Compare with 'Get Smart' - need unbiased opinions - The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) Discussion

[–] a_l_i_e_n 13 years ago

Maybe "Get Smart" got a higher rating because it ran longer than "Man From U.N.C.L.E.". Also, it's somewhat more famous because there's been more than one film version of "Get Smart" (the 1980 version starring Don Adams and the 2008 makeover with Steve Carrell) while "U.N.C.L.E." is still waiting to be turned into a motion picture.

Some of the special effects aren't so good by today's standards, and both series reflect a somewhat different attitude toward women than you'd expect today. However, both are well written and fun and I would recommend getting the first season of both to sample before deciding whether you want to buy them all.

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[–] moviesbest 13 years ago

Thank you, can I buy only part of it ? The versions I saw are both in their complete sets.

May I know which of these 2 series have more actions, surprises like plot twists or mysteries; which is more Bond-like in terms of gadgets and plots ?
So far, I only gather Get Smart is funnier.

Since U.N.C.L.E. is filmed in studio but locations filming all over the world, will the scenes appear very fake ?

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[–] a_l_i_e_n 13 years ago

can I buy only part of it? The versions I saw are both in their complete sets.

I know that Season One of "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." has been released on it's own. Walmart was selling every season of "Get Smart" individually about year ago but I don't know if you can still get it that way now though.

May I know which of these 2 series have more actions,

"The Man From U.N.C.L.E. has a lot of good fights and gun fire exchanges. However, even though it was a spoof of action shows, "Get Smart" had several rather exciting hand-to-hand fights (Don Adams fought as a marine in World War II and he seemed to do a fair bit of his own stunts). Anyways, though it has a sense of humour about itself, "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." is the more straight forward action series.

which is more Bond-like in terms of gadgets and plots?

To be honest they both featured some neat stuff, but I think most would agree "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." had the coolest gadgets- particularly the U.N.C.L.E. Special hand gun and the THRUSH rifle.

Since U.N.C.L.E. is filmed in studio but locations filming all over the world, will the scenes appear very fake?

They used a lot of stock footage from different places to make it seem as if they were in Greece and Paris and such, but it's not always very convincing.

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[–] jconn426 13 years ago

Get Smart! had the shoe phone!

And in both "The Fifteen Years Later Affair" and the Get Smart! revival made-for-TV movie in the 80's, Solo and Smart were still carrying their old communications devices. (Obviously, the Get Smart! movie did it as a parody of the UNCLE movie. Robert Vaughn is playing cards when his pen starts beeping, and Don Adams is a pall-bearer at a funeral when his shoe rings, leading to him dropping the casket.)

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And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

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[–] prcadle 13 years ago

Man From UNCLE has more action and more plotting, especially in the first couple of seasons, because it is a one-hour action show with a heavy reliance on humor in several episodes. In some of the better written episodes you will find similarities to Bond and some plot twists. There is little real mystery, since they always knew their enemy was THRUSH, and since the television episodes devoted a lot of time to the villains, you always know who the bad guy/gal is.

As for the location scenery, UNCLE does indeed look less than convincing in its scenery at times. When you watch a few episodes, you will start to recognize the same country road being driven on, the same mansion used over an over, the same city street scene and the same village square, no matter where they are supposed to be. This is not a big problem for me, but you will notice it. The biggest drawback is when they are trying to set a scene in the jungle or in the Alps and so on -- in the Man From UNCLE, the whole world looks like the mountains of southern California and every city street looks like mid-town Manhattan!

Get Smart was a staright comedy, poking fun at the spy movie genre. It is very enjoyable in it's own right.

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[–] knight_sentinel 13 years ago

I don't see a camparison between the two since "Get Smart" was a 30 minute situation comedy which was a spoof of the spy genre series, and this series was a 1 hour action adventure series.

"Get Smart" is not more popular because it was on the air longer, "Get Smart" had 5 season and this series had 4 seasons. The reason "Get Smart" was popular was because it was a 30 minute comedy and those always sale better in syndication, and it along with series like "Gilligan's Island", "The Brady Bunch", "I Dream of Jeannie", and "Bewitched" did extremely well in syndication for decades after they left the air their respective networks I think some of them went into syndication while they were still being broadcast on their networks.

Hour long action adventures, dramas don't sale as well in syndication I think "Star Trek" was one of the first big hits when it was canceled and went into syndication repeats. the 30 minute "Batman" series did well in syndication as well. The local affiliate liked the 30 minute format because they could air back to back episodes, and in the 60s they made a lot more than 22 episodes per season a lot of series had 26 to 30 episodes per season.

I don't recall seeing this series or series like "Mission: Impossible", "Mannix" and some others I watched as a kid and teenager in the 60s and 70s in syndication in as many places I grew up moving across the country, but you could always find "Get Smart", and especially "Gilligan's Island " in any city.

O liked both series one was a comedy and funny, and the other was like the other spy series that were popular, "The Avengers", "Secret Agent (aka Danger Man)" "The Avengers" ran in syndication at various times I don't think I've ever seen "Secret Agent (aka Danger Man) in syndication I remember watching it when it was on television, but not in syndication.

In my opinion you can't really go wrong getting any of the 60s spy and action adventures series.

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[–] Bob_Zerunkel 12 years ago

I watched both of these shows when they were prime time. Get Smart was a pure comedy. No doubt about it. To my 8-year-old eyes, The Man from Uncle was a serious spy show.

Having never seen it in reruns, I am quite surprised that people are commenting on the third season as more of a slapstick comedy. To me, it was a good match with I Spy. Both had humorous banter between the protagonists, both kicked butt on the bad guys, and both had (yeeech) lots of hot women.

As a child, I much preferred Get Smart, but my family had 6 kids and one TV. I watched whatever my parents or older siblings wanted to watch.

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[–] oh_oh_oh_yeach 12 years ago

I prefer man from uncle to get smart.

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[–] jsrrtzjr10 12 years ago

Maybe is that people love parodies of spy movies and tv shows. I am trying to be as objective as possible. I may be wrong but who knows?

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[–] jsrrtzjr10 12 years ago

Just a parody of the "The Man from U.C.L.E.". Anyway, the ridiculous "Guy from UNCLE" got the laugh it deserved from "Get Smart".

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[–] profh-1 11 years ago

When I think back to the 60's, I realize that I had a much shorter attention span. I loved half-hour shows, both comedies and adventure shows. (Remember when they used to make HALF-HOUR adventure shows? THE LONE RANGER, THE GREEN HORNET, DRAGNET, etc.) There were VERY few hour-long shows I had the patience to sit all the way thru without getting bored. THE OUTER LIMITS was a rare exception, but for whatever reason, as a kid, I only turned that on occasionally. LOST IN SPACE was the first hour-long adventure show I remember getting really hooked on, but unfortunately, it got sillier as it went.

I sometimes wonder why I watched so little of THE MAN FROM UNCLE. I know I used to watch it occasionally, and even watched some episodes of THE GIRL FROM UNCLE. but it never seemed to be one of those shows I made a point of watching EVERY week.

By comparison, from the day I first ran across GET SMART (about 5-6 weeks into the 1st season), I was HOOKED, and never, ever missed it (unless I was away from, home with my parents somewhere).

Then again, I do seem to have a preference for shows with humor. I much prefer DR. STRANGELOVE, for example, to FAIL SAFE (which is pretty much the identical story).

I know I'm not adverse to COMPLETELY serious shows. I definitely got hooked on MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, starting with its 2nd year. (I don't know what it was up against, but to this day, I have still never seen a single M:I episode with Steven Hill in it! But, like UNCLE, I did read the book about the show, which has really made me wanna get ahold of those episodes.)

Incidentally, one thing I haven't seen anyone mention on this site yet is that UNCLE was almost cancelled during its first 13 week trial period. Ratings were so bad, Robert Vaughn & David McCallum launched a cross-country promotional tour to get the word out about the show, making dozens (hundreds?) of personal appearances. IT WORKED. The show was renewed for the 2nd half of the season, ratings climbed steadily, and by the time the 2nd season arrived, they had a bona fide HIT on their hands.

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[–] runyoucleverboy 11 years ago

Didn't read anything but original question. Get Smart was a comedy show, like a cross between a cartoon and Mad Magazine. This show is like a James Bond TV action spy show.

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[–] 11 years ago

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[–] Tim-Buktu 10 years ago

The Man Form U.N.C.L.E. was young adult drama. The action was light hearted but the underlying story was real. "Serious" adults may confuse it with comedy.

Get Smart on the other hand was parody of the spy genre with ridiculous plot lines.

For what it's worth, I liked them both.

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[–] a_l_i_e_n 10 years ago

The action was light hearted but the underlying story was real. "Serious" adults may confuse it with comedy.

A good and accurate analysis.

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[–] Tim-Buktu 10 years ago

Thank you I do what I can.

Now both are available in dvds full set and wonder if they are outdated to watch now ?

Spy movies/TV shows are notorious for becoming outdated quickly. I recall a James Bond movie where a girl is demanding a computer with a 14.4 modem. That could be very sad or you can take it for the time it was made. U.N.C.L.E. suffered from the idea that writers thought the audience were idiots. So computers were big boxes with a lot of blinking lights or you could take a pen shaped cell phone say "open channel D" and be instantly connected to whoever you wanted to talk to.

But if you mean are the stories and plot lines outdated then I would say no. As long as you understand that they are a product of their times. Womens Liberation was a new idea. It took a long time to get information. WWII was not all that long ago etc. etc.

In point of fact this applies to Get Smart as well.

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[–] a_l_i_e_n 10 years ago

Now both are available in dvds full set and wonder if they are outdated to watch now?

I still laugh at "Get Smart" (the Cone Of Silence!), and I'd take "MFU" (particularly the first season) over most of the adventure series of the time, and many that followed, like "Macgyver".

Spy movies/TV shows are notorious for becoming outdated quickly. U.N.C.L.E. suffered from the idea that writers thought....computers were big boxes with a lot of blinking lights.

Heh. Yes, a lot of movies and tv series back then seemed to think super computers would resemble something you'd find in a Las Vegas casino. Bill Gates was only 13 when this show was made, so I give the production designers a pass for being a bit off when they envisioned what computers should look like. However, some of their designs were not so far in appearance from the old UNIVAC computers.

But if you mean are the stories and plot lines outdated then I would say no. As long as you understand that they are a product of their times. Womens Liberation was a new idea.

Back then there seemed to be this attitude that it was wrong for a woman of a certain to be unmarried. And the fairly horrible "Girl From U.N.C.L.E." had it's heroine (a trained operative) often waiting for her male counterpart to come and rescue her. However, though she was lovingly subordinate to Max, <i>Get Smart's</I> Agent 99 was clearly the more intelligent agent and often saved Max's bacon. In spite some of the dated attitudes, there are a number of "MFU" episodes that I think play very well even by today's standards, and hopefully Guy Ritchie studied those when he was making the upcoming movie version.

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[–] Movie_map 10 years ago

MfU was a drama with some humor thrown in. GS was a broad comedic spoof of the Bond movies and the spy genre in general. They are very different shows.

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