Author Topic: OT: 'The Prisoner' website (Read 2727 times)

RingoCollins · « **on:** July 24, 2002, 04:10:01 AM »

http://www.sixofone.org.uk/index.htm

Since some were commenting on 'The Prisoner' recently, thought I would post a link to a good site about the show. Leo Mckern, who played #2 died today

[he was also Rumpole and the High Priest in 'Help!']

I am not a number.

Raineypark · « **Reply #1 on:** July 24, 2002, 04:20:56 AM »

God, I loved "Rumpole of the Bailey".

I've always wanted to be "She Who Must Be Obeyed!!"

Rainey

Luciaphile · « **Reply #2 on:** July 24, 2002, 05:20:10 AM »

Damn. McKern was one talented actor too. Thanks for posting this.

Luciaphil

Philippe Cordier · « **Reply #3 on:** July 25, 2002, 02:52:07 AM »

Well, I've looked at the website, and I still can't make heads or tails of what this show was about. I'd never heard of it before. Was it something like "Dr. Who"? ?!?

Luciaphile · « **Reply #4 on:** July 25, 2002, 03:17:57 AM »

Quote

Well, I've looked at the website, and I still can't make heads or tails of what this show was about. I'd never heard of it before. Was it something like "Dr. Who"? ?!?

Only in that it was British.

"The Prisoner" was very much the brainchild of Patrick MacGoohan, who had starred in a spy/secret agent program (very good one too) called "Danger Man" or "Secret Agent Man" (depending on which side of the Atlantic you were on).

In "The Prisoner," MacGoohan plays an agent who for some reason becomes disgusted with his job or the people/country he works for and resigns. He goes home and is rendered unconscious. When he awakes, he finds himself in "The Village," a locale whose true location is completely unknown. He's not even sure what nation it's in. All he knows and is told is that he's now known as "Number 6" and that they want to know why he resigned. This becomes the question upon which everything is hinged. Presumably because once they get the answer they will be able to get more information out of him.

It's a strange community. Everyone goes by numbers. There are no names. There is no way out of the village. Anyone who tries to escape is pursued by "Rover" a formless entity that will hunt them down and kill them (I believe they created it by using weather balloons). The number designations seem to be attached to ranks. Number Six always asks "who is Number One?" and never gets an answer really. The power he deals with is Number Two--and throughout the seventeen episodes that was "The Prisoner," there are multiple Number Twos. McKern is noted for having played Number Two in four episodes. The work was so intense on the last three that he had a nervous breakdown.

It's a remarkable series. MacGoohan not only acted in it, but wrote and directed a number of episodes as well (also used some pseudonyms to do that). They filmed it in this town in Wales called Portmeirion and the architecture is amazing.

http://www.portmeirion-village.com/

The show dealt with a number of themes that because they tended to avoid topical references are still applicable today. IIRC, MacGoohan only wanted to do 13 episodes, but was persuaded to stretch it to 17.

I don't think there was a show like it before or since. Rent a couple of episodes. You will not be disappointed.

Luciaphil

Midnite · « **Reply #5 on:** July 25, 2002, 03:30:32 AM »

I love The Prisoner!

Vlad, Patrick McGoohan played a government agent who resigns and finds himself drugged and kidnapped. He awakens in a place called "The Village" that's actually a prison where everyone is known by a number and is under continuous surveillance. There's a constantly changing #2 (though Leo McKern played him more than once) each attempting to find out why he wants to quit, and McGoohan's character (who's known as #6 yet struggles to maintain his identity and sanity, thus the quote "I am not a number!") attempts throughout to both escape and to learn the identity of #1. And the touches of 60s culture are a hoot!

RingoCollins · « **Reply #6 on:** July 25, 2002, 04:33:15 AM »

http://www.retroweb.com/prisoner.html

here's another good website about the show - with ep guides and more info, more like 'our kinda stuff'

Be seeing you!

Josette · « **Reply #7 on:** July 25, 2002, 06:51:45 AM »

It was the owner of the video store where we rented DS that put me on to "The Prisoner." When we finally completed DS, we started on that. It's a number of years ago by now, so I don't recall any specifics, but can definitely visualize the gist of the show and really liked it.

franimal · « **Reply #8 on:** July 25, 2002, 07:37:20 PM »

Two of my favorites - The Prisoner & Rumpole. Sad to hear about Leo McKern. I'll have to pass that info on to my hubbie. He's a big fan, too. As a matter of fact, I was considering the dvd collection for a xmas gift this year. Anyone have it?

Franimal

ProfStokes · « **Reply #9 on:** August 03, 2002, 10:10:57 AM »

Prompted by all of the praise in this thread, I finally went to my local video rental to find tapes of "The Prisoner." Unfortunately, only Volume 2 of the series was available, but I checked it out and recently finished watching it. There are three episodes on the tape and I'd originally planned to watch one per day, but as it happened I ended up watching them all at once; the show is that good!

Since I was starting with the second tape, I worried about what I had missed without the pilot episode. I did think that the opening credits were a bit confusing and I'm not sure that I could have understood what was going on as easily without all of the background information posted here. I was very impressed with the show overall. The writing was witty and intelligent and the concept alone is very intriguing. The giant beach ball that's supposed to be Rover does look rather hokey though. (Just how is that device supposed to work anyway? Does it engulf the escaping prisoners and drag them back to the village?)

I'm astonished that nobody has tried to remake this series or turn it into a movie yet. Now I'm not suggesting that it should happen, but I would think that a current audience could easily take to "The Prisoner," particularly with the popularity of conspiracy-fueled shows such as "The X-Files." The Cold War may be over, but the ideas of governments' secret agendas and conflicting 'sides' are still applicable. Even the Big Brother atmosphere of the village isn't so far-fetched anymore.

Suffice it to say that I enjoyed watching these few episodes, and I'm going to look for others.

ProfStokes

RingoCollins · « **Reply #10 on:** August 03, 2002, 06:53:34 PM »

Quote

I'm astonished that nobody has tried to remake this series or turn it into a movie yet
ProfStokes

Actually, it has been 'pitched' a couple of times in the last decade or so, in fact studios have wanted to do it but the show and its 'image' is tightly controlled [sound familiar?] by Patrick M, who helped with the concept, writing and was indeed, Number 6. He is pretty much on record saying 'I don't think it could be done better', and I would have to agree. [our mag's sister publication, Anglo-file covers all things British ~ you may enjoy it.... check it out from Beatlefan.com......end shameless plug] Maybe some of the visuals and special effects could be improved and updated, but I can't imagine a new version capturing the atmosphere and just plain strangeness of that show, and for it's time there was NOTHING like it at all!!

As far as missing the first ep - we did get to see him resign, then he goes home, a gas puts him to sleep and he wakes up in the Village [in the first couple of minutes]
His first day he spends trying to figure out what the hell has happened, and begins attempts to escape. One of those other websites about the show have a detailed ep guide - and one has a fun tour of the Village!

As far as 'rover's powers' that is a mystery in itself! One ep does show #6 captured inside the bubble, so that is a fair assumption! [It didn't seem so hokey back then, though!]

glad you checked it out, and not surprized 'The Professor' would find it to yer liking!!

be seeing you!

ProfStokes · « **Reply #11 on:** August 03, 2002, 09:15:01 PM »

Quote

Actually, it has been 'pitched' a couple of times in the last decade or so, in fact studios have wanted to do it but the show and its 'image' is tightly controlled [sound familiar?] by Patrick M, who helped with the concept, writing and was indeed, Number 6. He is pretty much on record saying 'I don't think it could be done better', and I would have to agree.

Good! I wish the creators of other shows would take as firm a stand. Personally, I can't think of a single film or TV reincarnation that improved on the original.

Quote

As far as 'rover's powers' that is a mystery in itself! One ep does show #6 captured inside the bubble, so that is a fair assumption! [It didn't seem so hokey back then, though!]

In the episode I saw, ("The Chimes of Big Ben") Rover first looked like it had swallowed up the escaping Number 8, but a minute later it was shown towing her onto the beach. ?!? Actually, not knowing exactly how Rover works does make it seem more sinister. The concept of the entity is a good one, but like the Dream Curse, the actual form shows its age.

Thanks for recapping the first episode!

ProfStokes (who was number 6 in line at the costume gala)

Anubis · « **Reply #12 on:** August 06, 2002, 07:47:37 AM »

I love the Prisoner. It still holds up after all these years. The one question I have always had about the show is Number Six John Drake?

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