Get Smart

As other commentors have pointed out, the best episode of this revised series was the one that pitted long time enemies Max and Siegfried against each other. They were perfect rivals in the original series, and Adams and Kopell did not disappoint here. I could never get into Andy Dick as Max and 99's son; besides, he had made some disparaging comments about the show while it was still on which didn't strike me as being very smart. I liked the idea of Max being the head of CONTROL, and his secretary was very funny. Too bad the show focused on his son. I liked Agent 66, but she didn't have much to play off of dealing with the Andy Dick character.

It's too bad this series was cancelled so quickly, because by the last episode or so, it really became Get Smart. This last episode featured Bernie Kopell reprising his role as KAOS agent Siegfried; Siegfried and his daughter are holding Max and 99's son, Zach, hostage. Zach and Siegfried's daughter both bemoan their weird childhoods as the children of spies; Zach says his parents lied and said they worked for a greeting card company. Siegfried's daughter replies, "He told us he was the doctor on a cruise ship!" (In case anyone doesn't know, Kopell played the ship's doctor for years on The Love Boat.) Whenever Don Adams and Barbara Feldon were on screen, though, the newer characters were blown away. In another episode, Max and 99 are at an embassy party and go out for a romantic stroll on the terrace. Too bad we didn't stay with them, and were stuck with the younger (less funny, less appealing) characters at the party. It's like the producers and writers were feeling their way, and were almost there.

I was a big fan of the original series. I was in third grade when it first came on and 7th when it ended. Our family watched it every Sunday night.

The problem with the remake, which was a new show trying to get the startup Fox TV Network going, was the main characters were not that exciting, one being the child of Maxell Smart. Frankly, Andy Dick who played smart's son, just did not have the charisma to carry the show. He's more like this annoying, contrived little twit you feel like smacking upside the head rather than laughing at.

What would have been the problem with Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 (Susan) as the main characters instead of just cameos at the beginning and end of each show, in 99's case just the first show? Better to watch funny older people than annoying young people. Maybe they would have made more than six episodes.

It sucked. Andy Dick was pathetic. He was too effeminate to pull off this poorly written comedy. As a big fan of the original get smart, I am glad they pulled the plug on this stinker. What made the original series fun was the great schtick written by none other than Mel Brooks and Buck Henry.

Reviving a TV series after 25 years since its last season, seems like a terrific idea. That's what I liked about this Fox version of Get Smart. It was great to see Don Adams return as Max, and Barbara Feldon return as 99. David Ketchum also returns, as Agent 13. My only complaint is that Max and 99 weren't the leading characters. It was now Zach and 66. Despite being old, it still would have been better if Max and 99 were still out there chasing Kaos Agents. But this series has its moments. Some of the best material is in Wurst Enemies (Episode 6) where Bernie Kopell returns as Siegfried. It doesn't surprise me that it was Siegfried and Max who made me laugh. I think Fox should re-run it, and it should also be shown in other parts of the world. It's worth watching.