Jim Phelps

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Lore & Background

Jim Phelps was the leader of the Impossible Missions Force in the 1988 revival series, which is set 15 years after the original series. After his protégé and successor as leader of the IMF was killed, Phelps was called out of retirement to form a new team and track down the assassin. His team included Nicholas Black, a professor of acting and disguise expert; Max Harte, a strongman and weapons expert; Casey Randall, an interior designer turned undercover agent; and Grant Collier, the son of original IMF tech expert Barney Collier, who appeared in only a few episodes. In season 1, Casey Randall was killed in the episode 'The Killer' (season 1, episode 18), and was succeeded by Secret Service agent Shannon Reed. The team changed in season 2: Nicholas Black was replaced by Frank Baird. The series also featured guest appearances by original series cast members Greg Morris (as Barney Collier) and Lynda Day George (as Lisa Casey).

In Their Own Story

In the 1988 revival, Jim Phelps is first seen being called out of retirement after his protégé and successor as IMF leader is killed. He forms a new team consisting of Nicholas Black, Max Harte, Casey Randall, and Grant Collier. After tracking down the assassin, Phelps decides to stay on and keep the team together. The series follows Phelps as he leads his team on various missions, using updated technology such as a black optical disc player with a thumbprint scanner for mission briefings, and a computer system hidden in his coffee table for dossier scenes. A key turning point occurs in the episode 'The Fortune,' where Casey Randall is killed during a mission, becoming the first core IMF member to be killed off. Phelps reacts in anger when the culprit is captured, and the episode ends with a tag scene showing an IMF agent being disavowed for the first time. This episode also introduces Casey's successor, Shannon Reed, who helps bring the killer to justice.

Reader's Guide

Jim Phelps appears in the 1988 revival of Mission: Impossible, which aired on ABC from October 23, 1988, to February 24, 1990. The series is a continuation of the original 1966–1973 series, set 15 years later. Phelps is the only regular cast member to return from the original series. His team consists of Nicholas Black (disguise expert), Max Harte (strongman and weapons expert), Casey Randall (interior designer turned agent, later replaced by Shannon Reed), and Grant Collier (technology expert, son of original series character Barney Collier). Phelps receives mission briefings via a black optical disc player with a thumbprint scanner, which self-destructs after use. He uses a computer system hidden in his coffee table for team selection and mission planning. The series was filmed in Australia to save production costs, with the first season at Village Roadshow Studios in Queensland and the second in Melbourne. The show was cancelled after two seasons due to low ratings, partly caused by competing with NBC's The Cosby Show and A Different World.

Did You Know?

• Peter Graves and Greg Morris are the only actors from the original 1966–1973 Mission: Impossible series to return as regular cast members in the 1988 revival.
• The 1988 revival is set 15 years after the original series, not in the present day of 1988.
• Grant Collier, the son of original series character Barney Collier, appeared in only a few episodes of the revival, not as a regular.
• The revival series was filmed in Australia to save on production costs, with costs about 20 percent lower than in Hollywood.
• Casey Randall was killed in the episode 'The Killer' (season 1, episode 18), not episode 19.