Anyone else here enjoy "The Prisoner"? (1960s TV

By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics and access other forums reserved for members. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today by clicking here.

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 3:26 pm

This is one that I come back to from time to time. I remember it being on TV when I was a kid, and watching it again on college when one of the public television stations had it on.

I bought the entire DVD collection a few years back, and watched it then. I've gotten it out again, watching "Arrival" over the weekend.

This show sure does make you think.................clearly it was ahead of its time.

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 3:37 pm

"Six of one, Half a dozen of the other."

I loved that show. I haven't seen it since high school though. It would be interesting to watch it again.

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 4:04 pm

I've been to Portmerion, where they filmed it, it's as odd as the series, being built with a lot of odds and sods from demolished stately homes and town halls. You can stay there overnight, but I think its horribly expensive.

I was a huge fan, but I remember watching the last one (when they re-ran it in the 1970's, no dvds or videos then) and being none the wiser afterwards about who number 1 was.

I'm not altogether convinced that McGoohan knew either...

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 7:49 pm

A friendly maintenance man came by this morning and as we were talking the dispatcher was referring to the people that she was talking to as numbers on the walkie talkie. I asked to see it, keyed it and said "I am not a number, I am a free man." Mr. Maintenance man took his walkie talkie from me and left.

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:12 pm

I remember staying up late on Saturday nights, okay so 11 pm was late for me, and waiting for it to come on. I was totally fascinated with the series. It had so many different aspects to it. Great memories and great show.

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:26 pm

The Prisoner was a follow-on from Danger Man.

John Drake left the secret service only to find out he couldn't or wasn't allowed to do that. The point of the Prisoner was to find out why he wanted to leave by using psychological interrogation on him.
There was a bit of speculation at the time that Patrick McGoohan, had got a bit to close to the truth which is why it was canceled. But he says he just ran out of ideas.

@Roy, Portmerion is a really interesting place to visit. It's a weird walking across the beach where that bouncy balloon caught him if he tried to escape.

I bought the badge but didn't fancy paying £99.00 for the jacket with white trim.

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:43 pm

Now, here's a blast from the past!

I used to watch it with my dad. My mother didn't much care for it, so it was just the two of us. We would discuss points that the show brought up. It was a great bonding time for us. I think it actually helped my dad realize I wasn't just a teenager but an adult in the making. Very Happy

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 10:09 pm

Darn, you all are old! Razz

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 1:14 am

I saw the original US broadcast and was hooked, I need to buy the DVD set. (they say the A&E set is a ripoff, to go for the UK one)

what does everyone think of the upcoming remake?

Not quite a Newb Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 62

I thought I was the only one sad enough to have the box set.

My favorite was 'Free for all' as I found the foreign maid to be rather sexy looking.

Did you know they're making a remake. I only hope it's better than the usual remade dross that's out there.

http://www.portmeirion-village.com/content.php?nID=8;ID=88;lID=1

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 1:15 am

"I am number 2"

"Who is number 1?"

"Yooou are number 6"

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 2:13 am

I'm now wondering how I can work some of this into a bait. I don't think a lad would fall for me calling myself "Number Six", plus No. 6 never called himself that anyway.

Perhaps I could be "Number Two"?

If my lad gets out of line I could scold him for being "unmutual". Laughing

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 2:17 am

Ohhhhh errrrr - that white bouncy balloon thing use to scare the living daylights out of me. I was too young (shut up, I was) to really understand what was going on but then again did anybody? Didn't working on that show send Patrick McG slightly off his rocker?

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 7:14 am

I wouldn't be surprised if he did go off his rocker, the last episode was one of the maddest things I've ever seen, what was he doing chasing a copy of himself around wearing a gorilla suit?

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 8:08 am

I'm sure the writers were "pharmaceutically enhanced" Wink

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 8:32 am

According to Wikipedia, the menacing bouncy balloon that kept them all in check was called Rover.

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 11:34 am

Did you know McGoohan wrote the entire thing himself as well as starred in it?

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 11:38 am

Hated the series but I did used to live pretty much next to Portmeirion and visited all the time.

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 12:15 pm

I just loved the striped jackets? Surreal show. Gnasher hit it with pharmaceutically enhanced Laughing

The balloon sure took your breath away

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 3:50 pm

We went to Wales on holiday last year and visited Portmerion. I took the complete collection of the prisoner on my media player, thinking I'd show the boy one or two so he'd know what to expect; to my amazement he insisted on watching the whole lot and proclaimed it to be "brilliant but weird"

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 2628

My youngest has been watching and loving it!

Anyone else here enjoy "The Prisoner"? (1960s TV	View next topic View previous topic