The NBC episodes vs. the CBS episodes - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Rezny@gmail.com · 04-26-2010, 10:13 PM

Questions:1)What happened to Hymie the Robot,the dog Fang (aka K-13),2)Why was the series moved from NBC to CBS and 3)Why was the theme changed somewhat in the CBS season?I personally liked the NBC theme (ESPECIALLY the first season NBC opening )a LOT better.

treky · 04-26-2010, 11:00 PM

I don't know about your other questions, but I think it was moved from NBC to CBS simpley because NBC cannceled it, and CBS agreed to pick it up for another season.

rezny717 · 09-24-2011, 05:10 PM

And were some of the catch phrases like "Would you believe?",and
"Missed it by that much!"from the NBC years used on the CBS episodes?

1960'sTVfan · 09-24-2011, 09:49 PM

Hymie the robot made occasional appearances in the episodes, I don't think Hymie was intended to be a regular character in the show. It's possible that the character of Hymie was dropped when the show went from NBC to CBS.

Fang was dropped from the show after the 1st season, I believe the reason was because the dog was difficult to train. I think it was a silly idea anyway to have a dog as a secret agent.

When the show went to CBS, the new network probably wanted to re-score the theme song and give it a different sound. I like the season 5 version of the theme song and also like most season 5 episodes, although there is a feeling thruout the whole season that the show was getting tired and worn out.

burlivespipe · 09-25-2011, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retroTVfan4ever

I think it was a silly idea anyway to have a dog as a secret agent.

I had to chuckle at that line... this is Get Smart we're talking about, right?

1960'sTVfan · 09-25-2011, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burlivespipe

I had to chuckle at that line... this is Get Smart we're talking about, right?

Yea but to have a dog as a secret agent was a silly idea, even for a show like Get Smart.

HelloLarry · 10-02-2011, 02:59 AM

Fang ruled!

mphs95 · 05-10-2014, 09:36 AM

I also did enjoy most of Season 5 but I also think it did end at the best time. It was getting tired but still good. Shows that drag along past their time are just sad.

getsmartbeaver · 05-10-2014, 09:11 PM

I thought that season 5 had some of the funniest lines. What I thought was weird was that seasons 1 and 5 had Agent 44 (two different actors) while seasons 2 and 3 had Agent 13, but season 4 didn't have either, just 8 1/2.

JL82 · 05-10-2014, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retroTVfan4ever

Yea but to have a dog as a secret agent was a silly idea, even for a show like Get Smart.

Actually, that was probably one of the more realistic things about the show - since the military and police do use dogs. Fang is obviously not realistic for the dog they would use, though.

Did you know that the military classifies dogs as equipment?

torcan · 05-18-2020, 03:48 PM

I believe CBS picked it up after NBC cancelled it because they had success with another show which it's original network cancelled. My Three Sons was cancelled by ABC in 1965, then was picked up by CBS and ran another seven seasons. In reading old TVGuides lately, CBS felt they could have extended the run of Get Smart.

Unfortunately it wasn't to be. I also read that the show's staff felt that by the fourth year they were already running out of ideas.

In the late '70s I remember Don and Barbara appearing on a couple of talk shows stating they were going to bring Get Smart back to television. I kept waiting for that to happen but I guess they couldn't find an interested network.

QTMcWhiskers · 09-18-2020, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by torcan

I believe CBS picked it up after NBC cancelled it because they had success with another show which it's original network cancelled. My Three Sons was cancelled by ABC in 1965, then was picked up by CBS and ran another seven seasons. In reading old TVGuides lately, CBS felt they could have extended the run of Get Smart.

Unfortunately it wasn't to be. I also read that the show's staff felt that by the fourth year they were already running out of ideas.

In the late '70s I remember Don and Barbara appearing on a couple of talk shows stating they were going to bring Get Smart back to television. I kept waiting for that to happen but I guess they couldn't find an interested network.

True, the 4th year had some writers leaving (as did some of the originals after season 2) and they were scrambling for ideas. The marriage idea was cliche, but inevitable it seemed. (Plus, season 5 would make use of the next logical step with babies and juggle up a couple decent episodes that somehow manage to mix sitcom material with spy material with parenting material, to great effect.)

NBC's era ended decently enough with the 2-part finale...

Don Adams would later say that every attempt to revive the show was (awful). "The Nude Bomb" was just misplaced and an early attempt of a movie taking an old TV show and updating it for a modern audience (only keeping most of the original cast). Adams being over 50 and doing over half those stunts was amazing but the actual plot is a stinker... ) The 1995 FOX sitcom I felt got everything right but after 7 episodes and ending on "Liver Let Die" (an episode mixing comedy and horror to great effect, and brings in the return of Siegfried as a bonus too. A shame, but the fact the show managed more than 2 episodes on FOX is award-winning in its own right considering this was the early/mid-90s and most shows didn't make it past 6...)

The CBS era may have been short-lived but it did add some life into it, shaking up the formula. The stinkers were pretty awful but, going from memory,

* And Only Two Ninety-Nine (possibly the best doppelganger episode the show put out)
* Valerie of the Dolls (the best sitcom meets spy meets parenthood preparation right here)
* Rebecca of Funny Folk Farm
* Widow Often Annie
* Smart Fell on Alabama
* Physician Impossible
* Age Before Duty (interesting way to mix in Dorian Gray into Get Smart and the lack of the laugh track makes one key scene suitably horrific where they want Max to die first when I'm certain the delivery of the line by the actors saying it in unison were trying for a joke)
* Is This Trip Necessary
* The Mess of Adrian Listenger
* Do I hear a Vaults?
* How Green Was My Valet
* Witness for the Execution
* Moonlighting Becomes You (even if it's a partial redo of season 4's 'The Day they Raided the Knights', which is one of that season's better episodes but there's enough that's different)

is still a decent list of great and near-great episodes.

* Ironhand
* I am Curiously Yellow (despite the beads falling down joke)
* Smartacus
* Hello Columbus Goodbye America
* Pheasant Under Glass
* Ice Station Siegfried (so awful that even Don Adams balked)
* And Baby Makes Four (2 parts :\ )

were the worst stinkers

torcan · 04-30-2021, 03:00 PM

CHCH in Hamilton, ON is currently running the fifth season episodes (April 2021). I'm not sure these have been aired on Canadian television since the '70s, because of different contracts the stars signed that season that made it harder to syndicate. I think over time these issues have been ironed out.

While I'm glad they're running the fifth season and hope they continue to do so (I only saw those once or twice on Nick at Nite during the '90s), I do agree that some of the episodes from that season weren't very strong.

04-26-2010, 10:13 PM	#1
Rezny@gmail.com Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 20, 2007 Location: Nebraska Posts: 2,675	The NBC episodes vs. the CBS episodes Questions:1)What happened to Hymie the Robot,the dog Fang (aka K-13),2)Why was the series moved from NBC to CBS and 3)Why was the theme changed somewhat in the CBS season?I personally liked the NBC theme (ESPECIALLY the first season NBC opening )a LOT better.

04-26-2010, 11:00 PM	#2
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	I don't know about your other questions, but I think it was moved from NBC to CBS simpley because NBC cannceled it, and CBS agreed to pick it up for another season.
	__________________ the Clampetts are in a fancy Beverly Hills jewelry store. Granny points to a tray of rubies. Granny: "How much fer one o' them red diamonds?" clerk: "Madam, those are rubies." Granny: "OK ask her kin we buy one offa her." clerk: " The ruby I am talking about is not a lady." Granny: "Lissen, how she got them diamonds is her business. I'm just sayin' ask her kin we buy one from her."

09-24-2011, 05:10 PM	#3
rezny717 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 06, 2011 Location: Lincoln,Nebraska Posts: 659	And were some of the catch phrases like "Would you believe?",and "Missed it by that much!"from the NBC years used on the CBS episodes?

09-24-2011, 09:49 PM	#4
1960'sTVfan Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 30, 2009 Posts: 6,057	Hymie the robot made occasional appearances in the episodes, I don't think Hymie was intended to be a regular character in the show. It's possible that the character of Hymie was dropped when the show went from NBC to CBS. Fang was dropped from the show after the 1st season, I believe the reason was because the dog was difficult to train. I think it was a silly idea anyway to have a dog as a secret agent. When the show went to CBS, the new network probably wanted to re-score the theme song and give it a different sound. I like the season 5 version of the theme song and also like most season 5 episodes, although there is a feeling thruout the whole season that the show was getting tired and worn out.

10-02-2011, 02:59 AM	#7
HelloLarry Meathead Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 21, 2006 Posts: 273	Fang ruled!

05-10-2014, 09:36 AM	#8
mphs95 Remember me? Forum Regular Join Date: Jan 02, 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 790	I also did enjoy most of Season 5 but I also think it did end at the best time. It was getting tired but still good. Shows that drag along past their time are just sad.

05-10-2014, 09:11 PM	#9
getsmartbeaver Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 07, 2014 Location: United States Posts: 133	I thought that season 5 had some of the funniest lines. What I thought was weird was that seasons 1 and 5 had Agent 44 (two different actors) while seasons 2 and 3 had Agent 13, but season 4 didn't have either, just 8 1/2.

05-18-2020, 03:48 PM	#11
torcan Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 04, 2009 Location: Toronto Posts: 154	I believe CBS picked it up after NBC cancelled it because they had success with another show which it's original network cancelled. My Three Sons was cancelled by ABC in 1965, then was picked up by CBS and ran another seven seasons. In reading old TVGuides lately, CBS felt they could have extended the run of Get Smart. Unfortunately it wasn't to be. I also read that the show's staff felt that by the fourth year they were already running out of ideas. In the late '70s I remember Don and Barbara appearing on a couple of talk shows stating they were going to bring Get Smart back to television. I kept waiting for that to happen but I guess they couldn't find an interested network.

04-30-2021, 03:00 PM	#13
torcan Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 04, 2009 Location: Toronto Posts: 154	CHCH in Hamilton, ON is currently running the fifth season episodes (April 2021). I'm not sure these have been aired on Canadian television since the '70s, because of different contracts the stars signed that season that made it harder to syndicate. I think over time these issues have been ironed out. While I'm glad they're running the fifth season and hope they continue to do so (I only saw those once or twice on Nick at Nite during the '90s), I do agree that some of the episodes from that season weren't very strong.