The Prisoner (1967)

[Alan Stallion]

The Prisoner is a 1967 British avant-garde social science fiction television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors try to find out why he abruptly resigned from his job...



I seem to revisit this interesting one-season series often, which delves into individualism vs collectivism, amongst other topics.

 

[Alan Stallion]

Number 6 is classified as "Unmutual"

Clips form "A Change Of Mind"

 

[Alan Stallion]

The original broadcast order of this 17 episode show is better sequenced as done by my local PBS station and I would recommend them in this order.

“Arrival”
“Dance of the Dead”
“Checkmate”
“The Chimes of Big Ben”
“Free For All”
“Many Happy Returns”
“The Schizoid Man”
“The General”
“A. B. and C.”
“It’s Your Funeral”
“A Change Of Mind”
“Hammer Into Anvil”
“Once Upon A Time”
“Fall Out”

(There were episodes that were created to meet the U.S. market demands but are worth skipping: “Living in Harmony,” “Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling,” and “The Girl Who Was Death.”)

 

[Disir]

Is this the show that the Iron Maiden song The Prisoner is about?

Rock History 101: Iron Maiden - "The Prisoner"

"We want information... information... information!"

consequenceofsound.net

 

[Alan Stallion]

"Hammer Into Anvil"

Couple of scenes (the second video concludes the episode, so *spoiler alert*)

 

[Alan Stallion]

Is this the show that the Iron Maiden song The Prisoner is about?

Rock History 101: Iron Maiden - "The Prisoner"

"We want information... information... information!"

consequenceofsound.net

It would seem so from the article you linked.

 

[Alan Stallion]

Media

 

[Alan Stallion]

From Episode 1 - "Arrival"

What's it all about?

 

[Bob Blaylock]

In an odd bit of timing, Patrick McGoohan passed away between the time I ordered a complete The Prisoner set on DVD, and the time that it arrived.

 

[edthecynic]

The Prisoner is a 1967 British avant-garde social science fiction television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors try to find out why he abruptly resigned from his job...



I seem to revisit this interesting one-season series often, which delves into individualism vs collectivism, amongst other topics.

Be seeing you.

 

[TroglocratsRdumb]

The last episode is one of the best TV Show endings.

 

[LA RAM FAN]

Interesting.

 

[HenryBHough]

Those with Amazon Prime membership can watch the series for free.

"The Village" exists. It was not built as a production set - it had been around for some 50-years and is still there today. They don't make much of it, not striving for tourist trade.

Not easy to get to if you're not skilled at driving on the left on some very narrow roads. I used to be.

 

[Toro]

Is this the show that the Iron Maiden song The Prisoner is about?

Rock History 101: Iron Maiden - "The Prisoner"

"We want information... information... information!"

consequenceofsound.net

Yes

 

[Alan Stallion]

Those with Amazon Prime membership can watch the series for free.

I just re-watched it on Shout Factory TV for free...
ShoutFactoryTV : Watch full episodes of The Prisoner

"The Village" exists. It was not built as a production set - it had been around for some 50-years and is still there today. They don't make much of it, not striving for tourist trade.

Not easy to get to if you're not skilled at driving on the left on some very narrow roads. I used to be.

True dat.

Portmeirion - Wikipedia

It's a lot smaller than the TV series attempted to make it to be (with the exception of the Hospital which was Castell Deudraeth, about 2km from Portmeirion, where on the TV show it appeared to be right in the village or at least adjacent... in the episode "Hammer Into Anvil," No. 6 is seen walking in the Village proper where he heard a woman screaming from the Hospital).

I haven't been there myself, but did a virtual tour.

 

[edthecynic]

The Prisoner and Kung Fu are two of my all-time favorite TV shows.
Be seeing you.

 

[Alan Stallion]

Clips from The Simpsons' episode "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes"

 

[Alan Stallion]

I'm going to rank my Top 10 episodes of "The Prisoner" with a brief synopsis of each episode.

#10
Free for All (Orig. UK airdate 20 October 1967; Official ITC sequence: 4)

The illusion of Number 2 being Democratically elected annually. We see throughout the series the frequency of changes of who is Number 2, but here the Prisoner (Number 6) is coaxed by the present Number 2 into running for the office. The Village citizens are shown as daft as ever, changing allegiance over trite campaign promises. The Village media is also mocked, with reporters interchangeable and quotes fabricated. Of course, Number 6 is drugged during the process and easily wins the election, as by design. The Prisoner’s campaign partner (Number 58) slaps him out of his stupor and regains his sensibilities and tries to use the public announcement system to free the Villagers, but is succumbed by security, and Number 58, who had been speaking a faux-Slavic language, reveals herself to be the actual new Number 2.

 

[Alan Stallion]

#9
Dance of the Dead (17 November 1967; ITC 8)

One of the female Number 2’s (and the only one revealed in the opening credits/sequence) is in charge this time. A Carnival (a costumed ball and dance) is to be held in the village, and Number 6 is encouraged to participate. Number 6 is the only one without an elaborate costume; a simple tuxedo was prepared for him. The Number 6 learns an old colleague is to be executed. The Carnival turns into a kangaroo court where Number 6 is prosecuted by his observer (in a Little Bo-Peep outfit), defended by Number 2 (in a Peter Pan outfit), and judged by costumed Marie Antoinette, Napoleon, and Caesar, for the crime of breach of the rules (primary crime of acquiring an illegal radio). He is sentenced to death and chased by irate villagers. He escapes their pursuit.

In this episode, The Prisoner encounters a black cat which acts as a sort of spy for Number 2. This cat also appears in the episode “Many Happy Returns.”

The episode sequence does not make much sense, as The Prisoner says he is “new here” and acts as such. The episode was produced fourth and my local PBS station placed this episode as second in order.

 

[fncceo]

I bought a black school jacket and boater hat because of this show.