Get Smart/The Avengers.OT
Smyth
read the artical linking 007 and No.6, on HMSS' 'The other spies' page. My
attention was then drawn to an artical on 'Get Smart'. Having never seen the
program, the information was all new to me. But one or two things reminded
me of ABC's classic 'The Avengers'
"For example: "Get Smart" had a simple premise. Take a Bond film, stretch
its more ludicrous elements -- the gadgets, the villains, the girls -- to
the point of parody."
Although spoofing the Bond films was not the primary objective of 'The
Avengers', the above statement is undoubtedley true.
"From a '90s perspective it is difficult to realise how ground-breaking "Get
Smart" was [. . .] Violence and killing shocked even in serious dramas, and
its becoming a subject to joke about broke a long-standing television taboo"
'The Avengers' was also one of the first TV programmes to explore death as a
source of amusement ('Ask Mrs. Peel - I haven't killed anyone all week!").
"Remarkable too was the presence of 99 -- an independent, single girl who
worked for a living and was obviously brainier, tougher and stronger than
her male partner [. . .] She was in need of rescue more often than her
partner, but she saved his bacon on numerous occasions, handled a gun
competently and utilized quick thinking and karate chops"
Mrs. Peel was an independant, single (widowed) girl, who worked for a living
and she was tougher than Steed (In an enemy's office, she discovers Steed's
photograph, labelled "Dangerous - Handle With Care" and then her own,
labelled "Very Dangerous - Don't Handle At All"). She did indeed get tied up
considerably more than her partner, but did get the opportunity to save him
on occasion.
"Luckily, it was. Few sitcoms attain a cult following at the level of "Star
Trek" or "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." but this one came close, with tie-in
novels and comics, toys including a kit version of Max's Sunbeam Tiger, and
a novelty record released by Barbara Feldon ("She is doing her carressin'
with a tiny Smith and Wesson, and that means that you've been messin'
with...99!")."
Ditto. Models of Steed and Emma, tie-in novels, a sequel series (The New
Avengers), a Corgi die-cast of Steed's Bentley and who doesn't remember the
novelty single 'Kinky Boots' (shudder) by Patrick Macnee and Honor Blackman.
"It provided a running gag for the sitcom's five years of running, and was
resurrected for both 1980s films (one theatrical, the other made for
television). "
'The Avengers' had its own running gag, Steed and Emma's choice of transport
at the end of each episode. And there were several spin-off movies planned
for the 60's and the 80's. Unfortunately they never came to fruition. There
was not an 'Avengers' movie made in 1998, it did not exist and it never
happened.
Well, I've gone on abit, but all that I wanted to ask was: Is 'Get Smart' an
American version of 'The Avengers'?
P.S. Trivia question: What links John Steed with James Bond? (Apart from
their sharing Patrick Macnee, Honor Blackman, Diana Rigg, Joanna Lumley
andJohn Cleese)
--
Peter Smyth, Liverpool, England
'A smell of petroleum prevails throughout'
Bertrand Russell
___________
T.Rose
Smart?
Tom, Silicon Valley
Wmkoenig
>American version of 'The Avengers'?
>
It was more of an American version of James Bond and The Man From UNCLE. The
title sequence of GS was a parody of a early-first season opening of MFU (lots
of automatic sliding doors). The rival organizations of CONTROL vs. KAOS were
modeled on UNCLE vs. Thrush. GS also had a direct parody version of Dr. No, but
also parodied many other popular U.S. television shows, including The Fugitive
and I Spy.
0011>P.S. Trivia question: What links John Steed with James Bond? (Apart from
>their sharing Patrick Macnee, Honor Blackman, Diana Rigg, Joanna Lumley
>andJohn Cleese)
>
Alan Hume as director of photography; various character actors inlcuding
James Villiers (sp?) and Geoffrey Palmer.
0011
Dale Sherman
Smyth wrote:
>
> Well, I've gone on abit, but all that I wanted to ask was: Is 'Get Smart' an
> American version of 'The Avengers'?
Well, you're probably going to get a lot of responses from this side of the
pond, but I'll take a crack at it as well.
"Get Smart" was not an American version of "The Avengers", it had more to do
with not only being a parody of Bond, but also the whole tough-guy detective and
secret-agent phenomenon that grabbed hold of the world by 1965. In fact, there
was a parody of "The Avengers" in one episode (I believe it was "Run, Hymie,
Run" if I'm not mistaken), with Steed and Emma as the villians who end up
necking at one point and leave hand-in-hand.
Agent 86 (Maxwell Smart) was one of the dumbest secret-agents in the world, who
only managed to save the world by accident at the end of the day. Agent 99 is
not only his partner, but his love-interest, and actually the one who has the
brains of the group (but loves Max anyway). The series would follow them
through their many adventures and eventually a wedding and birth of twins.
There were two follow-up films in the 1980s (THE NUDE BOMB and RETURN OF MAXWELL
SMART) and a very mediocre short-run series on FOX around 1996 (called GET SMART
AGAIN with Andy what's-his-face from TALK RADIO as the son of 86 and 99).
Still, even that had moments.
More importantly, while "The Avengers" was a gentle fantasy series with humor,
"Get Smart" was really just a straight-out comedic series with a bit of action.
While there are similar elements, it's probably best to judge them as being two
good series that appeared at the same time. As to strong female characters,
both Emma and Agent 99 (who, by the way, is never truly given a real name in the
series -- a PRISONER tie-in noted, I'm sure) were considered some of the first
strong females on American television.
GS holds up surprisingly well after thirty years and is well worth checking out
if you ever get the chance.
Now for another tie-in with "The Avengers" -- was the scene in the 1998 movie
cut from the film of Emma being lowered through the phonebooth taken directly
from GS? :-)
Smyth
it's not just a link between the Bond franchise and The avengers, but an
actual link between Steed and Bond. 10 bananas and a mango for the first
correct answer.
--
Peter Smyth, Liverpool, England
'A smell of petroleum prevails throughout'
Bertrand Russell
___________
Wmkoenig wrote in message <19990710201416...@ng-bh1.aol.com>...
Smyth
--
Peter Smyth, Liverpool, England
'A smell of petroleum prevails throughout'
Bertrand Russell
___________
Dale Sherman wrote in message <378831C0...@iglou.com>...
<snip>
Mac
at Eton in 1934.
I'll have me Bananas and Mango now...
Smyth wrote:
> Nope, that wasn't the one that I was thinking of. I'll be more specific:
> it's not just a link between the Bond franchise and The avengers, but an
> actual link between Steed and Bond. 10 bananas and a mango for the first
> correct answer.
>
> --
> Peter Smyth, Liverpool, England
>
> 'A smell of petroleum prevails throughout'
> Bertrand Russell
> ___________
>
> Wmkoenig wrote in message <19990710201416...@ng-bh1.aol.com>...
> >>P.S. Trivia question: What links John Steed with James Bond? (Apart from
> >>their sharing Patrick Macnee, Honor Blackman, Diana Rigg, Joanna Lumley
> >>andJohn Cleese)
> >>
> >
> >Alan Hume as director of photography; various character actors inlcuding
> >James Villiers (sp?) and Geoffrey Palmer.
--
MAC
"Think like a man of action.
Act like a man of thought."
---------------------------------
Please remove SPAMLESS to reply.
---------------------------------
Bernie Hanssen
Dale Sherman wrote about "Get Smart" with:
> There were two follow-up films in the 1980s (THE NUDE BOMB and RETURN OF MAXWELL
> SMART) and a very mediocre short-run series on FOX around 1996 (called GET SMART
> AGAIN with Andy what's-his-face from TALK RADIO as the son of 86 and 99).
> Still, even that had moments.
>
"The Nude Bomb" and "The Return Of Maxwell Smart" are the same movie. At the time
this movie was actually being filmed, its working title was TROMS. However, by the
time it was released theatrically in the summer of 1980, it was titled TNB. TV
stations like WGN and WTBS have broadcast this movie in subsequent years as TROMS,
with slight editing changes and a couple of additional scenes. Besides Don Adams as
Smart, the only other cast member from the original series on this movie was Robert
Karvelas as Larrabee.
"Get Smart" was briefly brought back by Fox as a TV series, but there was also a
TV-movie called "Get Smart Again!" that was shown by either CBS or ABC, but not
Fox. It inspired Fox to revive the series. Most of the cast of this series,
including Adams and Feldon, came back for thier original roles, the only notable
exception being the late Ed Platt, who played the Chief.
> GS holds up surprisingly well after thirty years and is well worth checking out
> if you ever get the chance.
I have "The Nude Bomb" on VHS tape (NTSC format) and I like it very much, but I have
not seen "Get Smart Again!" as of this date. I understand that this one is even
better than TNB. And, yes, I remember the original series from my childhood, and
loved it. WOULD YOU BELIEVE...there are no video tapes of that show available in
all the local video stores I go to. This is not good. It's been done before with
"Star Trek," so why not "Get Smart?"
Wmkoenig
This is true. But there was another, made for TV, movie called (I think) Get
Smart Again. That did have Barbara Feldon in it. Perhaps the best line occurred
in the climatic fight. A thug comes at Max with a big dagger. He picks up a
thick book, which the knife cannot penetrate.
To which Max observes, "Nobody gets through War and Peace!"
0011
Bernie Hanssen
Wmkoenig wrote:
I did mention "Get Smart Again!" in my last post. I do not have this TV-movie on
tape, so I can't comment on it much. All the entertainment critics, however seem
to like GSA better than TNB/TROMS.
Smyth
Banana
Banana
Banana
Banana
Banana
Mango
Banana
Banana
Banana
Banana
Banana
Obviously, you'll have to use your imagination.
--
Peter Smyth, Liverpool, England
'A smell of petroleum prevails throughout'
Bertrand Russell
___________
Mac wrote in message <3788AB62...@SPAMLESSvirgin.net>...
Wmkoenig
>TV-movie on
>tape, so I can't comment on it much. All the entertainment critics, however
>seem
>to like GSA better than TNB/TROMS.
>
Sorry I hit the reply icon before finishing the rest of the post. I have
seen both and the latter, made around 1989, is better.
0011
Mac
>Very well done Mac, I was sure that no one would get that.
Why thank you, Peter. I'm using my imagination right now.
Mac
"I also want you to remember, that if you don't
come back with the goods, Nellie here will turn
in her grave. And, likely as not, jump right out
of it and kick yer teeth in!"
Noel Coward as Mr. Bridger in 'The Italian Job'.
$;O)
Levi Ramsey
<19990711204647...@ng-cq1.aol.com>...
>Didn't Get Smart have at least one writer working on it that later became
quite
>revered for other work he did as well? The only name I remember is Carl
Reiner,
>was he involved? Or was it Mel Brooks?
I believe it was Mel Brooks.
Levi Ramsey
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15 year-old girl got in my hotel room!"
The Shadow
hudson kiley wrote :
>Didn't Get Smart have at least one writer working on it that later became
quite
>revered for other work he did as well? The only name I remember is Carl
Reiner,
>was he involved? Or was it Mel Brooks?
Mel Brooks and Buck Henry created the characters and basic premise of Get
Smart. Mel Brooks was hired to come up with the ideas and Henry was supposed
to rein Mel in and help him get the ideas on paper. Brooks also helped write
several of the first episodes, but his involvement ended mid-way through the
first season, mainly to concentrate on getting his movie "The Producers"
completed. Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks worked together on other projects,
the most famous being their 2000 Year Old Man routine.
Tom Zielinski
Do you know if it is true that '60's (self-proclaimed) "comedian" Louis Nye
designed the 007 logo with the gun barrel?
Don't ask me why I'm asking you; it just seems you might know...
Tom Zielinski
Lake In The Hills, IL USA
"Life is Funny, But I'm Not Laughing..."
Wmkoenig wrote in message <19990711213236...@ng-bh1.aol.com>...
>>Didn't Get Smart have at least one writer working on it that later became
>>quite
>>revered for other work he did as well? The only name I remember is Carl
>>Reiner,
>>was he involved? Or was it Mel Brooks?
>>
>
>The series was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry. Henry stayed around
the
>first season as story editor and wrote several scripts.
>
>0011
hudson kiley
revered for other work he did as well? The only name I remember is Carl Reiner,
was he involved? Or was it Mel Brooks?
Sorry if this was dealt with already, I might have missed it.
Hud
Wmkoenig
>quite
>revered for other work he did as well? The only name I remember is Carl
>Reiner,
>was he involved? Or was it Mel Brooks?
>
The series was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry. Henry stayed around the
Wmkoenig
>to rein Mel in and help him get the ideas on paper. Brooks also helped write
>several of the first episodes, but his involvement ended mid-way through the
>first season, mainly to concentrate on getting his movie "The Producers"
>completed.
Mel B. got a writing credit on 2 first-season episodes (including the pilot)
I've seen and I've seen most, if not all, of the first season shows.
FYI, the pilot contained an amazing amount of the schtick GS would use for
the entire series: the Cone of Silence, "Would you believe?" and the agent who
spent all his time in a locker (or similarly impossible hiding places).
Bill K.
Wmkoenig
Tom,
I don't think I've ever heard that partcular tidbit before.
Bill K.
Rhino
stirred, and added:
>"I also want you to remember, that if you don't
> come back with the goods, Nellie here will turn
> in her grave. And, likely as not, jump right out
> of it and kick yer teeth in!"
Charlie? With my headache???
--
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