There has been reports that Don Adams has passed away. SitcomsOnline.com is investigating... details to follow.

There has been reports that Don Adams has passed away. SitcomsOnline.com is investigating... details to follow.

WOW! :(

Awwww man, I hope not. I know that they have reported his death before, let's hope they are wrong again. :(

Wow, just yeaterday we were taking a limo to O'Hare airport which had a tv in it and we found an episode of "Get Smart" playing on one of the local Chicago stations. I remember saying that I hadn't seen an episode of this show in years.

:(

It is all but confirmed now. It's a good source I have and it is for sure correct. Now we play the waiting game and wait until it is announced over the wire.

That's sad. :(

Coincidentally, I have a co-worker who ALSO goes by the SAME name. :eek:

:(

I hope this isn't true. :(

Where did you find out about this?

B/C I've just checked imdb.com just now and says that he's pretty much still alive.

RIP Maxwell Smart/Inspector Gadget

I don't mean this out of disrespect, but who's Don Adams?

Entertainment Tonight's website has sadly confirmed that Don Adams has passed away. Here's the link:

http://et.tv.yahoo.com/newslink/index.html#l2

I don't mean this out of disrespect, but who's Don Adams?
He was the voice of Inspector Gadget in all the animated versions that was released, plus he did the voice of Brian in the 1999 live-action Inspector Gadget movie.

I grew up watching Inspector Gadget, so I'm familiar with Don. RIP. :(

http://imdb.com/name/nm0010915/

MSNBC just confirmed it a few minutes ago... :(

Sad, first online report I found:
http://www.news10.net/storyfull3.aspx?storyid=13301

LOS ANGELES (AP)-- Comedian Don Adams is dead at 82.

The the wry-voiced comedian starred as the fumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart in the 1960s television spoof of James Bond movies,
Get Smart."

His friend and former agent, Bruce Tufeld, said Adams died of a lung infection last night at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He says the actor broke his hip a year ago and had been in ill health.

As the inept Agent 86 of the super-secret federal agency CONTROL, Adams captured TV viewers with his antics in combatting the evil agents of CHAOS. When his explanations failed to convince the villains or his boss, he tried another tack:
"Would you believe...?" It became a national catchphrase.

Get Smart twice won the Emmy for best comedy series with three Emmys for Adams as comedy actor.

Adams married and divorced three times and had seven children.

He also served as the voice for the popular cartoon series, "Inspector Gadget." In 1980, he appeared as Maxwell Smart in a feature movie, "The Nude Bomb," about a madman whose bomb
destroyed people's clothing.

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=1160638

I don't mean this out of disrespect, but who's Don Adams?

It's ok Karen, I didn't know either.

It's ok Karen, I didn't know either.


He played Maxwell Smart on Get Smart in the 60's. He was also the voice of Tennessee Tuxedo.

He was the voice of Inspector Gadget in all the animated versions that was released, plus he did the voice of Brian in the 1999 live-action Inspector Gadget movie.

I grew up watching Inspector Gadget, so I'm familiar with Don. RIP. :(

http://imdb.com/name/nm0010915/

Aw. I used to watch Inspector Gadget too. That's very sad. RIP. :(

this is the SECOND saddest thing I've ever heard :( :( :(

R.I.P. #86

I don't mean this out of disrespect, but who's Don Adams?


Don also provided the voice of Tennessee Tuxedo, a sort of smart but wise cracking penguin who with his friend Chumley, a large, dim-witted walrus reside at the Megopolis Zoo who always come up with new ideas on improving the quality of life at the zoo. The series Don voiced was called "Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales in 1963, first on CBS and in syndication.

More about Tennessee Tuxedo can be found here (http://www.toontracker.com/totaltv/tennesse.htm).


From Yahoo!

Don Adams of 'Get Smart' Dies at 82

By BOB THOMAS, Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES - Don Adams, the wry-voiced comedian who starred as the fumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart in the 1960s television spoof of James Bond movies, "Get Smart," has died. He was 82.

Adams died of a lung infection late Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, his friend and former agent Bruce Tufeld said Monday, adding the actor broke his hip a year ago and had been in ill health since.

As the inept Agent 86 of the super-secret federal agency Control, Adams captured TV viewers with his antics in combatting the evil agents of Kaos. When his explanations failed to convince the villains or his boss, he tried another tack: "Would you believe ... ?" It became a national catchphrase.

Smart was also prone to spilling things on the desk or person of his boss — the chief (actor Edward Platt). Smart's apologetic "Sorry about that, chief" also entered the American lexicon. The spy gadgets, which aped those of the Bond movies, were a popular feature, especially the pre-cell-phone telephone in a shoe.

Smart's beautiful partner, Agent 99, played by Barbara Felden, was as brainy as he was dense, and a plot romance led to marriage and the birth of twins later in the series.

Adams, who had been under contract to NBC, was lukewarm about doing a spy spoof. When he learned that Mel Brooks and Buck Henry had written the pilot script, he accepted immediately. "Get Smart" debuted on NBC in September 1965 and scored No. 12 among the season's most-watched series and No. 22 in its second season.

"Get Smart" twice won the Emmy for best comedy series with three Emmys for Adams as comedy actor.

CBS picked up the show but the ratings fell off as the jokes seemed repetitive, and it was canceled after four seasons. The show lived on in syndication and a cartoon series. In 1995 Fox network revived the series with Smart as chief and 99 as a congresswoman. It lasted seven episodes.

Adams never had another showcase to display his comic talent.

"It was a special show that became a cult classic of sorts, and I made a lot of money for it," he remarked of "Get Smart" in a 1995 interview. "But it also hindered me career-wise because I was typed. The character was so strong, particularly because of that distinctive voice, that nobody could picture me in any other type of role."

He was born Donald James Yarmy in New York City on April 13, 1926, Tufeld said, although some sources say 1923 or 1927. The actor's father was a Hungarian Jew who ran a few small restaurants in the Bronx.

In a 1959 interview Adams said he never cared about being funny as a kid: "Sometimes I wonder how I got into comedy at all. I did movie star impressions as a kid in high school. Somehow they just got out of hand."

In 1941, he dropped out of school to join the Marines, lying about his age. In Guadalcanal he survived the deadly blackwater fever and was returned to the States to become a drill instructor, acquiring the clipped delivery that served him well as a comedian.

After the war he worked in New York as a commercial artist by day, doing standup comedy in clubs at night, taking the surname of his first wife, Adelaide Adams. His following grew, and soon he was appearing on the Ed Sullivan and late night TV shows. Bill Dana, who had helped him develop comedy routines, cast him as his sidekick on Dana's Jose Jiminez show. That led to the NBC contract and "Get Smart."

Adams, who married and divorced three times and had seven children, served as the voice for the popular cartoon series, "Inspector Gadget." In 1980, he appeared as Maxwell Smart in a feature movie, "The Nude Bomb," about a madman whose bomb destroyed people's clothing.

Tufeld said funeral arrangements were incomplete.

Yahoo! News/AP-September 26, 2005 ohno: ohno: ohno: :crying: :crying: :crying: :tv:

I've just seen it on Fox news, I guess it's offiially on the wire :(

Too bad. :(
At least I got to meet him a few years ago.

He was excellent as Maxwell Smart in his TV show "Get Smart" (1965-1970).
I used to watch reruns of that in the mid-1970s.

I remember Inspector Gadget being on early mornings. RIP.

Here's the Yahoo one gang...

We'll Miss you Don...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050926/ap_en_tv/obit_adams

Read SitcomsOnline.com's Tribute to Don Adams:
http://sitcomsonline.blogspot.com/2005/09/another-tv-legend-passes-away-this.html

Read SitcomsOnline.com's Tribute to Don Adams:
http://sitcomsonline.blogspot.com/2005/09/another-tv-legend-passes-away-this.html

Cool, I didn't know we had a blog...

Damnit to hell, why is it always the good ones? The amount of classic TV stars deaths in the past year is just too much to handle. I think I'm gonna cry. And just before the DVDs. I hope there's a good tribute on the discs. How horrid this is, its a living nightmare. Let us all take a moment to pray for Don's family and in his honor, give him a moment of silence.

Rest in Peace Mister Adams. You were great, we love you.

...missed it by that much.

RIP

R.I.P. Don. You were one of the best. :(

RIP, Don. You'll be missed.

Rest In Peace Don Adams you will be Very missed by all of your Fans

RIP DON YOU WERE AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!! :( :crying:

Aw RIP Don Adams :(

Aw RIP Don Adams :(
Did you ever see Get Smart?

IT was one of my fav shows EVER but it hasnt been on TV Land in a while

So very sad to hear of Don's passing. I certainly did not realize he was eighty-two-years-old. He will be missed... :(

It is so sad to hear about him passing away he was my favorite. I loved Get Smart it was one of my all-time favorite shows. I also liked Inspector Gadget too that was a good cartoon. He will be missed alot.

RIP :(

Wow, my favorite actor of all time. May he rest in peace and be remembered forever :( You'll be missed!

Farewell, Agent 86. You are one of my all time favorites!

Lolac
:(

Would you believe that sucks? :(

Incredible show.

Incredible talent.

We'll miss you "Max". I know I speak for a lot of us who grew up watching you on "Get Smart"... You made being a kid a lot more fun


:crying:

:bye:

He was 82?! I didn't think he was that old.

Just before I came here, and saw a headline about him, but it didn't say anything about him dying. I thought to myself, "I wonder what he's in the news for?"

Can't believe the man who introduced us to such catch phrases as "sorry about that chief" and "would you believe..." is gone. All Get Smart fans should spend a minute under the "cone of silence" to honour Mr. Adams memory. Thank-you Don Adams for giving us the gift of laughter! You will be missed. :wave:

I never liked Get Smart (there was something about a show with a guy who talked into his shoe that turned me off :lol: ) but I am sorry to hear that Mr. Adams has passed away. :(

Damnit to hell, why is it always the good ones? The amount of classic TV stars deaths in the past year is just too much to handle. I think I'm gonna cry. And just before the DVDs. I hope there's a good tribute on the discs. How horrid this is, its a living nightmare. Let us all take a moment to pray for Don's family and in his honor, give him a moment of silence.

Rest in Peace Mister Adams. You were great, we love you.

I guess it seems like it's always the good ones because those are the ones that affect us the most. Really, though, it's both the good and the bad and, most especially, it's the old. I'm very sorry to see Mr Adams go because I've always been a really big fan, but I take some comfort in the fact that he had a long and rich life and this didn't happen until he was 82.

For those of you who were around in the 70's, do you remember a show Don Adams had, it was called "Don Adams Screen Test"? He had two ordinary people take a screen test of the same scenario and the one who had done the best would get an opportunity at stardom. I loved this show.
I didn't realize Don was soooo old. My God, I guess time does go by.

Bring on the tributes TVLand -- We're ready for a 48-hour marathon of "Get Smart" !!

Truly a work of art -- thanks for the laughs !!

As mentioned on my blog, TV Land will do on-air promos and an online tribute only. They could not get access to the show itself.

it sad the only 60s TV Icons are left: Stars from The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick van Dyke Show & I Dream Of Jennie and that it :(

:( :( :( :( :(

This is so sad. :rip: Don Adams, you were awesome.

Loved Get Smart when I was a kid. Also watched Tenessee Tuxedo religiously.

Also says that the voice of Phineas J. Whoopie was Larry Storch--the same Larry Storch of F-Troop fame, whom Al Bundy idolized?? :eek:

He may have been best known on Get Smart, but I grew up watching him or listening to him as the voice of Inspector Gadget.

you're forrgetting about most of the "Star Trek" actors. Thankfully, most of that cast is still alive.

I'm not sure TV Land does that kind of stuff any more... though I'd love to see it happen in this case...

I remember when Carrol O'Connor passed away, TV Land was in a period during which they'd run 48 hour marathons of different shows every weekend. When "Archie" died, they postponed the scheduled marathon (I forgot what show was scheduled) and immediately replaced it with a 48 hour All in the Family Marathon.

But when Tony Randall passed away, they ran either 4 or 6 episodes of "The Odd Couple" one evening during the week, and that was it, either the day Tony passed away or the day after, as I recall.

And yes, I know that it may depend on what episodes/shows TV Land currently has the "rights" to... I don't even try to keep up with who owns the rights to which shows...it was possibly an economic decision that they didn't want to spend the bucks to put on a real tribute to the great Tony Randall...

So I would be shocked if TV Land pre-empted all of their great original programming (e.g. the 78th showing of "top 10 characters you love to hate") in order to pay tribute to a legend like Don Adams (not to mention pre-empting the weekly six-hour "Gunsmoke" and "Bonanza" mini-marathons ...can't have that).

But I'm calling out TV Land to prove me wrong on this.


(NOTE: This post was intended to be a direct reply to "joefriday's" comment from page one re: a 48 hour Get Smart Marathon... I posted this without reading pav's post above... I replied without realizing that there was a page two... just in case anyone wonders why I made this post "after" pav's comments, it's because I hadn't read them...I meant to hit "Quote" but didn't)

Somewhere in heaven, he'll be saying "Sorry about that, Chief" next to Edward Platt, "Would you believe?" "And loving it and "The old----------trick."

I remember Don Adams as the voice of Tennessee Tuxedo and the host of Don Adams Screen Test, where he directed contestants in reenactments of famous movie scenes.

Rest in Peace Mr. Adams. I grew up watching Get Smart.

Rest in Peace Mr. Adams. I grew up watching Get Smart.


The good news is the series will be coming out on DVD in 2006! I watched "Get Smart" on NBC originally (when I was about five or six years old) and on KCOP channel 13 in Los Angeles locally in the 1970's and '80's in the afternoons. I loved his work when he did the voice of Tennessee Tuxedo in "Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales". He was great at what he did! :)

I'm Glad I took this photo in 1999. :)

Bring on the tributes TVLand -- We're ready for a 48-hour marathon of "Get Smart" !!

Truly a work of art -- thanks for the laughs !!


Amen! I'm looking for a marathon, too! I hope they do one!

Lolac :)

Amen! I'm looking for a marathon, too! I hope they do one!

Lolac :)



not going to happen, I'm afraid, see Pav's post, top of this page. TV Land does not have access to the show at this time

Missed it by thaat much.
Don't tell me .... 99. I ASKED you not to TELL me that.

Wierd, very wierd, but I just thought of him yesterday afternoon, searched the web, and there it was... birth 1923, death, Sept. 26, 2005. No announcement of any kind on IMD, just the usual birth/death dates with some details.

Larrabee (played by Robert Karvelas) was Don's rl cousin.

Don had 7 children by 3 wives.

http://photobucket.com/albums/v304/sherriffnoldie/th_361fb11a.gif

I was very sorry to hear about Don's passing. I was glad to be able to send him a card last year to wish him well. I hope his other shows will get some exposure. He did lots of other things also, like Check It Out and The Partners, both enjoyable shows. ...rest in peace, Don, and thanks for giving us a reason to laugh and smile. You are and always will be a legend!! Scott :(

Like someone said before why does it have to happen to all the good actors and actresses?

I for one will truely miss you Don, Thanks for all the wonderful memories and thank you for making me laugh so hard I thought I split my sides open.

I would never have guessed he was 82, he looked so young like Tony Randell and Dick Clark.

Would you believe?, Sorry about that cheif, missed it by that much.

Prayers to his family in their time of need.

Don make them laugh up in heaven you deserve it.

I saw that on the news & was so sorry to hear about him. I enjoyed watching the show as a kid in the 60's & re-runs thoughout the yrs. Rip... Sorry about that Chief...

But he left many of us with more than some of us will leave the world. And he'll be remembered longer. -- Lucky bloke.

Would you believe...Maxwell Smart is dead? I can't because I feel like I've known him my whole life through his TV shows. Besides "Get Smart", one of my favorite series of all time, he also appeared in:

"The Bill Dana Show" (which I've never seen) where he played a hotel detective that became the inspiration for his Maxwell Smart character

The cartoon voices of Tennessee Tuxedo and Inspector Gadget

"Don Adams Screen Test" where a group of people would recreate famous movie scenes with Don as the director. I remember one episode very fondly where a couple tried to do a scene from "To Have And Have Not" starring Humphrey Bogart. The actor playing Bogie sat on a bed and started taking off his shoes. As he removed one shoe, he placed it close to his ear and said, "Hello Chief! This is Smart!". I was on the floor laughing. The look on Don's face was, as they say in the commercial, priceless!

He also appeared in the Canadian sitcom "Check It Out" where he was the head of a supermarket. The running gag on this show was that he was now the Chief and his employees were all like Max. You can find it airing on TV Land Canada.

But, of course, he will always be Maxwell Smart no matter what else he's done. I can't think of another character that introduced so many funny catchphrases in one series. What made them funny was that he would use them but not overuse them so they would lose their humour (like, for example, Jimmie Walker's "Dynomite!".) That was only part of his comic genius. The simple fact is that Don Adams was a very funny man and I will miss him greatly.

Missed it by THAT much!

Sorry about that, chief!

I could also probably hear him say "Sorry about that, chief." w/ the late great Edward Platt.

If only TV Land or N@N could do a tribute like this. :(

BTW, I wonder if they even did one for the late Bob Denver as well?

[QUOTE=howilu]Somewhere in heaven, he'll be saying "Sorry about that, Chief" next to Edward Platt, "Would you believe?" "And loving it and "The old----------trick."

Never mind Ed Platt. Don should be in heaven with his cousin in real life the late Robert Karvelas (yes Larabee) and Don's own daughter Cecily, whom Don outlived. Platt should be in heaven with his own now late relatives. Back to Don I wonder if having to painfuilly endure his own daughter's death last year brought his health down more. Probably did.

Barbara Feldon live on for decades to come you fine beauty.

What a shame! Another one of the best, passes. :(

I'm a big Get Smart fan from way back. I remember loving the show when I was a small child and when Maximum Smart came on Nick-At-Nite in 1991, I set my alarm clock for a solid week to get every episode on VHS. It took 12 tapes even on SLP speed and I still have them 14 years later (Good Lord, was that really 14 years ago?!) I'm going to miss Don Adams a lot. His work was always great.....anybody remember "Don Adams' Screen Test" from 1974-1975? Probably one of the coolest game shows ever---contestents did screen tests by recreating famous scenes from old movies. Don Adams directed them and the audience voted for the winner at the end of the show. But the main reason I'm posting this reply is to pay tribute to one of my favorite Don Adams characters.....remember Tennessee Tuxedo on "The Underdog Show"?
"C'mon Chumley, let's go see Mr. Whoopie!"

Let's also not forget his voice on Inspector Gadget from 1983-86 as well. I grew up on that show as well. So, this is really gonna be a bummer. :(

This passing of Adams reminds me to wonder and hope cutiepie Judy Lang (Mildred Spencer) is still alive and well. God bless you Judy honey.

As mentioned on my blog, TV Land will do on-air promos and an online tribute only. They could not get access to the show itself.

No Don Adams tribute marathons on either TV land networks (US or Canada).

I'm wondering if these tribute marathons are too diffucult to do, because of the time frame and schedules. The same thing happened with Bob Denver. None of the classic TV stations (TV Land(s), Hallmark Channel, or DejaView) bothered with a tribute marathon for him either. :(

i didn't know he died:(

For those of you who were around in the 70's, do you remember a show Don Adams had, it was called "Don Adams Screen Test"? .
Yup, i loved it ....and back to the orig thread: Would you believe, you'll be missed, Mr. Adams? You will, but you'll live on forever as Max!!! props:

...that Don also appeared as a "Kraft Music Hall Player" (supporting cast member) on Perry Como's NBC variety show between 1961 and 1963-- that's how most people first saw him on a weekly basis. And, while he was on the Como show in New York, he recorded the voice tracks for "TENNESSEE TUXEDO AND HIS TALES" alongside Larry Storch {Mr. Whoopee}, Mort Marshall {Stanley Livingstone}, Bradley Bolke {Chumley}, Kenny Delmar {The Narrator} and the rest of that crackerjack New York vocal talent. He and Bill Dana were VERY close friends (and cousins)- that's how Don got his start on "THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW" as a regular guest in the late '50s. And when Bill started his sitcom [playing "Jose Jiminez"], he wanted Don as his co-star, and that's how Adams headed West after leaving Perry Como and New York in '63. After the Dana show was cancelled at the end of 1964, Don just happen to luck onto the "GET SMART" pilot...and the rest is history!

For those of you who were around in the 70's, do you remember a show Don Adams had, it was called "Don Adams Screen Test"? He had two ordinary people take a screen test of the same scenario and the one who had done the best would get an opportunity at stardom. I loved this show.
I enjoyed this series, but I think it only lasted one or two seasons. That isn't fair. Lots of people would've loved to have been on it. They ought to bring it back. I think there may have been some trouble with the studios wanting more money to allow clips to be used this way. JERKS! :angryfire
:2mad: :mad:


:rip: :candle: :crying:
I was fortunate to have had my radio newscast shift on the day that Don died ( and also the days Louie Nye and Don Knotts died ) so I could write and include the story into my newscast, thus paying tribute to some of my favorite comedians.

[ NOTE: I was on college radio as a student newscaster. KBPK 90.1 FM, which didn't get heard in very large area. BUT if any of you owns or works at a radio station and wants to hire me --I'm ready! ]

I remember "Don Adams' Screen Test"-----I was a really young kid, but I enjoyed it immensely----very entertaining and funny. I understand it may not be seen as having great syndication value, but if it's on tape on DVD anywhere I'd love to have copies of it for myself. :)