What I'm Watching: Get Smart

"Chief, would you believe ..." - Spy spoof from the 60's, holds up, but has some rough edges.

When I was growing up, circa early 1970’s, we had a black and white TV, and I watched a lot of 1960’s TV. Shows like Wild Wild West, Hawaii Five-0, Gilligan’s Island, and many more.

Many of these I have rediscovered in the streaming age, and binge watched them in nostalgia.

But one never seemed to be on any of the streaming services, Get Smart.

I recently got a couple of spot bonuses from work (yay) and I sidled up to the Amazon Prime bar and placed an order for the DVD Set of the complete 5 seasons of Get Smart.

After it arrived, I ripped these beasts and dropped them on my Plex server. Only one of the 25 DVD’s had errors, so there are 3 episodes that I am missing. No, I am not going to “return” or get a refund. I have 135 complete episodes, and that is damn good.

About the show:

This is a comedic take on the spy shows, from the early James Bond, to Mission Impossible, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., it is a lighthearted take, with some clear improvisations that make it enjoyable.

The main star, Don Adams, plays a CONTROL agent, Maxwell Smart, agent 86. He is paired with model turned actress Barbara Feldman, who is agent 99. The chief is portrayed by Edward Platt, and between them there is a definite chemistry.

The other agents are bit players (except for in early episodes Agent k13, a shaggy hound named “Fang” is a fan favorite), that contribute to the teleplay, but aren’t central.

In this world, Control battles against the evil organization K.A.O.S. and inept agency that is foiled repeatedly by the bumbling Smart.

Why is this charming?

This was smack dab in the middle of a genre, from England’s “The Avengers”, to Mission Impossible, and even the ChiCom’s that Steve Mcgarrett duked it out with in Five-0, Get Smart fills a niche, and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Of course, the fact that Mel Brooks was part of the creative staff, and his well-known penchant for prop comedy, and this is a recipe for success. From the shoe-phone, to the entry to Control, a cascading series of doors, to all sorts of gadgetry that would make Q from the Bond franchise blush. As a kid, this was what glued my attention to the boob-tube, as I was a bit young for the sexual innuendos.

The good guys always win, the bad guys are all bumbling idiots, and full of cliched incompetence, and stereotypes. But nobody is taking this as a real-life view of espionage and counter espionage. It is just fun.

The script formula was pretty consistent, the bumbling main agent is paired with a capable woman, who both helps him not fuck it all up, looks great, and plays the role with poise.

But that is also part of why there is plenty of cringe …

And the cringe

As a sign of the times, after the Civil Rights Act passed, but before feminism became mainstream, the show is chocked full of situations manufactured that begin to allow Barbara Feldman shine, but she is still in the shadow of Don Adam’s character, and she handles it well.

I read later in life interviews with her, and my recollection is that she was expanding the world of women in entertainment, but the era it was shot in, this was de riguer. No, I don’t want to “cancel” this, and I am sure to keep the era in mind when a particularly cringe-worthy moment pops up.

Sort of how I love watching Blazing Saddles with its over-the-top portrayal of racism being the point, but it would certainly get the modern progressive warrior arguing to cancel it. The point of Blazing Saddles is to highlight how ridiculous the endemic racism in the USA actually was.

Mel Brooks is a master of the craft, and here, like in Blazing Saddles, he employs his sharp wit and social commentary to issues of the times. In hindsight, it can elicit deep cringe, yet it is still worth watching.

How does 2024 Geoff compare this with 1970’s Geoff?

It is a bit hokier than I remember, but I wasn’t expecting deep, cerebral, engagement. The gag comedy still makes me chuckle, but a lifetime of growth in equality (still not there yet) for women reminds me of how “normal” the portrayal of Agent 99 was in the 1960’s.

I think I understand why it never surfaced on the main streaming services. The closing credits highlight that HBO owns the rights, and they often just keep things in their vaults.

It was worth the $40 I spent on the set, and I am enjoying the nostalgia.

Oh, and I was surprised to learn that apart from the Pilot, the episodes were filmed in Color. I always assumed it was all Black and White.

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