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Post by rom on Jun 22, 2017 22:51:18 GMT -5
I was not around to see the original Mission: Impossible series (1966-1973) on TV back in the day, though I had some older relatives who raved about the show's excellence & quality. In the '80's, I did catch several episodes of this show on late-night network TV (with sub-par picture), and liked what I saw. I was dissapointed that these re-reruns weren't on more often, and hoped that at some point I could watch the whole series.
In the early 20XX's, I got re-interested in the show and discovered that all 7 seasons of the original series had been released on DVD in the previous decade. So, I watched all 7 seasons - back to back. This was an amazing show - excellent acting, writing, & production quality. The show is proof that you don't need flashy special effects & high-speed car chases to be entertaining. Also, it's worth noting that on these DVD sets, the picture quality is superb, and is almost certainly better than it was during it's original broadcast(s).
Some specific thoughts/comments:
- Prior to seeing these DVD sets, I was completely unaware that the late Steven Hill (who was later on the iconic crime series Law & Order in the '90's) was the leader in the first season. In any case, I thought Hill (as Dan Briggs) did a great job, and this season's episodes were just as good as the later ones. Stand out episodes included:
-The one where Briggs' friend was being black-mailed by a local mobster, and the IM Force had to intervene
-The episode where a villain had some valuable information he was unwilling to give up, so the IM force kidnapped him and he woke up in a "remote" castle/fortress where they could interrogate him/trick him into giving up what he knew.
That being said, Peter Graves as Jim Phelps is the MI I remember, and it was great to see the opening sequence in each episode (from S2-on). "Your Mission Jim, should you decide to accept it..."
Barbara Bain (Cinnamon) & Martin Landau (Rollin Hand) were excellent in the first three seasons It was nice to see how the writers/producers of the show used Rollin's disguises to great effect; though the make-up they actually used was minimal, through trick photography, etc. the disguises were convincing.
- I was dissapointed that Rollin & Cinnamon were absent after the third season, but Paris (Leonard Nimoy) was a good replacement for Rollin.
-Years ago, I remember talking to someone who felt that the later seasons (approximately 4-7) weren't as good as the earlier ones because they focused more on domestic missions against organized crime (i.e.,"The Syndicate") instead of on overseas missions. However, these domestic based episodes were excellent as well, and I enjoyed watching these just as much as the earlier episodes. There are too many great episodes to list here, but several stand-outs included:
- The episode where they convinced that old gangster (played by a young Bill Shatner) that he had travelled back in time by knocking him out and putting make-up on him so he looked younger; the IM force also had to recreate a neighborhood from the '40's to convince the gangster that he was in the past. Brilliant!
- The episode where they convinced the bad guy that he was in the future, after a devastating war had occured - this was all so they could get valuable information from him.
- The episode where they convinced that gangster that he was in "Shangri-la" where no-one got sick, hurt, or aged because they all drank a "special" water.
I also enjoyed the episodes that were "off-the-cuff", and not official "Missions", i.e. the episode where Jim Phelps was on vacation in his old home town, and got unexpectedly pulled in to solve a crime. Another good episode along these lines was the one when Jim & Barney were on vacation in an foreign country; Barney got involved with a local artist, and ended up being framed for the death of her jealous boyfriend - Jim then called in the IM force to clear Barney's name & free him - Excellent!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2017 23:29:55 GMT -5
I enjoyed this show very much and I find this concept very unique back then and still is. Fascinating Show.
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Post by codystarbuck on Jun 23, 2017 1:01:26 GMT -5
Loved the show, which was in syndication and finishing up on the network, when I was a kid. I prefer the earlier episodes, involving foreign governments; but, there were many gems later on. I'm also old enough to remember Peter Lupus doing commercials as Superman, for the US Air Force. Barbara Bain was extremely sexy as Cinnamon Carter, especially in the pilot. When you see her in just a towel and high heels....................  ROWRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My friends and I used to "play" MI, crawling along the floor to stay below eye-beams, cracking safes, etc.... Also, worth checking out are the original Secret Six comics, from DC. It was one of Dick Giordano's early titles, when he became an editor at DC, and was an MI rip-off; but, a really good one. They pulled undercover missions, like the MI team; but, were blackmailed into it, by the mysterious Mockingbird, who was actually one of the agents. Really better than it had a right to be and far better than the Gold Key Mission Impossible comics. |
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Post by rom on Jun 23, 2017 10:53:00 GMT -5
Also, worth checking out are the original Secret Six comics, from DC. It was one of Dick Giordano's early titles, when he became an editor at DC, and was an MI rip-off; but, a really good one. They pulled undercover missions, like the MI team; but, were blackmailed into it, by the mysterious Mockingbird, who was actually one of the agents. Really better than it had a right to be and far better than the Gold Key Mission Impossible comics. Thanks for the info. I was unaware of the original "Secret Six" DC comics series from the late 1960's. After doing some research, this original 1960's series has unfortunately not been reprinted (or at least not as far as I can tell). I never knew Dell/Gold Key?! did a brief 5-issue MI comic series before reading this post. I also did some research on that, and these issues have never been reprinted either. Since these were based on the TV show, it's unlikely they will ever be reprinted due to licensing/copyright issues. It's not clear if these were original stories, or stories based on the TV episodes. |
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Post by codystarbuck on Jun 23, 2017 12:23:25 GMT -5
Also, worth checking out are the original Secret Six comics, from DC. It was one of Dick Giordano's early titles, when he became an editor at DC, and was an MI rip-off; but, a really good one. They pulled undercover missions, like the MI team; but, were blackmailed into it, by the mysterious Mockingbird, who was actually one of the agents. Really better than it had a right to be and far better than the Gold Key Mission Impossible comics. Thanks for the info. I was unaware of the original "Secret Six" DC comics series from the late 1960's. After doing some research, this original 1960's series has unfortunately not been reprinted (or at least not as far as I can tell). I never knew Dell/Gold Key?! did a brief 5-issue MI comic series before reading this post. I also did some research on that, and these issues have never been reprinted either. Since these were based on the TV show, it's unlikely they will ever be reprinted due to licensing/copyright issues. It's not clear if these were original stories, or stories based on the TV episodes. They were "original" stories, though typical of Gold Key. Like most of their licensed comics, they were done in a fairly average style, with rather staid pacing and layout. Aside from some of the humor titles, the only licensed Gold Key/Dell book that really transcended the material was Zorro, with Alex Toth artwork. Star Trek was its own unique thing, never fully reflecting the series, but continuing on after the show went off the air. The material was owned by the media property owner and the only reprints I have seen are Star Trek and Zorro, aside from Dark Horse's reprints of Gold Key's proprietary adventure titles. Twilight Zone got a bit of mileage, too. |
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Post by Prince Hal on Jun 23, 2017 12:49:11 GMT -5
Loved the show, which was in syndication and finishing up on the network, when I was a kid. I prefer the earlier episodes, involving foreign governments; but, there were many gems later on. I'm also old enough to remember Peter Lupus doing commercials as Superman, for the US Air Force. Barbara Bain was extremely sexy as Cinnamon Carter, especially in the pilot. When you see her in just a towel and high heels.................... ROWRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My friends and I used to "play" MI, crawling along the floor to stay below eye-beams, cracking safes, etc.... Also, worth checking out are the original Secret Six comics, from DC. It was one of Dick Giordano's early titles, when he became an editor at DC, and was an MI rip-off; but, a really good one. They pulled undercover missions, like the MI team; but, were blackmailed into it, by the mysterious Mockingbird, who was actually one of the agents. Really better than it had a right to be and far better than the Gold Key Mission Impossible comics. And it had one of the great covers ever on its first issue. And the title may have been a reference to this 1931 movie....   |
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Post by rom on Jul 18, 2017 10:44:22 GMT -5
RIP Martin Landau. His depiction of the master of disguise Roland Hand in the original M:I series was truly legendary. Too bad he left after only three seasons, due apparently to a contract dispute. Leonard Nimoy (as Paris) did a great job replacing ML, but it wasn't the same.
AFAIK, ML is the fifth main cast member of M:I to pass. The previous four were: Peter Graves, Greg Morris, Steven Hill (the lead in S01), and Leonard Nimoy.
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Post by Rob Allen on Jul 18, 2017 11:11:17 GMT -5
I heard on the radio the other day that Landau declined the role of Spock in Star Trek. Seems like Landau and Nimoy were going for the same roles back then.
Also, that 1931 movie The Secret Six was completely different from the comic book of the same name.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2017 11:26:22 GMT -5
I heard on the radio the other day that Landau declined the role of Spock in Star Trek. Seems like Landau and Nimoy were going for the same roles back then. I did not know that and I'm glad it went to Nimoy instead of Landau. Also, interesting that Nimoy replaces Landau in Mission Impossible as rom pointed it out and I like them both for it's own merits. Thanks for sharing Rob Allen and Rom. |
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Post by rom on Jul 18, 2017 13:59:34 GMT -5
I heard on the radio the other day that Landau declined the role of Spock in Star Trek. Seems like Landau and Nimoy were going for the same roles back then. Yes, I just read this recently in the write-ups of Landau's life after he passed. It's somewhat coincidental that Landau passed on the role of Spock on ST, Nimoy then got the role, and then Nimoy himself "replaced" Landau as the master of disguise on M:I after Landau left after a contract dispute (after ST had gotten cancelled) - i.e., they both eventually ended up being on the same TV show, albeit in different seasons. It's funny how things work out sometimes. |
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Post by String on Jul 19, 2017 12:06:45 GMT -5
The ties between Mission Impossible and Star Trek run deep. Both shows found a home at Desilu Studios (Thank you Lucille Ball!), shared lots and even shared production crew members. But MI was more successful for CBS allowing the network to overlook whenever Bruce Geller ran over budget (which was often) which irritated Roddenberry to no end. MI was also the darling of the Emmys during this time, racking up numerous nominations and wins while Trek was continually shunned and overlooked.
Revenge is a dish best served in syndication though. After Trek was cancelled, the block style it was syndicated in and it's time slot (late evening against the usual 6pm news broadcasts) showed a remarkable surge in ratings and renewed popularity which caused the show to be rerun in similar fashion soon across the country and eventually the world. When the same networks decided to do the same for MI in syndication, the results were not as good.
Which is why I've never seen the majority of the show. It was never in reruns in my neck of the woods. The first time I ever saw a MI show was the relaunch in the early 80s which was o-kay.
But MI is one of those of shows that deserves watching, I need to catch up on it. I too was floored to learn that Steven Hill was in the first season. I only know him as the gruff DA of Law & Order. I've seen a couple of the first season episodes with him and while it's unusual to see him so young, they were very good.
But from what I've read and heard, the show's creator, Geller, was just as fierce and devoted to his craft as Roddenberry was. He was enthralled with the post-production efforts on the show, taking up more and more time to tinker and fix the sound, editing, scoring of the show. For example, early on, the story is that Geller was pleased with Lalo Schrifin's initial scoring of the pilot episode. But he felt that some of Lalo's music cues were off and decided to tinker with them. One change he made, he took a 'throwaway' music cue that Lalo had written for an end chase scene and turned it into the show's opening theme instead.
I was sad to hear about Marty Landau's passing too. An amazing, gifted actor. My favorite performance of his is as James Mason's right hand man in North by Northwest.
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Post by rom on Jul 19, 2017 22:21:16 GMT -5
Interesting connections between Classic ST & M:I. I was a mild Classic ST fan & saw re-reruns of the show in the '80's (as a teen), but never got into the series that much - though I probably need to go back & re-watch the show at some point; it was definitely ground breaking sci-fi series with a heavy dose of 1960's social commentary (without being too preachy). Also, IIRC it showcased the first interracial kiss on TV, between Kirk & Uhura. I was never much of a fan of the most of the subsequent ST series, except for Enterprise (the show with Scott Bakula). However, I became a pseudo-fan of M:I even before I saw many episodes, due to some older relatives giving extremely high praise to the show - since they saw it when it was originally on TV. They said it was one of the best series of all time, extremely well-done & clever, etc. So, I was disappointed that the only way I could see the show was on late-night TV in the latter '80's, on an crappy CRT TV. And, this was only on at odd times, so I was only able to see a handful of episodes that way. Being interested in the show, I did see most of the 1988-1990 M:I revival series, since I could see that as it aired; it wasn't so much of a re-make, as it was a "sequel" series. I felt it was solid, and did star Peter Graves & the son of Greg Morris (Barney Collier on the original series) as connections to the original show. Greg Morris himself had a cameo in at least one of the episodes. That being said, this short-lived revival, while decent, doesn't hold a candle to the original series. However, it wasn't until the 200X's that I made a point of watching all seven seasons of the original M:I on DVD. And, I was completely floored & hugely impressed by the show! It's definitely one of the best TV series out there, with incredible performances & superb writing. The acting is especially impressive, given that the actors who play the I:M Force characters have to essentially play two roles in the show, i.e. "themselves" as the secret agents, and then whatever roles they're assigned to play for their "missions". All of the actors/actresses on the show were extremely talented & at the top of their game on the series - even the ones who had smaller roles/cameos. Several other points: It's interesting that S01 of the original series was never re-run (that I know of) on network TV. So, prior to the DVD's being released back in the 200X's, I suspect that most people (myself included) never knew that Steven Hill was the leader prior to Peter Graves. My understanding is that Hill left after one season due to a contract dispute, but I don't know details. It's probably just as well, since if he hadn't Graves wouldn't have been cast as the replacement, and he was a much more iconic leader than SH. Also, the phrase "Your mission Jim, should you decide to accept it..." may never have become part of our popular culture  It's too bad that these days when someone thinks of M:I they automatically think of the Tom Cruise action films; those aren't bad - but, other than the original '96 film, don't resemble the TV series in any way, shape or form - other than in name. A couple of years ago, I was talking to a 20-something woman about TV shows, and she mentioned that she was watching M:I on Netflix & was enjoying the show. This was interesting, given that it's such an older show & also that she was born 20+ years after the last episode of the original series aired in '73 - LOL. In any case, I'm glad people who weren't even born when the series was out are enjoying this. Thankfully, we have the DVD's & streaming so that anyone who wants to can enjoy this amazing series. Re: Landau, he was a great actor - even outside of M:I I especially liked his cameo in the first X-files film (1998), and he was excellent as Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood (1994), one of my favorite Tim Burton films. |
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Post by codystarbuck on Jul 19, 2017 22:49:19 GMT -5
The first season was shown in syndication; can't speak for a network rerun. The show was still on the network, when I was a kid and we had the older seasons via syndicated repeats and I remember Hill distinctly. It confused me at first, as I was used to Peter Graves.
You aren't kidding when you say people only know MI from the movies, these days. It's been that way since the franchise started. When the first one premiered, MTV's Kennedy got her head chewed off for not doing her homework by Martin Landau, at the premiere showing. She was stunned he was there there and asked why and he proceeded to both school her and scold her for not doing her job properly. She was a twit, so it was fun viewing.
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Post by rom on Jul 19, 2017 23:03:51 GMT -5
OK, I never knew S01 was shown in syndicated re-runs. However, my point still stands because I personally didn't see re-reruns of the series until the late 1980's (on late night TV) & am 100% sure that no S01 episodes were ever re-run at that time.
And, even my relatives didn't remember Hill as the leader (they probably missed S01 when it first aired, and started watching the show from S02-on). I.e., even mild fans of the series - who missed the original airing of S01 & the syndicated re-runs (which I just found out about) wouldn't have known about Hill.
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Post by codystarbuck on Jul 23, 2017 23:08:06 GMT -5
If you ask fans about plots, they will generally remember the ones from season 1; but, they often forget Hill was in those plots. Peter Graves is so ingrained that many picture him in those episodes, even though he doesn't appear until season 2. It's kind of like most Hogan's Heroes fans remember Ivan Dixon, as Kinch, but tend to forget Kenneth Washington as Baker. They may remember the episodes with him, but probably picture Dixon in them. Kind of the same with Cynthia Lynn as Helga and Sigrid Valdis as Hilda, since both were blond and had similar names. Until I watched the series again, I thought the episode with George Takei was from the Graves era, post Landau, baines and Hill; yet, it was in the first season.
Hill is definitely more active than Peter Graves, in the episodes, especially the early ones. He's more of a commanding actor, so he stands out a lot more than Graves did. I kind of think they downplayed him as the star, after the fights they had with Hill, and tried to make it more of an ensemble, so no one person was too valuable, though Landau was the defacto star until he left.
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