A British television mini-series ... with perpetual appeal, after-the-jump ….
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Fifty-five years ago this past January, the 17th (and final) episode of the UK show The Prisoner was filmed … and while this series was among other spy shows of the 1960’s (yours truly was a Man from UNCLE fan): it has taken on an enduring/cult status due to its other elements of sci-fi, counterculture and psychological drama.
The series was originally intended to be only seven episodes (shown on Britain’s ITC channel) but extra episodes were sought by ITC’s chairman Sir Lew Grade— who had prior success with The Saint— who wanted a fuller series to be able to sell to US television executives. In fact, while many UK television shows were still (at that time) filmed in black-and-white … in order to reach the North American market, The Prisoner was filmed in color.
The series was created largely by its star and executive producer, Patrick McGoohan who — while born to Irish parents who later settled in England, where he came-of-age — was born in Queens, New York. He had recently completed a TV series, Danger Man (Secret Agent in the US, from 1965-1966) when Lew Grade asked him for another series and they had a handshake deal. McGoohan was determined to avoid a series with explosives and violence, preferring intellect.
McGoohan’s character is someone who resigns from a high-ranking post in the British government (often assumed to be in intelligence) on a matter of conscience, and is packing to leave the country. Knockout gas is piped into his home and when he awakens: his house is now situated in “The Village”, isolated from his prior life. And he has been given a new identity ... Number Six.
Throughout the episodes, Number Six is monitored by Number Two — who, thanks to the resistance put-up by McGoohan, is a role taken on by multiple characters (twice by veteran actor Leo McKern, of Rumpole of the Bailey fame). All efforts to get Number Six to reveal why he left his post (including the use of psychedelic drugs and mind control) seem to fail, yet McGoohan is unable to escape The Village. Many reviewers (though far from all) consider The Prisoner to be a sequel to Danger Man, with Number Six’s famous incantation, “I am not a number — I am a free man”.
Many UK actors made guest appearances, including Paul Eddington: later to portray Jim Hacker in “Yes, Prime Minister”, whom The Economist described as an “amiable bungler” yet who nonetheless starred in a short-yet-memorable 1988 laugh over who reads each London newspaper.
The final episode (that ran in Britain in February, 1968) was entitled “Fallout” — which TV Guide cited as the 55th Greatest TV Episode of All Time— yet which left enough unanswered questions that Patrick McGoohan claimed he had to go into hiding. (Shades of “The Sopranos”, perhaps). With such a short series, the site Rotten Tomatoes has an episode guide (with a brief summary).
McGoohan went on to more television and film acclaim: my favorite film roles of his were 1976’s Silver Streak (with Richard Pryor, Jill Clayburgh and Gene Wilder) and as the prison warden in the 1979 Clint Eastwood film Escape from Alcatraz, and he died in January, 2009 at the age of eighty.
Since the end of The Prisoner, not only has it lived-on in the mind of viewers: there have been attempts to revive/extend it. Reader-based novels and episode guides have been published, DVD boxed sets are available and there were audio dramas (from BBC Radio 4) in the past decade.
In 2009, the AMC network tried a miniseries revival (starring Jim Caviezel as Number Six and Sir Ian McKellen as Number Two) which did not garner much success. As for a feature film presentation: in early 2016, the estimable film director Ridley Scott was in talks to produce one … yet so far, to no avail.
Either way, it will live on in the minds of loyal viewers: with TV Guide declaring the series to be the #9 Sci-Fi show (in 2013) and in 2007 as the #7 Top Cult Show Ever.
When Danger Man came over to the US, CBS used songwriters Steve Barri and P.F. Sloan (of “Eve of Destruction” fame) to compose a 15-second theme song. This was recorded by musician Johnny Rivers for the TV show.
When the series was re-titled Secret Agent for the US market in 1965, P.F. Sloan said that lyrics flowed from that change, which he added. An extended version of Secret Agent Man was released by the kings of instrumental rock (The Ventures) in early 1966, reaching #54 … and then Johnny Rivers was coaxed into his own vocal version, reaching #3 in the US (and #4 in Canada). The line “They’ve given you a number … and taken away your name” … led many to see this as prophetic.
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From Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening ........
In the diary by Wilson Dizard III about the culture war record of Iowa governor Kim Reynolds— first JimB9999 looks at her sketchy educational credentials, then operculum first looks at one of her GOP predecessors, then notes her child labor policies may land her in legal trouble.
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TOP PHOTOSMay 17th, 2023
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And lastly: yesterday's Top Mojo - mega-mojo to the intrepid mik ...... who rescued this feature from oblivion:
6) Good diary, Ninalyn. Thank you. … by Jon Sitzman +9218) Border by Denise Oliver Velez +7320) by annieli +7120) Texas … by Denise Oliver Velez +7129) the con game continued by Denise Oliver Velez +63