Discuss Mission: Impossible
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Tracey
posted by Maria KellySTAFFMOD on April 7, 2017 at 10:45 PM
I've always wondered why Lee Merriweather wasn't made a regular member of the cast. The six season four episodes she was in were very good.
Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night.
Reply by klondike6
on April 8, 2017 at 5:03 PM
According to Lee herself, producer Stanley Kallis offered her the role of Barbara Bain's replacement for the entirety of season four. Producer Doug Cramer wanted an actress with more star power, like Dina Merrill. Merrill was hired for the season four opener, production-wise: The Controllers (in two parts) but was never asked back. Lee was hired for The Numbers Game and five more episodes as Tracey. Greg Morris said he and the rest of the regular cast loved working with Lee and wanted her as one of them. Lee also said she had a random encounter with Geller in the Paramount cafeteria right after all this. He never mentioned the conflict between his two producers. Reading between the lines, either he didn't know about it, or he was trying to keep peace between them. Page 221 The Complete Mission: Impossible Dossier by Patrick J. White.
Reply by Maria Kelly
on April 8, 2017 at 7:58 PM
Thank you for your most informative post. BTW, do you happen to know where I can buy a copy of that book?
Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night.
Reply by klondike6
on April 8, 2017 at 10:34 PM
Amazon?
https://www.amazon.com/Patrick-J.-White/e/B001KHEP94
Reply by Maria Kelly
on April 9, 2017 at 11:30 AM
Thanks, Klondike.
Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night.
Reply by Jayhn1111
on April 11, 2017 at 7:44 PM
She was great on the show. I wanted her to stay awhile longer
Reply by Maria Kelly
on April 11, 2017 at 8:18 PM
Yes, Lee Merriweather brought that sorely needed touch of class to MI that left with Barbara Bain left.
Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night.
Reply by Jayhn1111
on April 11, 2017 at 8:21 PM
And not too hard on the eyes if I may say so. I thought she was in more than 6 episodes.
Reply by lima-2
on April 11, 2017 at 8:32 PM
There was a charming and terrifying story about Lee Merriweather from the White book. Something about her and Peter Lupus being suspended from a cable in an elevator shaft that broke during the filming of The Bunker. Season 3, pre-Tracey. They fell 15 feet. Peter Lupus hit first and Lee Merriweather fell on top of him. The only thing that saved her from serious injury was Lupus' strong physique. Lupus was relatively unhurt. She had bad dreams about it, and wouldn't re-shoot the scene until Peter Lupus inspected the repair himself. Klondike, can you fill in the blanks?
Reply by Jayhn1111
on April 11, 2017 at 8:42 PM
Lee Meriweather was in the Bunker? I haven't gotten to that one yet. That's a great story. I did't know about that
Reply by Maria Kelly
on April 12, 2017 at 7:29 AM
Yes, Lee Merriweather was in the 2 part season 3 episode The Bunker. So that would make her total appearances on the series to eight.
Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night.