# Who was this 'mad-scientist-looking' 80s PBS science show host? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 27, 2013, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-this-mad-scientist-looking-80s-pbs-science-show-host/659449 "2013-05-27T06:25:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-this-mad-scientist-looking-80s-pbs-science-show-host/659449/1 "2013-05-27T06:25:16Z")
It had to be circa early 80s or so, it was a series of 15-minute shows about different science subjects, around high school science level. The shows were videotaped on a very basic, brightly lit set with just a table & props, probably a community college TV studio. The host was this short, grey & wildish hair ‘mad scientist’ sort of looking guy. He didn’t have an accent but he spoke very loudly, clearly enunciating each word, and he looked vaguely German or Russian (bushy eyebrows, sort of scary/friendly looking). At the end of a demonstration he would always enthusiastically shout, \*“Did you see it?! There?! Did you see it?!” \*He used both props and a big pad of poster paper that he’d draw on with a black marker, and then flip over to a new, blank page. He also ended every episode with _“…and I thank you for your attention”_ and as the lights went down & the credits rolled he always took a drink of water. Anybody? ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-this-mad-scientist-looking-80s-pbs-science-show-host/659449/2 "2013-05-27T06:27:20Z")
Wait. I got this one. I think he was a student of someone famous. Hang on. I’ll be right back. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-this-mad-scientist-looking-80s-pbs-science-show-host/659449/3 "2013-05-27T06:32:17Z")
Julius Sumner Miller? ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-this-mad-scientist-looking-80s-pbs-science-show-host/659449/4 "2013-05-27T06:37:34Z")
Dammit, edit time limit expired. I believe you might be talking about [Julius Sumner Miller](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Sumner_Miller). ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-this-mad-scientist-looking-80s-pbs-science-show-host/659449/5 "2013-05-27T06:49:26Z")
[Here’s a pic](http://www.abc.net.au/science/quiz/archive/smiller.htm) Mad bugger indeed! ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-this-mad-scientist-looking-80s-pbs-science-show-host/659449/6 "2013-05-27T07:44:09Z")
[Professor Miller in action on Hillarious House of Frightenstein.](http://youtu.be/4wzSKEruj70) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-this-mad-scientist-looking-80s-pbs-science-show-host/659449/7 "2013-05-27T19:49:38Z")
I used to watch a lot of science shows as a kid, but somehow I never saw this guy before. Thanks to the OP for this thread and thanks to everyone who provided links; Dr. Miller totally fucking rocks! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-this-mad-scientist-looking-80s-pbs-science-show-host/659449/8 "2013-05-27T20:46:54Z")
Dammit, I wanted to be the first to say “I’m Doctor Julius Sumner Miller, and physics is my business!” ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-this-mad-scientist-looking-80s-pbs-science-show-host/659449/9 "2013-05-27T23:55:20Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > [Professor Miller in action on Hillarious House of Frightenstein.](http://youtu.be/4wzSKEruj70) **Bingo! That’s the guy!** 😃 Although this clip is from a different series from the one I saw it’s essentially the same thing [(this was the actual series I remember).](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwkUNrSCNMg&list=PLCEB35A069B8B10B3) Like I said the one I saw was on PBS, it looked like it was just a one-off series of a couple dozen 15-minute shows, and I only ever saw them once (they were running a marathon). I forgot to mention that it wasn’t just science but physics specifically that was his subject. I also (obviously) for some reason forgot that he also said his name as he ended, i.e.\* “I’m Julius Sumner Miller, and I thank you for your attention.”\*