Get Smart (1965 — 1970)

Get Smart (1965–1970), an American comedy TV series, was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry. The show premiered on NBC on September 18, 1965, as a parody of the popular secret agent genre that had been brought to fame by the James Bond films in the early 1960s. Starring Don Adams as agent Maxwell Smart (Agent 86), Barbara Feldon as Agent 99, and Edward Platt as Thaddeus the Chief, the show’s concept was conceived at the request of Daniel Melnick to take advantage of the popularity of James Bond and Inspector Clouseau. In Mel Brooks’ words, it was ‘an insane combination of James Bond and Mel Brooks comedy’. Follow Smart’s adventures as he uses his intelligence (despite his clumsiness) to fight against rival spy agency KAOS with help from his capable partner Agent 99 at CONTROL.

The Get Smart series follows Agent 86, Maxwell Smart, and his partner, Agent 99 of CONTROL – a covert U.S. government agency in Washington, DC. Together, they tackle various threats to global security, albeit with complications due to Smart’s incompetence and strict adherence to protocol. Despite this, he always manages to come out victorious. The Chief of CONTROL is their ever-patient leader, often accompanied by his clumsy assistant Larabee. Their main enemy is KAOS – an international organization of villains led by the nefarious Siegfried and his lackey Shtarker, who are constantly at odds with Smart. The show pokes fun at the James Bond films through its exaggerated villains, world domination schemes, and quirky gadgets. As Mel Brooks put it, it’s ‘just one step further than what they did’.