Along with his handpicked a team of covert operatives (each equipped with their own unique skills) mastermind Jim Phelps carries out executive orders to infiltrate, destabilize or destroy plans of the Enemy. The Impossible Missions Force use every trick in the book:  high-tech gadgets, hypnosis, sleight of hand and of course those iconic rubber mask revelations!

CRITIQUE

So, class, continuing our lesson in classic television history: As anyone who has seen “Spock's Brain,” (a third season episode of Star Trek) can attest, Leonard Nimoy had every reason to be sick of the show that catapulted him to stardom. The fact that Trek was unceremoniously cancelled shortly thereafter left the actor a free agent again. Seruptiously, not more than a few yards away -- right there on the Desilu lot -- the Mission: Impossible producers were feeling the sting of resignation (i.e. the Landaus) who had just departed their popular series due to failing contract negotiations. Into the magical shoes of Rollin Hand stepped the stoic Vulcan. (Lee Merriweather replaced Barbara Bain-Landau as the sensual element, but her role was limited to six appearances.)

Nimoy's presence helped soften the blow to regular viewers, and with cost-conscious Bruce Lansbury as a new producer, the [now] most expensive show on TV was finally reigned in, generating profit for its parent company Paramount. The fourth year of Mission was underway! Years later, Nimoy became reluctant to discuss his participation, but finally revealed, “I felt it didn't have the edge that I admired from the first three seasons. I got to perform a wide variety of characters, and to that extent was successful. But I felt like the odd man out…grafted onto the stories rather than being organically involved.”

If this is true, little of Nimoy's disappointment shows in his work. Unlike emotion-challenged Spock, he assumed roles that often required flamboyance. While year four isn't the sterling spy show of its past, Mission still chugged along, bringing viewers enough thrills and

Byzantine plots to garner Peter Graves a Golden Globe and the series itself, six Emmy nominations by the end of the fourth season. Among the finer episodes are:

Robot

In which a dead man, whose absence was unknown to his enemies, had to give an empowering speech -- or his country might collapse. So the IM Force decides to use a robotic stand-in for the televised event! It's a preposterous notion, yet performed so earnestly that it actually works – and Nimoy gets to essay five different roles!

The Double Circle

Imagine an apartment complex where all the rooms are identical, down to the last detail. This is how IMF deceives a traitorous spy from delivering a vital American document to the enemy... when he gets off on the wrong floor and meets the IMF team instead of his contact.

Submarine

Another tale of deception and depth-perception; meant to confuse a Neo-Nazi into revealing where his terrorist group's hidden funds are located. Only when he believes he's about to die a watery death does he confess... not realizing that he's been inside a prop sub on drydock the whole time! Submarine is the quintessential Mission: Impossible show.

The Falcon

Rarely did TV dramas of the 60s ever release cliffhangers. The networks thought viewers wouldn't wait a week for the conclusion, or that new viewers would feel confused. Imagine NBC's consternation when Mission decided to launch a three-parter! Falcon is impossible to encapsulate in a limited way, but rest assured it works like a fine Swiss watch. Nimoy got to employ a lot of stage magic in this one. Rarely aired in reruns, The Falcon is a much sought-after show for MI completists.

Phantoms

The IM Force cooks up a plot to drive a dictator insane before he calls for a national “purge” of undesirables. (Rumsfeld and Cheney must've seen this episode.) Even his glasses were rigged to project ghost images back into his eyes!

Sadly, Nimoy never grew comfortable with the show, so he decided not to renew another year with MI. The series managed to keep moving ahead, sometimes due to simple intertia (like the post-Orbach years of Law & Order). But it wasn't all bad. Class dismissed... for now.

THE VIDEO

Mission: Impossible is presented in its original 1.33:1 full-screen format. As always, the prints are lush and sharp. The show had the highest production values of any series on the air at the time and it shows. Canny viewers will be able to spot some recycled props and sets.

THE AUDIO

Mission Impossible is presented in English DD 5.1, English DD 2.0, and Spanish DD 2.0 Mono. Frankly, there's not much an engineer can do with the sound of old mono TV shows by way of digital magic, but the show does sound pretty darn good for its age. Optional subtitles include English, Spanish and Portuguese.

THE EXTRAS

Absolutely nothing. Sadly, this part of the mission is a total failure.

FINAL THOUGHT

The absence of Martin Landau and Barbara Bain was/is felt by stalwart fans of the series, but the inclusion of Leonard Nimoy proved to be an excellent replacement choice – and a chance for Star Trek fans to see their beloved actor in his last regular TV role.