Mission: Impossible

Mission: Impossible aired September 17, 1966 through March 30, 1973, it ran for 171 episodes, on CBS

Creator/Executive Producer: Bruce Geller
Theme Music: Lalo Schifrin

When the US Government needs the impossible done it calls upon the super secret Impossible Missions Force (IMF). The IMF would take down rogue governments, capture enemy agents, bring down criminal organizations, reclaim stolen gold, rescue political prisoners. They'd break into prisons and military bases, infiltrate spy rings and mafia famlies. At home or in foreign lands, the Impossible Missions Force could be counted on to acheive what seemed impossible.

The Impossible Missions Force was so secretive that the team never saw the man who gave them their missions, he was just a voice on a recording. At different locations each time, the team leader would receive a recorded description of the mission. In the early episodes the form of the recording would also change each time. Sometimes it would be a vinyal record, some times a reel-to-reel tape, sometimes a film. The team leader would destroy the recording by dropping it in a fire or a barrel of acid. In later episodes the messages were always on reel-to-reel tape players and the tapes would self-destruct. Should IMF agents be captured or killed the US government would deny any knowledge of them and their mission.

1966

Producer: Joseph Gantman

Dan Briggs Rollin Hands

Actor Character

Steven Hill Daniel Briggs

Barbara Bain Cinnamon Carter

Greg Morris Barney Collier

Peter Lupus Willy Armitage

Martin Landau Rollin Hand

Bob Johnson The Voice

Season 1 Episodes

For the first 28 episodes of Mission: Impossible the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) was led by Dan Briggs. The series was originally going to be called "Brigg's Squad". Martin Landau refused to sign a contract and was there for credited as "special guest star" even though he was a regular cast member.

1967 & 1968

Producers: Joseph Gantman (1967), William Read Woodfield (1968) & Allan Balter (1968)

Rollin Hands Ben Collierr

Actor Character

Peter Graves Jim Phelps

Martin Landau Rollin Hand

Barbara Bain Cinnamon Carter

Greg Morris Barney Collier

Peter Lupus Willy Armitage

Bob Johnson The Voice

Season 2 Episodes Season 3 Episodes

For the remaining 143 episodes the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) was led by Jim Phelps. The IMF does not reveal why there was a change in leadership. For the second season Martin Landau signed a one year contract (instead of the usual five year contract), after which he was listed as a regular cast member. He renewed his contract for the third season (but not the fourth).

1969

Producer: Stanley Kallis

Ben Collierr Paris Tracey

Actor Character

Peter Graves Jim Phelps

Greg Morris Barney Collier

Peter Lupus Willy Armitage

Leonard Nimoy Paris

Lee Meriwether Tracey

Bob Johnson The Voice

Season 4 Episodes

After three seasons Martin Landau and Barbara Bain (then married) left the series. Leonard Nimoy was brought in to play a magician known as the Great Paris, the replacment for Rollin Hand. Cinnamon Carter's replacement, Tracey, only apeared in six episodes. Lee Meriwether was very disappoiunted that she wasn't hired for more episodes. Cinnamon Carter and Rollin Hand had been the most popular characters in the series, when Bain and Landau left the ratings fell and never recovered. Martin Landau and Barbara Bain went on to star in the British series Space: 1999.

1970

Producer: Bruce Lansbury

Ben Collierr Paris

Actor Character

Peter Graves Jim Phelps

Greg Morris Barney Collier

Peter Lupus Willy Armitage

Leonard Nimoy Paris

Lesley Warren Dana Lambert

Sam Elliott Dr. Doug Robert

Bob Johnson The Voice

Season 5 Episodes

Dana Lambert replaces Tracey. Medical doctor Doug Robert joins the other IMF agents on twelve missions.

During this season the phrase: "As always, should you or any member of your IM Force be caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions" is dropped from the mission description tapes.

1971

Producers: Bruce Lansbury, Laurence Heath

Ben Collierr Casey

Actor Character

Peter Graves Jim Phelps

Greg Morris Barney Collier

Peter Lupus Willy Armitage

Lynda Day George Casey

Bob Johnson The Voice

Season 6 Episodes

Paris and Dana Lambert no longer go on missions, their abscence is not explained. The change in agents is never explained. The new female agent is Casey. Although Casey was supposed to be her first name (her last name is never revealed), the 1988 series makes Casey her last name and gives her a new first name of Linda. There is no replacement for Paris.

1972

Producers: Barry Crane & Laurence Heath

Ben Collierr Casey

Actor Character

Peter Graves Jim Phelps

Greg Morris Barney Collier

Peter Lupus Willy Armitage

Lynda Day George Casey

Barbara Anderson Mimi Davis

Bob Johnson The Voice

Season 7 Episodes

For seven episodes Casey is replaced by Mimi Davis (because Lynda Day George took time off to have a baby).

Awards

1967 Emmy: Outstanding Dramatic Series: Joseph Gantman (producer), Bruce Geller (producer)
1867 Emmy: Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama: Bruce Geller
1967 Emmy: Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series: Barbara Bain
1967 Edgar Award, Best Episode in a TV Series: Jerome Ross ("Operation Rogosh")
1968 Emmy: Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series: Barbara Bain
1968 Gold Globe: Best TV Show
1968 Gold Globe: Best TV Star - Male: Martin Landau
1968 Grammy: Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Show: Lalo Schifrin
1969 Emmy: Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series: Barbara Bain
1971 Emmy: Best Makeup: Bob Dawn
1971 Gold Globe: Best TV Actor - Drama: Peter Graves,
2004 TV Land Award: Favorite Instrumental Theme Song
2005 BMI Film & TV Awards: Ringtone Award: Lalo Schifrin

Lalo Schifrin's theme for Mission: Impossible was re-recorded by The Ventures and reached #154 on the popular music charts in 1970.

Mission: Impossible was created by Bruce Geller for Desilu Studios (first season). When Lucile Ball sold Desilu to Paramount Mission: Impossible became a Paramount production (along with "Star Trek" and "Mannix"). Bruce Geller was treated very badly by Paramount which ultimately took control of Mission: Impossible from him, this resulted in increasingly bad scripts and a coresponding decline in the ratings, and awards. Beginning with the fifsth season Mission: Impossible stopped focusing on international stories, the IMF was assigned mostly to deal with organized crime.

After 7 seasons, 171 episodes, Mission: Impossible was canceled, by Paramount, not the network which wanted another season. Paramount canceled the series in order to sell it in Syndication, where it made them more money in reruns then it did in its original run on CBS.

(click on DVD covers to buy the DVDs)

Of the 171 episodes, 55 are available on VHS tapes, in the USA. The first three seasons are available on DVD. The three season sets can be purchased individually or all bundled together (that later is cheaper). The fourth season is scheduled to be released May 13, 2008.

(click on CD cover to buy the CD)

Lalo Schifrin's music for Mission: Impossible was originally released on a vinyl album. That album has been re-released on CD.

In 1988 a new Mission: Impossible series introduced a new Impossible Missions Force.

"As always, should you or any member of your IM Force be caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This tape will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck, Jim." -- The Voice (Bob Johnson)

Desilu

Mission: Impossible © 1966-1967 Desilu Productions and 1968-1973 Paramount Television

Last updated Monday, February 4, 2008

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