Doctor Who Club of Australia

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4568

A funny thing happened just a few hours ago. A few hours ago when I got off a bus I saw this display of cars with the slogan of "get smart" this was because it was a pun on a car company called Smart Australia and obviously a reference to the TV show itself.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4568

The Amazing Harry Hoo:
The Claw (Claw not Claw) returns.
Joey Forman appears for the first time as the Chinese detective Harry Hoo. Although the Chinese detective's name has been spelt as "Harry Hoo" in the episode title the end credits however spelt it as "Harry Who" (too bad he isn't a doctor eh?). This is an example of a Caucasian playing an Asian character long before Talons of Weng-Chiang in Doctor Who.
My favourite part of Max's meeting with Harry Hoo was when Max searched the pockets of a dead man. Amazing.

For some reason TV1 has skipped the next episode Hubert's Unfinished Symphony and gone straight to the two parter Ship of Spies.

Ship of Spies Part 1:
This is a delightful adventure and so good to see it again.
Funny way to get tomato soup.
There is some difficulty whistling Yankee Doodle.
I definitely remember the clip clop noise.
Regular or skim milk and the bananas and monkeys conversation between Max and Parker definitely worth mentioning.
Max says the back of my hand line. Funnily enough I was thinking of that line just yesterday.
Miss Mendez saying the corridors all look the same is something familiar to us Doctor Who fans.
Inspector Sehokian's revelation of the plans not being plans is something I have forgotten.
Very very funny when Max's said Groman's Chinese in reference to the name of the captain and his Chinese manservant.
What a cracker of a cliffhanger.

Ship of Spies Part 2:
Very funny resolution.
Unfortunately I watched this episode against the noise of my niece watching a kids' channel on another TV.
Hilarious Max's bad speech impediment line.
Also funny when Max and 99 tries to get out of their cabins.
Although not a cliffhanger the episode ended in much the same way as the previous episode.
Victor French made his swansong as 44.
I also noticed that Robert Karvelas made his debut as Larrabee in this adventure but had no dialogue and is not credited. In fact I noticed him in previous episode in other non-speaking parts. Larrabee it seems probably wasn't originally intended to be a substantial character.

charlie · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 9:31 pm Post subject:

For the first time in years I watche get smart today. I easily recognised the formulae of the jokes and was surprised by how much I laughed. Barging down the door beging the most obvious but I still laughed.
Poor 99.
I love 44's old bit that always comes inthe same. What I really wanted to see though was the cone of silence. I think there should have been two more passengers with clip clops although there wouldnt have been time for them later in the episode.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4568

I have bad news: TV1 will show the last of the triple Get Smart screenings this Sunday and the daily weekday screening will end on October 24.

Also (but not bad news) last night my uni sci fi club had a MacGyver screening and Dana Elcar guest starred in the first episode but not as Pete Thornton which he played regularly later on in that series. As Pete Thornton, Dana Elcar played boss to MacGyver just like he did briefly as The Chief to Max in The Nude Bomb.

charlie · Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 4:29 pm Post subject:

I'm begginging to notice a definite formula for the entire episodes.

They go somewhere to meet an informant.
The informant gets shot (usually by a mysterious gloved hand) before revealing the vital information (usually the location of plans or the name of KAOS agent(s).
There is some complication stopping them from finding the information.
44 shows up.
99 helps Max to overcome the complication and they find the plans.
There is then a shootout between max and the baddie that ends with a ridiculously disguised gun.
Lastly there is a resolution that doesn't tell us anything and isnt nesseccary.

Bit repetitive for three in a row.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4568

Hubert's Unfinished Symphony:
The episode that should have been shown last week. At least I got to see 44 one more time.
John Mythers guest staes as Wolenska. He later went on to play a different character in the Hollywood three parter and and is terrific. His "Don't touch my hands" line is great.
The bit with the portable cone of silence is funny.
This is the first time that Max says his crack line.
Max plays chopsticks to an audience. Coincidentally, Tony Nelson did the exact same thing in an episode of I Dream of Jeannie.
Later on in the series there was a joke about Hubert being able to finish his symphony.

Shipment to Beirut:
Best part of this episode was in the teaser when Max was trying to find a model who is an informant and towards the end with the steambath scene.

The Last One In Is A Rotten Spy:
What a marvellous end to the first season as Alice Ghostley from Bewitched* guest stars.
The teaser with Max trying to find a pencil was hilarious.
The identity of the mystery woman was given away by her voice not to mention her giving Max a pencil being a clue to the audience.

*Coincidentally Bewitched was mentioned in the Doctor Who: The Hand of Fear DVD which I have been seeing lately.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4568

In The Einstein Factor yesterday in the true or false question about Dune, the Brains Trust were asked whether it was true that there was a cone of silence in the Dune novels. They were tempted to say no because of Get Smart but decided to say true. The answer was indeed true.

From Wikipedia:
"A "cone of silence" is also mentioned in the novel Dune, when Baron Harkonnen is having a private discussion with Count Fenring on Giedi Prime."

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4568

Last night I watched The Last Detective episode Once Upon A Time On The Westway and the cone of silence got mentioned by Dangerous Davies (Peter Davison). He said about a suspect being afraid to break the cone of silence of what he knew of the case that Dangerous was working on.

Wow what a surprise that was.

Seamus · Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 106 Location: Balgowlah

Well, while Get Smart was never a favourite for me, I did have a thing for '99. Smile

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4568

Anne Hathaway is 99:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/entertainment/2006-11/22/content_740027.htm

Although this article says that she is close in getting the part, WouldYouBelieve.com seems convinced that she already has it http://www.wouldyoubelieve.com/movie.html. However the site owner says that from the script of the movie that he has read, there is a big difference with the TV show - the TV show was funny.

Suketeh_the Destroyer · Joined: 22 Aug 2005 Posts: 64

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4568

Comedian Colin Lane has told mx newspaper in Sydney that Get Smart is his all time favourite show. This is what he said:
"Get Smart, without a doubt. I just loved all the gadgets and Don Adams'stupid physical gags. I also loved that they used real Hollywood baddies to play the Kaos agents. Great TV."

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4568

In How The Hell Did We Get Here episode The Baby Boomer's Guide to Comedy on the ABC in which well known Australians talked about the television comedies they liked watching in the last forty years with a top 20 poll and Get Smart was included in this top 20 coming in at no. 8. The people who commented on Get Smart were actor Graeme Blundell, journalist Matt Price (in which he outed Treasurer Peter Costello as a fan), broadcaster Rebecca Wilson and television host James O'Loghlin.

Also Barbara Feldon on the same program was briefly seen from clips of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-in which came in at no. 18. (For those curious on what came at no.1 was M*A*S*H)

I have to be honest and say it didn't occur to me that Get Smart would be included but I am happy that it made it into the top ten.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4568

The cone of silence got a mention in the Sliders episode My Brother's Keeper which I saw this morning. This happened when Quinn was taken underground and he asked if could contact his friends by telephone. The character called RJ responded by saying that no phone calls can come in or out as it is the cone of slience.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4568

Just found out more casting news although the report in the following link is now two weeks old:
http://www.zap2it.com/movies/news/zap-kendavitiangetsmartcasting,0,212213.story

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4568

Got a nice little surprise today when Get Smart was mentioned in the lecture that I attended today. The lecturer talked about Fu Manchu characters and how he got to know about them from Get Smart and I can only conclude that he was talking about the Claw.

charlie · Posted: Wed May 02, 2007 8:53 pm Post subject:

Has anyone seen that Get Smart is only available on one of those Tv offers? I thought the show was much more popular than that.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4568

Yeah I saw that.

Now that you mention it, the show does deserve better promotion.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4568

The teaser movie trailer and it looks quite good:
http://www.slashfilm.com/2007/07/10/get-smart-teaser-movie-trailer/

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4568

There was a Get Smart reference in last night's Neighbours episode:
Karl was called Maxwell Smart due to a joke of him being a spy for his company!