Mission: Impossible

when this show is good--it is really good.
unfortunately, a bunch of episodes are big clunkers--not believable, slow moving, dry acting, etc.
look through the ratings and for the most part--watch just the episodes with 8 or more as a score. ones below that are likely (though not always) to put you to sleep or make you go--noone would buy that.

Grandpa Walton is a pre-Austin Powers version of Doctor Evil, who runs a town filledwith townsfolk who have all drunk the KoolAid, who learn to kill and are dispatched out to dispose of evil Soviets. Its almost distracting not to have Jim receive an assignment from the Secretary, sit in his super cool 60s pad andlook throughthe glossy stills of the regular cast, and discard the black and whites of the producers of the show and their families. My favorite, albeit super hokey part, is Rollin's ingenious creation of the mask from a melted plastic examination table cover - then his perfect imitation of Doc Walton. So perfect, in fact, the the doofus townspeople are completely fooled, andthe IMF is able to get away in their usual stylish fashion. Not my favorite episode, but has a flair all its own.moreless

More important than the interesting premise, is the Fantastic Performance by Martin Landau! If he did not win an award for this episode, he definitely should have! Performed during a time when T.V. acting was definitely stiff and predictable, Mr. Landau gave everything he had as a condemned killer on death row. The viewer can FEEL the character's fear. The tears were REAL. Every bit of body language helped give even more credence to this very real performance. Thank you, Mr. Landau!

The plot holds one's interest. Very cleverly thought out. This is why I watch each and every episode in the order they were released - they just keep getting better and better.moreless

Good morning, Mr. Phelps. Your mission, should you choose to accept it... These were the words spoken in every episode of the show (except for first season when it was Mr. Briggs). After lighting a long burning fuse and watching a lightning fast barrage of scenes from the upcoming episode, the mission was laid out. Usually involving a third world country, or dictator, or crime boss...it didn't matter. Listen to what has to be done and ask yourself, "How the hell are they going to do that?". Finding out will be one of the most nail-biting experiences ever, and one of the best hours you ever spent in front of a television screen. Forget the movies..for get Tom what's-his-name. This is the real deal. Sure it was made in the sixties, and is a little dated. Sure the people on it are not as attractive and perfect on the screen as they are today. Who cares? If you let that stop you from experiencing this show, you're a fool! The writers of the first three seasons must have gotten migranes from coming up with different twists, turns and surprises week after week. The solutions and methods for accomplishing the missions were often mind-bending, and as the title states...seemingly impossible. It's seems the writers would constantly throw obstacles and blockades in the path of the IMF, just to come up with ways around them to keep audiences entertained on a weekly basis. One downside to this is, you're gonna run out of ideas after a while. You just are. Consequently, from the fourth season on, the plots and missions became increasingly similar, the writers having to recycle older script elements, which ended up letting the viewer figure out the resolution well before episode's end. This was almost never a problem with the first three years. The show originally featured Steven Hill (Law and Order) as IMF leader Daniel Briggs. Hill left/was replaced for reasons pertaining to his lack of availability for his own religious reasons. He was replaced by the more familiar Peter Graves as Mr. Phelps from the second season, on. The classic backup team was Martin Landau, as former illusionist and master of disguise, Rollin Hand.. his wife Barbara Bain played former model and seductress/sex kitten Cinnamon Carter, Gregg Morris played Barney Collier, an electronics and demolition specialist..and Peter Lupus played former circus strongman Willy Armitage. You never knew what roles these agents were going to play from week to week, or how they were going to escape from the almost certain death situations they were placed in. As the message always said, if any of them were caught or killed, they would be disavowed. They were almost always caught at one time or another, but managed to get free or were rescued, just barely, and always in the nick of time. If it sounds cliched, than you have been watching any one of the many imitators this series spawned... this is the original, the one that set all the ground rules! After the three year run, Leonard Nimoy replaced Landau after Star Trek's cancellation, Bain having departed with her husband . No real replacement was instituted for Miss Bain, except for Lee Merriwether in a few episodes. The only two characters to remain on the entire run were Morris and Lupus. In 1973, the original show ended (a little too late, if you ask me) and was revived in the eighties with Graves once again heading the team. It didn't last long. Then came the movies...and believe me, the similarity to the classic was in name only. If you get a chance, check the show out on DVD. But like I said, you're gonna want the first three seasons..top notch material! If you're younger, it might take you a short while to get used to the cold war atmosphere, but not long, and it's worth the effort. And be advised..this is not a show for multitasking. This is one you MUST watch. You take a break, or get distracted, you're gonna miss something, and the experience will be shot. Otherwise, you'll love it. This computer will self destruct in five seconds. Good luck, Jim.moreless

"The Seal", season 2, episode 9, of Mission: Impossible, is IMHO the best episode of this tremendously entertaining TV series. The intricacies of it are delightful, easy to understand and follow, but very clever. It really keeps you on the edge of your seat to the very last moment! My favorite part is when Rollin suddenly and inexplicably vanishes, to the consternation and total frustration of the bad guy!

Running a close second is "The Frame", season 1, episode 14. The way all the pieces fall together to bring down the bad guy is always the high point of every episode, but some are just a little easier to grasp and more satisfying if they look as if they could actually happen (with a little extra strength from Willie and some of those extra electronics touches that mere mortals could never really hope to achieve, but it's nice to dream!). This episode seems especially filled with those "hold your breath" moments. Gotta love it!moreless