Dalbert Pringle
(*Familiar "Mission: Impossible" quote*) - "Good morning, Mr. Phelps."From its distinctive theme music, to its high-energy dramatics, to its tight, clockwork-precision plots - TV's Mission: Impossible (from the mid/late-1960s) showcased some of the coolest, most daring special agents imaginable.And with each exciting, thrill-packed episode these specially trained agents took us on some of the most bold and daredevil-like adventures, right around the world, and beyond.So fasten your seat-belts and prepare yourself for TV's top-notch spy show, Mission: Impossible.This classic series featured a first-rate cast, headlined by actor, Peter Graves (as IMF's leader, Jim Phelps), Martin Landau (as the master of disguise, Rollin Hand), and Greg Morris (as the electronics whiz, Barney Collier).
alexanderdavies-99382
"Mission Impossible" remains one of the most popular shows from American television. Its highly catchy theme tune, the writing and acting, combined to produce a series that lasted several seasons. I write this review in the days after the passing of one of the best actors of his generation - Martin Landau (15/7/17). He was an immensely talented character actor who triumphed in the mediums of theatre, television and cinema. Martin Landau demonstrated his versatility via the range of costumes and makeups that he donned in his role of Rollin Man, a member of a secret government organisation. The actor wouldn't sign a five year contract as he wanted enough spare time to work in the New York theatre. Thus, he was listed as a "Special Guest Star" until the second season. The government group were initially led by Steven Hill but he had to leave the show after the first season. Peter Graves was a great substitute and he remained for the rest of the series. To me, Martin Landau and Leonard Nimoy give the best performances out of all the regular cast, due to the fact that they played different characters throughout "Mission Impossible." The plots usually concerned assignments, usually of mounting a rescue or infiltrating a top secret facility or a secure criminal organisation somewhere across the world. The studio backlot came in very useful but it served its purpose. On the whole, the episodes are very entertaining and quite tense as you wondered if the government group would win the day. Highly recommended viewing and about ten times more watchable than anything from today.
ramsfan
A truly outstanding show, Mission Impossible featured a handful of government agents, each with a special talent, who used their skills to solve crimes too difficult for conventional law enforcement. Usually, these crimes involved rogue nations, corrupt officials and later in the series Organized Crime, referred to as "The Syndicate". Peter Graves (Mr. Phelps) portrayed the calm, cool leader of the IMF, or Impossible Missions Force and would report to a taped message in some isolated, non-descript location outlining the task or "mission" to be performed. From there, the team would meet and collaborate on the execution of their plan.This show was impressive in every way, from the intricate plots to the acting to the production values, which were unparalleled in 1960's television. The attention to detail was phenomenal and allowed the viewer to sit totally engrossed on just how the villain/s would get their comeuppance. Such detail and the straightforward approach by the characters also made every mission- however far-fetched- believable. Great, too, were some of the show's episodic villains- John Vernon, Anthony Zerbe, Fritz Weaver, and others- whose performances were both convincing and enjoyable during "Mission's" run.Creator Bruce Geller once said he wanted "Mission" to be worth the time of an intelligent person. He succeeded in that regard, but it would be interesting to see if a detail-oriented show like this would fly today, as the average TV viewer's attention span lasts about 10 minutes. "Mission Impossible" is as good a show that ever ran on network television and a unique entry into CBS's fine programming over the years.
jambrose-2
M:I has been and will always be one of my favorite TV shows. As a wide-eyed young TV watcher in the 60's and 70's I was captivated by the quality and the imagination of the IMF team's ability to fake out the bad guys.Like so many of the recent movies "based on the original TV series" M:I the motion picture doesn't even come close. I'm not a Tom Cruise fan, but after talking with some who have seen the movie, I won't bother with it.I'm patiently waiting for Paramount to release the series on DVD, this I'll invest in.Fade to black while Jim Phelps rips up a Tom Cruise glossy......