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.
16 Reviews
would you believe... its not that bad
dsdsmith9117 February 2009
Warning: Spoilers
i came across the DVD at best buy, i wanted to see what they could do with this show. its not that bad, Don Adams and Barbra Feldon are back as Max (now the chief of control) and 99 (now a congress woman). Andy dick plays Zack, max and 99's son, Elaine Hendrix plays his sidekick 66, who is SO HOT. the show is not great (you can tell by only 7 episodes)but it great to watch in a Saturday with some friends. some great things about the show is the cone of silence appearing in the first episode,agent 13 appearing in episode 3 (played by Dave ketchum), and Sigfired appearing in episode 6, played by Bernie Kopel (as well as a mention of shtarker). not the greatest show ever, but is OK.
They Tried To Pass The Torch, But Ended Up Dropping The Ball
bigverybadtom27 October 2012
This series had some laughs, but it was no shock that it got canceled so quickly. Despite bringing back the main stars, the series didn't bring back the old spirit.
One thing that spoiled the series was that it came out at the worst possible time. The Cold War had ended and we Americans thought we had conquered all our threats and were going to be safe and happy forever-never mind the Islamist terror attacks of the 1990's that were downplayed until 9/11/01 finally woke the USA up to reality. Instead the villain was the KAOS Corporation bent on economic domination-which was hardly scary at the time either.
But the series had problems in its own right. Maxwell Smart was good as a field agent, but there was little for him to do as the new Chief of CONTROL. Also, the problem with 99 as a Congresswoman-she was never known by any other name as 99 in the whole series, opening up a can of worms there. As for Andy Dick being the son who would replace 86's role-he was too boyish and silly for that type of role, just as Roberto Benigni as the son of Inspector Clouseau proved an equally unsuitable replacement for the original. Even bringing Siegfried back was too little, too late.
Murphy's Law really took a toll on this series. If they had waited but seven years...
One thing that spoiled the series was that it came out at the worst possible time. The Cold War had ended and we Americans thought we had conquered all our threats and were going to be safe and happy forever-never mind the Islamist terror attacks of the 1990's that were downplayed until 9/11/01 finally woke the USA up to reality. Instead the villain was the KAOS Corporation bent on economic domination-which was hardly scary at the time either.
But the series had problems in its own right. Maxwell Smart was good as a field agent, but there was little for him to do as the new Chief of CONTROL. Also, the problem with 99 as a Congresswoman-she was never known by any other name as 99 in the whole series, opening up a can of worms there. As for Andy Dick being the son who would replace 86's role-he was too boyish and silly for that type of role, just as Roberto Benigni as the son of Inspector Clouseau proved an equally unsuitable replacement for the original. Even bringing Siegfried back was too little, too late.
Murphy's Law really took a toll on this series. If they had waited but seven years...
A Thrill to Write For
apple-235 February 2005
I was one member of the small writing/producing staff on the remake of Get Smart. I can't argue with any of the comments left by the fans of the original.
Get Smart (the original) is my favorite show of all time. So you can imagine how thrilling it was to write new material for Maxwell Smart and Agent 99. (and Siegfried!) Andy Dick was really very, very funny. And Elaine Hendricks, who played his co-agent, is a gem still waiting to be discovered. But it is REALLY hard to re-do something that was almost perfect to begin with. Imagine remaking Casablanca or The Wizard of Oz -- Well, in the sitcom world, Get Smart was the equivalent. The standard was just too high.
So, the experience was great, and I have a picture of myself standing between Maxwell Smart and Siegfried that's worth a million bucks... Would you believe, a dollar-fifty?
Get Smart (the original) is my favorite show of all time. So you can imagine how thrilling it was to write new material for Maxwell Smart and Agent 99. (and Siegfried!) Andy Dick was really very, very funny. And Elaine Hendricks, who played his co-agent, is a gem still waiting to be discovered. But it is REALLY hard to re-do something that was almost perfect to begin with. Imagine remaking Casablanca or The Wizard of Oz -- Well, in the sitcom world, Get Smart was the equivalent. The standard was just too high.
So, the experience was great, and I have a picture of myself standing between Maxwell Smart and Siegfried that's worth a million bucks... Would you believe, a dollar-fifty?
I was laughing so hard I set off my seizure alert dog
rooprect10 December 2014
Without a doubt this is the best reboot of any show I've ever seen. By "reboot" I don't mean "remake" as in the excellent "Battlestar Galactica" (2003) which completely overhauled the 1978 classic in a good way. By "reboot" I'm talking about the linear continuation of a defunct show, preserving its original story and characters. An unfortunate example would be "Galactica 1980" where the writers imagined a Galactica future only without good stories or a budget. And who could forget--try as we might--"Three's a Crowd"? The reboot formula has historically been a lame one: generally bringing back 1 main actor, cutting the budget (starting with writers' salaries evidently) and marketing itself to whatever hopelessly nostalgic fools there were left in the audience from the prior generation.
While "Get Smart" 1995 may be guilty of that last bit, I'm happy to say that the show was phenomenally good. Not only did it bring back the incomparable Don Adams as Maxwell Smart and the still gorgeous Barbara Feldon as Agent 99, but just as importantly it brought back the original spirit of the show: the quippy 1-liners, the sight gags, and the subtle intelligence that made the original "Get Smart" such a riot back in the late 60s.
I'm not sure who the writers were, but they must've studied the old scripts carefully, because the humor doesn't miss a beat from 25 years prior. "Get Smart" always had a wonderful dark humor and sarcastic wit coupled with a shameless absurdity that would fly at you so fast you could miss some great laughs if you blinked. Take, for example, the following dialogue (not exact but close enough) which is delivered at lightning speed:
MAX: I can't believe you got our $15 million budget approved by Congress. NINETY-NINE: I didn't. They turned me down. MAX: Then how did you get it? NINETY-NINE: I did what everyone else does, went to the National Endowment for the Arts. MAX: Brilliant. NINETY-NINE: We just have to hang some pink curtains in Utah.
And then immediately on to the next gag. The sight gags are very funny, too, as in the old show, usually centering on some preposterously stupid hi-tech gadget that goes awry. Like when Max attempts to use his cufflink phone (microphone on one arm, earpiece on the other) and struggles for a minute before switching arms and muttering: "Wouldn't you know it, I always grab a lefty pair."
The title of my review is absolutely true. I was laughing so hard that literally my dog freaked out and thought I was dying.
The acting... Don Adams and Barbara Feldon need no review; they're as great as they ever were. The 2 newcomers, Andy Dick and Elaine Hendrix, I initially approached with skepticism. But by the 2nd show I was convinced that no one else could've played their roles. Andy Dick is "Zach", Max's somewhat incompetent son. But he plays the role with remarkable restraint--not being over-the-top goofy, but actually coming across as a real human being who just happens to be a bit of a moron. His partner is "Agent 66" (Elaine Hendrix) who is both the brains and the beauty of the team, and somehow the writers always find creative & tasteful ways to show off her cleavage. Like the bullet bra.
I'll say one caveat. Don't base your entire opinion on the pilot episode which, while funny, is the weakest of the lot. This is simply because it has to set up the characters and setting, while the later episodes can jump right into the fun. I haven't seen them all, but my favorite so far is episode 2 "Casino Evil" not only because it's a nonstop bullet storm of great gags, but it features the fabulous Terry Kiser (he is probably best known as the corpse in "Weekend at Bernies", but if you're a fan of Three's Company, you'll recognize him as the "linguine & clams mobster" as well as the psycho boyfriend who almost causes Jack's heart to fail (because "God forgot to wind it").
To sum up, if you're a fan of the old Get Smart, then run don't walk to your nearest video store to pick this up. If you've never seen the old Get Smart, then you can probably compare the humor to the Zucker-Abraham-Zucker masterpieces "Airplane!" & "Top Secret!" The only thing bad about this series is that it came to an end.
While "Get Smart" 1995 may be guilty of that last bit, I'm happy to say that the show was phenomenally good. Not only did it bring back the incomparable Don Adams as Maxwell Smart and the still gorgeous Barbara Feldon as Agent 99, but just as importantly it brought back the original spirit of the show: the quippy 1-liners, the sight gags, and the subtle intelligence that made the original "Get Smart" such a riot back in the late 60s.
I'm not sure who the writers were, but they must've studied the old scripts carefully, because the humor doesn't miss a beat from 25 years prior. "Get Smart" always had a wonderful dark humor and sarcastic wit coupled with a shameless absurdity that would fly at you so fast you could miss some great laughs if you blinked. Take, for example, the following dialogue (not exact but close enough) which is delivered at lightning speed:
MAX: I can't believe you got our $15 million budget approved by Congress. NINETY-NINE: I didn't. They turned me down. MAX: Then how did you get it? NINETY-NINE: I did what everyone else does, went to the National Endowment for the Arts. MAX: Brilliant. NINETY-NINE: We just have to hang some pink curtains in Utah.
And then immediately on to the next gag. The sight gags are very funny, too, as in the old show, usually centering on some preposterously stupid hi-tech gadget that goes awry. Like when Max attempts to use his cufflink phone (microphone on one arm, earpiece on the other) and struggles for a minute before switching arms and muttering: "Wouldn't you know it, I always grab a lefty pair."
The title of my review is absolutely true. I was laughing so hard that literally my dog freaked out and thought I was dying.
The acting... Don Adams and Barbara Feldon need no review; they're as great as they ever were. The 2 newcomers, Andy Dick and Elaine Hendrix, I initially approached with skepticism. But by the 2nd show I was convinced that no one else could've played their roles. Andy Dick is "Zach", Max's somewhat incompetent son. But he plays the role with remarkable restraint--not being over-the-top goofy, but actually coming across as a real human being who just happens to be a bit of a moron. His partner is "Agent 66" (Elaine Hendrix) who is both the brains and the beauty of the team, and somehow the writers always find creative & tasteful ways to show off her cleavage. Like the bullet bra.
I'll say one caveat. Don't base your entire opinion on the pilot episode which, while funny, is the weakest of the lot. This is simply because it has to set up the characters and setting, while the later episodes can jump right into the fun. I haven't seen them all, but my favorite so far is episode 2 "Casino Evil" not only because it's a nonstop bullet storm of great gags, but it features the fabulous Terry Kiser (he is probably best known as the corpse in "Weekend at Bernies", but if you're a fan of Three's Company, you'll recognize him as the "linguine & clams mobster" as well as the psycho boyfriend who almost causes Jack's heart to fail (because "God forgot to wind it").
To sum up, if you're a fan of the old Get Smart, then run don't walk to your nearest video store to pick this up. If you've never seen the old Get Smart, then you can probably compare the humor to the Zucker-Abraham-Zucker masterpieces "Airplane!" & "Top Secret!" The only thing bad about this series is that it came to an end.
Another WOULD-BE good show ruined by Andy Dick!
Menilek15 May 2007
Another WOULD-BE good show ruined by Andy Dick! Casting directors need to learn that once you put Dick in your show, you're screwed! When will they learn? Like any other walking TRAIN WRECK, Andy Dick was NEVER funny and was never talented. He was ALWAYS just PATHETIC and pathetic is really NOT funny! It is not that funny lovable Charlie Chaplain/Jerry Lewis/Lou Costello kind of pathetic. No, he is just the undesirable TRAIN WRECK kind of pathetic.
Mathew Broderick would have been the better choice but if his being in Inspector Gadget was too close a clash with Don Adams to play Zack Smart (That name just doesn't work either) then maybe some other raven-haired comic (after all, Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 both had black hair so it makes NO sense that their son came out as a dumb blond dope-head like Andy Dick).
Well we might get the chance to try again because tho Don Adams has gone on to that great CONTROL HQ in the sky, John Heffron, winner of the recent Las Comic Standing, is the spitting image of Don Adams and any casting director who wants to cast him as Maxwell Smart better jump at the chance before he is too rich and famous to want such a role! And for Agent 99 I think it would be hard to find a young lady who has that charming sexy smile and cute chipmunk cheeks of the young Barbera Feldon. Maybe Jessical Simpson or Nicki Cox with their hair dyed black. That might actually work if one of them and John can catch that chemistry that Don and Barbera had. That could prove difficult IMHO.
But please, NOT Andy Dick! He should be kicked out of the Guild!
Mathew Broderick would have been the better choice but if his being in Inspector Gadget was too close a clash with Don Adams to play Zack Smart (That name just doesn't work either) then maybe some other raven-haired comic (after all, Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 both had black hair so it makes NO sense that their son came out as a dumb blond dope-head like Andy Dick).
Well we might get the chance to try again because tho Don Adams has gone on to that great CONTROL HQ in the sky, John Heffron, winner of the recent Las Comic Standing, is the spitting image of Don Adams and any casting director who wants to cast him as Maxwell Smart better jump at the chance before he is too rich and famous to want such a role! And for Agent 99 I think it would be hard to find a young lady who has that charming sexy smile and cute chipmunk cheeks of the young Barbera Feldon. Maybe Jessical Simpson or Nicki Cox with their hair dyed black. That might actually work if one of them and John can catch that chemistry that Don and Barbera had. That could prove difficult IMHO.
But please, NOT Andy Dick! He should be kicked out of the Guild!
Terrific show, but not quite as good as the original
duffman113218 January 2009
As a "Get Smart" fan from my childhood (watching repeats on TV), when I bought a copy of this series, I had high expectations. The old 1965 series had a great mix of slapstick humour in it, with only extremely mild sexual references every now and then. "Get Smart Again" was similar. This newer 1995 series has got quite a few sexual references (still mild) as part of the humour. The humour is still slapstick, which is great, especially as a lot of it still involves the now Chief Maxwell Smart, and his receptionist Trudy. Max and 99 don't appear near as frequently in this series, which detracts from it's appeal a bit, but Andy Dick does a great job as Max and 99's son Zach. One thing I don't understand is why Zach's sister did not appear in the series at all. All in all, a great series, not quite worth 10/10, but well worth 8/10.
Good, but doesn't hold up
mickey-714-8632129 July 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Being a huge fan of the original series, this remake was a little disappointing. To a new viewer who never experienced the original 'Get Smart' this is a very good, comedic, and clever show. However, to those who have the expectations of the original in mind, it will only let you down. The story in general is very good and the writers did a very good job incorporating jokes and puns from the original without becoming repetitive. (Which is sometimes a problem in longer series' or remakes) Also, I enjoy how Don Adams and Barbara Feldon are still playing their original characters, but with different occupations. Give the show a chance because it is a fairly good remake, but don't expect brilliance in comparison to the original series.
Should Have Had Adams And Feldon As Main Characters
Jim-49928 September 2005
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.
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.
Sorry, Chief. . .Not This Time
hillari14 December 2000
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 was OK. Could have been better.
Dale8624 April 1999
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.
A Crying Shame
RestlessRust30 July 2001
With Pierce Brosnan rejuvenating the James Bond franchise, the time was ripe to bring back the greatest spy parody ever, _Get Smart_. And personally, I think the series would have worked if the lead character had been a suave but wimpy wannabe like Brosnan's Steele character was in the first couple of seasons on that show. This would have been a great contrast to the character of Maxwell Smart, who had the ability, just not the brains.
Instead, what we got was Andy Dick playing a character who had neither the brains nor the ability. His character was simply childish and annoying, leaving it completely in the hands of the writers to make the show funny. Sometimes they delivered; far more often they did not. I'm glad the show was put out of its misery quickly, and I'm equally glad we got to see Max and Siegfried square off one last time before that happened.
Instead, what we got was Andy Dick playing a character who had neither the brains nor the ability. His character was simply childish and annoying, leaving it completely in the hands of the writers to make the show funny. Sometimes they delivered; far more often they did not. I'm glad the show was put out of its misery quickly, and I'm equally glad we got to see Max and Siegfried square off one last time before that happened.
It needed mel brooks and buck henry
jcrespin25 January 2001
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.
Enjoyable, But The Original Is Still Better
emiofbrie28 July 2005
I first became a fan of "Get Smart" in 1991 via Nick at Nite's airings, and by the end of 1993 I had every episode on tape (of course this was in the days before full-season DVD releases of every TV show ever made), so when in December 1994 I heard "Get Smart" was back in production, I was a very happy fangirl, being that my interest in the show was still at a peak!
When the first episode aired on Fox in January 1995, I was on a vacation, but I still made sure I was in the hotel to watch it (and I had it taping on timer back home), I was practically squeeee'ing with delight!
After watching all 7 of the new episodes over January and February, I went away from the experience happy, but with the mindset that the original was still better. As for the one commenter who said Zach (whose agent number was never revealed) had no straight-person to play off of, I think 66 was perfect for that role. She was as serious as Zach was silly, and I think the interplay between them really worked for some good comedy, and their uneasy tolerance for each other would have kept the two from becoming lovers had the series been picked up for 1995-96 season, avoiding falling into the "Moonlighting" trap.
The new arrangement of the show's theme really worked too, it was very modern-spy-movie chic, but still recognizable as the "Get Smart" theme :)
Overall: I would say a 7 out of 10. They should have tried to get the show's creators back, but it was still a very entertaining and valiant effort on Fox's part.
When the first episode aired on Fox in January 1995, I was on a vacation, but I still made sure I was in the hotel to watch it (and I had it taping on timer back home), I was practically squeeee'ing with delight!
After watching all 7 of the new episodes over January and February, I went away from the experience happy, but with the mindset that the original was still better. As for the one commenter who said Zach (whose agent number was never revealed) had no straight-person to play off of, I think 66 was perfect for that role. She was as serious as Zach was silly, and I think the interplay between them really worked for some good comedy, and their uneasy tolerance for each other would have kept the two from becoming lovers had the series been picked up for 1995-96 season, avoiding falling into the "Moonlighting" trap.
The new arrangement of the show's theme really worked too, it was very modern-spy-movie chic, but still recognizable as the "Get Smart" theme :)
Overall: I would say a 7 out of 10. They should have tried to get the show's creators back, but it was still a very entertaining and valiant effort on Fox's part.
Missed it by that much!
DigitalWombat30 July 2001
This is probably best described as a near miss. Reviving an old series is usually a dumb idea, especially when it has to be updated. Putting Max in charge of Control was a nice move, as was making 99 a Congresswoman. But Zach Smart is just like Max was in the 1960s, and Max was still the same. Having two very similar characters without anything to balance them doesn't really work. There was no straight man for Zach to play off, as Max used to do with the Chief. Overall it's mostly enjoyable, but could have been better.
Smart you are, if you seek this series out, its fun!
inkblot118 November 2011
Thirty years ago, bumbling agent Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) and his lovely sidekick, Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon) helped the United States Spy Agency, Control, defeat the bad guys at Chaos. Now, in the present day (1995), Max is the top dog at Control while 99 is a Senator, getting funds to keep the spies in operation, among other things! Also, there are two young gumshoes at Control. One is Max and 99's son, Zach (Andy Dick), who has just been promoted to full agent. He is as clumsy as his dad but makes things work out. The other new spy is beautiful agent 66 (Elaine Hendrix), who is a modern-day Mata Hari, using her looks and smarts to defeat the enemy. In the first episode, Chaos is after a dress made out of fabric that will not burn, even with a blowtorch underneath. 66 is supposed to model the dress at a show and, therefore, prevent its theft but the lights go out on the runway. Has chaos got the dress after all? We will see. Another episode concerns a plan to catch a crooked casino owner with Chaos ties. Max actually gets called to help with this one and narrowly escapes death, hilariously. Can Zach and Max keep on foiling the enemy with their antics? Yes! What heaven to find there was this sequel series! I didn't realize it was ever on the air until I bought this disc. Although Dick and Hendrix are the main stars, Adams is in it quite often, happily. The three of them do a terrific job. Feldon's time is very limited but wow, does she look great! Costumes, effects, sets, gadgets, scripts, and direction are all quite fine. One new element that keeps occurring is a cast member called Agent Zero, who shows up as a different person each time, in the name of "disguise". Sometimes he's an old lady, sometimes a construction worker, etc. Now, that's comedy. One time he appears as Robert Goulet, to warn Max, who is seated at a cabaret, that folks are trying to kill him! Mac the Knife becomes Max, Take Care, but, Max, of course, is upset that he doesn't know the correct words to the song. It all works out, natch. If you loved the old series but are unhappy that you've seen all of the episodes multiple times, try to find this newer series on disc. Smart you will be to do so.
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