How a bumbling secret agent became the ultimate parody of the Cold War era
In short: Created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, Get Smart premiered in 1965 as a deliberate subversion of the suave James Bond archetype. By pairing an incompetent, rule-obsessed protagonist with a world of absurd gadgets, the show redefined television comedy and left a lasting mark on pop culture history.
When Mel Brooks and Buck Henry were commissioned by Talent Associates to write a script about a bungling hero, they sought to break the mold of the era's sensible family sitcoms. Brooks, who famously declared that his protagonist had no mother, wanted to create something entirely unreal. The result was Maxwell Smart, Agent 86, a character whose code name was a nod to the slang term for ejecting someone from a casino or bar. Despite his clumsiness, Smart was portrayed as a top agent for CONTROL, a Washington-based counterintelligence agency fighting the international evil organization, KAOS.
The show’s humor relied on a meticulous parody of the James Bond franchise. Brooks described his method as taking the tropes of the spy genre and stretching them just an inch further. This approach birthed iconic gadgets, most notably the shoe phone, which required Smart to remove his footwear to communicate. Telephones were hidden in over 50 objects, including neckties, perfume bottles, and even cheese sandwiches. These props became so culturally significant that a prop shoe phone was eventually displayed at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in 2002.
Beyond the slapstick, the series was noted for broadening the parameters of television comedy. It featured a revolving door of writers and directors, including Don Adams, who directed 13 episodes and starred as the lead. While the show was a parody, it maintained a dedicated following, running for 138 episodes across five seasons. It transitioned from NBC to CBS in 1969 before concluding in 1970, leaving behind a legacy that included multiple film adaptations and a lasting influence on how secret agents are depicted in satire.
The show's success was not without friction. Network executives at ABC initially rejected the pitch, labeling it un-American and demanding the inclusion of a lovable dog and scenes featuring Smart’s mother—suggestions Brooks vehemently opposed. Ultimately, the show found its home on NBC, where it became a cultural touchstone. Even today, the series remains a subject of interest, with researchers at Flinders University exploring potential medical applications for the technology inspired by Smart’s famous shoe phone.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Get Smart
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