We conclude our look at the 45th anniversary of TV spy mania with Get Smart, which premiered in September 1965. Now, Don Adams as Maxwell Smart. A television classic. How could anything go wrong with that? You’re probably thinking that there could not have been any doubt about that casting.
Well, if you’re thinking that, you’re wrong. Not only was Don Adams not the first choice to play the lead in a parody of James Bond, NBC wasn’t the first network approached. ABC was.
The script was penned by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry. Producer Leonard Stern and actor Tom Poston take it from there:
Once Don Adams was on board, he incorporated his own comedic persona. This clip isn’t from Get Smart, but The Bill Dana Show, where Adams appeared as a hotel detective, Byron Glick. The clip contains a familiar gag that’d be a regular part of Get Smart:
In the pilot, Maxwell Smart and agent 99 (Barbara Feldon) encounter Mr. Big of KAOS, played by an actor who’d shortly make a big impression on CBS’s The Wild, Wild West:
Filed under: The Other Spies | Tagged: "You can't have the head of a criminal orgnaization played by a midget.", 45h anniversary of TV spy mania, ABC, ABC passes on Get Smart, Barbara Feldon, Buck Henry, Don Adams, Get Smart, Leonard Stern, Mel Brooks, Michael Dunn, NBC, The Other Spies, Tom Poston, TV spy shows, Would you believe...Tom Poston was the first choice to play Maxwell Smart |
The Spy Command 
[…] He was born April 13, 1923, according to his IMDB.COM BIOGRAPHY. As we’ve written before, Adams wasn’t the first choice to play Maxwell Smart. […]