The Prisoner Anniversary

The Prisoner turns 48 today.

The cult classic series had its British television premiere on September 29, 1967 and was unlike anything else contained on the small screen.  Dynamic and enigmatic, episodes revolved around such controversial themes as the manipulations of society, drug use and the rights of the individual.

The Village was the show's mysterious setting - a picturesque place where those with important information deemed too sensitive to be widely known were kept.  Who ran the Village was a secret, especially to The Prisoner's protagonist played by Patrick McGoohan.  McGoohan's work on the series stretched beyond that of actor to occasional writer and director, as well as shaping the series as a whole.  Patrick McGoohan had previously found fame on TV in the show Danger Man which imported to the United States in an incarnation known as Secret Agent.  The Prisoner had its roots in the spy craze of the 60's but was altogether a different kettle of fish.

I entered The Prisoner's fandom as a teen when that and other classic British series occupied the 11pm time slot on Maryland Public TV.  I found the adventures of The Avengers and Dr. Who quite stylish and engaging.  These British classics became my TV favorites - and The Prisoner was at the top of the list. 

Everything about The Prisoner is top notch, from the writing to the direction.   The exciting opening title music by Ron Grainer (also responsible for Dr. Who's original theme) began royally with rumbling thunder.  There was something just so magnetic about McGoohan - especially as he drove his car and strode the corridors to offer his resignation during the show's opening credits.  Patrick McGoohan's character of Number Six seemed a champion of independence and intelligence - something very appealing to me.  The Prisoner rebelled against a succession of village bureaucrats, all referred to as Number Two played weekly by (mostly) different actors.  The series introduced me to numerous great British actors like Leo McKern who menaced The Beatles in Help!. 

The Prisoner doesn't look its age - probably because the colorful fashions were evoking a style instead of an era and the setting was deliberately obscure.  The Village could have been everywhere, but its meaning and entrapments were uniquely surreal.  A large weather balloon type object called rover was the security system of the village.  When an attempt at escape was initiated the rover bounded into action, impressing itself onto its victim.  The science of the village was beyond technology.     

The Prisoner can easily be considered an ancestor of enigmatic and challenging programs such as David Lynch's Twin Peaks and J. J. Abrams' Lost. There was even a 'reboot' Prisoner mini-series from AMC with Ian McKellan as Number Two.  But for fans of the original iconic series there can be no replacing the image of Patrick McGoohan grimly guiding his car or shouting out his declaration of independence on the village's beach at the beginning of each episode.

Patrick McGoohan as Number 6 often undergoes 'treatment' in the village.