"Where am I?: asked The Prisoner upon his arrival in The Village. Faced with Patrick McGoohan's surreal, 1960s TV masterpiece, viewers of the day probably shared his sentiments.
After the triumphant success of Danger Man, and having turned down Bond, McGoohan used his considerable clout to create an offbeat series that would provoke viewers and critics alike. What other series would see its hero given a fake lobotomy? Or be persuaded that he is his own double? Or see him trapped inside another's body, with a different actor playing him for the duration of the episode?
Unlike Danger Man’s globetrotting John Drake, The Prisoner’s protagonist, known only by his hated number – 6 – is confined to the eery idyll of The Village, a prison where ex-spies go to have their remaining secrets extracted by hook or by crook.
Each episode follows the same pattern, with the credits sequence revealing a new Number 2, charged by his unseen master to extract the reasons behind Number 6's resignation. Each episode, Number 6 plans his escape. Both plans invariably fail, and this gives the show a disquieting tone.
It's unclear whether The Village is run by the Western powers, the Soviets, both or neither, and whilst the show is laced with cold war intrigue, it retains a rare timeless quality that keeps the action fresh.
Filmed amidst the merry Italianate architecture of Portmeirion, Wales, The Prisoner is memorable for its superlative production design, stylish editing, sharp colours and crisp cinematography. And with this new release, it has never looked so good. Restored and remastered from original film elements, the difference is palpable, with colours, clarity and sharpness all hugely improved over previous versions.
Only 17 episodes were made, but quality trumps quantity every time; this slice of insanity is carefully prepared and perfectly served. The episodes themselves range from swinging 60s kitsch (The Girl Who was Death) to political allegory (Free for All) to Danger Man style on-the-run adventure (The Chimes of Big Ben), each show (with one obvious exception) anchored by McGoohan's brooding presence as the man who will sacrifice everything but his individuality.
All the episodes from THE cult 60s series. All you need is love, No 6.
More? Ok. Following the success of Patrick McGoohan's proto-Bond series Danger Man, he went on to create - as producer, co-writer and co-director - The Prisoner, as prime a series of enigmatic, surrealist, paranoiac televison as ever was created. McGoohan himself plays No 6, held in a mysterious seaside town (Portmeirion in actuality) for reasons unclear, though certainly to do with him resigning from the secret service. But who is holding him, his own side or another? Who is Number 2 and what do they want? Who is Number 1?
Number 6 just wants to get out. He sometimes does, ingeniously, but usually not for long. Be seeing you!
The Lives of Others
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The Prisoner (Complete) (Restored)
