A 'Mission: Impossible' primer

On Wednesday, “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol” hits screens across the country, making it the fourth feature-length film in a franchise that has existed in movie theaters and on TV for nearly 50 years.

Up until now, each film in the franchise — taking a cue from the original 1966 TV series’ mission-of-the-week format — has been meant as a standalone adventure. No prior knowledge was ever required to enjoy the continued exploits of Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise’s James Bond-like superspy) or the other agents in the Impossible Mission Force (“IMF” for short).

“Ghost Protocol,” though, changes things slightly. While not as confusing as wandering into “Breaking Dawn, Part 1” without knowing anything about the other “Twilight” movies, it may nevertheless be a good idea to brush up on the ever-evolving “Mission: Impossible” franchise, as well as its storied history from Cold War-era espionage series to modern-day action blockbuster, before you see the new movie.

With that in mind, here is a brief rundown of “Mission: Impossible” to get you up to speed for “Ghost Protocol.”

‘Mission: Impossible’ (TV series)

Lasting a total of five seasons (1966-70), the original TV show established a lot of the elements people still think about whenever they hear Lalo Schiffrin’s 5/4 theme song or the classic line, “Your mission, should you choose to accept it …” that was repeated at the beginning of almost every episode right before the tape self-destructed in a puff of smoke.

The original series focused on a constantly changing group of IMF agents, portrayed by notable actors like Martin Landau (“Ed Wood”) and a pre-“Star Trek” Leonard Nimoy, as they faced off against various evil organizations and generic stand-ins for communist Europe.

Beginning in the second season, Jim Phelps (Peter Graves) emerged as the team leader and the show’s main character. Only Phelps returned for a brief revival series that aired from 1988-90.

“Mission: Impossible” differed from some of its contemporaries because of series creator Bruce Geller’s decision to emphasize the complexity and precision of the missions over things like character development and continuous story lines. As a result, the episodes gradually locked in to a ritualized structure that still influences the franchise today.

‘Mission: Impossible’ (1996)