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Mission: Impossible

Series, 1966, The TV Series, Set in 1966–1973

Mission: Impossible is #1 of 10 in release order and #9 of 10 in chronological order in the Mission: Impossible.

The story

Mission: Impossible is an American television series that was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicles the missions of a team of secret government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force. In the first season, the team is led by Dan Briggs, played by Steven Hill; Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, takes charge for the remaining seasons. A hallmark of the series shows Briggs or Phelps receiving his instructions on a recording that then self-destructs, followed by the theme music composed by Lalo Schifrin. The series aired on the CBS network from September 1966 to March 1973, then returned to television for two seasons on ABC, from 1988 to 1990, retaining only Graves in the cast. It later inspired a popular series of theatrical motion pictures starring Tom Cruise, beginning in 1996.

Mission: Impossible recap

The original series ran for seven seasons, from 1966 to 1973. Each episode begins with the leader of the Impossible Missions Force finding a recorded message describing a mission, usually against a foreign dictator, a crime boss or an enemy spy, and ending with the line that the Secretary will disavow any knowledge if the team is caught; the tape then destroys itself. The leader picks a team from a set of files and plans an elaborate con using disguises, gadgets and staged events to trick the target into ruin. In season 1, Dan Briggs leads the team; from season 2, Jim Phelps takes over. The regular team includes Cinnamon Carter, a model and actress; Rollin Hand, a master of disguise; Barney Collier, an electronics expert; and Willy Armitage, the strongman. Later seasons bring in Paris, a new master of disguise, and other agents as earlier cast members leave, and the show moves from foreign plots toward stories about organised crime in the United States.

Mission: Impossible ending explained

The series has no closing story: each episode is a self-contained mission that ends with the team slipping away as the con falls into place, and the show simply ended after its seventh season in 1973. Jim Phelps returns as the team's leader in the 1988 revival.

Where to watch Mission: Impossible

Mission: Impossible is streaming on Paramount+ in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Fandango At Home.

Ratings

IMDb 7.9/10

Where it fits

What to watch before Mission: Impossible

Nothing. Mission: Impossible (1966) doesn't continue an earlier version, so it stands on its own. Mission: Impossible itself is optional in the Mission: Impossible order.

Cast

Created by Bruce Geller.