What I want to know is this. There were several writers for MI. Did one pose the problem then the other came up with the solution while another few came up with Dan or Jim's plan?
To answer as briefly as possible: No. Generally each individual episode was put together by a single writer; there were a few writing teams on the show, but they each consisted of about two people at most. Probably the best-known "team" of writers was Allan Balter and William Read Woodfield, who helped Bruce Geller put together the series bible and developed a reliable outline around which each episode could be built:
- Tape scene (leader gets the assignment, message self-destructs)
- Dossier scene (leader puts his team together; this became optional as the series went on, and eventually only appeared when Jim needed to add another member to the team besides his regulars)
- Apartment scene (team discusses the plan, lays out their Chekhovs Guns)
- Plan goes into action
Woodfield and Balter were devotees of David Maurer's The Big Con, an anthropological study of early twentieth-century Con Men, and the IMF team play recognizable con-artist roles. In the best-known cast lineup, Cinnamon and Rollin were the "roper" types who pulled the target into the con, Jim was the regular "inside man" who sold the victim on the fake setup, and Barney and Willy were the expert muscle who helped to create and populate the fake setup (the managers of the Big Store, to use Maurer's terminology).
edited 22nd Oct '12 1:07:48 AM by JakesBrain
OK gang on TV every night at 2 AM ET our local Susquehanna Valley ME-TV Network (Red Lion PA USA) airs another episode of the old TV series Mission:Impossible. Now I know that Bob Johnson of Outer Limits fame is the voice on the tape for both Dan Briggs (Steve Hill) and Jim Phelps (Peter Graves who is James Arness aka Matt Dillon of Gunsmoke and The original Thing in the 50s).
On that tape the next to the last line is always 'Should you or any of your IM force be caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions' then 'This tape will self destruct in 5 (sometimes 10) seconds. Good luck Jim (or Dan).'
IMOHO I believe that secretary is in fact the UN Secretary-General because the IMF (BTW there really is an IMF- the International Monetary Fund' which controls word currencies) was almost always representing either the USA or an Allied nation and the UN in NYC (Originally San Francisco CA) is responsible for keeping and maintaining world peace.
Somehow this gem and others were not mentioned in the ongoing conversation of ME here at Troper.
I was appalled (SPOILER AHEAD) when H-Wood used Jon Voight as Jim Phelps and then made him the villain! Even more shocking was when he was killed! ME always prided themselves on keeping killing and gunplay to a minimum.
In the 2nd generation TV MI Greg Morris aka barney Collier's real life son Phil became the elctronics whiz. To us anime freaks Phil Morris (Real name must be Philip but back then they were still advertising cigarettes on TV and well Philip Morris is a cigarette brand and an old one too) is a very prolific voice actor and one of the few black voicers in anime and animations. OK yeah that donkey on Shrek is a voicer too but that's H-Wood films and a whole 'nother ballgame.
I always wondered if MI was filmed on location or if like its follow up show still on ME-TV at 3 AM ET combat! it was filmed in LA or H-Wood back lots. BTW Combat! was filmed (all 8 or 9 seasons of it) in Branson Canyon in Los Angeles CA in the same locale used in both Rescue 8 and later Emergency! for its rescue missions.
I recall seeing Greg Morris playing a police detective in a made for TV film and Peter Lupus played on Police Squad as a locksmith/fence. Peter Graves and Steven Hill's accomplishments are legion and martin Landau won an Oscar for kindly old Gepetto on Pinocchio film some years back. The guest stars were always brilliant and well matched to their characters. Now Barbara Bain as Cinnamon Carter the femme fatale was the inspiration for Fujiko Mine aka Fujicakes in the anime series and films Lupin III based on the grandson of the legendary french jewel thief mastermind portrayed in film by such greats as John Barrymore and Cary Grant. Barbara herself, however, had few film or TV appearances save as Ms Carter on MI.
The theme music is haunting and intimidating as is the opening of each episode with a burning fuse across clips from the current episode. Most TV series openings are the same series of clips hardly ever from the current episode.
What I want to know is this. There were several writers for MI. Did one pose the problem then the other came up with the solution while another few came up with Dan or Jim's plan? This is reminiscent of another old mission series Mac Gyver starring Richard Dean Anderson of TV's Legend and Stargate series. In Mac Gyver they had a think tank of top echelon experts in every field known to man who first came up with the problem, then the solution and finally how Mac could accomplish the mission using ordinary everyday items he had on hand. They even invited viewers to submit ideas! Mac never liked nor ever used guns preferring explosives although he never actually killed anyone while working for the Phoenix Foundation and yeah there is a real Phoenix Foundation too. It raises money for stricken kiddies.
Better wind this up and get some java because I have a few more messages and blogs to finish tonight. Tomorrow night is my one night a week for anime up here. Adult Swim's Toonami on Cartoon Network from midnight Sat until 6 AM Sunday. Sayonara for now and toodles-keimanzero in Campbelltown PA in Lebanon County
Sayonara for now & see ya soon. Keep yer stick on the ice. Toodles- keimanzero