When I watch something like this and see what a combination of high production values, quality writing, and good acting was able to produce — and on a weekly basis — almost 50 years ago, I have to wonder why we are willing to sit still for much of the crap that passes for TV entertainment today.
Sure, we've had things like "Game of Thrones", "Breaking Bad", "The Sopranos", "Lost", and other scripted shows that draw rave reviews today, but they're just not the same. They're more like a mini-series like "Roots" or "Shogun", or a 1930s Saturday-afternoon matinee serial at the movie theater; you need to watch all of them, in order, never missing a single one, in order to be able to follow the story and enjoy the program. But "Mission: Impossible", and others such as "Combat!", "Twelve O'Clock High", the original "The Fugitive", and even Robert Conrad's "Wild Wild West" was able to take a recurring cast, add a guest star or two each week, and tell a stand-alone story in the space of one hour ... or on rare occasions, a 'to be continued' two-parter. And I'm not a bit sorry to say that I miss that.
-"BB"-
