BS: The Prisoner (tv series)

Subject: BS: The Prisoner
From: Doctor John
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 05:35 PM

Are any 'catters fans of this (at times repeated) surreal 60's series with Patrick McGoohan? Any thoughts, explanations?
Be seeing you, Dr John

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Lepus Rex
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 05:51 PM

Muahahaha, YES, I LOVE the Prisoner, John. I haven't watched it in years. Best show ever made. And to make it music related, I've got 3 cds of music from the show. :)

---Lepus Rex

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Wavestar
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 05:56 PM

Isn't that the one where the man gets chased by the big white balls?

-J

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 06:05 PM

Absolutely one of my very favourites!! And, yeah, what was IT with those white balls?**BG**

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Wesley S
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 06:06 PM

"All you need is love" is the explanation.

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Lanfranc
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 06:11 PM

I am not a number, I am a free man!

Lotus Seven and Mini Mokes, Portmeirion, Who is number one?, striped umbrellas and capes. Oh, and yes, big white balls called Rover. No sex, though, as I recall.

Of its time and yet timeless. Still worth watching, and I have it on video (OK it's Betamax, but I can still view it, even if no-one else can!)

VHS readily available, though.

Probably too idiosyncratic for our Transatlantic brethren, though.

Another cue for a thread - the difference between British and American fantasy?

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 06:24 PM

Hey! It ran over here quite regularly and we loved the idiosyncracies! And, I lived where there was only one television station available at the time!**BG**

Just found a grand website on it with all kinds of info, photos, etc. just click here.

This was in my younger days when my favourite pasttime was to pretend I was a British spy; oh, I had such a blast!

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Lepus Rex
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 07:10 PM

Yeah, it was showing on PBS up here in the early 90s, when I got hooked on it. I remember sitting there all day, watching a Prisoner marathon. My dad and step-mom started watching during the second half of it (they showed every episode). I loved the final episode, but it truly pissed my dad and stepmom off, hehehe... (We just wasted 5 hours of our lives watching that crap!!!)

Hmmm.. I just remembered something else. You know that salute #6 gives? I had some strange guy throw me one of those in a grocery store, which was odd.

---Lepus Rex

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Metchosin
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 07:30 PM

Yeah! what do you mean too idiosyncratic, it ran in Canada too and it was one of my favourite shows, along with Sercret Agent Man...loved Patrick McGoohan.

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Wavestar
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 08:28 PM

I, too, would like to register an American's ability to greatly appreciate that idiosyncratic sense of the surreal :)

I just needed an identifying characteristic.

-J

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 08:29 PM

Not too idiosyncratic to be enjoyed, but perhaps too much so to have got funding anywhere else but the UK.  For example, VR5 was getting really interesting when the US network (I assume) pulled it, presumably because it was too confusing for them.  I've always wondered what was going to happen...

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Lepus Rex
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 08:33 PM

If I remember right, Patrick McGoohan only planned to make about half of the episodes---He had to be pressured into making the series longer. So what you saw is actually more than was intended.

---Lepus Rex

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Metchosin
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 08:50 PM

0oh maybe it was Danger Man and Secret Agent Man was the U.S. song they tagged on to the series......

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Giac
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 08:56 PM

I was living in western Arkansas when a PBS affiliate in Oklahoma carried The Prisoner. Whatever else was happening in the world, reality came to a halt when it was time for that show. Running on that station also during that period were Monty Python, Upstairs Downstairs and Dr. Who. I saw every episode of Dr. Who, but The Prisoner has to be my all time favorite.

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: rangeroger
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 09:40 PM

I also am a Prisoner and Patrick McGoohan fan.I copied most of the episodes on tape but didn't get them all.

Having once owned a Lotus 7,I get a thrill every time I see it on the show.

rr

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Amergin
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 10:32 PM

I love the Prisoner...both he and my GF have something in common....they both get chased by white balls....

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 10:32 PM

I believe I saw it when it first ran, and loved it. I'll go hunt down those tapes...

And Metchosin, I don't know about you folks up there, but in the Hew Hess of Hay the song "Secret Agent Man" was the theme song for the show "Secret Agent". Although if you listen to Johnny Rivers singing it, I swear he keeps saying "Secret Asian Man" -- which, when you think about it, is quite a trick.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: alison
Date: 06 Oct 00 - 02:21 AM

we want information

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: CarolC
Date: 06 Oct 00 - 03:14 AM

Definitely, The Prisoner.

But let us not forget... The Avengers!

(I want to be Emma Peale when I grow up.) Carol

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: GUEST,Fretless
Date: 06 Oct 00 - 09:42 AM

Re: Mark Cohen's post above: for Secret Asian Man, go to http://www.gamh.cx/lyrics/index.html#sam. The source song, of course, came from the TV series Secret Agent. Prisoner followed later, much enjoyed on the American side of the lake but not the sort of thing that could have found funding over here in that era.

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Trevor
Date: 06 Oct 00 - 09:48 AM

If you ever get the chance to visit Port Meirion, do. It's an intriguing little place, full of atmosphere, with a little beach that is empty even on Bank Hols, and a shop full of 'Prisoner' thingies as well. I think there's an appreciation society called '6 of 1' or somesuch.

Trevor.

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Llanfair
Date: 06 Oct 00 - 11:59 AM

People coming to Llanstock next weekend might like to visit Portmeirion, it's about an hour's drive from here.
But beware, they will try to sell you pottery.
Spooky, huh????
bron.

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 07 Oct 00 - 11:19 AM

Before the Prisoner, Patrick McGoohan was in Danger Man where he played a character named John Drake. It has been suggested that the start of the Prisoner was John Drake resigning from his job. As far as i know, this was never confirmed or denied by the people responsible for the Prisoner, but Number 6 was never given a name at any point during the series.
Quack

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Metchosin
Date: 07 Oct 00 - 11:57 AM

Mark, in Canada the series was called Danger Man with some wonderful harpsicord music at the beginning, but part way through the series they changed the name to Secret Agent Man with the Johnny Rivers theme music.

Geoff the Duck, thanks for clarifying that, I too, always thought that the Prisoner was John Drake, retired Danger Man aka as Secret Agent Man, but I didn't know if there was any basis for my assumption.

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 07 Oct 00 - 12:02 PM

Remember the ART SHOW?

Number Six's captors were so thick they couldn't recognise a pre-fab sailboat disguised as a HENRY MOORE!

More importantly, how many here, after watching a few episodes would have LOVED to be imprisoned on that island? Other than that awful brass band and the dorky uniforms it looked quite pleasant. All the women were either young and beautiful or dotty Margaret Rutherford types, and Patrick appeared to be the only hip guy in town.

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Metchosin
Date: 07 Oct 00 - 12:30 PM

Does anyone know what the original music from Danger Man was called and who recorded it? Not the Johnny Rivers theme?

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Doctor John
Date: 07 Oct 00 - 05:21 PM

Was Number 6 John Drake or not? It started off as that I think but the idea was never continued: see the Prisoner website for more information, where it gives a mistaken reference from Number 2. Carol mentioned the Avengers which was the best of many of that ilk; but the Prisoner was very different. When it started I thought "here we go again":- British agent captured by nasty Eastern Block types, there's bound to be a car chase, probably through empty warehouse, followed by fist fight Boil and Dodie stuff...nasty Bond villain with silly accent gets comeupance. But this was very different. You know what it's about but can't quite put it into words. Be seeing you, Dr John

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Skeptic
Date: 07 Oct 00 - 05:48 PM

The Prisoner was odd. In a very good way. While it was running I planned my life around it. Seems to me it was in the 70's.

Wasn't there some big blow-up about the final episode? I seem to remember there was a fight between McGoohan and the director or producer and McGooohan ended up writing/directing the truely wierd final episode.

John

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 09 Oct 00 - 04:26 PM

The Prisoner remains one of my two all-time favorites. I loved it because it was so completely unlike anything I had ever seen on TV before. It broke all rules repeatedly and joyfully. The other was Kung Fu.

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Gary T
Date: 09 Oct 00 - 04:44 PM

In one of his "Straight Dope" books, Cecil Adams talked about this show discussed some of the things mentioned or alluded to so far in this thread. I haven't check kat's link yet to compare. It might be possible to find Cecil's info on the web (search engine--"The Straight Dope"). It was a most intriguing show, though the finale lacked much in the way of any coherent explanation or closure.

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 09 Oct 00 - 04:56 PM

The Prisoner and Dangerman were two different shows both starring Patrick Mcgoohan. Do you remember that wonderful black blazer he wore with the white edging -gosh how I longed for one of those! Frankly it was all a little above my head -I much preferred the Avengers with Patrick McNee and Diana Rigg as Emma Peel it always reminds me of the X-Files!

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Wavestar
Date: 09 Oct 00 - 06:11 PM

Carol, Emma Peale just had so much class... watching the Avengers is invariably a lesson in exactly how classy I'll never be.

-J

Subject: RE: BS: The Prisoner
From: Hollowfox
Date: 11 Oct 00 - 05:42 PM

CarolC, you're not the only one who wants to be Emma Peel when she grows up. Mary (5'4")