Do you like Lost? If the answer is yes you might want to take a moment and write Patrick McGoohan a quick, albeit posthumous ‘Thank you.’ Because without the influence of this groundbreaking series telling of one man trapped in a seemingly idyllic yet sinister locale from which there appears to be no escape you might not have it. From the tranquil setting, the roaring, otherworldly security system, to the sprawling Machiavellian conspiracy to guard its secrets, the influence of The Prisoner on ABC’s flagship drama and shows like it is undeniable.
Modeled after McGoohan’s previous and successful spy drama Danger Man and co-created with former series script editor George Markstein, The Prisoner played like a trippy espionage thriller. Yet the self-contained format of a serialized episodic drama meant that it could diverge each week into some heady, cerebral territory, tackling themes of philosophy, metaphysics, and the nature of ideology. It’s a full on psychedelic Orwellian nightmare. Think 1984 on `shrooms and you’re in the ballpark.
In addition to producing, McGoohan starred as Number 6 (his real name is never revealed), a former intelligence operative who suddenly and inexplicably resigned his position. Fearful that he has sold out, his organization kidnaps him and transports him to “The Village,” a prison camp in the form of a rural country village from which there is no escape, apparently run via the cooperation of “both sides” where anyone who might pose a threat is assigned a number (relative to their overall importance) and housed until that threat is assessed and neutralized.
The Village is deliberately cobbled together from a variety of different cultures to create a very non-specific feel (English seaside vibe, Italian furniture, French cuisine), it serves as a microcosm of Western society; Residents live in relative comfort, have their own shops, restaurants, and amenities. There is even a local council democratically elected each cycle. The only problem is that you can never leave, and security is guaranteed through the malevolent security system (those iconic giant white balloon things) codenamed Rover.
Markstein apparently garnered the idea from an intelligence operation at the end of World War II whereby the British government housed a selection of Nazi scientists in relative comfort in an isolated Cambridge mansion which they first bugged, curious to see what secrets the casual chatter might reveal. Marksten took that idea and ran with it, envisioning an entire community complete with sleeper agents, spies, turncoats, informants, and a draconian hierarchy headed up by the constantly changing number 2.
The idea of not knowing if the person sitting next to you is friend or foe is classic Cold War paranoia, but the maddeningly simple premise of The Prisoner – Number 6 resists telling The Powers That Be why he resigned – transcended politics and steered the show more towards themes of individualism versus the collective, which struck a huge chord with the growing counter-culture movement. Techniques as varied and as far out as dream manipulation, drug induced paranoia, identity theft, and good old fashioned social indoctrination were employed, acting as a jumping off point for larger thematic discussions of self-determination and free will.
There is also something quintessentially British about the whole thing; interrogations take place over sinister breakfast meetings of tea and toast as opposed to the torture chamber, which (unintentionally as it happens) lampoons the artifice and impossibly polite machinations of British society. Some episodes are weaker than others – one sees Number 6 craft the most obvious looking sailboat in the world, and passing it off as a piece of abstract art for a crafts fair to avoid detection – but the overall quest to free oneself and discover the identity of the never-seen yet all powerful Number 1 is never less than compelling.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
In addition to all seventeen episodes this five-disc set contains; a feature length documentary on the production of The Prisoner, in addition to two brand new retrospective featurettes. There is a newly restored version of the pilot episode “The Arrival” featuring a music only option. Also optional is an original edit of the episode “The Chimes of Big Ben.” Commentary from the production crew is available for seven episodes and trailers are available for them all. A promo for the upcoming AMC mini-series is also present. Finally is a lengthy gallery exhibiting every photograph and piece and paper related to the series they could find – scripts, press releases, call sheets, and more.
"The Prisoner: The Complete Series" is on sale October 27, 2009 and is rated NR. Drama. Directed by Don Chaffey, Pat Jackson, Patrick McGoohan, David Tomblin. Written by Patrick McGoohan, David Tomblin, Anthony Skene. Starring Patrick McGoohan, George Markstein, Angelo Muscat, Leo McKern.
