4/5 The 7-episode 1995 Fox Series - NOT the original series
  by walap (MN)
If you think you're getting the complete, original (1965) Get Smart series, make no mistake. The original series is still available only directly from Time-Life, and is still $199.95. (Update 10/08: Now scheduled for 11/4/08 availability from Amazon at discounted price!)

This is the brief (7 episode) Get Smart revival series which aired on Fox in 1995. The series brings back Don Adams (now chief of CONTROL), Barbara Feldon (now a congresswoman), and David Ketchum (Agent 13), but the main characters are now Max and 99's son Zack (Andy Dick) and his partner, Agent 66 (Elaine Hendrix).

I was pleasantly surprised that this series managed to maintain some of the character and humor of the original series -- especially the episode which brought back Bernie Kopell as Siegfried.

And I'm also pleasantly surpised to see this short-lived gem available on DVD.

But if you order it thinking you're getting the original series for under $20, you may be in for a surprise of a different sort.

5/5 "The old spy in the spoof trick!"
  by E. A Solinas (MD USA)
Smart. Maxwell Smart. The dumbest spy in the world, who fights on behalf of the forces of goodness and niceness, and succeeded in making democracy vs. communism a lot more entertaining. With the comic trio of Don Adams, Barbara Feldon and Edward Platt, this hilarious spy spoof is still funny today.

Don Adams is Agent 86, Maxwell Smart, a not-so-bright spy with an endless arsenal of strange devices and odd sayings. The bumbling spy at a top-secret government agency called Control, which is responsible for keeping the free world free. Backing him up is his beautiful partner/love interest Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon) and his long-suffering Chief (Eward Platt) who puts up with Smart's constant mistakes.

Together with 99 (whom he marries late in the series), and the Chief (and his faithful dog Fang), Max battles the forces of badness and rottenness -- namely, the anti-Control called KAOS. They battle against their archnemesis Siegfried and a bunch of other KAOS agents, with explosive paintings, lovable robots, explosive pianos, evil hippies, and much more.

"Missed it by that much!" Maxwell Smart's catchphrases and goofy confidence made him the perfect antidote to the suave James Bond. Unlike Bond and similar movie spies, Max succeeds out of luck and bumbling more often than skill... but somehow, he still succeeds.

The comic timing is a little awkward at the very beginning, but rapidly gets its footing. What's really funny is the endless spoofery -- Max is given all sorts of weird gadgets, including the legendary "shoe-phone," and he faces off against all sorts of cartoonish villains. And it has dozens and dozens of movie spoofs -- "The Great Escape," "The Most Dangerous Game," "Maltese Falcon," "King Kong," and even the Bond movie "Goldfinger."

The political clime of the mid 1960s is all over the series, especially in the form of KAOS. But fortunately they don't get preachy -- KAOS is merely a big evil organization, no more. Some references are dated, and this definitely debuted before the era of political correctness (there's a bizarre episode about American Indians threatening the US government, and the Claw is funny if un-PC).

Don Adams MAKES this series, with his quirky facial expressions, nasal voice and odd body language. His Max overestimates his own skill and believes himself to be a sexy, karate-chopping Bondian treasure, though he survives mostly by luck ("Missed it by that much!").

Barbara Feldon is the least quirky of the cast, serving as the "straight woman" for Max, as well as the brains for his adventures. Edward Platt is just wonderful as the long-suffering, stressed-out Chief, who always looks slightly frayed, and Bernie Kopell is hysterical as the stiff-backed, volatile Siegfried.

It should be noted that right now, the entire series is only available directly from Time Life, with a big price tag (I was lucky enough to watch a relative's copy). Wait until Fall 2007, and it will be widely available at a lower price. They're also exquisitely remastered, with all that sixties colour, and they've reinserted little bits that were cut for commercials. It actually improves the flow.

It's been decades since "Get Smart" was first aired, but it is still gutsplittingly funny. You'll roll around on the floor, laughing yourself sick... and... loving it.

5/5 Thank you thank you thank you!!!
  by Twiddles42 (MN, USA)
Okay, the year was 1995. FOX broadcasting wanted to bring in a mid-season replacement, as they are known to do. Their decision? Dig up "Get Smart".

In this new series, Max is now the Chief of Control and 99, still his wife, is in Congress. His son, Zack, is a spy and teams up with Agent 66. (No mention is made of their other offspring, however.)

7 episodes were made.

Some of the benefits accorded the new series:
* Agent 0 -- played by a different actor each week, you never know when 0 appears.
* Most of the humor remains in the same spirit as the original
* Sharply written plots
* Good acting

Some of the downsides to this new series:
* Overtly sexual in many episodes; even the pilot has more innuendo than many of the subsequent episodes combined.
* "Casino Evil", a great story, is a rewrite of an original series plot. (I don't care much for rewrites, but this one did work.)
* Stopped after 7 episodes

Highlight episodes:
* Pilot (ep 1) -- Zack and 66 investigate KAOS' attempt to steal indestructible fabric. Ignore the innuendo, some of which does get chuckles; there's more to like than dislike in this premiere.
* "Casino Evil" (ep 2) -- Zack and 66 infiltrate a casino operated by KAOS.
* "Goodbye Ms. Chip" (ep 3) -- A KAOS agent kidnaps and brainwashes 66 to kill an ambassador.

* Wurst Enemies (ep 6) -- An old enemy of Max returns.
* "Liver Let Die" (ep 7) -- Zack and 66 infiltrate a KAOS hospital. This one is my favorite of the new series; it handled the dark concepts and humor immensely well.

I'm surprised this series has been scheduled for release, but am gratified. My VHS off-air tapings are falling apart. I do have more than a soft spot for this series, as despite being a newly commissioned series, a lot of it really gels together. It deserved more of a proper chance than to be axed.

Please check back later to get a rundown on DVD audio/video quality. It'll probably be very good.


5/5 Would you believe ... FINALLY out on DVD?
  by Michael K. Beusch (San Mateo, California United States)
As a dedicated spy nut, I was ecstatic when I heard that Get Smart was being released on DVD at last. Even with the anticipation, the set still managed to exceed my expectations. The box is set up to look like the elevator Max disappears into during the title credits. In addition to sharp, bright and clean episode quality, each season is loaded with extras, including commentary from both Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, numerous documentaries, a touching clip from Don Adams' memorial service and commentary from Barbara Feldon before EACH EPISODE. The set also includes the black and white pilot episode which I had never seen before. In short, this sucker is loaded. Nick at Nite hasn't shown Get Smart for years now, so those of you going through advanced cases of Max and 99 withdrawl can have your Get Smart cravings satisfied forever with this great set. Here's hoping the set will soon be more widely available so Amazon can offer it at its usual rock-bottom price.

3/5 Missed it by that much!
  by M. Fitzgerald
Fox had a brilliant idea in bringing back this classic series. I was so excited that Get Smart was being brought back years later in an updated version. First, start with the surviving cast (Don Adams, Barbara Feldon -still gorgeous, David Ketchum, and even a guest shot by Bernie Kopell as the evil Sigfreid.) They also added the stunning (and funny) Elaine Hendrix as another CONTROL agent.
Their one fatal mistake was adding Andy "the unfunniest , most annoying man on Earth and appropriately named" Dick as 86 and 99's son Zack. In the original series Max and 99 had twins. So it could have been worse, with the aforementioned Mr. Dick playing a dual role. But had they cast someone more likeable, the series would have went on much longer. I even remember reading an interview with Andy Dick where he trashed the show when it first came out because he also had a role on Newsradio and wanted out of his contract.
So in what could have been a great reboot of the series, CONTROL was not vanquished by KAOS, but bad casting. And niceness did not triumph over evil on this sequel. Sorry about that Chief!
It still amazes me to this day why Andy Dick has a career. I've tried to watch him with other wonderful casts on Newsradio and Less Than Perfect, but have a very low tolerance level to his brand of humor. Well, to each his own, but he's ruined many a fine show for me. Let's hope his 15 minutes are up.