Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
| 20 September 1996 (USA)
SEASON & EPISODES
  • 1
  • Reviews
    Irina

    I still don't understand the reasons of its cancellation. Low ratings? It's hard to believe cause the show had a big potential. Its creators Kerry Lenhart and John J. Sakmar did a great job. It was a very entertaining Action/Adventure series with great plot, acting, directing, editing etc. Call me silly but I didn't know Maria Bello and Scott Bakula until this TV show came out on my local channel. I became a huge fan of these 2 and started watching their other projects. "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" was truly amazing and catchy spy series. You would like it guys. It was as great as "Spy Game" (1997) - another superb spy series that was canceled too soon

    ... View More
    Jack Yan

    A very short-lived spy series that didn't deserve its early cancellation, Mr & Mrs Smith filled a late-night slot in New Zealand—where hardly anyone saw it.Still, those of us who stayed up were rewarded with light-hearted scripts, the occasional plot twist, and an insight into the world of modern espionage—one done by a private concern, rather than a government department.Each story would generally begin with Mr Big (Roy Dotrice) receiving an assignment by way of a private contract, assigning it to his two field agents who would invariably have to pose as a couple. However, as the credits put it, 'We're not married'—though most of the episode would feature a great deal of 'Will they? Won't they?' tension.Of course, they wouldn't, and never did, thanks to the series' cancellation a few episodes in to its first season.There were some techniques that were refreshing for the mid-1990s: the Thomas Crown split-screen effect was put to good use and took us back to an earlier time; the production designers gave everything a slick—but not too slick—style that suggested a nice blend between fact and fiction; and a jazzy theme tune, 'Do You Want to Dance', delivered with soul and more melody than most of the electronica served up in the period.All this paled in comparison to the performances given by Maria Bello and Scott Bakula. Bakula perhaps had the same uncertainty in his Mr Smith character as his Sam in Quantum Leap, but Bello played her role with great charm, showing that femininity and strength (she did many of her own stunts) were quite compatible. It's not something that Hollywood does well with its stereotypes. And if you hadn't heard of Maria Bello prior, you would after this. The fact she managed to get larger roles after Mr & Mrs Smith highlights the impact the few episodes had.Mr & Mrs Smith's cancellation is mind-boggling at best. There are no surface reasons for its failure, given that the production values were high, the scripts were strong, the cast was well skilled. It was better than its contemporaries. The stories were not overly complex—just complex enough to please most people for an hour at a time. Nor was it out of step with tastes in 1996. That usually leaves one explanation: closed-door meetings and politicking among the network, forgetting the one group that needed to be pleased. The viewers.The movie version with Pitt and Jolie was obviously inspired by this; but when that movie's credits give no mention of this foray, it's an added injustice on a series which, while it broke no new ground, was a highly entertaining, well made distraction.

    ... View More
    Geoffrey G. Wynkoop

    This was a wonderful tongue & cheek show which ended in the USA after only Nine of the Twelve Episodes were aired. I never missed an episode. I learned later that Austrailia was luckier and aired the entire season. And after all these years would still like to see the episodes I missed.I can only wonder why after this years "Mr & Mrs Smith" movie with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie which was based partly on this series, Why Warner has not attempted to market this series, especially with the recent success and marketability of both it's stars, Maria Bello and Scott Bakula.I would love to see a High Quality DVD set of this series in my own Collection. For fans of this series I recommend a search of the internet, as there are a number of sites still devoted to this series.

    ... View More
    chrnaess

    Too bad this TV show only lasted 13 episodes, because it was one of the most entertaining and more watchable TV series in the 90`s. It starred the very fine actor Scott Bakula, he did a great job, by his side Maria Bello stood, a fine looking actress who also did a fine job. They played undercover agents going from mission to mission for a secret agency. Many of the episodes were filmed on great locations.Although not all the episodes was equally good, the series provided good quality entertainment that should have continued for more seasons.

    ... View More