Which show?
*Get Smart *was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, though Brooks was not involved after the pilot.
I think Mel Brooks was only directly involved in the pilot episode, but the show’s writers clearly stuck with his brand of humor, which included an unmistakable Jewish-American sensibility.
Specifically Jewish jokes in mass media deserves a thread and then some. Jews write comedy for Hollywood. Even the simple declaration that someone unexpectedly is Jewish is often used for humor: eg, Mel Brooks as Indian (above). Top Secret–second aonly to Airplane in my book–offhand, has too many too count: the opening speeches by the train conductor in East Germany is completely in Yiddish; the hotel is Geh Schlafen (Yid. “Go to Sleep”); the Hero expresses shock at finding out an event is on Simchas Torah (a-not-so-well-known Jewish holiday); the mayor who leads the crowd in the absurd national anthem, sung in sort-of German with English subtitles, has the strongest Yiddish-German accent possible.
Truly, a list of examples would be awesome.
The reasons for why Jews would do this are quite interesting, with long and unique historical/sociological components.
Hey, that was my bar-mitzvah! (54 years ago).
Wow, they decided to start reading the Bible all over again just for you!
Heh. Thanks for the cite, also.