Mr. Wizard premiered 59 years ago, today

Not having seen him in action since the Nickelodeon days back in the 80s, I'd almost forgotten how well Don "Mr. Wizard" Herbert did the job of communicating science. A radio actor and documentary producer, Herbert created the first science-experiment centric TV show, "Watch Mr. Wizard", which premiered on Chicago's WNBQ-TV in 1951. Within months, the show had moved to its natural and cosmically-correct time slot—Saturday mornings.

Bonus: The clip above features the first intelligent girl I have ever seen in a 1950s television show. I can only assume she was carted off to the gulag as soon as filming wrapped.

And, yes, I realize that 59 is a weird anniversary to celebrate. But, you know what, it's Mr. Wizard. We'll celebrate this year, and next year, too. Try and stop me.

Maggie Koerth-Baker is the science editor at BoingBoing.net. She writes a monthly column for The New York Times Magazine and is the author of Before the Lights Go Out, a book about electricity, infrastructure, and the future of energy. You can find Maggie on Twitter and Facebook.

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lionelbrits

Her manner of speaking is delightful. Wish more people knew how to speak properly, like, myself included.
technogeek

My niece would love that — not least because she’s a science fan herself and would appreciate having the role model.
Gainclone

I love a girl that can enunciate.
Anonymous

And we wonder why the newer generation is science illiterate…. we have shows about kids looking for ghosts on cartoon network but I cant think of a any that actually makes science interesting? Anyone have any examples of such shows in recent yrs?
- Anonymous
  
  Well, there was Newton’s Apple, hosted by Ira Flatow in the 1980′s (yeek! 20 years ago), and a British counterpart 10 years earlier, called Don’t Ask Me with the indominatable Dr. Magnus Pyke (SCIENCE! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoJKWR3DIuA) et al
- NefariousNewt
  
  I tend to think that Mythbusters, is a worthy, if slightly different successor to the Mr. Wizard legacy. After all, what’s more scientific than exploring the mechanics of myths and attempting to see if they are plausible?
lyd

I really need to find a job with less slack-time, but meanwhile…

After Mr. Wizard, Rita went on to the uncredited role of Patty Duke’s double on the Patty duke show. Next she did an 11 year run on As The World Turns, from 1970 to 1981. Finally there is a single movie credit, “Cry from the Mountain”, in 1985.

She is currently married to a Reverend and working as an optometrist in New Jersey.

I bought the DVD set of “Watch Mr. Wizard” anyway. ;-)
Chloramphenicol

@ #17.

Damned right. We need a new show like Watch Mr. Wizard (later Mr. Wizard’s World) for the current generation. I grew up watching this on Nickelodeon, then when it went off the air I switched to watching Bill Nye. Bill Nye was a good attempt at a follow-up, and it looked like he enjoyed hosting the show, but the show itself struck me as too… I dunno, frantic, maybe?

It’s almost enough to make me want to pitch the show myself…
bbbaldie

My own remembrance/tribute to Mr. Wizard: http://www.irememberjfk.com/mt/2007/06/mr_wizard.php
ice2cu

Ah, the first person to be burned at the stake for practicing witchcraft and science.
Truckee Ron

For all you Gen Xers out there $500 bills were extant and legal currency then as were $1000 bills. Also having grown up in that time frame I do not agree girls then were passive and puerile. These were the later flower children in there late teens and twenties.
Anonymous

I liked Beakman’s World, but it drove my parents nuts. they said it was like “a never ending commerical”.
Anonymous

Stay in touch with Mr. Wizard and his staff via Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/mrwizard or check out the website at http://www.mrwizardstudios.com!
Anonymous

A great scientist, just like Emilio Lizardo.
lyd

Awesome!

I thought the reason the bill didn’t burn in this experiment was that it was too deprived of oxygen, though. I’m pretty sure you’d get the same result with a glass rod or other good insulator.

The girl is terrific and I have an age-inappropriate insta-crush (so, so lonely… *sigh*), but she seems of just average intelligence. Were 50′s TV girls known for being exceptionally dull?
- Maggie Koerth-Baker
  
  Any time I’ve seen them in the past, yeah. Based on previous encounters with 1950s TV girls, I was surprised this one had the correct answer before Mr. Wizard told her what was going on—and was assertive about it.
  
  In my experience, girls (and grown women) in that era of television tended to be very passive in that, “gee, I don’t know what’s going on, I’m just a girl! tee hee!” kind of way.
Silversalty

Sad to say it’s my age that made me question the arithmetic, thinking “ONLY 49 years ago!”

The show was truly excellent and Don Herbert had that special quality of a great teacher, to inspire.
gregux

This anniversary is actually the 59th. Great show, however old it is.
davide405

49 is an excellent year to celebrate:

When identifying prime numbers less than 100 using the Sieve of Eratosthenes, the number 49 is the last perfect square to be eliminated from the list.
- davide405
  
  My math geekishness is rendered obsolete by edits to the original post. I suppose I should have checked the date arithmetic before expounding upon the worthiness of 7^2 as an anniversary worth celebrating.
mn_camera

49 is a “square” anniversary, isn’t it?

Mr. Wizard would have approved.

And it was one of my favorite shows as a kid.
wqoq

Really? Only 49 years? I could’ve sworn it feels more like 59…
- Maggie Koerth-Baker
  
  Ha! You’re right. Sadly, Mr. Wizard never taught me how to do correct addition.
Sleestak

Sweet dark halo around that candle flame
lyd

The girl is Rita McLaughlin, and she was in a bunch of episodes. Might have to get the DVD’s now…

http://www.mrwizardstudios.com/watchmrwizardtvshow.htm
Anonymous

Thank you so much for sharing. I can’t help but thinking that Mr. Wizard is the only reason why I was able to pass physics and chemistry.
Tony

I loved Mr. Wizard reruns on Nickelodeon. I always wanted that heathkit robot so badly.

Does anyone know if 3-2-1 Contact! is on DVD too?
- IronEdithKidd
  
  I loved 3-2-1 Contact! If you find it on DVD, please share the source.