Customer Reviews

The Get Smart Handbook

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Uhhhh...how about the second greatest book in North America... how about a really good book on one of the greatest television comedies ever created?

'Get Smart' had a good five year run from 1965-1970. I never really saw it when it first aired...at least not that I can remember. I was only five years old when they took it off the air. But even though I may not have watched it when it was first on, I do remember very clearly the first time I ever saw it in the form of a rerun.

I was nine years old and I came home from school. My mother had recently passed away and my dad was at work trying to keep food on the table and clothes on our backs. My little brother was at pre-school and my two older sisters' were in junior high so I pretty much had the house to myself for a couple of hours until everyone started coming home. I turned on the television to channel 13...in Los Angeles at the time it was KCOP..now it's UPN or somethin' like that...and this show came on with this funny little man all dressed up in a suit going into a building through a series of doors and then walking down a long corridor to a payphone vestibule. He goes inside, puts a coin in the slot and he dissapears from sight.

Well, these opening credits really piqued my curiosity. "What is this about?" I mean, even the name had a hold of me, "Get Smart". The show began and I quickly learned of Maxwell Smart, secret agent 86, his partner, agent 99...who I thought and still feel that she was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen...and the chief. These were the good guys and they worked at an organization called CONTROL. They were in the business of getting the bad guys who were also spies but their organization was known as KAOS. Makes sense, huh?

And in that small little half hour, something truly magical began to happen. Y'see, I was a lonely little boy. I lost my mom to cancer, things really weren't going well at home, I constantly felt ill and under the weather, but this show really made me laugh and smile. It almost gave me a reason to continue on. Everyday, I'd race home trying to catch the second episode they aired during the hour of 2-3PM.

I began using all the little catch phrases that were on the show. If my dad asked me why something wasn't done, I'd break into the "Would you believe?" schtick. I quoted that show to anyone who'd listen. It was that show that really helped me break out of my shell as a sad little boy.

When Don Adams passed away last year at the age of 81, it felt like the passing of an old friend. I actually cried. I even had a few regrets that I somehow didn't make any kind of attempts to write to him personally telling him how his wonderful show helped me to laugh and smile when things didn't feel too good on the homefront.

This is a great book. I just find myself flipping through it at random and reading a little bit here and a little bit there and as great as this book is, I still feel as though something is missing for the true 'Get Smart' addict like myself...a boxed set of remastered GET SMART DVDs! C'mon now...why haven't they put these things out already? You would think that the people who have the rights to these would put these out while there is still a market who would gladly plunk their money down for a set because we are rapidly running out of people who remember this show.

And while I'm on a rant...why did Nick at Night take Get Smart off their schedule? Oh, sure, they can run the cheesy Brady Bunch ad nauseum, but where is Maxwell Smart and Agent 99? Where is Seigfried and Schtaker? One of the greatest joys I ever had as an uncle was when my niece Lauren, at the age of 13, became a Get Smart nut just like me and she could have only done it through the reruns on Nick at Night.

Now, I'm sad. Now I need a Get Smart fix. I guess I'll turn back to the book and remember a show that was brilliantly written, brilliantly cast, and served up more genuine laughter in five short years than the show, Friends' could in 11.

BRING IT BACK! BRING IT BACK! BRING IT BACK!

This is a great book. If you love Get Smart, you'll love this! This and the Life and Times book are great and feature interviews with the cast and the producers. A must for you GS fans and collectors!

For anyone who grew up watching and loving "Get Smart" this book is a "must have." The book is full of pictures, quotes, interviews with Don Adams (agent 86), Barbara Feldon (agent 99) and all the rest. This book is a lot of fun to read. It contains all the gadgets, phrases, and highlights the satirical humor that made this show such a classic.

The book also contains a "Control Case File" detailing the title, director, writers, special guests, casts, and interesting notes, gadgets and information for every show from #1: "Mr. Big" (the Pilot) in 1965 to #138 "I am Curiously Yellow."

If you or, someone you know is a "Get Smart" aficionado, I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's fun to just flip through and have a good laugh - it can't help but put a smile on your face to pick up this book. It would make a great gift along with the complete DVD collection (also available from Amazon.com).

This was a great all time book... but it could of gotten more into depth with agent 13 and the cheif but I loved it if i could rate it in 1/2 it would of been a 4 half ... cause of the details with the minor characters