The Prisoner

[Mr. Lucky]

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117988301.html?categoryid=14

 

[Nathan Dodge]

I enjoy The Prisoner and pretty much every kind of spy/cop/private eye show from this period. It's what I like to call my "'65-'75 Mood", based on certain trends, fashions, musical styles, content, etc. I am a huge fan of The Persuaders!, probably one of my favorite shows ever. Funny how this era is about as far removed as our beloved "Golden Age", but I guess my love for this particular era has more to do with having memories of the way things were then, even if it's viewed through the false world of television.

I'm also a self-admitted Hawaii Five-O fanatic...

As for the Prisoner, I loved just about every one of the 17 episodes, except the series finale, which I've only seen once. Hated it! I've heard/read many explanations, all of which are as farfetched and indecipherable as the episode itself!

 

[Nathan Dodge]

All three programs were produced between 1966 and 1969, but they feel surprisingly contemporary -- there's not a hippie in sight, and their detached cool suggests current fashion and design trends. The characters' clothes are impeccably tailored, they are surrounded by sleek furniture and they drive sexy cars -- the life to which every gent in an Eames chair or a Mini Cooper aspires.

Could this be because the "Mod" look was more popular in Europe during this time? I'm sure there were hippies in Europe, too, but it seems that the Mod look of "Swingin' London" was THE thing. Regardless, after discovering these shows some years ago, I found it refreshing that there was more to the 1960s than the Beatles, hippies, Woodstock, assassinations, and Vietnam. It opened up a whole new appreciation for that often-stereotyped decade. Same thing with the early 1970s, which wasn't quite Seventies in the disco/Aaron Spelling/Star Wars way, but not Sixties, either. A strange and fascinating period, the early 1970s.

 

[Senator Jack]

Well, they've been threatening for years, and they've finally done it. The Prisoner Miniseries. As much as the fans, including myself, have been railing against a remake, Ian McKellen as No.2 is a great choice and lends some credibility. Also, production is allegedly contempo-retro.

Regards,

Jack

 

[Eyemo]

I lived about an hours drive from Portmeirion (Aberystwyth) for several years..Cracking place, the surrounding countryside is magical...well worth a visit...

They also shot a movie called "The Red Beret" in the area...

There's also a great vintage railway system that takes you around Snowdonia...

I think there's a new Deco style restaurant on site too..


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

 

[Doctor Strange]

I'm thoroughly dreading the new miniseries, though having Ian McKellen as Number Two means that at least some of the line readings will be interesting!

One nice side effect of promoting the new version is that AMC has put the entire original series up online - so anyone who doesn't know it can check it out:

http://www.amctv.com/videos/the-prisoner-1960s-video/

Be seeing you.

 

[Doctor Strange]

RIP Patrick McGoohan

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7829267.stm

This is so sad.

Oh well, at least he'll be spared being hounded by the press for his reactions to this year's miniseries remake of The Prisoner...

 

[Story]

“He has revolted. Resisted. Fought. Held fast. Maintained. Destroyed resistance. Overcome coercion. The right to be a person, someone or individual. We applaud his private war, and concede that despite materialistic efforts, he has survived intact and secure!”

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Patrick Joseph McGoohan

..."be seeing you!"

 

[blade runner]

Well that brings on the melancholy. I've been watching the old episodes of Secret Agent (a/k/a Danger Man) from Netflix. I like getting immersed in an earlier time period -- especially lately when our time seems so bleak. I was looking forward to getting The Prisoner afterward. Now it will all be a little bittersweet.

 

[Mahagonny Bill]

I was looking forward to getting The Prisoner afterward. Now it will all be a little bittersweet.

Don't be sad, revel in the man's work! He had a great carrier and achieved far more than most people in his profession ever do! Bravo to Patrick McGoohan :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

BTW-
John Drake IS The Prisoner...look for the clues. Be seeing you

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Wow, this is devastating to me, in a distanced and impersonal way since I didn't actually know the man, but what a loss!

What an icon of dignity and sophistication.

Great actor, great work, great voice, he will be missed.

 

[Senator Jack]

A true original, a mondo kind of guy. For most, it was James Bond, but for me it was John Drake. Thanks for all the style tips, pal.

 

[raiderrescuer]

The Prisoner - Patrick McGoohan passed away

Sad day for all of us Prisoner Fans !

I am not a number...I am a free man !

 

[deanglen]

Now he knows who Number 1 is. What a terrific show!:eusa_clap





dean

 

[H.Johnson]

Oh..no!

I am afraid to say that ITV is at the late stages of planning a remake of The Prisoner. I don't believe who has been cast...

Who ever plays No. 6. I bet he can't write scripts like Mr. McGoohan did...

 

[Mike in Seattle]

He AND Ricardo Montalban on the same day!

 

[katiemakeup]

I just started to watch as much as I can on YouTube-- Love it much. I still see him as the bad guy in 'Silver Streak'!

 

[Story]

http://www.avclub.com/articles/patrick-mcgoohan-son-of-a-bitch,22428/

His is the passion of anyone who's ever been told to fit in, to quiet down, to agree more, to listen less, to know one's place, to never question it. For once, we aren't the target of his anger, we share it. For all the outcasts, here is someone who wouldn't compromise how nicely he was asked to.

 

[Senator Jack]

For all the outcasts, here is someone who wouldn't compromise how nicely he was asked to.

And there's my admiration for McGoohan in a nutshell. It wasn't just a role, it was his way of life.