Who created the original Mission: Impossible television series?

Bruce Geller created the original Mission: Impossible television series.

The American espionage series premiered on CBS in 1966 and ran for seven seasons, ending in 1973. Geller was more than the show’s credited creator: he also served as an executive producer and helped shape its distinctive format, in which the Impossible Missions Force assembled specialists for elaborate covert operations.

The series became famous for its “self-destructing” assignment recordings, dossier scenes and carefully staged missions that unfolded through deception rather than straightforward firefights. Its ensemble originally included Steven Hill, Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Greg Morris and Peter Lupus, with Peter Graves later taking over as team leader Jim Phelps.

Stephen J. Cannell and Quinn Martin are easy distractors because both were prominent television producers, while Gene Roddenberry was associated with Star Trek. None created this series. Geller’s concept later inspired the 1988 revival and the film franchise starring Tom Cruise.