Whenever "Mission Impossible" is mentioned today, most people automatically think of the big Tom Cruise blockbuster films. However, as someone who grew up in the 1980s watching reruns of the old TV series - which aired from 1966 until 1973 - I don’t think of the over-the-top films or the classic TV show. I think of the barely-remembered 1980s reboot that only lasted two seasons on ABC.
Why, you ask? Well, because I loved watching a new IMF team in action in a modern (meaning 1980s) setting. I was also a huge fan of Jane Badler from the sci-fi series "V” and the primetime soap opera “Falcon Crest” at the time. And I was super excited to see her and Tony Hamilton, who starred in the TV series “Cover Up,” in the new series! If you haven't seen the reboot, don’t worry. As an 80s-obsessed TV fan, I'll remind you or introduce you to this nearly-forgotten gem of a show.
In 1988, there was a potential lengthy writers' strike that prevented the production of new scripts for the upcoming TV season. As a result, the network executives at ABC decided to revive a new “Mission Impossible” series from their previously produced material. They planned to reboot the series with a new cast, except for the legendary Peter Graves, who would return as IMF team leader Jim Phelps.
The new cast included:
Thaao Penghlis, who is best known for roles in United States daytime soap operas such as “Days of Our Lives”, “Santa Barbara”, and “General Hospital”, portrayed ‘Nicholas Black’ a professor of acting, actor, and disguise expert.
Tony Hamilton is best known for his role in the 1984 television film "Samson and Delilah" and for taking over the lead role in the series "Cover Up" after the death of the series' lead actor, Jon-Erik Hexum. On the new 'Mission' series he played 'Max Harte', a strongman who was also a weapons and undercover expert. In March 1995, Hamilton died of AIDS-related pneumonia at the age of 42.
Phil Morris, the son of actor Greg Morris who played Barney Collier on the original "Mission: Impossible", is best known for his roles as Jackie Chiles on "Seinfeld," John Jones on The CW series "Smallville," and the voice of Doc Saturday on "The Secret Saturdays." In the new series, he played 'Grant Collier', the son of Barney Collier, who was the IMF's original technology expert, and a technical genius in his own right.
Terry Maxwell portrayed Casey Randall, an interior designer turned undercover agent, in the first 12 episodes of season one. In her final episode, "The Fortune," her character was captured and killed by lethal injection during a solo assignment, making Casey the first core IMF member to be killed off. Following this, producers introduced actress Jane Badler as the new female IMF team member.
Jane Badler is best known for her role as Diana, the main antagonist in NBC's science fiction series "V" from 1983 to 1985. After that, she starred in the primetime soap opera "Falcon Crest" and the new "Mission Impossible," where she portrayed Shannon Reed, an ex-Secret Service Agent, femme fatale, and expert in disguise, mimicry, and role-play.
Furthermore, Ben Johnson, the original IMF mission voice actor, known as the "voice on the tape" that provides missions to the IMF leader, also made a return. Two other cast members from the original series, Greg Morris (Barney Collier) and Lynda Day George (Lisa Casey), also returned as guest stars, establishing continuity with the original series.
Aside from the new cast, the series was filmed in Australia to save money on production costs. The first season was filmed in Queensland, and the second season was filmed in Melbourne.
The initial plan was to strictly remake the original series by updating the script to make it more modern. However, when the writer's strike ended sooner than expected, the series was able to transition to producing original stories, despite having already remade several scripts from the original series.
In the reboot, the events take place 15 years after the last season of the original "Mission: Impossible" TV series. However, Wikipedia states that "the episode structure from the original series was largely repeated, although the writers took some liberties and tried to stretch the rules somewhat. Most notably, by the time of the revival series, the Impossible Missions Force (which was originally suggested to be an independent agency) was no longer a small, clandestine operation, but larger in scale, with references now made to IMF divisions and additional teams similar to the one run by Phelps. The 1980s series also had IMF agents using technology that nearly pushed the series into the realm of science fiction, such as one gadget that could record dreams."
Unfortunately, the fun action-adventure series only lasted two seasons. It took another 7 years until 'Mission' moved to the big screen with action star Tom Cruise taking up the helm in 1996, and the rest is history.
Fun fact - Did you know that actor Peter Graves refused to reprise his role as Jim Phelps in the first "Mission: Impossible" film released in 1996? He made this decision after the character was revealed to be a traitor and the villain of the film, causing Phelps to murder three fellow IMF agents and eventually be killed in a helicopter crash. This decision disappointed Graves and other cast members and upset many fans of the original series. The character of Phelps was ultimately portrayed by Jon Voight in the film.
Unfortunately, the 80s reboot of "Mission Impossible" is not available for streaming on any platforms at the moment. However, you may be able to find some random episodes on YouTube if you search for the show there.
Some facts are taken from IMDB & Wikipedia.
Don't forget to check out my podcast episodes 83 & 84. In these episodes, I had a fascinating conversation with TV star Thaao Penghlis. He shared some fun behind-the-scenes stories of playing Nicholas Black on the 1980s "Mission Impossible" revival series, as well as his four decades on the hit daytime drama "Days of Our Lives". Click the links below to enjoy!
Episode 83 - HERE
Episode 84 - HERE
