Welcome to a new Wildcard Wednesday… on a Tuesday! I know we were all expecting more Get Smart — I’ve never paused a series before — but my schedule this week prevents me from doing any work with this blog at all, including the necessary copyediting. For that reason, I’m preempting both Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s intended entries in favor of something simpler. (And, as usual, never fear, we’ll make up the missing Sitcom Tuesday at a later date.)

So, I’m sharing two rare sitcom episodes, for your critical and non-commercial viewing pleasure — they’re both from the ’60s and both connected to Get Smart. The first features Don Adams in a prototype version of Maxwell Smart: hotel detective Byron Glick. That’s right, it’s The Bill Dana Show (1963-1965, NBC), which we discussed more in-depth last year. The episode I’ve chosen to share here — in support of our analysis of the refinement of Adams’ comic persona, later perfected on Get Smart — is the penultimate entry from the first season, “Master Of Disguise,” which was initially broadcast on April 19, 1964, directed by Coby Ruskin, and written by Bill Persky & Sam Denoff, then regular contributors on The Dick Van Dyke Show, which, like Bill Dana, came from the Danny Thomas/Sheldon Leonard machine (along with The Danny Thomas Show, The Andy Griffith Show, and The Joey Bishop Show). This was one of the entries I cited as being among the most notable, especially for Adams’ Glick — I hope you enjoy!

Come back soon we resme Get Smart! And stay tuned tomorrow for another rarity!