Don Herbert began Watch Mr. Wizard, a popular science show for children, in 1951 on Chicago television station WNBQ, an NBC outlet known for innovative broadcasting in the early 1950s. Herbert demonstrated entertaining and magical experiments using everyday household materials, as his amazed young assistant exclaimed, “Gee, Mr. Wizard!” Watch Mr. Wizard introduced scientific principles to millions of children, won numerous awards, and became one of the most successful educational shows on commercial television. Herbert moved the show to New York in 1955, where it continued until 1965; it was revived briefly in 1971–72 and appeared on cable from 1983 to 1991.

Kathy Peiss