Mission: Impossible
What?
- An hour-long spy drama with great emphasis on action. The
Impossible Mission Force, a varying lineup of characters, does all the things
that the US government can't, like bust political prisoners out of jail, get
mob bosses assassinated, unseat dictators, and so on.... and they do it without
any of their targets catching on until it's too late.
- Two spy movies with great emphasis on action. The Impossible
Mission Force, meaning Tom Cruise, blows stuff up, kills people, and is
betrayed from within. Repeatedly. With plot twists.
When?
- The original series aired from 1966 to 1973.
- The second series aired from 1988 to 1990.
- The first movie came out in 1996, the second in 2000.
Who?
- Created by Bruce Geller and produced by Desilu until they were
purchased by Paramount. Produced by Paramount ever since.
- Notable actors include: Steven Hill, Greg Morris, Barbara Bain,
Martin Landau, Peter Lupus, Peter Graves, Leonard Nimoy, Linda Day George
(first series); Phil Morris (second series); Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Ving
Rhames, Dougray Scott (movies).
Famous for:
- The mask peel-off.
- Self-destructing messages (in five seconds).
- The theme music.
- "Good morning, Mr. Phelps."
Not currently shown on television. The movies and some episodes
from the original series are available on video (the movies are also available
on DVD).
Mission: Impossible Links
The Unofficial Mission: Impossible
Homepage
- This is one of the more comprehensive sites dedicated to the original
series, and it's still being updated - okay, because the guy changed servers,
but an update is an update no matter how you slice it.
The official Mission: Impossible
site
- Permanently stuck on movie #2. If you love the movie or like
stealing semi-usable graphics (*cough*who, me?*cough*), visit. If
not, then don't.
Random Trivia
- Desilu also produced Star Trek - hence Nimoy's post-Trek
stint on M:I.
- The show regularly went over budget during filming, and Paramount
didn't actually make a profit on M:I until it was canceled and put
into syndication.
My M:I fanfiction
A Cinnamon
Christmas
The Oldest
Trick In The Book
Mainframe: Impossible
Mainframe: Impossible
2
I first started watching M:I in early 1996, mainly because I was
going to see the first movie and I wanted to know something about the universe
before I got into the theater. FX was showing the original series
in reruns - weekday nights at 6, if I recall correctly - and the first episode
I ever saw was, appropriately enough, the pilot episode. I was captivated
by Geller's vision; a lot of people have trouble with the lack of emotion
in the first seasons, but I thought it was genius. Emotional spies?
Bah. Better to have coolly efficient spies - people you knew
nothing about save for the fact that they risked their lives to keep America
and democracy safe.
My favorite episode has always been "The Exchange," because it's one
of the very few that puts the spotlight squarely on Cinnamon. I also
like "The Elixir," "The Photographer," and "The Mind of Stephan Miklos,"
but really, anything from the first three seasons is wonderful. I'm not big
on Nimoy, not being a Trek person, or any of the later seasons because
the plots got kinda thin.
I've never seen the second series, but I understand that it simply reworked
the original series' greatest hits. I'd like to see it someday anyway,
as Phil Morris is one of my favorite actors.
I saw both movies in the theater on their respective opening weekends.
I was impressed with the first one until I realized that Jim Phelps
would never, ever, ever sell out his team (I'm ashamed to admit
that this took about five years). I was impressed with the second
one until the previews ended and the movie actually started. At that
point I realized that it was a tangled, confused mess and that Tom Cruise
was the worst thing to happen to M:I since Landau and Bain left
in 1969. On my way out of the theater, I turned to my dad and brother
and said, "Bruce Geller, God rest his soul, is turning in his grave." Needless
to say, I'm hoping there's no M:I 3.