Don Adams

Don Adams made America laugh at its Cold War paranoia as the star of the hit sitcom "Get Smart" (NBC/CBS, 1965-1970). Created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, the series lampooned the high-tech wizardry of NBC's "Man from U.N.C.L.E." (1964-68), finding boundless comic potential in Adams' maladroit secret agent Maxwell Smart. Adams' death in September 2005 robbed the actor of the chance to see his creation revived by Warner Brothers in "Get Smart" (2008). Assuming the mantle and low-tech shoe-phone of Maxwell Smart, rubber-faced Steve Carell turned in a performance that was as much a tribute to Adams as to the original series, opening the door for a new generation of fans to discover one of American television's greatest comic talents.