# What happened to Mr. Wizard? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 13, 2000, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366 "2000-12-13T16:30:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/21 "2000-12-14T04:19:01Z")
As I said I can’t find a listing on the net and I understand your concern about posting it publicly. If you wouldn’t mind E-mailing it to me, that would be appreciated. My address is on my profile ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/22 "2000-12-14T05:24:26Z")
I know I had the hots for one of Beakman’s assistants, but I can’t remember which one, I think I only saw one of them. I know it wasn’t the rat, but a perky female human. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/23 "2000-12-14T05:27:27Z")
Ah, I think it was [this](http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palms/3361/senpics.htm) one. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/24 "2000-12-14T05:34:52Z")
Oh, maybe not…maybe it was [this](http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/4567/leez8.gif) one. ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/25 "2000-12-14T06:31:19Z")
Coincidentally, I’m using Don Herbert’s “Mr. Wizard’s Experiments for Young Scientists” as a mousepad right now. Cool. ---
**Author:** ![KV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8baadc/32.png) [@KV](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KV)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/26 "2000-12-14T13:53:33Z")
I wonder if Nick would even consider doing another series like Mr. Wizard. It seems they’re only concerned with crappy cartoons now. Whatever happened to “David The Gnome”, or “The Little Koalas” I loved those growing up. ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/27 "2000-12-14T15:07:06Z")
Badtz. The second one (Eliza Schneider, IRL) is the goofy one I liked. I don’t even remember the chubby one (Senta Moses). Wasn’t there yet another one? Checking IMDB… Yeah. [Alanna Ubach](http://us.imdb.com/EGallery?0822-spi/ubachala.nna) as Josie. Seems like she’s been in quite a few indie flicks since she last donned the lab coat. More cool facts: Apparently Eliza is now doing many of the female voices for South Park since Mary Kay Bergman died. The show’s costume desginer, Betsey Potter, was nominated four years in a row for a Daytime Emmy in Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design. Looks like we’re not the only one who appreciate a middle-aged man in a giant rat costume. ---
**Author:** ![doyle420](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5e9695/32.png) [@doyle420](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doyle420)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/28 "2000-12-14T15:44:52Z")
Jetassisted, what did you mean by “the apparently now restricted Fraggle Rock”? ---
**Author:** ![richventure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@richventure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/richventure)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/29 "2013-02-12T14:46:19Z")
Good morning, I live in Hammond, Indiana, a suburb from Chicago, and “Betsy” lived in our city and went to our high school. We have a very good website promoting Hammond (Jean Shepherd’s home town and real location of his “Christmas Story”). Hosting the website, I would like to know if anyone knows what happened to “Betsy”. Her real name was Susie Levin. Please let us know how we might contact her. If she does not want to be bothered or remembered, let us know that, too. Our site is: [hhs59.com](http://hhs59.com) You may contact me directly through that site using email links provided. I was a great fan of Mr. Wizard but never got to know Susie Levin personally. By the way, our 1959 class of graduates from Hammond High School (Indiana) ended up with more than 17 Ph.D.s; college presidents, CEOs, VP of Lockheed Martin, VP of IBM, successful teachers, doctors, parents and more. Mr. Wizard had an effect on all of us. Richard Barnes, Ph.D. > **[Hammond Indiana - Hammond High School](http://hhs59.com)** > > Hammond Indiana High School HHS Class of 1959, history, photos and stories ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/30 "2013-02-12T16:48:28Z")
I was never of a fan or Mr. Wizard. [Julius Sumner Miller](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Sumner_Miller) (aka “Professor Wonderful”) was far superior. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/31 "2013-02-12T17:00:49Z")
Being that Don Herbert passed away in 2007, I’m sure there’s a zombie joke waiting to happen. FYI, this is a 13 year old thread. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/32 "2013-02-12T17:55:57Z")
Didn’t Mr. Wizard do a segment on zombies? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/33 "2013-02-12T18:55:11Z")
I disagree with **FannyMae’s** suggestion for a show that’s more “real” or focused on something from a college physics class. One thing that made Mr. Wizard great was that he dealt with the very basics of science. There was a “gee whiz” factor in just about everything he did, but he was dealing with the fundamental concepts of everyday science, and that’s what hooked so many of us on science and nature. And that’s still what people need. Incidentally, when I grew up (age-wise, anyway) and began to teach middle school science, I often attended the annual National Science Teachers Association conventions, and he occasionally spoke at them. And every time he walked anywhere, he was surrounded by a gaggle of science teachers, all saying that he was their main inspiration. Also, regarding his approach to kids, he was not one of the “everyone gets a trophy” type of teacher, and though he was kind, he was not totally averse to saying, “No,” or “that’s not right,” to a child. He treated them with respect. His demonstrations were designed with genius. A true great. ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@Bob\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_X)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/34 "2013-02-12T19:34:50Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > It’s funny you mention Mr. Wizard. He lives near me in Plymouth, MI(don’t come stalking him now). His name is Don Herbert. Yes, he’s still alive and well, looks about the same but just older. We see him at the grocery store once in awhile. > > He is from Michigan originally; I don’t really know too much about how he got into being Mr. Wizard and all that. I’ve never really met him. Oh, he’s even listed in the phone book. He’s seems very down to earth. > > Funny thing is, when I watched him as a kid I had no idea he lived near me. My parents never mentioned it. Then one day, they just casually mentioned that they saw him at a bookstore. They always knew he lived around here. Odd, huh? A couple decades I lived in the Shadyside section of Pittsburgh, which was the neighborhood of Misterogers, and I’d see Fred Rogers on the street sometimes. If you have ever wondered whether Misterogers was an “act”, no, that was just Fred. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/35 "2013-02-12T19:46:50Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > Didn’t Mr. Wizard do a segment on zombies? > > 😃 zombie or no if he did it was on Mr Wizard’s World ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/36 "2013-02-12T20:21:37Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > zombie or no > > if he did it was on > > Mr Wizard’s World The original, black and white, 1950’s show was called Watch Mr. Wizard. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/37 "2013-02-12T20:51:57Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > zombie or no > > if he did it was on > > Mr Wizard’s World > [@CC](#): > > The original, black and white, 1950’s show was called Watch Mr. Wizard. in 1983 he came out with Mr Wizard’s World. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/38 "2013-02-12T23:16:19Z")
Since this is a tv zombie, let’s move to Cafe Society from General QUestions. **samclem** , moderator ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/39 "2013-02-13T01:22:08Z")
> [@lost4life](#): > > Being that Don Herbert passed away in 2007, I’m sure there’s a zombie joke waiting to happen. > > FYI, this is a 13 year old thread. And one of the older ones I have a post in. Indeed, we lived right near him and my original post from 12 1/2 years ago is accurate. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366/40 "2013-02-13T12:40:22Z")
I missed this thread the first time around. I watched Mr. Wizard on TV as a kid, and was surprised (when I inherited my unvcle’s collection of old _Science Digests_ to learn that he had been doing it well before I was born. That he was still doing it during the early years of Nickelodeon flabbergasts me. I’m surprised he died as recently as 2007. I did like his stuff – learned about mechanical engineering principles as well as science. Good science without condescension. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-mr-wizard/45366.md?page=1)