TV Update: The Prisoner

With these words Number Six (Patrick McGoohan) sets out to escape his confinement: The Village. Number Six was formerly a secret agent; now he was being housed in a village where people only had numbers, not names, and he was constantly being questioned as to why he retired. Each week Number Six matched wits against Number Two (a character that changed from actor to actress), who looked out for the interests of Number One. Whether it was brainwashing, an art competition, or being voted in as Mayor of the Village, Number Six could never truly escape. Adding to his problems was Rover, a giant white ball that would be released from the ocean to capture a captive, usually by suffocation.

Currently AMC is remaking the series. Jim Cavieziel plays Number Six, while Ian McKellen plays the head of the Village, Number Two. The filming is said to finish shortly, putting the series on the air sometime in 2009.

The original series came about because of its main benefactor, Patrick McGoohan. McGoohan was in a series called "Danger Man"/ "Secret Agent Man" from 1960-1962, then 1964-1966. In it he played John Drake, at first an agent for NATO assigned to cases in (and outside) NATO jurisdiction. During the second season he was retconned and became a British agent, working for MI9 (as opposed to MI6). Rumor has it that during a dinner party McGoohan said that he was quitting the series which prompted one guest to ask, "What does a 'Secret Agent' do after they retire?" In the case of "The Prisoner," one puts in their resignation, packs up at their home, then is gassed. When they wake up their in a carbon-copy domicile, except they're in a place called The Village, and everyone wants to know why they left.

I became a fan of "The Prisoner" while in college in the early 2000's. The series had just been released on DVD, and from the time I watched the first episode ("Arrival") to the last ("Fall Out"), I was impressed by the writing and acting in the series. McGoohan's character was "Everyman"; a thinking person putting individuality over conformity. Without using guns he had to outwit his captors, who unfortunately saved their best card for last. Another interesting twist in the series was the revolving of "Number Two." Number Two would report to the unseen Number One and if he was one-up'd by Number Six, he or she would be replaced. I count Leo McKern as my favorite of the Number Twos.

"The Prisoner" would go on to influence the spectrum of film, tv, and music. The TV show "MacGuyver," with Richard Dean Anderson playing the titular role, was based on Number Six. Afraid of using guns, MacGuyver had to find his way out of situations, employing his pocketknife, bubble gum, duct tape, the moon's gravitational pull on the Earth, what-have-you. Heavy metal group Iron Maiden made two songs in homage to "The Prisoner": "The Prisoner" and "Back in the Village." There have also been numerous books, comics, and video games that directly, or indirectly, reference "The Prisoner." An upcoming film is also slated to be directed by Christopher Nolan ("The Dark Knight," "Memento").

For more information on the "Prisoner" remake, check out AMC's site at:

http://www.amctv.com/originals/the-prisoner/

For more information on the original series, check out Six of One, the Official Prisoner Appreciation Society. They're site is:

http://www.netreach.net/~sixofone/

Be seeing you.