On This Day: The night two TV classics were born

Would you believe two of television’s most memorable comedies began on exactly the same night?

On September 18, 1965, American viewers were introduced to Maxwell Smart in Get Smart and Barbara Eden’s mischievous genie in I Dream of Jeannie.

Missed it by that much!

Created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, Get Smart sent up the spy craze sweeping the 1960s.

Don Adams played the hopelessly confident Agent 86, Maxwell Smart, alongside Barbara Feldon as the considerably more capable Agent 99.

The shoe phone, the Cone of Silence and catchphrases including “Would you believe?” and “Missed it by that much” became television favourites.

The series ran for five seasons and collected seven Emmy Awards.

Meanwhile, a genie escapes her bottle

That very same night, NBC also premiered I Dream of Jeannie.

Barbara Eden starred as Jeannie opposite Larry Hagman’s astronaut Tony Nelson, who discovers her bottle after landing on a deserted island.

The first season was filmed in black and white before the show switched to colour. It also lasted five seasons, finally ending in 1970.

And if that isn’t enough TV nostalgia, The Addams Family had premiered exactly one year earlier, on September 18, 1964.

Australians breach the Hindenburg Line

On September 18, 1918, Australian troops attacked German positions in France, with the 1st and 4th Australian Divisions successfully breaching the forward edge of the formidable Hindenburg defensive system.

Born on this day

Australian Paralympic legend Louise Sauvage was born in Perth on September 18, 1973.

One of Australia’s greatest wheelchair racers, Sauvage won nine Paralympic gold medals across four Games and became one of the country’s most recognisable athletes.

The Sopranos star James Gandolfini was also born on this day in 1961.

Do you remember?

Which one ruled your lounge room — Get Smart, I Dream of Jeannie or The Addams Family? And can you still remember the catchphrases? Tell us in the comments.