History Series / MissionImpossible

* AwesomeMcCoolName: In "Leona", the two main mob bosses are named Mike Apollo and Joe Epic.

The show you're looking at is ''Mission: Impossible'', a unique SpyDrama based around a ad-hoc covert operations team employed (though not officially) by the US Government for dicey missions requiring [[PlausibleDeniability maximum deniability]]. The television series lasted from September 1966 to March 1973; a total of 171 episodes were filmed over the seven season run. It was the longest-surviving of the "spy-fi" genre of US and UK-made TV series of the 1960s based on episode and season count.[[note]] ''Series/TheAvengers1960s'' aired over a 9-year period, but had only six seasons and 161 episodes[[/note]] and held the record for longest running spy series by episode count ''ever'' until the eighth season of ''Series/TwentyFour'' came out in 2010.

* Greg Morris as Barney Collier, a mechanical and electronic genius and reverse AirVentPassageway escape artist -- the casting of a black actor as this highly accomplished character in 1966 was revolutionary, although the producers insisted race had nothing to do with their decision. [[AbsenteeActor While no one appears in each episode, he appears more often than anyone else.]] Oh, and he was no slouch as a fighter, either.

Unlike most [=IPs=] owned by Creator/{{Paramount}} that originated on TV at the time of the 2006 CBS/Viacom split, the ''Mission: Impossible'' franchise remained under Paramount ownership despite CBS acquiring the rights to the two TV series, this may have been a result of the third film still being in production at the time.

Unlike most IPs owned by Creator/{{Paramount}} that originated on TV at the time of the 2006 CBS/Viacom split, the ''Mission: Impossible'' franchise remained under Paramount ownership despite CBS acquiring the rights to the two TV series, this may have been a result of the third film still being in production at the time.

* FakeAssassination: "Casino" centers on a retired mobster put in charge of a lucrative casino. Jim Phelps and company aim to torpedo this man's loyalty to his Mafia bosses by staging a couple of botched "hits" on him, plus an inconvenient robbery to make it seem as though this man is skimming the profits. By the end of the episode, this man is convinced that he's MarkedForDeath because he knows too much, and eagerly awaits rescue by the [=FBI=].

** "The Amateur" gets its name from a random civilian who ends up with up with part of the disassembled [=MacGuffin=] of the episode and decides to butt into the spy game himself for personal profit instead of simply returning it to the authoritiesm who are hunting for the team and the rest of the pieces.

* {{Zeerust}}: The ersatz future in "The Freeze"; also, the slide rule in Barney's publicity photo from "Collier Electronics".
** {{Lampshaded}} in the pilot of the remake. Phelps takes a moment to marvel at the mini optical disc player that replaced the trademark tape recorder of the original series, remarking to himself "Time does march on". A few moments later he is similarly impressed when he uses a computer instead of the traditional printed dossier to choose his agents.

* SpannerInTheWorks[=/=]{{Yandere}}: In one episode, Dana is masquerading as a Soviet spy--but happens to look like a lunatic asylum escapee's fiancée, and the madman kidnaps her when she's in the middle of giving Jim a warning.

* PhonyPsychic: Cinnamon poses as a psychic to convince a tycoon that his life is in danger, leading to a high-stakes poker game against Rollin in "The Psychic".

** Subverted in "The Exchange". Cinnamon is caught and her captors use her claustrophobia against her. When she tries to escape her cell through a vent, the vent is closed off, trapping her in a very small space, leaving her in shock and near to breaking completely.

** The 80's sequel series starred Greg Morris's son (Phil Morris, perhaps best known as [[Series/{{Seinfeld}} Jackie Chiles]]) as Barney Collier's son.
** Martin Landau turned down the role of Mr Spock on ''Franchise/StarTrek'' to play Rollin Hand. When he left the show, Leonard Nimoy, the man who got the Spock role instead, took his place in the cast.

* CommercialBreakCliffhanger: Just about every commercial break....something unexpected would happen or a BigBad will say "You there! What are you doing here?" the MI Force member will look worried or go for the OhCrap moment--commercial--Everything's better, the mission goes on.

* CompilationMovie: Although the series had several two-part stories (plus one ''three''-parter, season four's "The Falcon"), there was only one such movie - ''Mission Impossible Versus The Mob'' (from "The Council").

* SimilarItemConfusion: One episode has the team infiltrate a chemical plant where TheVillain's henchmen are mixing deadly nerve gas. The plant's store room contains two key ingredients in similar containers, differentiated only by their labels. Invoked when the [=IMF=] use peel-and-stick labels to confuse the two chemicals. This causes the mixing process to be done in the wrong order, resulting in the anarchists getting HoistByHisOwnPetard.

* Steven Hill as Dan Briggs, a cold, cerebral strategist who would be given the mission, formulate a plan, select a team of agents (not always the same ones in early episodes), and put everything in motion.

There was a two-season ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Next Generation]]''-style continuation of the original series filmed in UsefulNotes/{{Australia}} in the [[TheEighties 1980s]]; Peter Graves returned as Jim Phelps, mentoring an all-new team (including Barney Collier's son, Grant, played by Greg Morris's real son, Phil Morris); originally conceived as a straight-out remake in order to fill a hole in Creator/{{ABC}}'s schedule created by a [[UsefulNotes/TVStrikes Hollywood writer's strike]], the series ended up being a continuation of the original (though the strike still forced them to remake a couple of original series episodes), while Greg Morris and Lynda Day George made guest appearances as their original characters. The UsefulNotes/{{NES}} game developed by Creator/{{Konami}} is based on this revival series.

* ArgentinaIsNaziland: In "The Legend", Briggs and Cinammon impersonate a former Nazi and his daughter who are invited to attend a reunion of aged Nazi leaders at the South American home of Nazi fugitive Martin Bormann, who is planning the creation of the FourthReich[[note]]At the time the episode first aired, some people honestly believed Bormann might have escaped Berlin to South America and possibly planning a revival of Nazism - his body was not conclusively identified until the early seventies[[/note]].

The show won ten UsefulNotes/{{Emmy|Award}}s (Two Outstanding Drama awards, one Outstanding Writing in a Drama award, ''three'' Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Drama awards for Barbara Bain, one Outstanding in Art Direction and Scenic Design award, one Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing award, one Outstanding Achievement in Makeup award, and one Individual Achievement in Film and Sound Editing award, plus ''thirty-eight'' other nominations in various categories), three Golden Globes (One Best Drama, and one Best Actor each for Peter Graves and Martin Landau) and one Edgar (One Best Episode).

The show's distinctive use of what creator Bruce Geller called "a team of specialists" to carry out a complex plan inspired numerous imitators, most notably ''Series/TheATeam'', but also shows such as ''Series/CharliesAngels'' and ''Series/{{Leverage}}'' (and even a cartoon in the form of Creator/DePatieFrelengEnterprises' ''WesternAnimation/TheHoundcats'').

** Martin Landau turned down the role of Mr Spock on ''Franchise/StarTrek'' to play Rollin Hand. When he left the show, Leonard Nimoy, the man who got the Spock role instead, took his place in the cast

The show won ten Emmys (Two Outstanding Drama awards, one Outstanding Writing in a Drama award, ''three'' Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Drama awards for Barbara Bain, one Outstanding in Art Direction and Scenic Design award, one Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing award, one Outstanding Achievement in Makeup award, and one Individual Achievement in Film and Sound Editing award, plus ''thirty-eight'' other nominations in various categories), three Golden Globes (One Best Drama, and one Best Actor each for Peter Graves and Martin Landau) and one Edgar (One Best Episode).

There was a two-season Next Generation-style continuation of the original series filmed in Australia in the [[TheEighties 1980s]]; Peter Graves returned as Jim Phelps, mentoring an all-new team (including Barney Collier's son, Grant, played by Greg Morris's real son, Phil Morris); originally conceived as a straight-out remake in order to fill a hole in ABC's schedule created by a [[UsefulNotes/TVStrikes Hollywood writer's strike]], the series ended up being a continuation of the original (though the strike still forced them to remake a couple of original series episodes), while Greg Morris and Lynda Day George made guest appearances as their original characters. The NES game developed by Konami is based on this revival series.

* TheMark

* OhCrap: [[TheMark The Mark's]] standard expression when they realize they have been ''had'' and the plan is shot/there's a visit to the clink in the offing/they're meeting TheGrimReaper.

* {{PLaguemaster}}:

* First, the team leader goes to a DeadDrop location to pick up a pre-recorded message, usually with a packet of one or more photos. The leader listens to the message, where his government contact gives him a quick rundown of who the target (or targets) are, what they've done, and what the government needs the team to do about it. Every time, this is followed by a warning that if the team is captured or unsuccessful, "the Secretary" [[note]]It's never specified exactly which Secretary that would be - one would assume either the Secretary of State (who is in charge of the Central Intelligence Agency) or the Secretary of Defense (who oversees the Defense Intelligence Agency) - or if Secretary is just a codename for whoever's in charge.[[/note]] will 'disavow' knowledge of their actions (implying they won't be rescued or ransomed) then a warning that [[ThisPageWillSelfDestruct this message will self-destruct.]] Which it does, seconds later. [[note]]Rarely, the contact will instead ask the leader to "destroy the tape in the usual manner." Someplace close by will be a place to safely burn the message.[[/note]]