Television's Successful Mr. Wizard Experiment | TheRichest.com
Boiling water with ice cubes? Mr. Wizard introduced science to the American living rooms in the 1950s. Half a century later, Don Herbert's iconic show still evokes innovation amongst the young.
Television has had its fair share of iconic personalities who steered the public discourse of their age. Through their charisma, they broke stereotypes with ease, impressing audiences across age groups, and transformed the concept of entertainment in their times. In the 1960s, the acerbic comedians renovated late-night comedy shows. The 1970s bought excellent sci-fi series that churned the human imagination. However, long before all that in the 1950s, one guy changed the way people looked at television – he made the audience get up and do things.
In 1951, 'Mr. Wizard' aired for the first time on NBC and bought science to the American living rooms. Played by Don Herbert, Mr. Wizard transcended age groups by mixing science with a spectacle so brilliantly that the audience was hooked for the next 25 years.
Don Herbert, born in Minnesota in 1917, was interested in science during his boy scout days. He pursued a career in drama and theatre in New York City. In 1942, he enlisted in the US Army, completing a distinguishing career as a B-24 bomber pilot.
As Mr. Wizard, Donald Jeffry Herbert hosted three seasons. The first show named 'Watch Mr. Wizard' aired between 1951 to 1965. The second one is titled 'Mr. Wizard went on the tube from 1971 to 1972. The last season was called 'Mr. Wizard's World' intrigued the audience from 1983-1990. The decades-long series cemented Mr. Wizard's place in American history.
In the early 1950s, the show was an out-of-the-world experience for a generation of Americans looking to re-build their life after WWII. Countries in the post-war global society were racing ahead of each other to explore science like never before. Just six years ago, in 1945, the world saw the devastating power of the atom bomb, and societies recognized the immense potential of science.
Both Soviet Union and the United States were neck-deep in the space race. When the USSR put the first-ever satellite Sputnik into orbit in space, it hurt the American psyche. Young Americans were rearing to pursue science as a means to beat the Soviets.
So, the stage was already set to accept science in a big way, and Mr. Wizard was just the perfect show for the 1950s. Herbert's show helped sparked a new zeal amongst the youth to explore the unknown frontiers. Mr. Wizard used the relatively new TV medium to introduce young Americans to science in an entertaining way.
Mr. Wizard was such a cult series that Don Herbert featured in the premiere of David Letterman's show in February 1982. Here, he used soda water to inflate a baby bottle nipple, and the subsequent roar of the audience confirmed his legendary status to David Letterman. Straightforward, demonstrative, and magical – the show's theme was ingrained into the 1950s kids' minds.
The weekly half-hour show, broadcasted from a garage-like studio, was aimed at children, but Herbert's audience was far more diverse. Besides kids, he had a generation of parents amongst his fan base who were astonished by his scientific knowledge and simplicity of presentation. His fan mail stories are a legend unto themselves. Once a woman wrote, "If I don't write this, I'll explode," and then continued onto her fan mail content.
The charisma of the show began when the episode ended every week. That's when children across the country would try to recreate the same experiment with their parents. The hands-on experience strengthened the learning and gave the families much-needed family time on the weekends. No wonder the show built a huge fan base, including many dedicated fan clubs in small and big towns alike.
Interestingly, Herbert never talked directly to the audience but indulged in a conversation with a young assistant explaining the scientific concepts via practical experiments. Within a few weeks, the show captured the youth's imagination gluing them to the TV screens as Herbert carried on complex experiments with a calm demeanor.
Herbert's scientific acumen was the key to demonstrate concepts lucidly. Of course, there were inputs from academicians and professors. But the entire execution, explanation, and experiments were Herbert's role. Herbert was indeed a man on a mission. Each episode was planned meticulously by Herbert himself, who made sure that scientific concepts were simplified to children's IQ level. And it worked, every week like clockwork!
The first show of 'Watch Mr. Wizard' intrigued the audience with enigmatic yet straightforward science experiments. Kids and adults would chuckle alike, looking at everyday household items to conduct engaging scientific activities. In his little antics, he gave American households a glimpse into the potential of science, bust the age-old myths, and introduced a generation of Americans to the scientific way of thinking.
The National Museum of American History contains detailed documents showcasing Herbert's contribution as a science educator. Approximately 500 files from the Watch Mr. Wizard show contain detailed documentation about each episode's content describing the meticulous planning it took to host the half-hour spectacle. The documents give insight into the greatest show dedicated to science in American TV history, from lengthy scripts to graphs, diagrams, and practical experiment equipment.
The Mr. Wizard show remains a noteworthy milestone in American culture and society.
Sources: L.A. Times, IMDB, Physics Today
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