Mission: Impossible

Kermit holds Fozzie for a "Mission: Improbable"

Fozzie, about to clean his room, states "My mission... should I choose to accept it..."

Scooter coming to Anggun's rescue on Muppets TV.

Mission: Impossible is a television series which aired on CBS from 1966 to 1973. During the writers strike of 1988, old scripts were reshot with a new cast for a series which aired on ABC until 1990. A trio of popular movies starring Tom Cruise were released from 1996 to 2006. Both the TV and movie series have been referenced by the Muppets.

References

• One installment of The Muppets comic strip (reprinted in Moving Right Along) begins with Fozzie Bear saying "My mission...should I choose to accept it...", a reference to the opening scenes of the original television series.

• In the Muppet Movie Parodies 1999 Calendar, Fozzie Bear spoofed Tom Cruise in the first Mission: Impossible film.

• In Episode 23 of From the Balcony, Statler and Waldorf show sneak-peeks of the trailers for Mission: Impossible 4: Ridiculously Impossible and Mission: Impossible 5: Impossibly Impossible ; plus Loni Dunne interviews an excited Tom Cruise Muppet.

• In a Ready To Learn commercial for PBS that debuted in 2007, Agent Cookie has ten seconds (counted by Between the Lions character Arty Smartypants) to write his name before his message (from Arty, televised from a cookie) self-destructs. (This clip features a rare showing of Cookie Monster's entire body.)

• In the third episode of the French series Muppets TV, Scooter rescues Anggun (who is trapped in an elevator) via the famed scene from the Tom Cruise movie, with the Mission Impossible theme song playing.

• The proposed Sesame Workshop series Munchin: Impossible takes its name from the series.

• The Shalom Sesame episode Mitzvah on the Street features a spoof titled "Mitzvah: Impossible", where Agent Grover goes on a mitzvah mission to bring a sick Avigile some soup.

Connections

• Tracey Eddon performed stunts for Mission: Impossible (1996 film)
• Tyne Daly played Saretta Lane in the episode "Nerves" (1971)
• Laurence Fishburne played Theodore Brassel in Mission: Impossible III
• George Gaynes played Dr. Paul van Bergner in "The Elixir" (1968)
• Michael Giacchino composed the score for Mission: Impossible III and Mission: Impossible IV
• Nicholas Hammond played Woodward in the revival episode "The Greek" (1989)
• Jonathan Hardy played Etienne Reynard in the revival episode "Submarine" (1990)
• Pat Hingle played R.J. McMillan in "The Confession" (1966)
• Martin Landau played Rollin Hand on Mission: Impossible (1966-1969)
• Justin Monjo played Bakunin in the revival episode "The Pawn" (1989)
• Marshall Napier played Talbot in the revival episode "Reprisal" (1989)
• Leonard Nimoy played Paris on Mission: Impossible (1969-1971)
• Vanessa Redgrave played Max in Mission: Impossible (1996 film)
• Ricco Ross played a security guard in Mission: Impossible (1996 film)
• William Schallert played Dr. Harrison Selby in "The Train" (1967)
• Dougray Scott played John Ambrose in Mission: Impossible II (2000 film)
• William Shatner played Thomas Kroll in "Encore" (1971) and Joseph Conrad in "Cocaine" (1972)
• Kristin Scott Thomas played Sarah Davies in Mission: Impossible (1996 film)
• George Takei played Roger Lee in "The Carriers" (1966)
• Lani John Tupu played Otagi in the revival episode "Cargo Cult" (1990)
• John Vernon played Col. Joseph Strom in "The Exchange" (1969), General Ramon Sabattini in the three-part "The Falcon" (1970), Rome Fuego in "The Catafalque" (1971) and Norman Shields in "Movie" (1972)
• Jon Voight played Jim Phelps in Mission: Impossible (1996 film)
• Scott Walker played the chief security guard in "Doomsday" (1969) and Shewitt in "Invasion" (1971)
• Lesley Ann Warren played Dana Lambert on Mission: Impossible (1970-1971)
• Fritz Weaver played Imre Rogosh in "Operation Rogosh" (1966), Erik Hagar in "Charity" (1967), Emil Skarbeck in "Illusion" (1969), and George Berlinger in "Underwater" (1971)
• Billy Dee Williams played Hank Benton in "The Miracle" (1971)
• Hans Zimmer composed the score for Mission: Impossible II (2000 film)