The Prisoner

I'm a fan of the relatively obscure actor William Sylvester, star of this Secret Agent segment, who manages to steal the spotlight from star Patrick McGoohan, aided by a script that has him playing two roles (plus some bit parts beyond). I saw him many times in "2001" and was also a fan of Lance Comfort's "Man in the Dark", a rare lead role in a movie for him.

The ingenious plot uses the doppelganger notion in a fresh way: not only does McGoohan search out several possible doubles for the American stuck in our embassy in a foreign country for five years that is suitable, but once he's got one, it turns out to be a world-famous concert pianist. The notion of the double being far more famous and important than the man we're seeking to rescue is quite novel and adds to the fun nature of the show.

I had never seen this segment until now (2024) and it was a pleasure to watch Sylvester shine.

One of the weaker episodes, not as believable as others. Silly plot. Though McGoohan looks darn nice in that formal tux!

"The Prisoner" is an ironically named episode, as this would be the name of Patrick McGoohan's strange spy series from the late 1960s. The show begins with a guy going nuts and trying to escape from a building--only to get the snot knocked out of him! It sees Mr. Carpenter has been a virtual prisoner at the embassy, as his own country won't let him go and vow to arrest him when he leaves the building. He's now been there five years--hence his going stir crazy at the beginning of the show.

Drake (Patrick McGoohan) is brought in to the case to find a way to sneak him out safely. Unfortunately, the show relies on a very old TV cliché--the identical or nearly identical stranger gimmick. Drake finds a famous concert pianist who is a dead ringer for Carpenter. So, he gets the pianist invited to this dictatorship and arranges for the men to switch places.

As I said, the show does rely on a bad cliché. Still, despite this, it is a pretty good episode and is worth your time.