion, including from the mother. Investigations reveal that a wide range of social problems are at play.
A Child in Danger
Oct 28, 1964
A female lawyer reluctantly defends a male client accused of child molestation.
The Menace of Age
Dec 10, 1964
After she suffers a stroke, Barbara Lawson is suggested by her doctor that she and her husband Joe live with their daughter's family.
Just a Housewife
Feb 26, 1965
Jacquie Hunter is sick of being thought of as 'just a housewife' and wishes to leave her husband Matt to work for a career-oriented woman.
