Soccer Dad

Would you believe?

That Don Adams - Agent 86 - is dead?
A few weeks ago I remembered Bob Denver now the star of another one of those afternoon rerun series has died.
Would you believe? is a concordance of all things "Get Smart."
Cathy's World remembers Don Adams. ( via Yourish )
The two things that surprised me about Don Adams was that he was so old. I would have thought that he was about ten years younger. And the other was that he was Jewish.
Still he was a riot to watch as the dimwitted Agent 86 who, somehow or the other, always seemed to get the job done.
UPDATE: The Washington Post adds a short appreciation to Don Adams, "The Sole of Wit."
And since it mentions "Would you believe ..." here are a couple from "Jump the Shark":

Max, "would you believe right now we are surrounded by the 5th army." Bad guy with gun on him, "I find that very hard to believe!" Max, "would you believe the 4th army?" Bad guy, "I find that very hard to believe" Max, "how about the 3rd army?" Bad guy, "I find that very hard to believe!" Max, "how about a boy scout with rabies?" With lines like this could this show ever JTS?

Couldn't jump with humor like this: Max with bad guy's gun staring down at him, "would you believe right now we are surrounded by the 7th fleet?" Bad guy, "I find that very hard to believe." Max, "would you believe the 6th fleet." Bad guy, "I find that very hard to believe." Max, "how about the 5th fleet?" Bad guy, "I find that very hard to believe." Max, "how about a school of angry flounders?"

BTW, did you know that I once used Get Smart to make a comment about the Middle East. Back when I had David's Israel Blog on Blogger I wrote about a portrayal of Hezbollah in the NY Times:

I remember an episode of "Get Smart" where the bad guys, KAOS, issue an ultimatum via a commercial, complete with a jingle and a disclaimer that KAOS is a Delaware corporation. It was very funny having a criminal organization passing itself of as a commercial enterprise. At least it's funny in fiction. It's not funny in real life, but that's exactly what the NY Times is doing here: portraying a terrorist organization as a video game manufacturer with a message.

And yes, I think that KAOS, A Delaware Corporation is the funniest line I remember from the show.
UPDATE II: Pillage Idiot has more, including this (seemingly prophetic) exchange:

Kaos killer: Look, I'm a sportsman. I'll let you choose the way you want to die.
Max: All right, how about old age?

I'm reasonably certain this is from "Isle of the Darned" as is the "Would you believe ..." exchange with the punchline being "... how about a school of angry flounders?"
Elie's Expositions also has some rememberences, including that Dick Gautier, who played Hymie the Robot went on to star in "When Things Were Rotten." Which we both loved. (And might have been the only 2 people in the country who did!) Another occasional cast member from Get Smart who showed up on When Things were Rotten was Bernie Kopel (Siegfried then Alan-a-Dale but who's better known as the doctor on The Love Boat.)

Posted by SoccerDad at September 27, 2005 5:44 AM