Jim Phelps

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).

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 revival series was filmed in Australia to save on production costs, with costs about 20 percent lower than in Hollywood.