TV and Movies

[Oznell]

3:00 a.m. Eastern wee hours Mondays, MeTV--  "Mission Impossible".   Steven Hill, Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, Martin Landau, Greg Morris, Peter Lupus

The one, the only, (to me), the original.  Love the Impossible Mission Force team--  coolly intelligent Steven Hill, later stalwart Peter Graves, smooth Martin Landau, resourceful Barbara Bain, canny Greg Morris, brawny Peter Lupus.

Love the set pieces-- the jumpy, pulsing, ever-memorable opening theme; and the unspooling tape telling Hill or Graves, "...should any member of your IMF team be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions."   Love Steven Hill's ultra modern, multi-level apartment where he assembles his team each week for their foray into some foreign dictatorship bent on evil and destruction....

Unlike my all-time favorite "The Fugitive" which precedes this weekly on MeTV, there is little to no character development, and the show concentrates on the splashy feats of derring-do, spy trickery and disguise in which the team specializes.  But that's on purpose, and the show is such a fun fantasy escape.  It's Sixties' eye candy.

Random things I've picked up about the series:

Steven Hill, intense theater actor, was slated for the head of the team, but left after year one, being replaced by Peter Graves.  The producers had promised that they would honor his Sabbath requirements-- no working after sundown Friday till sundown Saturday-- but they reneged.  Hill was an Orthodox Jew who took his faith very seriously. (Reminscent of actor Patrick McGoohan's devout, career-sabotaging Christianity.)  Love that!  Hill's religious observance cost him at various points in his career.

The young, intense Steven Hill:

Hill even organized other Jews on the studio lot to worship with him on the roof of one of the buildings--  William Shatner was recruited by him, among others!  I don't know if Martin Landau and Barbara Bain joined them...

I like both Hill, and Peter Graves who replaced him, with a little edge to Hill.  Each brought something different to their roles.

After Barbara Bain (real name-- Mildred Fogel) as ex-model "Cinnamon Carter", left after the 3rd or 4th season, there were various successors, including talented Lesley Ann Warren and Lynda Day George, an exceptionally beautiful and warm actress.

Still, stunning Barbara Bain is my favorite.  She defined glamour, and intelligent self-possession, on the small screen!  Such a cool beauty, and she kept winning Emmys for her performance as "Cinnamon".  She and real life hubby, brilliant character actor Martin Landau, made such a neat team.  Between them, they had the most gorgeous set of two pairs of exotic, clear blue eyes!

They were all good--  Greg Morris made a big splash as the nonchalant electronics genius and master of technology-- later his handsome son starred on the show.  The suits at one point tried to get rid of muscle man Peter Lupus as "Willy", but didn't count on fan loyalty to the actor and the character.

There's as much fascinating intrigue behind the scenes as there was onscreen!  A terrific show.  I've been recording it along with "The Fugitive" every week.

[kaydee50]

Hill was the best DA on Law and Order for many years.  Also played in one of my favorite episodes of Columbo with Fisher Stephens, Smoke and Mirrors, I think is the title.  Not seen all that often.

Coming home from Sydney, Australia we were in the airline's lounge and who was there but Peter Graves.  I remember him best for Captain Over in Airplane!!  Was tempted to speak to him but DH discouraged me!!

[mspatmac]

@Oznell  THANK YOU!  I never missed an episode and loved that show.  I was not aware it was on and I am now recording.  Looking forward to seeing it.  Interesting to read about the actors, loved the original cast and Peter Graves was OK too but when the originals started leaving it just wasn't the same and I lost interest.  No one was ever able to replace Barbara Bain IMO 

[Annabellethecat66]

I had a serious crush on Martin Landau.

Just one in a series of great shows.

[Pearlee]

@Oznell. This series and I Spy capitalized on the popularity of Ian Fleming's James Bond. I watched both series in the originals. I particularly liked Landau, and his name Rollin Hand (very cool).

Hill was in at least one Fugitive I can remember, when Janssen rescues him from a plane crash and doesn't want any publicity for doing so. Hill is someone who didn't age well, as seen when he played the D.A. in Law & Order.

I saw Bain a week or so ago in a Murder She Wrote, some 25+ years after Mission and it appeared to me she had had "work done" on her face that hadn't gone well.

For those who don't know, Peter Graves was
James Arness' (Gunsmoke) brother.

[Annabellethecat66]

My best friend growing up used to write love letters to James Arness

[sunshine 919]

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@Annabellethecat66 wrote:

I had a serious crush on Martin Landau.

Just one in a series of great shows.

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I watched this show every week.  It is so good.  Thank you for the heads up

[KaySD]

The only Mission Impossible I remember had Leonard Nimoy in it.

[proudlyfromNJ]

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@kaydee50 wrote:

Hill was the best DA on Law and Order for many years.  Also played in one of my favorite episodes of Columbo with Fisher Stephens, Smoke and Mirrors, I think is the title.  Not seen all that often.

Coming home from Sydney, Australia we were in the airline's lounge and who was there but Peter Graves.  I remember him best for Captain Over in Airplane!!  Was tempted to speak to him but DH discouraged me!!

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@kaydee50  loved Steven Hill. 'Make a deal'! What he also said to Jack McCoy. Hill lived in the same NY county as I do.

[appm]

Thanks oznell - an all time favorite of mine.