The current issue of Written By, the Writers Guild magazine, is filled with goodies. I already linked you to this interview with Woody Allen and now I call your attention to a chat with Mel Brooks, in which he talks a lot about his own genius and reveals some things I don't think I've ever heard before about The Producers.
I'm a little puzzled about the timeline Mr. Brooks presents. He talks about being broke after making The Twelve Chairs and his life being saved by getting the job to do the film that was ultimately called Blazing Saddles. Then he places his work on Get Smart during the period that he and a team were writing Blazing Saddles. Uh, Get Smart was created in early 1965, The Producers was made in 1966, The Twelve Chairs was made in 1969 and Blazing Saddles was made in 1973, several years after Get Smart had completed its five season run and left the air. He also doesn't mention that Buck Henry co-created Get Smart.
But maybe I shouldn't quibble. Any Mel Brooks interview is worth reading.