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Description

The Prisoner, one of the most remarkable and challenging science fiction series of all time, follows "No. 6," a former government operative sent into a seemingly idyllic but twisted prison known as "The Village," where he struggles to retain his identity in the face of sophisticated and relentless attempts by the powers-that-be (known as "No. 2") to extract his secrets. Patrick McGoohan's complete classic 17-episode TV series is presented in the fan-preferred viewing order, which follows events and dialogue within each story to provide a consistent and enjoyable viewing experience.

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If a top-level spy decided he didn't want to be a spy anymore, could he just walk into HQ and hand in his resignation? With all that classified knowledge in his head, would he be allowed to become a civilian again, free to go about his life? The answer, according to the stylish, brilliantly conceived 1960s British TV series The Prisoner, is a resounding no. In fact, instead of receiving a gold watch for his years of faithful service, our hero (played by Patrick McGoohan) is followed home to his London flat and knocked unconscious. When he awakens, he finds himself in a picturesque village where everyone is known by a number. Where is it? Why was he brought here? And, most important, how does he leave?

As we learn in Episode 1, Number 6 can't leave. The Village's "citizens" might dress colorfully and stroll around its manicured gardens while a band plays bouncy Strauss marches, but the place is actually a prison. Surveillance is near total, and if all else fails, there's always the large, mysterious white ball that subdues potential escapees by temporarily smothering them. Who runs the Village? An ever-changing Number 2, who wants to know why Number 6 resigned. If he'd only cooperate, he's told, life can be made very pleasant. "I've resigned," he fumes. "I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered. My life is my own." So sets the stage for the ultimate battle of wills: Number 6's struggle to retain his privacy, sanity, and individuality against the array of psychological and physical methods the Village uses to break him.

So does he ever escape? And does he ever find out who Number 1 is? "Questions are a burden to others," the Village saying goes. "Answers, a prison for oneself." Within this complete 17-episode set (which contains the entire series), all is revealed. Or is it? --Steve Landau

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The Prisoner        Rating:

I am very happy with this item and I do enjoy it. Good quality also.

Brilliant        Rating:

TP is a great work of art. Unfortunately, tv is no different from any other arts medium in that rarely is greatness recognized off the bat. People always whine about tv's Wasteland, yet have tuned in regularly for such dull crap as Friends or the Cosby Show. People say they want boldness- even poetry, especially in these contemporary postmodern times. Yet, when confronted with 1 of the boldest works of art ever put forth, people whine that they may actually have to think & not be passive. They reject it. 1 might call this the Stanley Kubrick Syndrome. It's no surprise that the other great piece of visual art that reigned in 1968 (along with TP & Planet Of The Apes) was Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. TP is also a great work of philosophy. Fundamentally it deals with the nature of reality, yet politically it also deals with the idea of rights (civil & human), which (if we are honest) we all know are a human law of invention, not a natural law of immanence. Now think: why is it that philosophy is 1 of the few endeavors more scorned than poetry? Because it's all ideas- it is inert. Art is ideas in motion, & the visual arts are the most accessible forms of art. & TP is a masterpiece of the visual arts in its philosophy. This DVD set (The Complete Prisoner) should ensconce itself on your shelves filled with Plato, Nietzsche, Holderlin, & the boys. Also, as to what it's all about, again- the point is open, & please put not too much stock in PM's explanation as artists are wont to missing the results they put out for they concentrate too much on the intent- plus, all artists of any worth are accomplished prevaricators- often willfully so. PM's art is served well by disinforming his public. So confused were critics & the viewing public that in all the years since I can think of only 2 tv shows that have some commonalities with TP- meaning its influence was limited.
The 1st was American PBS's 1979 telefilm The Lathe Of Heaven, wherein the main character suffers a horrific trauma & literally lives within a dream- or does he? The other was the UPN network's 1995 1 season show Nowhere Man- starring Bruce Greenwood. In it a photojournalist takes a photo of a supposed Latin American execution & finds out his whole life may have been a charade. While not `imprisoned' like 6, the character- Tom Veil- seeks to regain his life by hitting the road to prove he is sane. TP & The Fugitive are the 2 dominant influences on this show- & it often paid subtle & overt homages to both. Unlike TP, however, this show was to be a regular series, but was canceled before its 1st season was over. This prompted the producers to wrap up the show hastily at 25 episodes. The result was an ending which aped TP's, but with none of the emotional impact, nor surrealism. What a shame, because the show was far superior to the Star Trek: Voyager show it aired after. & though dreams are a province film has often plumbed, about the only successful film of recent vintage that I would say is comparable is Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1990 Martian sci fi opus Total Recall. In that film Schwarzenegger's character is truly his own worst enemy! Another noteworthy point re: TP is that it may very well have been the 1st real `miniseries' to air in the US. While the 1970s saw Rich Man, Poor Man, Roots, The Holocaust, etc. make miniseries a staple, TP should truly be seen in their genre- after all, it was planned to be only 17 episodes long- about 14 hours of tv- shorter than Roots. Seen in that light it has still more significance. PM had the smarts to lace ambiguities throughout the show. 1 almost feels he was conducting an experiment & must've loved the control he/the show had over his/its fans. As I've stated, I think the best interpretation is that the whole show takes place in a moment of 6's mind (whether JD or not) as he is either heading to resign, contemplating the `fall out' of such a deed, or merely off on another adventure as Danger Man. It's not that unusual a trope- it's even classic, & since the penultimate episode is the last to start with 6 `waking up' the series can be seen circularly with 6 forever dreaming (dead?)- thanks go out for that possibility, too.
Another little mentioned aspect of TP, as art, is that it is a nearly perfect piece of metacriticism on conspiracy theories in general- whether they're plausible theories as in JFK's assassination, or wacky theories involving aliens, Jewish bankers, & that lot. In fact, part of the show's `cult status' feeds off of that frenzy. Refer back to all the queries I have addressed, & the many others I have not (see assorted books & websites for what I mean). But if that does not convince you that this brilliant work of art also doubles as a brilliant piece of metacriticism, maybe this will: re-read my exposition of 6 as John Drake, get the DVD for yourself, & confirm what I say, & you will see I am correct. Wanna bet that my exposé is ridiculed by the TP cultists? In fact, the show inspires factions of fans who refuse logic & definitive proofs in whatever defense of their beliefs- no matter how wrong they are. Ain't art wonderful?
Let me end this essay by possibly pulling a McGoohan (I shan't wrap things too tightly lest suffocate them- or am I feinting now?) & returning to the 4 points: apparent contradiction, particulars from the general, the general from particulars, & lastly TPD. As we've seen TP is chock with contradictions real & apparent. We've also seen these contradictions are often served by allowing the viewer to make deductive & inductive conclusions which not only are at odds given certain different information, but often from the same information. & before using TPD in a metaphoric way re: TP, consider this: the title, as we've seen is not necessarily specific to 6. Therefore let us consider 6 & 2 (or any other Villagers) to be eternally pondering the other's moves. 6 as the non-fink & the 2s as the finks who consistently win round after round- until the end. The 2s have all the perks, yet they all seem to have a not-so-secret envy of 6. What changes to allow the still seemingly non-finking 6 to win? (Or does he?) That may be the actual key question of the series, also never pondered before without the idea of TPD. Also, consider that TPD operates (theoretically) under unchanging rules- TP may or may not; & may or may not be self-consistent with its own consistency (or inconsistency).
In the end it may well be that the ambiguity which damned TP's initial critical & public reception is the very thing which has proven to be its salvation. After decades of intermittent appearances the whole show can be owned for the price of a decent VCR or boombox. Trust me in that it is a much more sound investment you will mine over & again through the years. On reflection, perhaps there is no dilemma after all. Then, again, I told you I was gonna pull a McGoohan- or was that a McGuffin?

Very Good but the Network UK set is far superior        Rating:

I concur with those that have stated that this is NOT the restored versions released last Oct in the UK from the original 35MM tapes. So it gets a strike against it for that. However I have purchased this set and it is acceptable to the average consumer. However the UK set is markedly superior. You would need a region-free player to play the UK set, and the set is more expensive than this version, but I believe it is worth it as I have seen the difference.

Who's Your Number Two?        Rating:

Just a typical day...you slam your fists on your boss' desk in a rage.You feel like passing out, like you're just a number and there's no escape. You wake up in the morning and it's the same thing all over again. The piped-in music everyplace is driving you crazy, and where did all these people in striped outfits come from? Just when you make a run for it, this giant white ball stops you. I grew up watching this with my parents on Saturday morning. Not cartoons? Yeah, we're still a weird family. Our local PBS station showed it a decade and a half after its original airing in the sixties. This series made a big impression on my eight-year old brain. I bought the set a few years ago and watched it again, this time in color! It still makes an impression. Fantastic production values, great acting, paranoia-inducing with fabulous scripts. Patrick McGoohan plays a secret agent who is shipped off to a deprogramming facility by helicopter when he questions his superiors. (It's actually a real village in Wales called Portmeiron created by an eccentric in the 19th century ). Thought-provoking is the way agent number 6's (McGoohan) dilemma is reflected back into the society we live in. Society vs. individual identity, groupthink, power of suggestion...it's heady stuff and a pschoanalyst could spend hours trying to uncover the layers. I suggest you enjoy it and expect all your expectations to be turned upside down. Bravo! An instant classic. People in Hollywood should be strapped to their chairs and try to learn something from this.

BCNU        Rating:

I'm a long time fan of this series - I seen it as a kid when it ran as a summer series on CBS in '68 then again when my old hometown PBS station aired it. All 17 episodes are included put in the order in which they were aired (although there is some debate in fandom about this item). Video quality is quite good except for the opening sequence which is a bit dark - this may be due to how it was originally shot so remastering couldn't improve it much.

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