Before Tom Cruise ran from explosions, Peter Graves made espionage look effortless.
6.550 minSeason 2 • Episode 16
LatestWhen several progressive Egyptian leaders are killed, the IMF team is sent to stop the head of the department for ancient studies at the Cairo museum. It turns out that he has revived the cult of Seth, with sacrificial ceremonies. His henchman has been impersonating a mummy to kill anyone who might talk. Jim, Shannon and Max pose as part of a dig, claiming they have found important relics from the original worship of Seth, while Nicholas and Grant try to break the trust between the leader and his followers. But Grant is caught and is scheduled to be the next sacrifice...
Mission: Impossible is an American television series that chronicles the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force. The show is a revival of the 1966 TV series of the same name. The only actor to return for the series as a regular cast member was Peter Graves who played Jim Phelps, although two other cast members from the original series returned as guest stars. The only other regular cast member to return for every episode was the voice of "The Tape", Bob Johnson.
Practical Effects
Real masks, real fire, real stunt work—CGI who?
Writing
Heist plots so tight they could teach Ocean's Eleven.
Production
That iconic theme still slaps 20 years later.
Creator
Bruce Geller
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 1988 revival was greenlit after the 1984 writers' strike killed a planned reboot, making this technically the second attempt to bring Jim Phelps back.
This series aired during the final years of the Cold War, and its missions increasingly reflected real-world anxieties about espionage ethics—something the 1966 original rarely touched.
US
