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The Prisoner

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For other uses, see Prisoner (disambiguation).
The Prisoner
The Prisoner intertitle
Created byPatrick McGoohan
George Markstein
Written byPatrick McGoohan
David Tomblin
Anthony Skene
Terence Feely
Vincent Tilsley
Directed byPatrick McGoohan
Pat Jackson
Don Chaffey
David Tomblin
StarringPatrick McGoohan
Theme music composerRon Grainer
ComposerAlbert Elms
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes17 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerPatrick McGoohan
ProducerDavid Tomblin
Running time48 minutes
Original release
NetworkITV
Release29 September 1967 –
1 February 1968

The Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series first broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967 to 1 February 1968.[1][2] Starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combined spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory and psychological drama.

The series follows a British former secret agent who is held prisoner in a mysterious seaside village where his captors try to find out why he abruptly resigned from his job. Although sold as a thriller in the mould of McGoohan's previous series, Danger Man (called Secret Agent in its U.S. release), the show's combination of 1960s countercultural themes and surreal setting had a far-reaching effect on science fiction/fantasy programming, and on popular culture in general.

A TV miniseries remake aired on the U.S. cable channel AMC 15–17 November 2009.[3] Additionally, Christopher Nolan has been widely reported to be considering a film version.[4]

Origins and production

The show was created while Patrick McGoohan and George Markstein were working on Danger Man, an espionage show produced by Incorporated Television Company (also called ITC Entertainment). The exact details of who created which aspects of the show are disputed.

Some sources indicate that McGoohan was the sole or primary creator of the show.[5][6][7] McGoohan stated in a 1977 interview (broadcast as part of a Canadian documentary about The Prisoner called The Prisoner Puzzle) that during the filming of the third season of Danger Man he told Lew Grade then chairman of ITC Entertainment, that he wanted to quit working on Danger Man after the filming of the proposed fourth series.[8] Grade was unhappy with the decision, but when McGoohan insisted upon quitting, Grade asked if McGoohan had any other possible projects; McGoohan later pitched The Prisoner. However, in a 1988 article from British Telefantasy magazine Time Screen, McGoohan indicated that he had planned to pitch The Prisoner prior to speaking to Grade.[9] In both accounts, McGoohan pitched the idea verbally, rather than having Grade read the proposal in detail, and the two made a verbal agreement for the show to be produced by Everyman Films, the production company formed by McGoohan and David Tomblin. In the 1977 account, McGoohan said that Grade approved of the show despite not understanding it, while in the 1988 account Grade expressed clear support for the concept.

Other sources, however, credit Markstein, who was then a script editor for Danger Man, with a significant or even primary portion of the development of the show. For example, Dave Rogers, in the book The Prisoner and Danger Man, stated that Markstein claimed to have created the concept and explained it to McGoohan, who liked the idea.[10] Rogers also stated that Markstein wrote a four page show Bible that became the basis of production for the show.

Part of Markstein's inspiration came from his research into World War II, where he found that some people had been incarcerated in a resort-like prison called Inverlair Lodge.[11] Markstein suggested that Danger Man lead, John Drake (played by McGoohan), could suddenly resign, and be kidnapped and sent to such a location.[11] McGoohan added Markstein's suggestion to material he had been working on, which later became The Prisoner. Furthermore a 1960 episode of Danger Man, "View from the Villa", had exteriors filmed in Portmeirion, a Welsh resort village that struck McGoohan as a good location for future projects.

Further inspiration came from a Danger Man episode called "Colony Three", in which Drake infiltrates a spy school in Eastern Europe during the Cold War. The school, in the middle of nowhere, is set up to look like a normal English town in which pupils and instructors mix as in any other normal city, but the instructors are virtual prisoners with little hope of ever leaving. McGoohan also stated that he was influenced by his experience from theater, including his work in Orson Welles' 1955 play Moby Dick Rehearsed' and the 1962 BBC teleplay The Prisoner by Bridget Boland.[11] McGoohan wrote a forty-page show Bible, which included a "history of the Village, the sort of telephones they used, the sewerage system, what they ate, the transport, the boundaries, a description of the Village, every aspect of it…".[8]

McGoohan stated in a 1985 interview that No.6 is not the same character as John Drake, further adding that he had originally wanted another actor to portray the character.[12] However, other sources indicate that several of the crew members who continued on from Danger Man to work on The Prisoner considered it to be a continuation, and that McGoohan was continuing to play the character of John Drake.[9] Furthermore, Rogers states that Markstein had wanted the character to be a continuation of Drake, but that doing so would have meant paying royalties to Ralph Smart, creator of Danger Man.[10] The issue has been debated by fans and TV critics, with some stating that the two characters are the same, based on similarities in the shows, the characters, a few repeating actors beyond McGoohan, and certain specific connections in various episodes.[13][14][15]

In addition to originally conceiving of the show and starring as the lead, McGoohan also wrote and directed several episodes, often under pseudonyms.[16]

Panoramic view of the central piazza, Hotel Portmeirion

The exteriors for the series were primarily filmed on the grounds of the Hotel Portmeirion in Penrhyndeudraeth, North Wales, the location that partially inspired the show. At the request of Portmeirion's designer Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, the location of the series was not disclosed until the credits at the end of the last episode.[17]

McGoohan had originally only wanted to produce 7 episodes of The Prisoner, but Grade argued that more shows were necessary in order for him to successfully sell the series to CBS.[8] The exact number that was agreed to, along with how the series ended, is disputed by different sources. In a 1967 article, Dorothy Manners reported that CBS had asked McGoohan to produce 36 segments, but that he would only agree to produce 17.[18] According to a 1977 interview, Grade requested 26 episodes, which McGoohan thought would spread the show too thin, but was able to come up with 17 episodes.[8] According to The Prisoner: The Official Companion to the Classic TV Series, however, the series was originally supposed to run longer, but was canceled, forcing McGoohan to write the final episode in only a few days.[11]

Opening and closing sequences

Main article: Opening and closing sequences of The Prisoner

The opening and closing sequences of The Prisoner have become iconic. Cited as "one of the great set-ups of genre drama",[19] the opening sequence establishes the Orwellian and postmodern themes of the series;[20] its high production values have led the opening sequence to be described as more like film than television.[21]

Plot

See also: The Village (The Prisoner) and List of The Prisoner episodes

The series follows an unnamed British agent who abruptly resigns his job, and then finds himself held captive in a mysterious seaside "village" that is isolated from the mainland by mountains and sea. The Village is further secured by numerous monitoring systems and security forces, including a mysterious balloon-like device called Rover that captures those who attempt escape.

The agent encounters the Village's population, hundreds of people from all walks of life and cultures, all seeming to be tranquilly living out their lives. As they do not use names, they have each been assigned a number. The agent inquires of the Village's chief administrator, Number Two, "Who is Number One?", to which Number Two responds, "You are Number Six". The dialogue continues, "We want information", to which the agent responds "You won't get it!". "By hook or by crook, we will..."

The task of attempting to extract information from Number Six is carried out by the ever-changing "Number Two", acting as supposed proxy to the unseen "Number One". As the series unfolds, the audience learns that the Village authorities have other interests in Number Six aside from the knowledge he possesses: interests that often spare Number Six from the more destructive information-gathering techniques employed by the Village authorities upon other inmates.

Number Six, distrusting of anyone involved with the Village, refuses to co-operate or provide answers. Alone, he struggles with multiple goals: determine for which side the Village works, remain defiant to its imposed authority, concoct his own plans for escape, learn all he can about the Village and subvert its operation. Some of his schemes, while not resulting in an escape, do lead to the dismissal of an incumbent Number Two on two occasions. By the end of the series the administration, becoming desperate for Number Six's knowledge and fearful of his growing influence in the Village, take drastic measures that threaten the lives of Number Six, Number Two, and the rest of the Village.

The series features striking and often surreal storylines, and themes include hypnosis, hallucinogenic drug experiences, identity theft, mind control, dream manipulation, and various forms of social indoctrination. A major theme of the show is individualism versus collectivism.

Cast and crew

Main articles: List of The Prisoner cast members and Characters in The Prisoner

Actors who played the same role in more than one episode are:

Crew

In other media

Main article: The Prisoner in other media

There have been several spin-offs of The Prisoner in other media, including novels, comicbooks, games and several attempts to make a movie.

Documentaries

  • Six into One: The Prisoner File, 1984, a 45-minute docudrama presented by Channel 4 after the series rerun. With its central premise to establish a reason why Number 6 resigned, the presentation revolved around a new Number 2 communicating with staff (and Number 1). It reviewed scenes from Danger Man and The Prisoner, incorporated interviews with cast members (including McGoohan) and fans, and addressed the political environment giving rise to the series and McGoohan's heavy workload.
  • The Prisoner Video Companion, 1990: a 48-minute American production with clips, including a few from Danger Man, and voice-over narration discussing origins, interpretations, meaning, symbolism, etc., in a format modelled on the 1988 Warner book, The Official Prisoner Companion by Matthew White and Jaffer Ali.[22] It was released to DVD in the early 2000s as a bonus feature with A&E's release of The Prisoner series. MPI also issued The Best of The Prisoner, a video of series excerpts.
  • American public television station KTEH (San Jose, California), re-ran the series in the early 1990s accompanied by commentary from critic Scott Apel before and after each episode. Clips of some of Apel's commentaries may be found on YouTube.
  • Don't Knock Yourself Out, 2007: a feature-length documentary (run time: 1 hour 35 minutes) issued as part of Network's official 40th Anniversary DVD set, featuring interviews with around 25 cast and crew members. The documentary received a separate DVD release, featuring an extended cut, in November 2007 accompanied by a featurette, "Make Sure It Fits", regarding Eric Mival's music editing for the series.
  • Warner Troyer did commentary after each episode during The Prisoner's run on TVO

Remake

Main article: The Prisoner (2009 miniseries)

A remake miniseries, in the works since 2005,[23] premiered on 15 November 2009 on American cable TV channel AMC, made in cooperation with British broadcaster ITV after AMCs original production partner Sky1 had pulled out.[24][25][26] On 25 April 2008, ITV announced that the new series would go into production, and in June 2008, that American actor James Caviezel would star in the role of Number 6, with Ian McKellen taking on the role of Number 2 in all six episodes.[27][28][29] In May 2009 the shooting for the new series was completed with significant plot changes from the original television storyline. The new Village is located in a desert tropical area instead of Wales, with location filming taking place in Namibia and South Africa. The six part series premiered in the UK on 17 April 2010.

Home video

The first home video editions of The Prisoner appeared in the 1980s. In North America, MPI Home Video released a series of 20 VHS tapes covering the series: one for each of the 17 episodes and three more containing "The Alternate Version of 'The Chimes of Big Ben'", a documentary and a "best of" compilation respectively. In the 1990s the first DVD release of the series occurred in North America/Region 1, with A&E Home Video releasing the series in 4-episode sets and a full 10-disc "megabox" edition in the early 2000s; A&E subsequently reissued the megabox in a 40th anniversary edition in 2007. The A&E issue included "The Alternate Version of 'The Chimes of Big Ben'" and the MPI-produced documentary among its limited special features.

Numerous editions of The Prisoner were, meanwhile, released in the UK/Region 2 by companies such as Carlton. These editions differed from the Region 1 release in their special features, including one release that included a recently-discovered alternative version of "Arrival".

The Prisoner: The Complete Series was released on Blu-ray Disc in the United Kingdom on 28 September 2009,[30] following in North America on 27 October.[31] The episodes have been restored by Network DVD to create new high-definition masters,[32] of which standard-definition versions were used for The Prisoner: 40th Anniversary Special Edition DVD boxset released in 2007.[33] The US edition, once again by A&E Home Video, includes the first North American release of an alternative edit of "Arrival" (in high definition), as well as "The Alternate Version of 'The Chimes of Big Ben'" from the earlier DVD/VHS releases (in standard definition due to the degraded source material) and assorted documentaries and behind-the-scenes footage.

Awards and honours

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ As noted in Andrew Pixley's 2007 The Prisoner - A Complete Production Guide book, the first UK premiere was 29 September 1967 on ATV Midlands and the last episode first aired on 1 February 1968 on Scottish Television.
  2. ^ The world broadcast premiere was on the CTV Television Network in Canada on 5 September 1967.Toronto Star, 5 September 1967, p. 22
  3. ^ AMC Originals - The Prisoner
  4. ^ Child, Ben (Thursday 12 February 2009). "Nolan signs to take Inception from script to screen". The Guardian. London. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "The Baron To Replace Danger Man" by Nan Musgrove The Australian Women's Weekly Wednesday 3 August 1966 Page 19
  6. ^ Rick DuBrow Television Today "The Prisoner" The Cedar Rapids Gazette: Tue June 4, 1968 pg. 10
  7. ^ O'Connor, John J. (16 January 1978). "'Prisoner' on TV Tonight". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 July 2011.(subscription required)
  8. ^ a b c d Interviewer: Warner Troyer. "The Prisoner Puzzle". TVOntario. {{cite episode}}: External link in |transcripturl= (help); Missing or empty |series= (help); Unknown parameter |transcripturl= ignored (|transcript-url= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ a b Pixley, Andrew (Spring 1988). "The Prisoner: Every Man's Production". Time Screen (11).
  10. ^ a b Rogers, Dave (1992). The prisoner & Danger man. [London]: Boxtree. ISBN 9781852832605.
  11. ^ a b c d Fairclough, Robert. The Prisoner: The Official Companion to the Classic TV Series.
  12. ^ Talking With McGoohan Calia, Barrington (Fall/Summer 1985). New Video. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. ^ White, Matthew and Ali, Jaffer (1988). The Official Prisoner Companion. Warner Books. p. 145.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ Terrace, Vincent. The Complete Encyclopedia of Television Programs 1947-79.
  15. ^ A.S. Barnes and Company (1981). TV Detectives. p. 113.
  16. ^ Specifically, McGoohan wrote "Free for All" as Paddy Fitz (Paddy being the Irish diminutive for Patrick and Fitzpatrick being his mother's maiden name) and directed "Many Happy Returns" and "A Change of Mind" as Joseph Serf. He wrote and directed the last two episodes — "Once Upon a Time" and "Fall Out" — and directed "Free for All" under his own name.[citation needed]
  17. ^ Kahn, Eve M. (29 July 2007). "A Man's Whim on the Welsh Coast". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  18. ^ Manners, Dorothy (1967). Washington Post. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. ^ Mike Patterson. "The Prisoner - the classic British TV series".
  20. ^ Sardar, Ziauddin (1998). Postmodernism and the other: the new imperialism of Western culture. London: Pluto Press. pp. 1–3. ISBN 9780745307497.
  21. ^ Cole, Tom (15 January 2009). "Patrick McGoohan, TV's 'Prisoner' Number Six : NPR". npr.org. Retrieved 11 March 2009.
  22. ^ It was released in 1990 by MPI Home Video, then the licensed label for both/all three series in the USA. The copyright notice (the only credit) is ascribed to Maljack Productions, apparently the real company behind the name MPI. Law.cornell.edu: Jackson v. MPI Home Video
  23. ^ It was announced in late 2005 that Granada would revive the series for Sky1 in 2007. BBC News: Remake for cult show The Prisoner Christopher Eccleston was initially rumoured to be considered for the title role, and it was reported that the series would be titled Number Six instead of The Prisoner.
  24. ^ In December 2006, The Hollywood Reporter reported that AMC was co-producing The Prisoner with Sky1, and that it would run at least six to eight episodes, beginning in January 2008 (both in the UK and USA).ICv2 News—AMC Remaking The Prisoner
  25. ^ In May 2007 it was reported that Sky One had pulled out of the re-make due to a disagreement with their AMC. In August 2007, Richard Woolfe, head of Sky One, stated: The Prisoner is not happening. It's a very quintessentially British drama and there were too many creative differences trying to share it with an American partner. I didn't want to be responsible for taking something that is quintessentially British and adapting it in a way that I didn't feel was reflective of the way people would remember it and the way people would want it to be. So we called time on that.Digital Spy: Q & A with Sky One head Richard Woolfe
  26. ^ In October 2007, British broadcaster ITV stepped in to replace Sky One as co-producer with AMC. ITV to step in and save Prisoner remake.
  27. ^ "Prisoner series set for remake". Scotsman.com. 30 June 2008. Retrieved 1 July 2008.
  28. ^ "Ian McKellan cast in The Prisoner". BBC. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 1 July 2008.
  29. ^ "The Prisoner: McKellen and Caviezel Signed for 2009 Mini-Series". TV Series Finale.com. 2 July 2008. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
  30. ^ DVD Times: The Prisoner: The Complete Series
  31. ^ High-Def Digest: The Prisoner: The Complete Series
  32. ^ Network DVD: The Prisoner restoration screenshot comparisons
  33. ^ DVD Times: The Prisoner: 40th Anniversary Special Edition
  34. ^ TV Guide Names the Top Cult Shows Ever - Today's News: Our Take TV Guide: June 29, 2007

Bibliography

Wikiquote has quotations related to The Prisoner.

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