Overview - Mission: Impossible

Overview

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.

Seasons

• Name: Season 1

  Episode: 28

  The first season of the original Mission: Impossible originally aired Saturdays at 9:00-10:00 pm on CBS from September 17, 1966 to January 7, 1967 and at 8:30-9:30 pm from January 14 to April 22, 1967.

  Date first aired: 1966-09-17

• Name: Season 2

  Episode: 25

  The second season of the original Mission: Impossible originally aired Sundays at 10:00-11:00 pm on CBS from September 10, 1967 to March 17, 1968.

  Date first aired: 1967-09-10

• Name: Season 3

  Episode: 25

  The third season of the original Mission: Impossible originally aired Sundays at 10:00-11:00 pm on CBS from September 29, 1968 to April 20, 1969.

  Date first aired: 1968-09-29

• Name: Season 4

  Episode: 26

  The fourth season of the original Mission: Impossible originally aired Sundays at 10:00-11:00 pm on CBS from September 28, 1969 to March 29, 1970.

  Date first aired: 1969-09-28

• Name: Season 5

  Episode: 23

  The fifth season of the original Mission: Impossible originally aired Saturdays at 7:30-8:30 pm from September 19, 1970 to March 6, 1971. "The Merchant" originally aired Wednesday, March 17, 1971 at 7:30-8:30 pm.

  Date first aired: 1970-09-19

• Name: Season 6

  Episode: 22

  The sixth season of the original Mission: Impossible originally aired Saturdays at 10:00-11:00 pm on CBS from September 18, 1971 to February 26, 1972.

  Date first aired: 1971-09-18

• Name: Season 7

  Episode: 22

  The seventh and final season of the original Mission: Impossible originally aired Saturdays at 10:00-11:00 pm on CBS from September 16 to December 9, 1972 and Fridays at 8:00-9:00 pm from December 22, 1972 to March 30, 1973.

  Date first aired: 1972-09-16