The Life and Times of Maxwell Smart [Paperback]

Donna McCrohan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1988

First airing in 1965, "Get Smart" became one of the most clever, creative, and beloved television comedies ever made. Here is the definitive guide to the program: a treasury of facts from on screen and behind the scenes, culled from over a year of research and interviews with the major stars and creators. 50 photos.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Get Smart , starring Don Adams as Maxwell Smart, premiered September 15, 1965, ran for five seasons, and is still seen 23 years later in international syndication. A new Get Smart made-for-TV movie is scheduled to air this fall. Television historian McCrohan ( The Honeymooners' Companion ), noting that the James Bond film series triggered the mid-'60s craze for TV spy shows ( The Man from U.N.C.L.E. , I Spy ), interweaves informative interview material as she chronicles the chain of events that led to the birth of this satirical sitcom. Creators Mel Brooks and Buck Henry are profiled, along with cast members Adams, Barbara Feldon, Ed Platt, Dick Gautier et al. A chapter is devoted to the show's writers, and equal attention is given to anecdotes surrounding production activities and location shootings. In addition to a complete episode guide, the book offers lengthy lists of the memorable catchphrases ("Would you believe . . . ?") and running gags. McCrohan's own efforts as a journalistic spy result in a detailed dossier of a single series, set against a wealth of background material on the television industry of the '60s. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Veteran TV fan book writer McCrohan (e.g., Honeymooners Companion ) has produced a well-researched, effervescent panegyric to Get Smart, the Emmy-winning spy spoof created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry that ran from 1965 to 1970. Amidst the usual composite portraits of the characters, episode guide (some really good, or bad, titular puns here), and production history and information, McCrohan places the series in a sociological context of American TV tastes and culture. Her profiles of and interviews with the series' actors, directors, producers, and writers interestingly reveals the interrelatedness of people responsible for TV comedy, series after series, from the Golden Age to the present morass. Expect interest; the reruns are popular.David Bartholomew,
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (September 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312000308
• ISBN-13: 978-0312000301
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #886,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Was Get Smart the best show? You bet your sweet shoephone!, October 1, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Life and Times of Maxwell Smart (Paperback)

This is the best of the Get Smart information books. In depth and great, Mrs. McCrohan gives a backstage peek at one of the best, funniest, and much overlooked parody comedies ever!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BO, October 5, 2010

By 

James Adams "bo" (memphis, tn) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Life and Times of Maxwell Smart (Paperback)

EXACTLY THE OVER-VIEW OF THE SERIES, CHARACTERS, ACTORS , AND "BEHIND-
THE-SCENES" STORIES THAT I WANTED