Mission: Impossible: The Original TV Series Blu-ray

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

Created by Bruce Geller
USA (1966–1973)

An elite covert operations unit carries out highly sensitive missions subject to official denial in the event of failure, death or capture...

The head of the "Impossible Missions Force", a top-secret government group of operatives, is secretly communicated his next assignment. The elaborate use of electronic gadgetry, masters of disguise and detailed plans that require split-second timing made this TV show an "on the edge of your seater"! In Season One Briggs (Steven Hill) assembles a team that includes a master of disguise (Martin Landau), a femme fatale (Barbara Bain), an electronics whiz (Greg Morris), an incredibly strong man (Peter Lupus) and an occasional guest star as a supplemental addition to the team!

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"The original TV action drama centering on the activities of The I.M.F. (Impossible Missions Force) was a sensation from the beginning. The inspired cast, fast-moving plots, neat gadgets, pre-recorded tapes that self-destruct – all these elements made this brilliant show one of television’s crowning achievements."

Be there for the legendary missions that started it all! The original, Emmy-winning series that gave rise to a blockbuster franchise debuts on Blu-ray in a 46-disc set that includes all 171 unforgettable episodes.

In this iconic TV drama, the “Impossible Missions Force” consists of extraordinary spies who are experts in their fields: the Lead Agents (Steven Hill and Peter Graves), the Tech Expert (Greg Morris), The Muscle (Peter Lupus), The Master of Disguise (Martin Landau), Paris (Leonard Nimoy), Dana Lambert (Lesley Warren), The Doctor (Sam Elliott) and The Femme Fatale (Emmy winner** Barbara Bain). Every day, this elite force risks failure, capture and death... but nothing is more important than their mission.

Posters

Broadcast Premiere: September 17th, 1966

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Comparison:

Paramount - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Paramount - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Box Cover		Bonus Captures:
Distribution	Paramount Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC	Paramount - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime	Each episode is around 50:12 X 28 episodes	0:50:30.068 X 171 episodes
Video	1:33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.14 mb/s (sample) NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc One: 45,239,932,985 bytes Sample Episode: 11,157,891,072 bytes Video Bitrate: 23.98 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 1.0)	DTS-HD Master Audio English 3415 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3415 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) DUBs: Dolby Digital Audio French 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps Dolby Digital Audio German 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps
Subtitles	None	English (SDH), French, German, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Paramount Home Video Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • none DVD Release Date: December 5th, 2006 4 transparent double slim Keepcases inside VHS sized cardboard box Chapters: 8 in each episode X 28	Release Information: Studio: Paramount 1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc One: 45,239,932,985 bytes Sample Episode: 11,157,891,072 bytes Video Bitrate: 23.98 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • None Blu-ray Release Date: December 1st, 2020 Custom Blu-ray Case (see below) Chapters 7 X 171

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Paramount Blu-ray (December 2020): Paramount have transferred the complete, 1966-1973 Mission: Impossible TV Series to Blu-ray. The set has 46-discs, 171-episodes. The Pilot and 27-Season One episodes, over 7 discs with 4 per disc. Season Two with 25 episodes on 7 discs, Season Three with 25 episodes on 7 discs, Season Four with 26-epsiodes on 7 discs, Season Five with 23-epsiodes on 6 discs, Season Six with 22-epsiodes on 6 discs, Season Seven with 22-epsiodes on 6 discs.

Firstly, I have not watched the entire series yet - but I have sampled discs from each of the seven seasons. The early season, shot on 35mm, look incredible - you can see skin pores, make-up and beaucoup detail. They are in 1080P. The fist few seasons are a crisper than the latter ones - and I don't know why. Could they have switched to video somewhere in the middle of the series? I don't know. They have supportive bitrates around 5 X that of the SD from 15-year hence. I was impressed with the HD presentation showing more information in the frame, exposing the DVDs to be vertically stretched (thinner faces), more authentic flesh tones and depth. There were instances of noise-like-grain but I didn't put it down to poor compression.

NOTE: We have added 66 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Paramount use a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround track (24-bit) in the original English language. They should have left the mono as an option like the DVD series had. The surround isn't bombastic - mostly via the front speakers by the lossless exports the effects far better - notable, as well, in the iconic score by Argentinean Lalo Schifrin (Joe Kidd, Rollercoaster, Charley Varrick, The Nude Bomb, Day of the Animals, Hit!, Man on a Swing, The Manitou, Tango and many other films) sounding a deeper with more consistent dialogue. Paramount offer optional English (SDH), German and French subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Paramount Blu-ray has no extras that I have found yet. The DVDs were the same. Would have loved input from any surviving cast members or crew.

The 'Impossible Missions Force' (IMF) team-lead was initially Stephen Hill (playing Dan Briggs), who was was replaced after the first season by Peter Graves, as Jim Phelps, who remained the leader for the remainder of the original series and in the 1988–1990 revival as well. The cast could fluctuate but started with regulars - flirtatious Cinnamon Carter (Barbara Bain), a top fashion model and actress, Barnard "Barney" Collier (Greg Morris), who is a electronics genius, William "Willy" Armitage (Peter Lupus), as the strong man - a world record-holding weight lifter, Rollin Hand (Martin Landau), a magician, and "man of a million faces". Leonard Nimoy participated in the fourth and fifth seasons. Sam Elliott as a Dr. in seasons five and six. Bain was replaced by Lee Meriwether, Dana Lambert, Lesley Ann Warren, Lynda Day George, and Barbara Anderson throughout season four and beyond. Morris and Lupus lasted the entire series. I'm enjoying the heck out of these Blu-rays. The plots are well-written and are great hour-long spy-like adventures that you can throw on and get away any time. The effects can be dated but the super cast is a big part of the enjoyment. It's inventive, well-acted and superb escapism. An easy recommendation!

Gary Tooze