Mission: Impossible (1970) – The Innocent, and Homecoming

This week, we have a pair of episodes that feature a couple of recognizable guest stars, who went on to become series regulars on M*A*S*H, and The Innocent features a cool new title music arrangement, and it took me a moment to recognize him, but Sam Elliott as IMF agent Doug. Written by Marc Norman…

Mission: Impossible (1970) – The Killer, and Flip Side

Season Five of Paramount’s Mission: Impossible gets underway on the blog this week, and there are a few changes to the series right from the start. We now get a teaser opening showing us both the villain of the piece, and Phelps (Peter Graves) receiving his assignment. We also have a new female lead, after…

Mission: Impossible (1970) – The Crane, and Death Squad

The IMF swings back into action again this week, with yet another mission to save an Eastern Bloc country from itself, and restore it to its prior democratic state but working to turn the current leaders against one another, and reinstate a pro-democracy guerilla leader who is sentenced to be executed. Written by Ken Pettus,…

Mission: Impossible (1970) – Lover’s Knot, and Orpheus

Paris (Leonard Nimoy) finds that more than his life is in jeopardy this week, but also his heart, in Lover’s Knot. Written by Laurence Heath, this story first debuted on 22 February, 1970. The story finds Paris, Phelps (Peter Graves) and Barney (Greg Morris) on assignment in London (which looks a lot like Southern California),…

Mission: Impossible (1970) – Phantoms, and Terror

The IMF are working to stop a brutal dictator by haunting him, and making his staff think it’s time for him to retire this week in Phantoms. Written by Laurence Heath, this episode first debuted on 8 February, 1970. Leo Vorka (Luther Adler) is getting older, but his hold on his country remains iron tight….

Mission: Impossible (1969/1970) – The Amnesiac, and The Falcon: Part 1

Robert Malcolm Young and Ken Pettus pen the teleplay for The Amnesiac from a story developed by Young. It first aired on 28 December, 1969, and features a few return guest stars, including Steve Inhat in his third and final M:I appearance, and Anthony Zerbe in his third of five appearances! Phelps (Peter Graves) IMF…

Mission: Impossible (1969) – The Brothers, and Time Bomb

Leigh Vance pens The Brothers, from a story by Robert C. Dennis, that saw the IMF heading to an oil rich country to overthrow the tyrannical leader of the nation, Selim (Lloyd Batista), and replace him with his twin brother, who is being held captive. Phelps (Peter Graves), recruits his usual team, Paris (Leonard Nimoy),…

Mission: Impossible (1969) – Submarine, and Mastermind

Donald James pens an exceptional episode of Mission: Impossible, Submarine, which was first broadcast on 16 November, 1969. Phelps (Peter Graves) and his IMF team are working with a ticking clock. They have to kidnap former SS officer, Kruger Schetlman (Stephen McNally), and learn the location stolen Nazi funds, before the local military police track…

Mission: Impossible (1969) – Fool’s Gold, and The Commandante

Ken Pettus pens Fool’s Gold which first aired on 26 October, 1969, and sees the IMF team, led by Phelps (Peter Graves) to stop a counterfeiter, Igor Stravos (Nehemiah Persoff) who has enough printed cash to purchase the entire gold reserve of a country, which would allow him to topple the government. Paris (Leonard Nimoy)…

Mission: Impossible (1969) – The Controllers: Part 1, and Part 2

Laurence Heath pens the first two-parter of season four, and despite what I feel is the wrong point for the To Be Continued notice to be delivered, it ends up being a pretty solid story, with some real world parallels. The episodes first aired on 12 October, 1969, and 19 October, 1969. Jim Phelps (Peter…