"Mission: Impossible" premiered on CBS in 1966 as an upside down "Topkapi" riff that left the conniving to the good guys. For creator Bruce Geller, expertise was the point. Characters and plots were left blank and blurry, forcing viewers to join the Impossible Missions Force or be left in the high-tech dust. Fun only got in the way; Geller famously scolded star Peter Graves for smiling at the end of an episode.

In 1996, director Brian De Palma reinvented the series as a star vehicle for Tom...

Continue Reading The 14 Most Dangerous Mission: Impossible Stunts, Ranked Worst To Best