User reviews

Montage: a secret agent (Patrick McGoohan) storms into his superior's office and angrily resigns his post, for reasons unknown. A machine files away his Xed-out photo; he speeds away to his home. He enters his house and begins packing for a journey. Outside, a hearse pulls up to the curb. A pallbearer strides to the door. Knockout gas comes pouring in through the keyhole. When our hero awakes the room is the same... but the world outside is not.

We are in the Village, a picturesque nightmare co-fashioned by Orwell, Kafka, and Carroll. The unnamed agent has become Number Six in a population of equally nameless, creepily cheerful residents, headed by a shifting, and shifty, Number Two. Who is Number One? Well, that's the question, isn't it... In one direction are impassable mountains, in the other the sea -- and on patrol is a bizarre, lethal white balloon that hunts down those unwise enough to dare them.

Viewed today, "The Prisoner" seems so strikingly ahead of its time that one can only regard it as either a visionary masterpiece or a dazzling failure. Either way it is compulsive viewing. Co-creators McGoohan and George Markstein were seemingly at odds about what to make of it all, with McGoohan eschewing conventional James Bondisms for a more surreal, allegorical approach. (He himself wrote and directed some of the series' best and most bewildering episodes.) And truly "The Prisoner" works best when at its least explanatory and most hallucinatory. Not until "Twin Peaks" would another television show dabble this heavily in the logic of dreams.

McGoohan also believed the premise would only hold up over a limited run, and his concern seems justified. A few of the later of the seventeen episodes show desperation: low points include the feebly whimsical "The Girl Who Was Death," the plodding "It's Your Funeral," and "The General," which might as well be -- and nearly is -- an episode of Star Trek.

Yet at its best, in episodes like "Arrival," "Free For All," "Dance of Death," "Many Happy Returns," and the finale (one of the most astonishing hours ever programmed for television), the series achieves something extraordinary. Its influence reaches beyond such obvious successors as "Lost" and "The League of Gentlemen" -- and could you imagine "Brazil" or "The Matrix" without it? "The Prisoner" catches at a thread in our subconscious and pulls it loose; it tells us that something is genuinely wrong somewhere with the Great Big Picture. Its true antecedents are Chesterton's "The Man Who Was Thursday" and O'Brien's "The Third Policeman": nonsense that bleeds into spiritual unease.

It's not hard to understand why the series has a cult following, or why, love it or hate it, it still packs a punch. We are in the Village. Be seeing you...

I assumed this show was about life in the British prison. Boy was I wrong? Patrick McGoohan who should have been knighted is delightful as number 6. The audience nor number 2 and the others don't why he resigned his top secret post. They are clever not to tell the audience rather using the intro montage of back history. We the audience don't know his name as well. He is transported to a self contained and controlled village by the sea. The village is very picturesque with concerts, lovely shops, parks, and culture. This prison doesn't seem so bad after all. The village inhabitants are quite friendly and pleasant. The village symbolizes an ideal utopia community that was tried in communal living during the time period. But 6 wants out ever since his arrival. He is a challenge to the controllers here. The show is beautiful with lovely art direction and costumes. You have to ask yourself what constitutes a prisoner.

Does a 1960's avant grade UK spy thriller have more legs in 2019? Absolutely as time has elevated the brilliance of this off-beat TV series. It must be remembered that TV was already maturing into pablum. There were good shows like 77 Sunset Strip that still tended toward the silly over the sublime, the trendy over the introspective. The Prisoner was an island. It carved a path of mysteriousness and paranoia never overtly and outright outing showing itself. I'd say it took a cue from 1984 and ran with it. It foretold what we now hear often referred to as "the shadow government". Someone or ones who beyond a veil have a kind of ultimate control. If they single you out is your life you believed in just a creation of their manipulation? This presents a larger question as to what their goal is and what, or who, do they fear? To present these things all in the strange indenture of No. 6 is a kind of masterstroke. To present it so surreal in a TV culture that resisted such is amazing in that it comes out so deep and arty rather than unwatchable. It has an excellent hook because it inspired many interpretations in spite of often being frustratingly obtuse. If you were in you simply must keep watching much like an addiction. As it went it becomes more so culminating with what I'll only call "a fitting finality" that still kept so much open to ponder. I do not think I've seen another series as off-center and able to attract a large audience. This proves to be, perhaps, more amazing today when we often hear people ruminate that the world we've created is an illusion ran by some invisible super powerful cabal. With the masses being controlled by central banks and all-watching electronic surveillance I sometimes ask if I'm living in "The Village"? That said I find the show one of the finest ever to air and watching it again, over and over, every few years makes it seem even better as time passes.

Since its initial telecast, back in 1967, this enigmatic classic has evoked every reaction from awe to contempt. Given the amount of serious critical attention THE PRISONER has received, and given that a whole society has been created in its honor, I'd say the awe has won out, and I vehemently agree that THE PRISONER deserves to be honored as one of the truly artistic programs created for commercial television.

However, I can also understand the frustration many viewers have felt. Over the course of its seventeen episodes, this offbeat spy thriller becomes further and further offbeat until it ultimately transforms into surrealistic allegory. I confess I'm not sure whether this transformation was intended as a complete surprise, or whether you were supposed to know where the show was going, but in either case, I think you can better appreciate the series if you can see the earlier episodes as preparation for what's to come.

THE PRISONER's title character is a British secret agent (series creator Patrick McGoohan) who may or may not be SECRET AGENT's John Drake. The story begins with him suddenly and mysteriously resigning, then just as suddenly and mysteriously being rendered unconscious and transported to a place known only as The Village, the location of which is known only to those who run it. The Village is a prison camp, but with all of the amenities of a vacation resort,. Attractive dwellings, shops, restaurants, etc. exist side by side with high-tech methods of keeping order and extracting information from those who won't give it up willingly.

Those who try to escape get to meet Rover, a belligerent weather balloon capable of locomotion, and seemingly of independent thought. It appears (to me anyway) that the authorities can summon Rover, send it away, and give it instructions, but that it acts more or less on its own initiative. Rover deals with fugitives by plastering itself against their faces, rendering them either unconscious or dead, depending on how bad a mood it's in. Twice, we see it haul someone in from the ocean by sucking them up into a whirlpool it creates.

Citizens of The Village, including those in authority, are identified only by numbers. Our protagonist is known only as No. 6 throughout the entire series. The Village is run by No. 2, who in turn reports to an unseen and unidentified No. 1. No. 1 is apparently an unforgiving boss, because No. 2 is always being replaced.

Shortly after he arrives in in the Village, No. 6 is informed, by the reigning No. 2, that he should count on remaining there permanently. If he cooperates, life will be pleasant and he may even be given a position of authority. If he resists -- well, the only restriction they're under is not to damage him permanently. To satisfy his captors, No. 6 need only answer one question: `Why did you resign?' His question in turn is, `Who runs this place? Who is No. 1?'

Most of the episodes deal with No. 6's attempts to escape, and/or his captors' attempts to break him, although there are a few side trips. Several episodes suggest that No. 6's own people may be involved with running The Village. Some of the episodes are fairly straightforward, while others leave you with questions as to exactly what went on. It's important to note that several of the more obscure episodes -- for example, `Free for All' and `Dance of the Dead' -- are among the seven episodes that McGoohan considers essential to the series.

And then we come to the final episode, `Fall Out,' which promises to answer all the burning questions the viewers have been anguishing over for seventeen weeks -- and which so frustrated and angered those viewers back in 1967 that McGoohan had to go into hiding for awhile. Of course, I can't reveal any of the really important details, because, as No. 2 says in the recap that begins most of the episodes, `That would be telling,' and as all of us IMBD contributors know, `telling,' is frowned upon. However, to come back to the point with which I started, you should be prepared for a resolution of an entirely different nature than the one you'll probably be expecting -- a resolution that forces you to rethink your entire concept of the Village, and of the intention of the series. If you aren't ready, you'll be frustrated. If you are, you can accept THE PRISONER is the spirit in which it was offered.

This has become by far my favorite series of all time, so much so I have given up watching television altogether and turned to DVD's instead. That's not to say it's the best show ever, but it's one of those things you can watch as fluff action-adventure entertainment one day, or chew down to its bones, if you like, the next. That is, it doesn't require intelligence and concentration or an easy day at the office to enjoy, but if you've read a few books or have philosophical leanings you can amuse yourself by wringing quite a bit out of it.

On that note, it's especially fun to watch this series in conjunction with Danger Man/ Secret Agent. Although it isn't uncommon to have the same actors work together on different series, there is a town full of spies in DM/SA

referred to as the Village in the episode "Colony Three" which is the center of a debate on whether Number 6 and John Drake are the same. (McGoohan categorically denies this, but Markstein says it's true. Perhaps there is a legal hurdle involved? We will probably never get that information.)

I recommend watching them in order, so you can see Number 6 gradually abandon his open desperation and anger ("Arrival" to "The Chimes of Big Ben") for a cool and calculated needling of the system from within ("A, B and C" to "Hammer Into Anvil"). They try drugs, brainwashing, torture, virtual reality, letting him escape, and even babysitting to get him to talk. Each episode will appeal to someone different, some funny, some aggravating, but they all fit together by "Fall Out"; I have never met anyone who was not surprised at the final episode. It's truly extraordinary!

You will find references to the Prisoner are made constantly in other shows and movies, especially Sci Fi. The character Bester uses the Village greeting on Babylon 5; I have seen Village interrogation methods on the Pretender, John Doe and Farscape (whose leading man has an acting style similar to McGoohan's and a character similar to Number 6, IMHO, especially if you watch "A, B and C"); Number 2's trademark sphere chair is used on everything from Austin Powers to ads for American Idol.

The Village itself has appeared in tribute episodes of the Invisible Man and, of all things, the Simpsons ("The Computer Wore Menace Shoes"). Rover has actually appeared on the Simpsons twice!

I believe it's a classic that shouldn't be missed for anyone who ever feels trapped by rules that make little sense. If you like quoting Brazil and Office Space you'll find plenty of quotes to add to your collection here. My friends and I have even started referring to each other by number at work!

Be Seeing You!

Geez I just did another Imdb review listing some of the top ten tv shows of all time (in my opinion) and I plum forgot this one. It qualifies. 18 hourly episodes about attempts to pry information from taciturn retired spy McGoohan, kidnapped and held in an isolated village peopled by, well, we're not sure who else. There's maybe one bad episode in the whole lot; many shows have you wondering who are the captors and who are the captives among the village's inhabitants. Not sure it's explicitly stated but McGoohan's character could be a carryover from his Secret Agent Man, an earlier series also starring him. McGoohan is exquisitely perfect in the role, a bit eccentric, sometimes almost precious, athletic when necessary, crisply precise and (understandably) paranoid. Occasionally things go over the top, particularly in the final two episodes, but you certainly can't accuse them of playing it safe. Unique, inspired, insightful, distinctive, unparalleled.

I've resisted writing a review for The Prisoner for years. Why -? because even though I have watched this series end to end at least a dozen times in the last 45 years; I still don't know where to start.

Indeed - I was one of the lucky ones who as a 10 year old was allowed to stay up late to watch The Prisoner during it's first screening back in the 1960's. It was then and remains today some of the most remarkable and groundbreaking television ever made. It must be seen.

Even though I have started this review - I still don't know where to start! There is no point in looking at the detail over a 17 episode series, so perhaps the best place to start is with a big picture; The Prisoner deals with issues of Man-kind as a social creature in a complex age. In this age the concept of "the individual" who exercises 'real' choices is lost - subsumed by Education; what is taught and who decides its relevance. Subsumed by Politics; what are the interests of those you are asked to vote for. Subsumed by Technology; is the technology my tool, or am I the tool of technology. Subsumed by Society; who sets the norms, who behaves acceptably and who does not, what, indeed is 'acceptable'? Subsumed by Consumerism; what do I need, why do I have to buy this, or this? The Prisoner encounters and has to confront these themes and find his own way to escape from them. The Village is the location and epicenter for every aspect of the individual that is subsumed. The Prisoners' quest is to escape. We join and share in his quest.

There are many other deep themes going on in this wonderful and thought provoking series, but the deepest and most powerful of all is "Trust"; what and who can I trust? For the Prisoner, the ONLY person he can trust is HIMSELF, and there are times, for all his strength, when the Prisoner cannot even trust himself. The Village uses every muscle, stretches every sinew to separate the Prisoner from his own self-identity; to reduce him, actually and literally to a 'number'. It's brilliant stuff, because it causes US to question "who am I"?, "Where am I"? "By what definition am I free"? Brilliant stuff.

Only by constantly challenging, constantly questioning, constantly feeling for the boundary, constantly and consistently reasserting his individualism, does the Prisoner manage to retain his self-image. The Prisoner is a primer for Everyman living in the modern age - a set of sign-posts that say; "TAKE CARE"! Keep control of your own identity, think what you are doing - don't blithely accept everything you are told and you won't become a number....

Phew! I've done it! Encapsulated 45 years of reflection into 6 short paragraphs. Why 6 do you wonder?

Back in the sixties, as a young child, I remember my sister and I being driven to North Wales for a day at the seaside. Part of the trip was to see a very special Italianate village. After a couple of hours in the car (my dad's work vehicle) we arrived to discover that the village was closed... people were 'making a film'. It was The Prisoner.

When the show finally aired on UK TV for the first time, my parents hated it. "What was this rubbish about? There's no story!" I can remember my father saying. But at age 10 I was hooked... I'd loved Danger Man (Patrick McGoohan's previous TV show) and this was even better. The clothes, the place, the music... even the typeface. Yes, the typeface. A special version of Albertus created for the show (look those 'e's).

Later on I became a designer. I'd like to think in part due to the show. It had a profound impact on me... and many of my friends too. I had a chum called Dennis, whose mother made him jacket with white bias around the edges. I knew others that had these too.

The show had style, elan, pace, heart, surprise, pathos, tears. Every emotion an actor is supposed to be able to display was brought to the fore. The strange woman that makes ticking noises. The 'be seeing you' salute. The rover balloons. The Mini Mokes. The umbrellas. The colours. The straw hats. This isn't just TV, it is art. This is groundbreaking art.

Does it look staid? Perhaps there are some elements that date it. The electronics, the computer that types out 'why'. The telephones, although ultra modern then, are retro now, and then only to those who have a taste for such things. But the spirit is indomitable. A show about the human condition. The struggle against all that is unfathomable, all that is against us. No 6 is the person we all want to be. Human, strong, empathetic, intelligent, able, self assured yet never arrogant. He isn't Bond, he can't be categorised.

This show was conceived and constructed by Patrick McGoohan. I believe he got the go-ahead from Sir Lew Grade at a private meeting with only the briefest of outlines. Grade clearly knew that McGoohan was capable of brilliant things.

Cut to the 80s and I'm at college in Coventry. One of my tutors (Mike Felmingham) tells me he painted a lot of the murals on the walls for Sir Clough Williams Ellis, the creator of Portmeirion. Then, in the late 90s, early 2000s, I'm a member of a small sailing club in Porthmadog, just across the Cob from Portmeirion. I visited many it times. It's a truly wonderful place.

The show has followed me it seems, just as much as I have followed it. It is brilliant. If you haven't seen it... do.

Prison it's always the last place we all want to be. However probably what makes the concept more discomforting are the prisons that come or attack our minds. Most of the time it has to due with a routine we are forced into or unintentionally build for ourselves, the wrong job occupation, not traveling away from home enough or far enough, just anything negative that makes us feel trapped. Which is part of why most to all of us constantly fight and exercise our freedom and rights to show that we're still people.

This is one of my favorite TV shows of all time. It is defiantly one of the most creative and weirdest shows I've ever seen and I love that which is what I expect from TV and the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre to always have something new and different. It was definitely a revolutionary show because it dared to be different but also challenge our intellects in a good way while at the same time having fun. The whole show by it's nature is one big puzzle, it's one of those shows where you may have to watch it more than once to uncover more.

The theme song is great it's one of my favorite theme songs of all time, it really fits the show as it has a mysterious and almost adventurous vibe.

I even like the main protagonist No.6 whom is one of my favorite fictional protagonists, his character in a way represents ourselves sort of our speaker and representative for humanity and sanity. He's got a dry charisma and sarcastic wit making him a bit funny. And like MacGyver he has to use his wits, cunning to somehow find a way to outsmart his unknown enemies. But what I really love about him is that he never gives up no matter the outcome of his plan he always tries again, which I feel is a good message to show not quitting makes you stronger. But also how much we emphasize with him and participation as were in the same boat as he is, not just in constantly trying to find a way out but also asking the same questions as him wondering what the hell is going on.

There is also a feeling of isolation as we see the only person he can truly trust is himself, this increases the emphasize factor more as it looks like his the only sane person in a land gone insane. It's true that we never really know a whole lot about him, let alone his name but that's the point it just adds to the mystery of the show.

However what really drive the show is it's story line and suspense. The story line in a way is like a mix of Franz Kalfka and Lewis Caroll tale. The Village is a really daft looking place. This really gives the place a surreal feeling from the buildings and architecture which is odd because it feels and looks like nothing really goes together,but even odder are the people whom may or may not be prisoners themselves but they exhibit odd behavior, let alone dress weird as some of what their wearing is not just colorful but also inconsistent with it's time periods. And each have some sort of rituals and customs that aren't really consistent or have any clear purpose.

But this production really induces the unsettling feeling of total disorientation and paranoia throughout the show. Usually in the suspense thrillers this is something that would take place in the night but here it's in the day which increases the paranoia even more because here there is no place to hide and no one to trust.

What makes the place even more disorienting and dangerous is that fact that each interrogator for No.6 is always someone different which raises the bar even more for No.6 as each have different methodologies to try and break him to get what they need whatever the hell that is. The interrogations remind me of Kalfka's "The Trial" which was about a man being accused for unknown reasons. Also it means No.6 has no way to understand what his unknown enemy's true motives are which means he is unable to get a step ahead or vanquish them which is a disarming feeling.

But shows power is how it really leaves you to make your own interpretations. To this day I still have questions like "Is the Village some sort of shadow organization/secret society that hasn't been discovered yet or one we already know like the Men in Black?" , "Why the hell do they want to know why No.6 quit or not?", "Is the whole thing real or one big dream." whatever the case this just gives the show replay value to find more answers or more questions.

Though personally I feel in a way the show satires on cold war paranoia though by today's standards it could be our war on terrorism. But gets into issues of distrust, conformity, information denial and manipulation, human rights constantly attacked and importance of defending them, but most of all about the importance of maintaining individuality.

No.6 truly is the most human in the show and he is one with a real identity. Where we see the people in the village have no identities at all, from not having names but numbers but also each aren't entirely their own person as they've traded identity off for security from The Village which as put them in even more danger as they've sacrificed their freedom.

I know once again haven't said a whole lot but it's one of those shows you have to see for yourself to believe, but to give yourself the benefit of participating in a great enigma.

In the words of No.6 "I'm not a number, I'm a free man." so are we and should remain so.

Rating: 4 stars

The Prisoner: The Complete Series (1967-1968) 17 episodes. You can buy a little at a time for the economy. I do not remember the series looking this good. I only saw reruns as I was in Viet Nam at the time of first run. It makes you wonder what they did with the Blu-ray treatment. They do have a voice-over commentary which was made before the Blu-ray treatment greatly adds to the viewing.

Patrick McGoohan plays a government agent who was decided to resign from his job. Someone is interested in the real reason why he decided to resign from his job. Therefore he is shuffled off to a mysterious place called the village.

Each episode is identical to the previous episode and is identical to the next episode. They do have different writers but the same formula. Some times you feel like looking at the last episode before finishing the binge.

As with all TV programs key actors get to be guests on individual episodes. In each episode, a situation is set up new people are introduced with problems, and "number six" (Patrick McGoohan the prisoner) must decide whether the new person is a friend or foe, and every episode attempt to escape the village. I don't know if it has the same meaning in England as it does in the US, however, the primary visible bad guy is always number two.

Even though each episode is repetitive it is fun to wait and see which actors will appear on the individual episodes. I was really surprised to see that many of the actors are the same ones that appear on the Dorothy L Sayers Lord Peter Wimsey series of television programs.

Without giving too much away the village was filmed at Portmeirion, Gwynedd, (North West) Wales, UK. 300 miles away from London. A tourist spot so some people may recognize it.

In the end, well, do we ever know why the agent resigned?

When I saw the first episode of this series, my jaw dropped in amazement. Here was a TV series that was entertaining and actually made you think. Nothing was ever what it appeared, no one had a real name, you never knew who was the good guy or the bad guy (or if they were one in the same!). The "final" episode was what could only be described as PSYCHEDELIC.

This TV series was, and still is, way ahead of its time.

As a side note, there is a "lost" first episode that is wildly different than the first one generally aired that explains some of the symbolism used in the series.

I hope the movie remake is made and distributed.

The Prisoner may not be the greatest television series of all time, but for me it will do until something better comes along. I was one of the millions of people in the UK who watched the series when it was first televised and sat enthralled every week.

But rather than extol the virtues of the show overall, as many contributors to these pages have done, I would like to voice my love and support for the final episode.

INEVITABLY SOME SPOILERS

I loved the final episode and have watched it many times over the years. The first thing that has to be said, before one gets into its meaning and its relationship with the other episodes, is to acknowledge that it is an absolute virtuoso piece of television. The sheer imagination and creativity of the episode boggles the mind. The dialogue is quite astonishing, it's like avant garde poetry. The energy of the whole piece is staggering.

I believe McGoohan wrote the whole script and knocked it off in about a day. How he did it I do not know, but to say it was inspired is an understatement.

More importantly the episode is of a piece and complements all that went before. Where I think a lot of people have been thrown with The Prisoner… well perhaps that's a bit condescending….the key issue one has to address and acknowledge with the show, is that it presents an allegory of the human condition wrapped up in a fantasy; surreal, almost Alice in Wonderland in style; and then tells the tale using the conventions of a (brilliantly executed) action adventure series.

But you have to accept that it is the allegorical, stylised presentation that drives the show. Therefore one cannot expect a rational, neat conclusion. Who could the people behind the Village be? Who could Number 1 be? The Russians? The CIA, Ernst Stavro Blofeld? It just could not be anyone of these. In the context of the Village, my earlier comparison with Alice makes more sense; Number 1 might just be the Queen Of Hearts.

But the reality of McGoohan's imagination is much more compelling. First of all he took the conclusion and climax in an obvious direction; to move further away from even the notion of reality and to challenge us with ideas. And to express those ideas in the totally bizarre and wonderful setting of trial is quite stunning.

The whole series is about us, about the individual and how we confront the world and the oppressive evil in it; and how we express our own humanity. The Prisoner is about ourselves, the good, the bad; the strong; the weak. And to express that as an allegorical fantasy is, I think, something close to genius.

I think the question one has to ask is who else could Number 1 be, if not ourselves; or because this is a series in which McGoohan is the hero, Number 6. And Number 6 is us; with all our strengths, weaknesses, anger, frustrations and, believe it or not, hope, despite all that outside forces may throw at us.

But even having taken this line, McGoohan surely does not leave the "rationalists" empty handed. There is a conclusion, they do escape (albeit in a surreal way, bursting out onto the A2 – incidentally try driving down the A2 at 70 mph today; that would be surreal!),

And even the ending, with the Hearse driving up again and the compressed air "swoosh" of his house door opening, tells you the dark side may yet win.

The whole episode is perfect, and more importantly, to repeat myself, is a totally satisfactory ending to what has gone before.

Incidentally, as a coda, one comment on the whole series. Look at many of the episodes again, and evaluate the underlying themes of the whole series. Take away the sixties style and look, and doesn't the show resonate even more today than it did even then. What The Prisoner is fighting is more terrifying now than ever. And we are losing the battle with ourselves and letting it happen

"The Prisoner" was an excellent series until the last episode, "Fall Out". It wasn't perfect -- some episodes were better than others, and those that were intended to be part of the abortive "second season" were generally not as good as the first 13 episodes produced (note that these aren't necessarily the first 13 episodes aired...). However, the program was consistently entertaining, interesting, thought provoking, and unquestionably unique. I had watched various episodes of "The Prisoner" over the years (It ran a fair amount on educational television in the 1970s) and was very impressed with what I saw, but I didn't get a chance to see the concluding episode until many years later. To say that I was disappointed is a significant understatement.

The problem of setting up any "mythology" in a show, as Chris Carter found out with the "X Files", is that sooner or later you have to answer the questions that you've raised. That's where the last episode loses it -- it answers nothing about the previous 16 episodes, but rather asks a number of new questions, and then doesn't answer them either!

It would appear that the reason for the odd number of episodes of the Prisoner was that it was cancelled with 16 episodes either in the can, or still in production, and "Fall Out" was written in a great rush at the last minute to close out the series. Although in earlier interviews, MacGoohan said that all the answers were in the final episode, in a more recent interview, he has stated (regarding "Fall Out") -- "If anybody admits to understanding it, then please pass the understanding on to me."

I don't know if there would have been a more coherent ending if the premature cancellation had not occurred, or if original producer George Markstein (who left after the first 13 episodes due to differences with Patrick MacGoohan) had stayed. Overall, it is a pathetic end to an otherwise superb series. Mind you, the fact that there wasn't a coherent ending (plus the presence of lots of symbolism to encourage endless debate on what it all *really* means) is probably the main reason for the cult attraction of the series. Even with the inadequate ending, this series is a highlight of how thought provoking television can be if it's done properly.

A number of reviewers have said that this series was "ahead of its time". Actually, as with any truly insightful art, it was entirely with it's time, it was all the other shows that were slightly backward.

Because of that, the series has dated in rather odd ways; the use of the Beatles' "All you need is love" in the final episode, for instance, really derives its power from the fact that Lennon and McCartney laced a lot of their songs with the same satirical venom this episode portrays, but much of this was lost on audiences (at least in America) until the release of the White Album. But now, 40 years later, only a handful of "Beatle-philes" remember this, so the edginess of the hallway sequence in which this is played has changed somewhat.

Too, the Theater of the Absurd that functions as backdrop to much of this show has been all but forgotten - Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" still gets revived now and again, but Albee's "Sandlot" never does; Brecht, once thought to be the Shakespeare of Left-wing theater, remains only as an inventive apologist for a failed Stalinism who wrote a few memorable set-pieces.

Yet "The Prisoner" survives, and likely will continue to survive, because it demonstrated both the potential power and the ultimate limitations of it's medium. There was never a show like this previous to it, and there has never been a show like it since, because the notion of a political/cultural satire extended for thirteen weeks for a mass audience is really unthinkable in television terms. How McGoohan came up with the idea therefore remains a mystery, but somehow he got it made. That there were millions willing to devote time and the effort of attention to it remains equally mysterious; but I think part of the answer is that at the time, many of us still weren't sure what the "television phenomenon" actually was. We didn't recognize it as mere audio-visual wall-paper, we thought it could be something else; and "The Prisoner" offered us a something else, something in keeping with what we had learned of great satire in letters, such as Swift and Voltaire.

Television as a medium has exhausted itself; it can never escape its economics, and so can never again be thought of a potentially liberating art-form. But there was a time when it was possible to imagine otherwise....

Not every episode is equally good, but "The Prisoner" remains brilliant, disturbing, visionary, and probably will for a long time to come.

I was living in England when this show premiered in late 1967. I was 12 years old, and this show grabbed hold of me and has never let go since. Patrick McGoohan has to be not only the most underrated actor of his generation, but also the most astonishing visionary ever allowed control over a TV production. The fact that he took a popular genre like the secret agent craze and turned it on it's ear is only part of it. So many loftier and more prestigious dramas have never come close to THE PRISONER in examining issues like integrity, societal pressure, the cost of freedom, and even the nature of reality itself.

For a long time I have been mystified by how little this show is acknowledged in historical documents of television, and by how many people seem to have forgotten both it and Patrick McGoohan. And after more than 30 years, I can only come to one conclusion about why that is.

We are still all living in the Village.

The memory of McGoohan as Danger Man and The Prisoner has stayed with me since watching these episodes on UK TV when they first came out --- so long ago I can't put a date on it. I can remember that I identified strongly with both characters although at the time I was never quite sure what was going on in The Prisoner. Still, I could see that he was arrogant and sardonic, but baffled and powerless. At the same time, he was never going to bend, break or crack. McGoohan filled this role to perfection. I thought the style and design of the series was exceptional, and I still do: it holds up remarkably well; and, as someone said, it is really timeless in theme and execution, which qualifies it as a genuine work of art. I get the message rather better now, forty-odd years later. Anyone who appreciates that the only worthwhile purpose of life is to maintain the struggle of the integrity and independence of the individual against the system --- bureaucratic, socialist, capitalist or any other -ism --- should own this series. Personal freedom is all that there is worth fighting for, but how to achieve it without submitting to the smothering forces that usually claim to have the same aim? That is the great problem. Never join them, even if you can't beat them. That's the answer.

Stunning achievement by actor, director & writer Patrick McGoohan about a recently-resigned British government operative kidnapped by either his government or a foreign one, imprisoned in a sinister "Village", where through the course of 17 episodes, various Number 2's(no citizen has a name, but only numbers) try to extract from him(re-named Number Six) the reason for his sudden resignation.

Episodes dealt with themes of the worth of the individual in society, and how he refuses to be broken by the Village, run by the mysterious Number 1. Government corruption, media collusion with government, and the nature of power and identity are key elements of this series, and are still with us today...

Final episode['Fallout'] is astonishing in its ambition and audacity, and is the single greatest episode of television drama ever, despite its controversial presentation and "resolution".

Original and startling; viewers who stayed with it from 'Arrival' will be rewarded, even liberated by the final fade-out...though is freedom an illusion after all?

Created by, produced by, and starring Patrick McGoohan, The Prisoner follows the nameless "No. 6", a british secret agent who one day resigns and the next wakes up in a mysterious village from which he can't seem to escape. Each episode features No. 6 as he tries to escape the village or that weeks toils of No. 2, a "guardian" in the village whos face seemingly changes each day, but is yet always watching, always testing. The series blends surrealism and sci-fi in some truly strange ways, from the constant far flung technology mixed with 60s futuristic furniture to the eerie weather balloon that continually swallowed anyone who tried to leave the village. I was enthralled through most of the series for its seemingly short single 17 episode season, I was kinda of bummed there wasn't more when it was over. The series does lead to a large, 2 part finale, however it never really answers any of the questions it asks, so certainly don't watch it for that, but if you want a very bizarre ride that influenced science fiction in tv for decades to come, The Prisoner is worth checking out.

It's a magnificent piece of television that breaks all the rules however it ran out of steam towards the end. The final episode is an eternal enigma, some love it and some hate it. I love it because it's just unlike any television episode I've ever seen. I am awaiting a new release of the series, you can never get enough and have two very insightful books on the show but no one really seems to know what the final episode is telling us and I love that, make up your own mind. Patrick McGoohan gave everything to this series and it's obviously been produced by a team with half a brain who know just what makes memorable television.

I first saw The Prisoner when it was originally broadcast. I was about 6 at the time, and I remember telling myself, "OK...I don't "get" this because I'm a kid." I loved the Village, the clothes, and in a bizarre way, Rover. But I knew I didn't understand it. I did catch on to the basic messages of "man as just another number in society" and "Who are the bad guys? Are the "good guys" the bad guys? Who's in charge here, really?" Having with much older, social-activist siblings probably helped; but I must admit I watched it because they did. In 2004 I had the opportunity to see the series again, and I thought, "Now's my chance to see what this was really about." I watched it with my European husband. I still didn't "get" it, and neither did he. Oh, the anti-totalitarian message was still there...very much of its time and place...but it was just as bizarre and confusing as the first time. I never did figure out the significance of the penny-farthing bicycle that appears in sculpture, paintings and pins on people's clothing...but then I don't think you're supposed to. As for McGoohan's over-the-top acting...well, the less said about that, the better. Styles change with the decades, but even so...ugh. You don't *have* to be high to watch The Prisoner...but it probably helps.