Mission: Impossible
1966
Original language: English
- action & adventure
- crime
- drama
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.
What it’s like
Bright 1960s studio photography with saturated colour, mid-century interiors, and warm, glossy sunlight on European locations gives this series a crisp, slightly stagey polish. Quick zooms, freeze-frames, and tight cuts build momentum, while the rooms, cars and wardrobe stay neat and sleek. Lalo Schifrin's theme, with its driving brass, pulsing percussion and jazz-tinged swagger, sets the tone before each episode, and the self-destructing instruction tape is a ritual the audience waits for. The mood is brisk, playful and clever rather than grim: a sharp, ensemble-driven caper with the pleasure of watching a team of specialists plan, disguise themselves and improvise through elaborate deceptions. Each episode runs on a steady, purposeful rhythm, and the cast is largely defined by competence and camaraderie, not by inner turmoil. Violence is present but restrained: scuffles, fistfights, occasional gunfire and tense standoffs, with no gore and little lingering cruelty. It suits a relaxed weekend evening, a comfort rewatch, or an easy watch with company, for people who enjoy puzzle-box plotting, retro spy style and gentle suspense.
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