On Thursdays, I take a detailed and critical look at a TV show. This year, I will be splitting full seasons into two posts so today I am looking at the first half of Season 3 of Get Smart!
GET SMART: SEASON THREE
1967-1968
26 episodes
Starring
Don Adams as Maxwell Smart (26 episodes)
Barbara Feldon as Agent 99 (25 episodes)
Edward Platt as The Chief (21 episodes)
63. Witness for the Persecution (10/7/67)
KAOS tries to get Max before he can testify against one of their agents so CONTROL beefs up security to keep him safe.
This episode has a weird start because they put this big cliffhanger right before the credits but then the resolution is a major letdown when the show starts after the credits. After that, the episode improves with a funny plot and strong guest turn by George Ives as the frustrated Dr. Bascomb when Max is the worst possible houseguest. The sequence where Max is trying to get across the street to the courthouse is pretty funny and well done. One thing I'll say again is Barbara Feldon is not good at all at crying or seeming distraught. Not for a second did I believe at the end of the episode that she was upset when she thought Max died.
RATING: 7/10
64. The Spirit is Willing (10/14/67)
After an encounter in a graveyard, Max has a seance in order to contact an apparently deceased informer.
I have always enjoyed this episode. It's a pretty creepy and layered plot that is pretty twisty and surprising on the first watch through. I remember it actually freaking me out a bit when I was younger. I think the ambiance is pretty strong and we know 60s shows loved to have their seances. That's not a sitcom trope you see as much these days. My only small complaint about the otherwise strong episode is the final scene seemed to not quite stick the landing after such a great lead-up but it still has its moments. This is a very enjoyable and unique episode.
RATING: 9/10
65. Maxwell Smart, Private Eye (10/21/67)
CONTROL cutbacks force Max and 99 to go moonlighting as private eyes and Max ends up inadvertently helping KAOS.
This is a fun episode thanks in large part to its very stylized feel. It was very clearly meant to be a satire of a private eye TV show or movie down to the way Don Adams talks and the smokey, run-down office Max and 99 use for the PI business. It's got a lot of clever bits including when Max is haggling with the Chief about when he's on CONTROL time and when he's not as he and 99 are being shot at. It seems like with these last couple episodes and even the weaker "Viva Smart" episode that the show is being a little more adventurous in its style this year.
RATING: 8/10
66. Supersonic Boom (10/28/67)
1967-1968
26 episodes
The third season of Get Smart finally nabbed it the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy Award and it graded out as the best season yet for me. It may have not been as consistent as season two, but it had higher highs and perhaps lower lows (although not too low). Many of my all time favorite episodes come from this season. The show stretches itself a little more creatively in the third season and it's fun to see. It lands most of the time (not all the time) and I appreciate seeing the show become more ambitious in its storytelling and style.
Starring
Don Adams as Maxwell Smart (26 episodes)
Barbara Feldon as Agent 99 (25 episodes)
Edward Platt as The Chief (21 episodes)
Robert Karvelas as Larabee (12 episodes)
Bernie Kopell as Siegfried (4 episodes)
Dick Gautier as Hymie the Robot (2 episodes)
King Moody as Shtarker (2 episodes)
David Ketchum as Agent 13 (1 episode)
61. The Spy Who Met Himself (9/16/67)
Max and 99 take on agents from the KAOS League of Imposters and everyone ends up fighting someone who looks like them.
Season three kicks off with a clever if also ridiculous premise. The dual agents everywhere allows for some good sight gags and confusion with both the agents and the audience. Bernie Kopell's Siegfried is amped up more and becoming more and more a caricature which knocks this episode down a couple pegs. The scenes without him are certainly better than the scenes with him. The interview with the two different Maxwell Smarts has some pretty funny moments. All in all, a solid and energetic start to the third season.
RATING: 8/10
62. Viva Smart (9/23/67)
Max and 99 pose as flamenco dancers in a South American country whose leader has been overthrown, but they end up in jail.
Get Smart is going pretty broad early on in season three. This episode has a little bit of unfortunate stereotyping but that is forgivable with it being a 60s sitcom. The bigger problem is it's just too ridiculous of an episode despite the fun setting. There's a couple very cartoonish performances from some of the Spanish characters and while it looks like there might be some promise before the flamenco dance, it doesn't actually rise to the level it could have.
RATING: 3/10
Bernie Kopell as Siegfried (4 episodes)
Dick Gautier as Hymie the Robot (2 episodes)
King Moody as Shtarker (2 episodes)
David Ketchum as Agent 13 (1 episode)
Max and 99 take on agents from the KAOS League of Imposters and everyone ends up fighting someone who looks like them.
Season three kicks off with a clever if also ridiculous premise. The dual agents everywhere allows for some good sight gags and confusion with both the agents and the audience. Bernie Kopell's Siegfried is amped up more and becoming more and more a caricature which knocks this episode down a couple pegs. The scenes without him are certainly better than the scenes with him. The interview with the two different Maxwell Smarts has some pretty funny moments. All in all, a solid and energetic start to the third season.
RATING: 8/10
62. Viva Smart (9/23/67)
Max and 99 pose as flamenco dancers in a South American country whose leader has been overthrown, but they end up in jail.
Get Smart is going pretty broad early on in season three. This episode has a little bit of unfortunate stereotyping but that is forgivable with it being a 60s sitcom. The bigger problem is it's just too ridiculous of an episode despite the fun setting. There's a couple very cartoonish performances from some of the Spanish characters and while it looks like there might be some promise before the flamenco dance, it doesn't actually rise to the level it could have.
RATING: 3/10
63. Witness for the Persecution (10/7/67)
KAOS tries to get Max before he can testify against one of their agents so CONTROL beefs up security to keep him safe.
This episode has a weird start because they put this big cliffhanger right before the credits but then the resolution is a major letdown when the show starts after the credits. After that, the episode improves with a funny plot and strong guest turn by George Ives as the frustrated Dr. Bascomb when Max is the worst possible houseguest. The sequence where Max is trying to get across the street to the courthouse is pretty funny and well done. One thing I'll say again is Barbara Feldon is not good at all at crying or seeming distraught. Not for a second did I believe at the end of the episode that she was upset when she thought Max died.
RATING: 7/10
After an encounter in a graveyard, Max has a seance in order to contact an apparently deceased informer.
I have always enjoyed this episode. It's a pretty creepy and layered plot that is pretty twisty and surprising on the first watch through. I remember it actually freaking me out a bit when I was younger. I think the ambiance is pretty strong and we know 60s shows loved to have their seances. That's not a sitcom trope you see as much these days. My only small complaint about the otherwise strong episode is the final scene seemed to not quite stick the landing after such a great lead-up but it still has its moments. This is a very enjoyable and unique episode.
RATING: 9/10
65. Maxwell Smart, Private Eye (10/21/67)
CONTROL cutbacks force Max and 99 to go moonlighting as private eyes and Max ends up inadvertently helping KAOS.
This is a fun episode thanks in large part to its very stylized feel. It was very clearly meant to be a satire of a private eye TV show or movie down to the way Don Adams talks and the smokey, run-down office Max and 99 use for the PI business. It's got a lot of clever bits including when Max is haggling with the Chief about when he's on CONTROL time and when he's not as he and 99 are being shot at. It seems like with these last couple episodes and even the weaker "Viva Smart" episode that the show is being a little more adventurous in its style this year.
RATING: 8/10
66. Supersonic Boom (10/28/67)
Max and 99 are assigned a case to protect New York City from being destroyed by a supersonic boom.
This is another clever episode that has a terrific sight gag with a scene at the car wash as Max and 99 try to tail the KAOS agents. There's also a good bit where Max and 99 think they are blindfolded as KAOS attempts to fool them into thinking they're heading to the airport and getting on the plane. Sometimes Get Smart can get bogged down in one particular part of a plot but devoting a lot of time to the deception actually works here with this episode as does Max and 99 continuing to think they're in Argentina for so long.
RATING: 8.5/10
67. One of Our Olives is Missing (11/4/67)
A singer swallows an olive containing a tiny KAOS radio and Max has to try to retrieve it.
The great Carol Burnett guest stars in this episode just months after the launch of her iconic variety show. It's fun to watch two actors known as comedy legends play off each other and this episode gives an awful lot of time to scenes with only Burnett and Don Adams. However, Siegfried's presence in the episode knocks it down a few pegs (as usual). Each time Siegfried appears he gets more and more outrageous. This show was also directed by legendary I Love Lucy director Jess Oppenheimer and there's an Oppenheimer reference in the show.
RATING: 7/10
68. When Good Fellows Get Together (11/18/67)
68. When Good Fellows Get Together (11/18/67)
KAOS sends a killer robot to destroy Hymie and Max has to help Hymie defend himself.
A lot of this episode seems like it was filmed on the set of F Troop if that was still in tact after its cancellation the previous season (or perhaps it was another western show). This episode is an oddity because both 99 and the Chief do not appear. That fact coupled with a Hymie episode means it is not one of my favorites. That being said, the scene with the robots fighting has some good moments. I just wish the KAOS robot had a little more personality like Hymie.
RATING: 4/10
69. Dr. Yes (11/25/67)
69. Dr. Yes (11/25/67)
Max and 99 go undercover as vacationers to track down the underwater power station of Dr. Yes.
99 and The Chief are back in this episode which also features a committed performance by Donald Davis as Dr. Yes in a pretty creepy role (those fingernails!) This episode has a lot of action and a lot of clever escapes from troubles though Agent 99 seems less resourceful in this episode and instead is prone to more "Do Something Max!" lines than usual. Still, the episode is well produced with elaborate sets and costumes and moves along nicely.
RATING: 7.5/10
70. That Old Gang of Mine (12/2/67)
Max and 99 try to stop the Scorpion Gang from stealing jewels in London.
This episode begins with a fun Danny Thomas cameo though his British accent leaves a lot to be desired. There's also a little bait and switch that's pretty funny right before the opening credits. I like the London setting of this episode and I like that the show in general is starting to branch out more to a lot of different places, that's perfect for a spy show. Where this episode falters though is a very long and elaborate mission that just goes on too long. Once the plot resumes after the long mission, it picks back up again. So the beginning and the end are good, it's just too long in the middle.
RATING: 6/10
71. The Mild Ones (12/9/67)
Max and 99 infiltrate a motorcycle gang to rescue a prime minister after a bungled mission.
I'm not a fan of motorcycles - in life or on TV. I've never been able to convince myself to try Sons of Anarchy even though I know many like it. But I enjoyed this episode of Get Smart. Perhaps because the "motorcycle gang" that Max and 99 infiltrate is hardly a gang but instead a pretty humorous, very 60s version of said gang. There's some fun counter culture moments (shades of the upcoming "Groovy Guru" episode) and also some funny lines from Max. Just like the previous episode included Danny Thomas, this episode has a cameo by Steve Allen. Don Adams must have been calling in his favors this season.
RATING: 7.5/10
72. Classification: Dead (12/23/67)
Max races to find an antidote to a deadly poison that leaves him with only hours to live.
"Race against time" episodes in any sitcom are enjoyable to me and a spy show gives plenty of natural opportunities for that plot device. The comedian cameo parade continues with Shelley Berman appearing briefly in this episode. My favorite guest appearance though is John Fiedler, who is enjoyable as always and has a great comic rapport with Don Adams. There's a fair amount of suspense to this episode mixed with humor, the best kind of Get Smart episode.
RATING: 8.5/10
73. The Mysterious Dr. T (12/30/67)
A CONTROL scientist admits that his discoveries were someone else's as he is dying and Max and 99 try to beat KAOS to finding out the real discoverer.
There's some humorous moments here but there's a few problems with this. First of all, Siegfried is in it. Enough said there. Secondly, the whole idea of a (spoiler alert) little kid being the mysterious Dr. T (guest star Peter Robbins a.k.a. the voice of Charlie Brown) is both predictable and pretty much one recurring joke through a lot of the episode. The recurring joke was he's a kid who does kid things like worrying about a spanking but he's also a genius scientist with multiple degrees. That wears thin when it drags on and on. I actually wish this episode had been more about the pursuit of Dr. T than trying to win a little kid over.
RATING: 4/10
70. That Old Gang of Mine (12/2/67)
Max and 99 try to stop the Scorpion Gang from stealing jewels in London.
This episode begins with a fun Danny Thomas cameo though his British accent leaves a lot to be desired. There's also a little bait and switch that's pretty funny right before the opening credits. I like the London setting of this episode and I like that the show in general is starting to branch out more to a lot of different places, that's perfect for a spy show. Where this episode falters though is a very long and elaborate mission that just goes on too long. Once the plot resumes after the long mission, it picks back up again. So the beginning and the end are good, it's just too long in the middle.
RATING: 6/10
Max and 99 infiltrate a motorcycle gang to rescue a prime minister after a bungled mission.
I'm not a fan of motorcycles - in life or on TV. I've never been able to convince myself to try Sons of Anarchy even though I know many like it. But I enjoyed this episode of Get Smart. Perhaps because the "motorcycle gang" that Max and 99 infiltrate is hardly a gang but instead a pretty humorous, very 60s version of said gang. There's some fun counter culture moments (shades of the upcoming "Groovy Guru" episode) and also some funny lines from Max. Just like the previous episode included Danny Thomas, this episode has a cameo by Steve Allen. Don Adams must have been calling in his favors this season.
RATING: 7.5/10
72. Classification: Dead (12/23/67)
Max races to find an antidote to a deadly poison that leaves him with only hours to live.
"Race against time" episodes in any sitcom are enjoyable to me and a spy show gives plenty of natural opportunities for that plot device. The comedian cameo parade continues with Shelley Berman appearing briefly in this episode. My favorite guest appearance though is John Fiedler, who is enjoyable as always and has a great comic rapport with Don Adams. There's a fair amount of suspense to this episode mixed with humor, the best kind of Get Smart episode.
RATING: 8.5/10
73. The Mysterious Dr. T (12/30/67)
A CONTROL scientist admits that his discoveries were someone else's as he is dying and Max and 99 try to beat KAOS to finding out the real discoverer.
There's some humorous moments here but there's a few problems with this. First of all, Siegfried is in it. Enough said there. Secondly, the whole idea of a (spoiler alert) little kid being the mysterious Dr. T (guest star Peter Robbins a.k.a. the voice of Charlie Brown) is both predictable and pretty much one recurring joke through a lot of the episode. The recurring joke was he's a kid who does kid things like worrying about a spanking but he's also a genius scientist with multiple degrees. That wears thin when it drags on and on. I actually wish this episode had been more about the pursuit of Dr. T than trying to win a little kid over.
RATING: 4/10
Tomorrow: The Friday Five - Top 5 TV news stories of the week!
Next Thursday: A look at the second half of Season 3 of Get Smart!
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