Semiotic Adaptation — Mission: Impossible 1966 Series VS 1996 Film

                                                                                     Origin 

Mission Impossible was a television show created by Bruce Geller about a group of secret agents who go on missions sent by the government that are considered, impossible. The show was nominated for an Emmy in its first season, and Geller had the unique distinction of writing, producing, and, directing a majority of the episodes. This show aired during the middle of the Cold War, from 1966 until 1973, a time when Americans were afraid of being invaded by Communists and introducing their ideology into the states. A lot of the show focuses on a variety of locales within communist countries where there are dictators, magnates, princes etc. that are actively trying to destroy a person, information, or items so their crimes won’t be discovered. Along with the Cold War, in the late 40’s and 50’s, there was the Hollywood Blacklist, a document of writers, producers, and directors that were allegedly Communists. This list led to them being rejected from participating in the industry on any level. As well as Communism, the Blacklist failed many times to make a distinction between Jewish beliefs and Communism. Because of this, a lot of writers were blacklisted for their Jewish faith. 

In this article it explains Mission: Impossible’s Jewish roots and Gellers reason for writing it as a story about American immigrants who are devoted to taking on missions that are risky. 

https://forward.com/culture/film-tv/407154/the-secret-jewish-history-of-mission-impossible/

 In this case, Mission: Impossible could also be Gellers way of showing Jewish people as true Americans by putting together an elite squad containing some people of Jewish heritage to hinder the destruction of Western ideologies. 

Thesis

Mission: Impossible is a work based on the political viewpoint of its times that is apparent both in the series and in the film. Before and after the Cold War, politics shifted from an external enemy to an internal one. The enemy in the series is foreign while the enemy in the film is domestic. 

Differences 

The film is focused on portraying a single character as the protagonist rather than portraying the members of the team and the difficulties they have with fulfilling their duties. 

Another aspect that the films portray that is different from the series is the relationships within the team being more personal compared to the series where they are tasked with a mission, fulfill it, go their separate ways, and then return on CBS next week for another mission. 

Another element is the age difference of the protagonists from the original series, to younger more modern protagonists in the film.

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