Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, the fifth installment of the successful franchise, is making the rounds around the globe, after a hot (in every sense of the word) premiere in Vienna and cascading opening dates in the U.S. and abroad, with analysts anticipating an initial take of $50 million in North America alone. While we savor this latest adventure of über-secret agent Ethan Hunt/Tom Cruise how about following that burning fuse all the way back to the beginning, including our archives of many, many interviews past? The HFPA’s own Ana Maria Bahiana accepted the mission.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – TV SERIES, Original Version

When: 1966 – 1973 Where: Produced and financed by Desilu (Desi Arnaz’s and Lucille Ball’s company), the series aired on CBS from September 1966 to March 1973. Locations were mainly in and around Los Angeles, including such staples as the Bradbury Building (of Blade Runner fame) and Griffith Park. During the final season most exteriors were shot in San Francisco. Who: Bruce Geller, creator. Starring Steven Hill, Martin Landau, Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, Greg Morris. Special appearances by Leonard Nimoy, Barbara Anderson, Sam Elliott and Mimi Davis. What: The U.S. government creates a super-mega-extra secret division, the Impossible Mission Force aka IMF, dedicated to … well, impossible, borderline suicidal, missions. Their agents are highly trained, all experts in disguises, physical stunts, arms, poisons, seduction and assorted shenanigans. Defining Traits: The self-destructive tape containing the mission itself; the lit fuse burning across the screen to the sound of Lalo Schifrin’s iconic main theme with its pulsating 5/4 tempo; the heavy Cold War context. Golden Globes: Five nominations, three wins – Best TV Show, 1968 and Best TV Star – Male, Martin Landau, 1968; Best TV Actor – Drama, Peter Graves, 1971.
 

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE – TV SERIES, Reboot

When: 1988 – 1990 Where: After many false starts, ABC decides to go ahead with a new take on the old scripts left behind from the original series. Shot entirely in Queensland, Australia. Who: Peter Graves, Anthony Hamilton, Thaao Penghlis, Leonard Nimoy and Jane Badler. Special appearances by Greg Morris and Lynda Day George. What: The original idea was to do a straight-up remake, but the writers decided to push the envelope, creating a new IMF team and giving them almost sci-fi gadgets. Defining Traits: Peter Graves. Late 80s “futuristic” tech.
 

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE MOVIE

When: 1996 Where: Paramount controls the rights and produces all feature films of the franchise. This first installment was shot on location in the Czech Republic, the UK (including the storied Pinewood Studios near London), Chicago and Champaign, Illinois. Who: Brian DePalma directs from a script by David Koepp and Steve Zaillian. Tom Cruise stars as IMF agent Ethan Hunt. Jon Voight, Ving Rhames, Jean Reno, Emmanuelle Beart, Henry Czerny, Vanessa Redgrave and Kristin Scott Thomas round up the main cast. What: Ethan Hunt (Cruise) gets framed for the death of a fellow IMF agent and uses all his skills to clear his name. Defining traits: A mini-tsunami when a massive aquarium explodes inside a restaurant in Prague; red and green explosive gum; Tom Cruise descending from the ceiling of an impenetrable vault, held up by flimsy cables, and stopping inches away from the floor; U2’s version of Lalo Schifrin’s main theme. Box Office: $457.6 M worldwide What They Told Us: “I just wanted (the movie) to have its unique tone, hopefully. Not anti-James Bond, you know. I mean, James Bond movies are pretty cool.” (Tom Cruise)

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE II

When: 2000 Where: Shot on location in Australia, Utah and Los Angeles. Who: John Woo directs from a script by Ronald D. Moore, Brannon Braga and Robert Towne. Cast: Tom Cruise, Thandie Newton, Ving Rhames, Dougray Scott, Brendan Gleeson, Rade Serbedzija What: Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott), a former IMF agent gone very, very bad, plans to unleash the deadly virus Chimera into the world. Ethan Hunt sends thief extraordinaire Nyah (Thandie Newton) to infiltrate Ambrose’s lair and thwart his evil plans. Defining Traits: Viruses and anti-viruses with mythological names (Chimera, Bellerophon); Ambrose’s super stylish lair, with amazing views of Sydney Harbor; masks galore; Tom Cruise hanging by his fingers from a rock. Box Office $546.3 M worldwide What They Told Us: “(The masks) came from Robert Towne but also a little bit from (Woo’s own movie) Face Off. The good and evil exchange their identity, their face. I think it was pretty clever.” (John Woo)
 

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE III

When: 2006 Where: Shot on location in China (Xitang, Shanghai), Rome, Virginia and California. Who: J. J. Abrams directs from his own script with Alex Kurtznan, Roberto Orci. Cast: Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Michelle Monaghan, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Keri Russell, Maggie Q, Laurence Fishburne, Billy Crudup. What: Retired and ready to tie the knot with his fiancée Julia (Michelle Monaghan), Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is brought back to the IMF to extract agent Lindsey Farris (Keri Russell) from the claws of the horrific arms dealer Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Defining Traits: Exploding heads; a confrontation involving trucks, a bridge and big-time explosions; a McGuffin called “Rabbit’s Foot”; Philip Seymour Hoffman; Tom Cruise hanging out of a car, close to the ground, firing away during a high-speed chase. Box Office: $397.8 M worldwide What They Told Us: “There’s a quality (about his character) that you have to find: a lack of concern for others, a kind of resentment and rage. I can identify with those things under certain circumstances.” (Philip Seymour Hoffman)
 

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL

When: 2011 Where: Filmed on location in Moscow, Prague, Budapest, Dubai, Mumbai, and Vancouver. Who: Brad Bird directs from a script by Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec. Cast: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, Léa Seydoux, Josh Holloway and Michael Nyqvist. What: Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is forced to take the blame (and have his team officially disavowed) for a deadly bombing of the Moscow Kremlin in order to go deeper into secrecy in his chase of mysterious evildoer Cobalt (Michael Nyqvist). Defining Traits: Tom Cruise hanging from the side of the tallest building in the world, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. Box Office: $694.7 M worldwide What They Told Us: “It’s a massive, massive scale of a movie. It certainly was a lot of fun in the sense of experience. It’s like Disneyland for adults.” (Jeremy Renner)