Mission: Impossible (1966)

Action · Crime · Thriller

Mission: Impossible is an American television series that was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicles the missions of a team of secret government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force. In the first season, the team is led by Dan Briggs, played by Steven Hill; Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, takes charge for the remaining seasons. A hallmark of the series shows Briggs or Phelps receiving his instructions on a recording that then self-destructs, followed by the theme music composed by Lalo Schifrin. The series aired on the CBS network from September 1966 to March 1973, then returned to television for two seasons on ABC, from 1988 to 1990, retaining only Graves in the cast. It later inspired a popular series of theatrical motion pictures starring Tom Cruise, beginning in 1996.

IMDb rating: 7.9 (13,141 votes)
Episode average: 7.5 -0.4 vs IMDb
Seasons: 7
Streaming (US): Paramount+
Language: EN
Type: TV series

Rating trend: this show's seasons do not settle into one shape. Rising Shows ranks whole shows by the shape of their rating trend rather than one average score, which is how you find a show that got better rather than a show that started well.

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Ratings refreshed Oct 3, 2026 · 7 seasons indexed

Cast

Seasons

Season 1 (1966)

7.41 avg 28 episodes 7.7 → 7.5 51 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Pilot	7.7	816
2	Memory	7.3	582
3	Operation Rogosh	8.2	630
4	Old Man Out: Part 1	7.3	539
5	Old Man Out: Part 2	7.3	501
6	Odds on Evil	7.7	512
7	Wheels	6.8	464
8	The Ransom	7.6	480
9	A Spool There Was	7.2	462
10	The Carriers	8.0	507
11	Zubrovnik's Ghost	6.1	464
12	Fakeout	7.0	413
13	Elena	6.4	435
14	The Short Tail Spy	7.2	419
15	The Legacy	7.9	446
16	The Reluctant Dragon	7.2	375
17	The Frame	7.7	423
18	The Trial	7.6	399
19	The Diamond	7.4	386
20	The Legend	7.4	427
21	Snowball in Hell	7.5	383
22	The Confession	7.4	375
23	Action!	7.3	383
24	The Train	8.1	439
25	Shock	7.5	367
26	A Cube of Sugar	7.4	360
27	The Traitor	7.8	376
28	The Psychic	7.5	363

Season 2 (1967)

7.70 avg 25 episodes 7.6 → 8.0 50 min avg

Season 2 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Widow	7.6	398
2	Trek	7.2	361
3	The Survivors	7.9	393
4	The Bank	8.1	393
5	The Slave: Part 1	7.6	359
6	The Slave: Part 2	7.6	336
7	Operation 'Heart'	7.4	328
8	The Money Machine	7.7	338
9	The Seal	8.1	401
10	Sweet Charity	7.5	323
11	The Council: Part 1	7.9	341
12	The Council: Part 2	8.0	326
13	The Astrologer	7.6	321
14	Echo of Yesterday	7.3	315
15	The Photographer	8.4	377
16	The Spy	7.3	299
17	A Game of Chess	7.6	306
18	The Emerald	7.9	316
19	The Condemned	7.8	300
20	The Counterfeiter	7.6	295
21	The Town	8.6	479
22	The Killing	7.1	307
23	The Phoenix	7.4	290
24	Trial by Fury	7.3	287
25	Recovery	8.0	306

Season 3 (1968)

7.80 avg 25 episodes 7.7 → 7.7 50 min avg

Mid-peak

Season 3 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Heir Apparent	7.7	326
2	The Contender: Part 1	7.5	293
3	The Contender: Part 2	7.5	274
4	The Mercenaries	8.0	321
5	The Execution	8.2	332
6	The Cardinal	8.2	316
7	The Elixir	7.8	303
8	The Diplomat	7.6	273
9	The Play	7.2	270
10	The Bargain	7.7	256
11	The Freeze	7.8	284
12	The Exchange	8.5	335
13	The Mind of Stefan Miklos	8.5	394
14	The Test Case	7.6	246
15	The System	8.1	279
16	The Glass Cage	8.2	299
17	Doomsday	7.9	272
18	Live Bait	7.7	287
19	The Bunker: Part 1	8.1	273
20	The Bunker: Part 2	8.3	270
21	Nitro	7.2	243
22	Nicole	7.0	299
23	The Vault	7.4	238
24	Illusion	7.5	252
25	The Interrogator	7.7	241

Season 4 (1969)

7.47 avg 26 episodes 7.2 → 6.5 50 min avg

Bad finale

Season 4 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Code	7.2	267
2	The Numbers Game	7.4	263
3	The Controllers: Part 1	7.5	247
4	The Controllers: Part 2	7.5	233
5	Fool's Gold	7.6	241
6	Commandante	7.4	217
7	Submarine	8.2	306
8	Mastermind	7.2	239
9	Robot	7.8	242
10	The Double Circle	7.9	247
11	The Brothers	7.8	238
12	Time Bomb	7.4	212
13	The Amnesiac	7.2	223
14	The Falcon: Part 1	7.7	255
15	The Falcon: Part 2	7.9	236
16	The Falcon: Part 3	8.0	234
17	Chico	7.5	235
18	Gitano	6.8	233
19	Phantoms	7.4	217
20	Terror	7.2	204
21	Lover's Knot	7.2	225
22	Orpheus	7.6	223
23	The Crane	7.2	205
24	Death Squad	7.9	239
25	The Choice	7.1	205
26	The Martyr	6.5	214

Season 5 (1970)

7.32 avg 23 episodes 8.4 → 7.4 50 min avg

Season 5 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Killer	8.4	337
2	Flip Side	7.0	246
3	The Innocent	7.7	240
4	Homecoming	7.3	276
5	Flight	7.5	210
6	My Friend, My Enemy	7.1	237
7	Butterfly	7.2	236
8	Decoy	7.2	222
9	The Amateur	7.7	239
10	Hunted	7.7	248
11	The Rebel	7.1	224
12	Squeeze Play	7.4	213
13	The Hostage	7.3	218
14	Takeover	6.6	209
15	Cat's Paw	6.9	215
16	The Missile	7.3	205
17	The Field	7.5	195
18	Blast	7.3	197
19	The Catafalque	7.4	211
20	Kitara	7.1	207
21	A Ghost Story	7.0	212
22	The Party	7.2	198
23	The Merchant	7.4	222

Season 6 (1971)

7.39 avg 22 episodes 7.5 → 7.6 50 min avg

Season 6 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Blind	7.5	224
2	Encore	8.0	270
3	The Tram	7.7	205
4	Mindbend	7.3	189
5	Shape-Up	7.3	179
6	The Miracle	7.0	190
7	Encounter	7.3	190
8	Underwater	7.2	180
9	Invasion	7.7	199
10	Blues	7.2	216
11	The Visitors	7.3	201
12	Nerves	7.2	192
13	Run for the Money	6.9	180
14	The Connection	7.5	183
15	The Bride	7.3	176
16	Stone Pillow	7.4	169
17	Image	7.2	174
18	Committed	7.3	185
19	Bag Woman	7.6	190
20	Double Dead	7.5	193
21	Casino	7.5	181
22	Trapped	7.6	194

Season 7 (1972)

7.31 avg 22 episodes 7.7 → 7.3 50 min avg

Season 7 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Break!	7.7	220
2	Two Thousand	7.7	229
3	The Deal	7.5	212
4	Leona	7.3	193
5	TOD-5	7.6	197
6	Cocaine	7.3	203
7	Underground	7.0	176
8	Movie	7.5	191
9	Hit	7.1	177
10	Ultimatum	7.7	196
11	Kidnap	7.7	190
12	Crack-Up	7.2	179
13	The Puppet	7.5	189
14	Incarnate	7.1	189
15	Boomerang	7.2	185
16	The Question	7.6	202
17	The Fountain	7.2	183
18	The Fighter	6.9	178
19	Speed	7.1	181
20	The Pendulum	6.9	180
21	The Western	6.8	179
22	Imitation	7.3	202