Time for my actor-geek to lower her head and praise the late Peter Graves (March 18, 1926 – March 14, 2010). I liked him in “Mission: Impossible!” I laughed and adored him in “Airplane!” and even “Airplane II.” And in the many episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000, he was still a consistently solid actor, despite the inanity and stupidity of the script, directors, and chunks of cardboard flying on strings meant to look like alien vampire bats (seriously!!!!).
Here are some great Peter Graves moments, a Peter Graves-inspired skit, and one infamous monologue he was forced to do: