Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

AMC Releasing a New "The Prisoner" In November

Posted by kdawson on from the that's-number-six-to-you dept.

DynaSoar writes "The Prisoner is one of the most influential and enduring TV shows to have appeared during the 1960s. This single-season (1967-68), 17-episode series, starring its co-writing, co-directing executive producer Patrick McGoohan, maintains a steady fan base and gains more with each syndication re-release. For over 40 years there have been announced intentions and projects to resurrect this surreal psychodrama combining science fiction, allegory, and spy thriller in a new series or movie (but always without McGoohan, who adamantly refused, saying 'he'd done it'). Finally, since December 2008 a remake has been in the can. In November 2009, AMC will begin airing an original six-part mini-series of The Prisoner starring James Caviezal as the spy who resigns only to find himself abducted and transported to 'The Village,' where he is renamed (or rather renumbered) Number Six, and where the minds behind his incarceration attempt to pry and/or trick secrets from his brain. Chief among those minds is the visible face of the administration, Number Two, played by Ian McKellen. Unlike the original, with a new Number Two in each episode, McKellen appears throughout. To promote the upcoming release, AMC is presenting (along with a ton of 'additional material') the entire original 17 episodes, free for the streaming."

174 comments

  1. Soo.... by Sasayaki · · Score: 3, Funny

    So this The Prisoner... ... is the new number two?

    --
    Check out my sci-fi book "Lacuna" at http://goo.gl/MVxX8
    1. Re:Soo.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are number six. I am not a number, I am a free man!

    2. Re:Soo.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who is number 1 and why is this fucking giant rubber ball following me?

    3. Re:Soo.... by h4rm0ny · · Score: 2, Insightful


      If "Number Two" is the usual euphemism for a shit, then possibly so. Aside from personal dislike for casting Ian McKellan in everything, there are so many things that can go wrong here, it'll be a miracle if it's anywhere near as good as the original series. Heaven help us if they try to dumb it down or make it more accessible. A lot of remakes are really worthwhile (okay, some remakes) bringing it up to date for a modern audience and shaving off some of the things that would alienate people today (wobbly sets or very bad special effects) or doing away with some of the limitations that had to be bourne in the old days (such as some prudish attitudes). But The Prisoner doesn't fall into any of those categories as far as I can see. It's also a shame that Number 2 is the same every episode as the way he changed sometimes illustrated the lack of personal importance. Number 2 was an identity that, if a particular person were performing it badly as happened, could mysteriously be replaced by someone else. Individuality didn't matter - continuity did.

      It's quite possible to do a good remake of The Prisoner. It's even possible to do a good remake of The Prisoner that is different to the original. I will try to assess the new version on its own merits. But I see two big reasons why it probably wont be. The first and biggest is that the modern entertainment industry usually gets greedy and aims for every demographic at once. People with tastes on the ends of the bell curve, usually suffer. The Prisoner appealed to a surprisingly large number of people given how esoteric it was, but it was nonetheless clearly not trying to be all things to all people. From what I read, it was a struggle to get it approved and made even then. I can well see it being watered down and modified to try and bring in a lot of people who wouldn't be expected to like it otherwise. And when that happens, you tend to get a muddle that fails to completely please anyone. To put it more graphically, some people like chocolate, some people like cheese, some people enjoy both, but nobody likes cheese in their chocolate.

      The second reason is that I doubt the remakers will have the balls to finish the series with Patrick McGoohan's grand fuck you to understanding that made the finale so appealing to me.

      Anyway, that was quite a rant, but I (along with a lot of others) really like the original and it's still out there for anyone who wants to see it. It seems a little off to me that the moment Patrick McGoohan passes away, they start remaking the series. Still, makes circle around one eye with thumb and forefinger, be seeing you. ;)

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    4. Re:Soo.... by Atrox666 · · Score: 1, Troll

      Lets break this down:
      1) Magneto is behind this whole thing? Seriously unless there is a mutant or a midget lurking about this guy doesn't need to be there the whole time. Number two is supposed to change. That's called the premise.

      2) Jesus as number 6?!?! First of all you can't make him a fucking Yank(no offense). Second of all he just doesn't fit the role.

      3) I like suave in my super spy. Six is just an emotional basket case in the trailer. McGoohan was super cool and when the cool broke down it was an event. It was epic. "I AM NOT A NUMBER!".

      4) Go home and don't come back until you've taken a lot of drugs. The trailer isn't fucking trippy or surreal in the least..so what was the point of making this? In a country that already has employment drug testing they really should have ensured minimum standards on this project.

      5) The big ball is too big (Rover)

    5. Re:Soo.... by commodore64_love · · Score: 3, Interesting

      >>>it'll be a miracle if it's anywhere near as good as the original series.

      That's what people said in 1987, 1988, and 1989 about Star Trek TNG, but it did eventually prove itself to be just as good as the original (and often times better like season 4). TNG eventually scored 12% of the American audience, equal to how many had watched the original in the 60s.

      As for "The Prisoner" after years of hype by fans I finally watched it last year, and I was unimpressed. Yes it is an intelligently-written series, but there were a lot of moments where I wanted to reach for the fast-forward button because many of the middle episodes were excruciatingly dull.

      Okay you can now mod -1 for me, since you disagree. ;-)

      --
      "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
    6. Re:Soo.... by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      ...shaving off some of the things that would alienate people today (wobbly sets or very bad special effects)... But The Prisoner doesn't fall into any of those categories as far as I can see

      What about the episode where the computer exploded because number six simply asked it "why"? I have the series on tape; PBS rebroadcast it a decade or two ago, and some of the effects and props are cheesy indeed. Not as bad as some on STOS, I'll admit.

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
    7. Re:Soo.... by niktemadur · · Score: 1

      I doubt the remakers will have the balls to finish the series with Patrick McGoohan's grand fuck you

      AMC, American Movie Classics, hmmm... Truth is that, by virtue of being unconstrained by many requirements of network TV, cable has become the medium of choice for dark, ballsy and trippy TV series so far. Currently, there's plenty of talent out there making television, which in another age would have been in film, the pioneer at recognizing the medium's potential being David Chase, with "The Rockford Files", "Northern Exposure" and then his polished, cable masterwork "The Sopranos". Then there's "Deadwood", "Dexter", "Battlestar Galactica", "Breaking Bad", etc. I've heard that "The Wire" and "The Shield" belong up there, but I've yet to see any episodes.

      As far as finales are concerned, "The Sopranos" rivals and probably bests "The Prisoner" in the "fuck you" department, while "Battlestar Galactica" infuriated many by leaving a whole bunch of weirdness unanswered, such as the glaring matter of Two Earths, one scorched and the other pristine.

      So yeah, sure, I'm willing to give this new "The Prisoner" the benefit of a doubt. That said, remember that McGoohan wanted to film only 10 episodes, but the production company told him "no", it had to be 16, so several episodes are, quite noticeably, filler material. This is what happened to Abrams with "Lost" (how many fucking times can you have Kate go off without permission, getting caught then waste two episodes rescuing her?), so that after the third season when his contract expired, he renegotiated the terms to bring down the season total from 25 to 16, making the storyline much leaner and meaner.

      --
      Lil' Thindime, lilting a lacrimose lament, krashes the kwaint konfines of Kokonino Kounty
    8. Re:Soo.... by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      2) Jesus as number 6?!?!

      He's not Jesus, he's an actor. If he's a good actor he can play a myriad of parts. Look at Morgan Freeman's role in Unforgiven as opposed to his role in Robin Hood. Look at Patrick McGoohan's character in The Prisoner as opposed to his role in Braveheart.

      First of all you can't make him a fucking Yank(no offense).

      First off, number six is British (and so is McGoohan). Secondly, unless he's as bad a Kevin Kostner (who can only play himself, and play him badly at that) a good actor can assume about any role. Freeman did a damned good job as a Turk, Mel Gibson did a damned good job as a Scottsman.

      As to "Jesus as #6", you don't see the delicious irony? Maybe they should change it from #6 to #666?

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
    9. Re:Soo.... by h4rm0ny · · Score: 1

      What about the episode where the computer exploded because number six simply asked it "why"? I have the series on tape; PBS rebroadcast it a decade or two ago, and some of the effects and props are cheesy indeed. Not as bad as some on STOS, I'll admit.

      Good catch. In that case, I'll grant you that some aspects of it could stand improvement for a modern audience. As I said, it's possible to do a good remake of The Prisoner. I just think that given the overall timelessness of its surreal events and setting, it's less of a problem for modern audiences and that, for some of the reasons I gave, I fear this wont be a good remake. I wont mind being proven wrong and would chose that over being proven right.

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    10. Re:Soo.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      That's what people said in 1987, 1988, and 1989 about Star Trek TNG, but it did eventually prove itself to be just as good as the original (and often times better like season 4). TNG eventually scored 12% of the American audience, equal to how many had watched the original in the 60s.

      TNG wasn't better than TOS. You are making the foolish mistake of equating quality with popularity. They are totally unrelated.

      You have pointed out a good example of what can go wrong with this. They could spend way too much on effects, develop unlikable characters, then hire mediocre actors to play them.

    11. Re:Soo.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah everyone just loved Wesley Crusher. He was such a great character. And the way everyone talked about themselves in the 3rd person. Such a stroke of genius.

      There's no comparison. Star Trek was far better than the Love Boat, a.k.a the Next Generation. Go back and watch season 1 of Start Trek and season 1 of TNG and see which one is better.

    12. Re:Soo.... by M.+Baranczak · · Score: 1

      As far as finales are concerned, "The Sopranos" rivals and probably bests "The Prisoner" in the "fuck you" department

      Excellent point.

      remember that McGoohan wanted to film only 10 episodes, but the production company told him "no", it had to be 16

      Is that how it went down? The way I heard it, McGoohan wanted to keep the show going, but his corporate masters canceled the show early (for being too damn weird, most likely).

    13. Re:Soo.... by Atrox666 · · Score: 1

      He may be a good actor but he's no #6 doesn't have the temperament.
      They changed the character to a Yank. It's in the trailer. I'd be just as pissed if they changed him to a Canuck.(ok maybe a little less pissed)
      There is a certain numerological correspondence with 6 and Jesus.

    14. Re:Soo.... by iccaros · · Score: 1

      Strangest Iron Maiden Video made.. on a side note, if this takes off, I believe AMC will own Iron Maiden for the years of free press.

    15. Re:Soo.... by Hal_Porter · · Score: 1

      How do you feel about the casting of Tricia Helfer as Number 6?

      --
      echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
    16. Re:Soo.... by kalirion · · Score: 1

      Season 1? Why not compare shows strictly by their pilots, while you're at it?

    17. Re:Soo.... by grub · · Score: 1


      Season 1? Why not compare shows strictly by their pilots, while you're at it?

      I'm a busy fellow and just compare shows by the commercials. "More To Love" looks like a winner!

      --
      Trolling is a art,
    18. Re:Soo.... by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      There is a certain numerological correspondence with 6 and Jesus.

      The numerological correspondence is not with Christ, but with the antichrist.

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
    19. Re:Soo.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'd agree on TNG vs TOS - nothing has ever matched "Chain of Command (part 2)" for a powerful and moving TV episode. It should be aired every time people discuss torture or interrogation on the news.

    20. Re:Soo.... by mqduck · · Score: 1

      As for "The Prisoner" after years of hype by fans I finally watched it last year, and I was unimpressed. Yes it is an intelligently-written series, but there were a lot of moments where I wanted to reach for the fast-forward button because many of the middle episodes were excruciatingly dull.

      Patrick McGoohan made a list of seven episodes that "really count". See question #4 here: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/tv/the-prisoner/part1/

      --
      Property is theft.
    21. Re:Soo.... by h4rm0ny · · Score: 1


      Heh! Wrong sci-fi series. :) But she'd look good in a black blazer with white lapels, I'll give her that. ;)

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    22. Re:Soo.... by cmacb · · Score: 1

      "It's also a shame that Number 2 is the same every episode as the way he changed sometimes illustrated the lack of personal importance. Number 2 was an identity that, if a particular person were performing it badly as happened, could mysteriously be replaced by someone else. Individuality didn't matter - continuity did."

      Aren't there at least two episodes where the change in Number 2 is a key plot element? One, late in the series is where Number 6 gets "elected" as the new Number 2, where the earlier changes in Number 2 were not accompanied by talk of an election. This points to the doubts many have with the electoral processes in which "groupthink" gets people elected without regard to the validity of campaign promises, etc.

      In another episode I think the changeover in Number 2 takes place during the episode, and I don't remember the details other than that it would require writing that part of the script out.

      With those sorts of exceptions I don't have a particular problem with stabilizing the cast. In fact during the original run of the series I assumed that the reasons for the change had to do with the relative pay for stars, vs co-stars and other "formula" reasons. Consider all the programs that used to have only a single main character that appears in every episode with ALL the other main characters (in a particular episode) being variable from one episode to the next, the "continuity" characters would usually be bit parts that didn't show up in even half the episodes (Rockford's father in the Rockford Files comes to mind).

    23. Re:Soo.... by dangitman · · Score: 1

      but nobody likes cheese in their chocolate.

      Have you never eaten a chocolate cheesecake??? Delicious barely begins to describe the experience.

      --
      ... and then they built the supercollider.
    24. Re:Soo.... by Atrox666 · · Score: 1

      Actually both are true.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiferet
      Numerologically things tend to contain their opposite in most systems.

    25. Re:Soo.... by Phoghat · · Score: 1

      Its received a good review from a number of sites including FSR.com

      --
      Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
    26. Re:Soo.... by commodore64_love · · Score: 1

      >>>TNG wasn't better than TOS.

      Yes it was. All you have to do is watch the miserable season 3 of TOS to confirm that. Can you say "Spock's Brain"? Or how about the episode where Spock sings a love song to a bunch of hippies? Or in the final episode where Kirk proudly announces that women can not be captains! Even at its worse (season 2), TNG was never as bad as TOS' third season. Overall I'd rank the Treks like so:

      DS9 (best scifi on television - second only to Babylon 5)
      TNG
      TOS
      ENT
      VGR

      --
      "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
    27. Re:Soo.... by commodore64_love · · Score: 1

      P.S.

      >>>You are making the foolish mistake of equating quality with popularity.

      Yes but not all things that are popular are automatically bad (as you seem to presume), so TNG's achievement is still worthy of note because it's both popular AND quality. Besides 12% of the nation watching TNG is a bigger deal than 12% in the 60s watching TOS. The original show lived in a 3-network universe with minimal competition, such that it was consistently below 60 on the charts and canceled (twice), because only getting 12% was considered a failure. Whereas TNG was in a multichannel universe with lots of competition, but still managed to reach the top 20 or even top 10 each week.

      --
      "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
  2. Inside of Me by Philip+K+Dickhead · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Something small and quiet just died...

    --
    "Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act." -- George Orwell
    1. Re:Inside of Me by mcgrew · · Score: 2, Funny

      You're eating small live animals? Dude, that's a different kind of geek altogether!

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
    2. Re:Inside of Me by Philip+K+Dickhead · · Score: 1

      I'm DIGESTING my inner child...

      --
      "Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act." -- George Orwell
  3. This is amazing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This just shows how far Linux has come. That Linux is used in the production of this masterpiece, and that the general public will know about it, can only mean good things!

  4. Where's the "new" in this "news"? by PhxBlue · · Score: 3, Informative

    This was announced at Comic-Con more than a month ago.

    --
    !#@%*)anks for hanging up the phone, dear.
    1. Re:Where's the "new" in this "news"? by Chambers81 · · Score: 1

      The comic con panel for the mini series was very good. The trailers looked amazing and it was one of the shows I was most excited for. The availability of the original series online for free for those of us that have never seen it before was probably worth a post by itself.

    2. Re:Where's the "new" in this "news"? by Hurricane78 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Well, it's new for us who did not go to the Comic-Con, and don't read other comic-related blogs. Better late then never.

      On the other hand, it's highly likely that those who still don't know about it, also don't actually care about it. ;)

      --
      Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
    3. Re:Where's the "new" in this "news"? by Mr+Z · · Score: 1

      I'm a big Prisoner fan, and this was the first I've heard of this particular remake. *shrug*

      --
      Program Intellivision!
    4. Re:Where's the "new" in this "news"? by h4rm0ny · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I'm a big Prisoner fan

      Which might just put you in the OP's category of "people who don't care about the remake". I mean, if you think about it. ;)

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    5. Re:Where's the "new" in this "news"? by RubberDogBone · · Score: 1

      If you wanna really get right down to it, it was "announced" years ago when word got out that a remake was being produced. And then again last year when the news came out that the thing had, in fact, been made. The ONLY question was really when it would show up on American TV and which channel would be showing it. BBC America (edited for content and time and compressed to fit in more ads), or Syfy (edited for content, compressed for time, featuring awful CG dinosaurs for no reason), or AMC (left alone, with extras). So if AMC wants to run it, good for them. I think they'd do well showing the original show and Secret Agent too and any of a number of older British or co-prod shows. BBC America won't touch them. Someone should.

      --
      Sig for hire.
    6. Re:Where's the "new" in this "news"? by mqduck · · Score: 1

      What makes you think everyone who knows of and likes The Prisoner follows every source that might possibly have news on this decades-old show?

      --
      Property is theft.
  5. Why ruin a god thing? by plopez · · Score: 1

    Having said that, I wonder if the drugs will be any better....

    --
    putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
    1. Re:Why ruin a god thing? by NewbieProgrammerMan · · Score: 3, Funny

      Why ruin a god thing?

      Oh come on now, just because Jesus is starring in it doesn't mean we need to bring God into it too.

      --
      [b.belong('us') for b in bases if b.owner() == 'you']
    2. Re:Why ruin a god thing? by plopez · · Score: 1

      typos say more than they mean sometimes.

      --
      putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
  6. I assume this begins like a Mike Myers movie by Velox_SwiftFox · · Score: 1

    With Number 1 spiraling back to earth from his trip aboard his spacecraft?

  7. Link to the series by Tensor · · Score: 5, Informative

    Was putting the link to the actual place you can stream the videos too much work ?

    http://www.amctv.com/originals/the-prisoner-1960s-series/

    1. Re:Link to the series by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Can not be shown in your current location"

      same with the ATL-laser

      Can someone please tell them that the world is global?
      It's one thing that it's hard to air a show globally, but when it comes to internet they are taking pains to stop me from watching.

    2. Re:Link to the series by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Are you one of those rounders I keep hearing about? Listen, we know the world is flat, quit trying to tell us it isn't. You act like we could travel around the world by traveling in one direction forever or something.

    3. Re:Link to the series by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The video are location restricted.

    4. Re:Link to the series by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

      Geeze, for a flatter you're pretty dumb. Of course you can travel around the world by traveling in one direction: the outer diameter.

    5. Re:Link to the series by Phoghat · · Score: 1

      FAIL! Guess you couldn't either

      --
      Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
  8. Apple 2 video game by fdicostanzo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I remember the old Prisoner 2 video game for the Apple II. They gave you a secret number and all you had to do was not give it to them when they asked. Sounds easy. Just don't type the number.

    Well, they got me! Applesoft programs would sometimes crash into prompt with an error and line. One would almost instinctually list out the line to see what the error was. So when the video game seemed to crash I listed out the line..... You lose!

    I have never enjoyed losing a game so much.

    --
    Synergies are basically awesome, and they're even better when you leverage them. -PA
    1. Re:Apple 2 video game by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      The CIA used video game simulations like these to train people to not divulge confidential information. The computer would "crash", ask for login credentials, and tell you you lost if you tried to log in.

    2. Re:Apple 2 video game by L4t3r4lu5 · · Score: 1

      Even with syntactically correct, but otherwise spurious, credentials?

      I remember this being featured in that wonderfully idiotic "thriller" The Recruit where Colin Farrel is "caught" and interrogated, being asked for the name of his instructor. He gives in after 3 days, and the back "wall" of the chamber he is held in moves away to reveal the rest of his classmates, watching his every move and choice while "captured."

      --
      Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
  9. Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by khasim · · Score: 5, Insightful

    From the comic pdf, it looks like they've completely missed the original point.

    He had resigned because ... that is never stated ... and then he is kidnapped but he doesn't know which side kidnapped him.

    The guards didn't use guns. Aside from Rover, it was purely psychological. Even the times he escaped, he was betrayed by people he thought he could trust who turned out to be working for The Village.

    Psychological. That's the key.

    1. Re:Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by Philip+K+Dickhead · · Score: 1

      We don't have attention spans long enough for story ideas that cannot be swiftly resolved with guns.

      Let's try an jive thing up a bit, eh? You know, like 24, with brainwashing!

      --
      "Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act." -- George Orwell
    2. Re:Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      You should have paid closer attention to the original. Number 2 resigned because of the Village. His knowledge of its existence is the reason for his being placed in the Village, which was of course ideal for his plan to bring it down.

      Totalitarianism can never be tolerated, in any form.

    3. Re:Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by RLBrown · · Score: 1

      My take on the original was a little different. I viewed it as an exploration of the Prisoner's own mind by himself. He resigned from an important job, but did not himself understand why he resigned. At his apartment he dreamed of the Village, which was a map of his mind. Only in the first few episodes is he not in control - for most of the episodes to the end he manipulates all Village residents easily, seeking only the answer to "who is number one". He is always told the truth about that - "you are, number six" and "six of one, half dozen of the other". In the over the top finale, where the hallucinogenic nature of the whole experience is laid bare, he finds number one to an aspect of himself. However, whatever you interpretation, I believe we will find this new mini-series does not get it. The ever changing number two, always replaced by unlikely persons, was integral to the original concept. The fact that no one was ever who they seemed, the lack of high violence (a fair fraction of every episode was just walking and talking), were all part of the fascination of the original series. I know that many will say that taking the show as having been all in his mind is a cliche, but it was not such a big cliche when this show was produced.

      --
      -- Perhaps I see less than some, but more than many.
    4. Re:Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by shawnap · · Score: 5, Insightful

      We don't have attention spans long enough for story ideas that cannot be swiftly resolved with guns. Let's try an jive thing up a bit, eh? You know, like 24, with brainwashing!

      I know this is a joke, but the thought of tv moving so smoothly from a show about a villainous agency who kidnaps and tortures the hero, to a show about a heroic agency who kidnaps and tortures the villain has left me too wistful to laugh.

    5. Re:Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by h4rm0ny · · Score: 1


      Even worse - if you make it to the end of the comic, you see the last seen is him holding his smartphone with the caption below of "sponsored by..." whichever phone company it was. Palm, I think.

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    6. Re:Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by Big+Hairy+Ian · · Score: 2, Insightful

      We don't have attention spans long enough for story ideas that cannot be swiftly resolved with guns.

      Poppycock I'm tired of watching stupid shite that's been dumbed down by some idiot producer who assumes that everyone else is dimmer than he is the 40 Watt waste of space.

      --

      Build a Man a Fire, and He'll Be Warm for a Day. Set a Man on Fire, and He'll Be Warm for the Rest of His Life.

    7. Re:Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by Atrox666 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.
      -- H. L. Mencken

    8. Re:Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by 16K+Ram+Pack · · Score: 1

      We don't have attention spans long enough for story ideas that cannot be swiftly resolved with guns.

      Really? We've evolved so much as human beings in 40 years?

      Or it is simply that that's what TV and media companies would like us all to believe, in order to excuse the frequently poor crap they produce?

      The technology of editing and graphics has allowed people to do more cool shit, but it's used to fill up what's on the screen rather than enhancing it. It's used to distract you, to move you on from what you've seen because it really isn't very good.

      There's an old British TV series called Civilisation which was written and presented by Kenneth Clarke. And it's totally gripping to watch despite the fact that it frequently is a man standing in front of a painting or some architecture and just talking about it in a shot that lasts for a few minutes.

    9. Re:Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people. Yet.
      -- Anonymous Coward

    10. Re:Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by Doctor_Jest · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Sometimes he resigned, sometimes Number 2 was "reassigned." (Remember the uber-sexy 60's phone?) The Number 2's in the original Prisoner were tasked to get information from No. 6. Through varying methods, No. 6 was subjected to all sorts of tricks and outright violence (remember the ladies from the Committee?), and it was No. 6 who foiled their plans by not revealing squat. They even gave No. 6 a chance to become No. 2 in an "election" (one of my favorite, because of its scathing commentary on current "choices" in politics). The reasons for No. 2's departure(s) throughout the series was each of their failures to extract the "information" required of No. 6 by whoever ran The Village. What that information was, or who was running the Village, is never stated. No. 6 alternates from foiling the plans of No. 2 to orchestrating escapes and/or convoluted acts to throw off No. 2.

      One of the biggest "aha!" moments actually occurred at the end of the final episode. When No. 6 returns to his apartment in London (after a wild ride altogether), the door opens automatically... JUST like in the Village. How's that for a mind-blowing twist? :)

      --
      It's the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.
    11. Re:Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by Philip+K+Dickhead · · Score: 1

      Yes.

      And old James Burke's shows. He'd throw in a prop or sound effect - but Connections is basically a man in front of a camera.

      --
      "Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act." -- George Orwell
    12. Re:Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by M.+Baranczak · · Score: 1

      I think the parent poster meant #6, not #2.

    13. Re:Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by mqduck · · Score: 1

      Psychological. That's the key.

      I think you're confusing "psychological" with "weird". ;)

      --
      Property is theft.
    14. Re:Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by metamatic · · Score: 1

      To see things go the other way, compare "U.F.O." (early 70s) to "The X-Files". In "U.F.O.", the heroes are the organization set up to keep the alien invasion secret from the general public...

      --
      GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
    15. Re:Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by shawnap · · Score: 1

      Good point. I bet there's dozens more where those came from in various different directions.
      Probably a paper to be written in there somewhere.

    16. Re:Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by Doctor_Jest · · Score: 1

      That alters it, yes. Now the post makes more sense. :)

      --
      It's the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.
    17. Re:Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by dangitman · · Score: 1

      Poppycock I'm tired of watching stupid shite that's been dumbed down by some idiot producer who assumes that everyone else is dimmer than he is the 40 Watt waste of space.

      Yeah, that's one highly intelligent and well-written sentence.

      --
      ... and then they built the supercollider.
    18. Re:Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by goodtrick · · Score: 1

      very interesting, this might also explain why he seems to win every fight and the women are always attracted to him. There is a trippy dream-like feel all throughout.

    19. Re:Anyone bet that they don't totally ruin it? by Cruciform · · Score: 1

      Don't forget "The 'Run!' Show", starring Jennifer Garner.
      More commonly known as "Alias", the show involved an agent who thought she worked for the CIA but probably didn't. But maybe she was being tricked by other people into thinking she didn't work for the CIA... blah blah blah.
      I wouldn't know what the true story arc is because I quickly tired of the "alarm goes off, Jennifer has to run now" that occured in every single episode. They were so set on the archetype that the "heroine" can't actually kill anyone that they didn't seem to have any way to provide her with depth or additional storylines.

  10. If the link worked... by jackb_guppy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    AMCtv.com is using the latest version of Flash to bring you the best quality video. Please update your current flash player by clicking here

    Does not update a x64 based linux OS nor can I find one on download sites.

    Suggestions?

    1. Re:If the link worked... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      http://www.mininova.com/tor/1322108 - The.Prisoner.Series.1967 (8.45 gigabytes).

    2. Re:If the link worked... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Works for me in 64 bit linux, with version 10 of the Adobe Flash plugin.

      Gentoo AMD64

    3. Re:If the link worked... by jhol13 · · Score: 3, Funny

      1. Boycott AMCtv because it is not using "open" alternatives like, uh, Vorbis?
      2. Change distribution to X?
      3. Try under Wine?
      4. Change community attitude towards non-free software?
      5. Bitch to everyone who does not 100% agree with "FOSS is the only one" and "all information must be free"?
      6. Convert to "iPhone for everyhting"?

      Is that enough or you need more trolling? :-)

    4. Re:If the link worked... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You could try installing a 32 bit version of flash with a 32 bit browser, that should probably work. But the new version of flash is going to be 64 on linux I think so you may want to give that a shot when it's available (don't have a 64 processor right now and havn't been up to date on flash development but...)

    5. Re:If the link worked... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      http://lmgtfy.com/?q=64bit+flash

      64bit flash10 works fine on any linux distribution.

    6. Re:If the link worked... by Porchroof · · Score: 1

      Install Windows.

      --
      Fata viam invenient.
    7. Re:If the link worked... by oodaloop · · Score: 1

      ...must...not...say...profit! Ahhhhh!!!!!1!1

      --
      Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
    8. Re:If the link worked... by leonstr · · Score: 1

      Actually "Free as in Freedom" is a very Prisoner-esque concept...

    9. Re:If the link worked... by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Suggestions?

      learn to use the internets?

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    10. Re:If the link worked... by drewness · · Score: 1

      AMCtv.com is using the latest version of Flash to bring you the best quality video. Please update your current flash player by clicking here

      Does not update a x64 based linux OS nor can I find one on download sites.

      Suggestions?

      You should be able to find an x86_64 Linux version of the current flash. I'm running Debian Testing/Unstable and the current version of flashplugin-nonfree gets the 64bit Flash 10 plugin.

      If you just want a tarball of it, you can download it from Adobe Labs.

    11. Re:If the link worked... by Hal_Porter · · Score: 1

      You could try installing a 32 bit version of flash with a 32 bit browser, that should probably work.

      Maybe his browser needs more than 4GB of address space?

      --
      echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
    12. Re: If the link worked... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Appears Dead in Comcast Land

    13. Re:If the link worked... by jackb_guppy · · Score: 1

      Not that easy. Been trying for a while. Abode release new version on July 30th. Still waiting for it to filter down. Their own website when to google in for x64 takes to a page that then tells you to use download center that does not have option x64 version, just x32.

      Now if you have a google page/request that shows the good link, then you would be right. Maybe share it, so we can all learn to use google.

    14. Re:If the link worked... by jackb_guppy · · Score: 1

      Thank you - one step closer. Found file and instructions for Ubuntu 9.04, but does not seam to work 8.04.

      Will keep trying.

    15. Re:If the link worked... by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      My first google search result is Flash Player 10 which begins with the following text:

      Update: Furthering Adobe's commitment to the Linux community and as part of ongoing efforts to ensure the cross-platform compatibility of Flash Player, an alpha refresh of 64-bit Adobe Flash Player 10 for Linux operating systems was released on 7/30/09 and is available for download. This offers easier, native installation on 64-bit Linux distributions and removes the need for 32-bit emulation. Learn more by reading the 64-bit Flash Player 10 FAQ.

      Click the "download" link and visit Adobe Labs Downloads - Flash Player 10" and you will find the x64 flash player download.
      If you had actually read the page at the top of the google search results, you would have found the information you were looking for. Instead you were so sure that I was wrong, you made an idiot of yourself. Well, that's not particularly true. You showed us all that you are an idiot. In summary, you are a big dumbfuck who can't read. Please leave slashdot, you are making it dumber for all of us.
      P.S. this is precisely the procedure I followed when I downloaded it for installation on my desktop system, upon which it is working right now. So far it works very well, albeit slowly. A drunken monkey could have figured this one out. You have to read to use the internets. Google is just a part of that.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  11. I pity them by PCM2 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I can't imagine what it must be like to work on a production like this. The actors, the writers, the directors... everybody. Imagine knowing, every day you go in to work, that you're working on inane, pointless crap that's nothing more than the result of an endless negotiation between lawyers for the sake of earning a few bucks. Imagine knowing that out there, somewhere, is a truly classic work of art that you had absolutely nothing to do with. Knowing that somewhere inside you there might be a person who's just as intelligent and creative as Patrick McGoohan, but instead you're stuck making some senseless drivel that borrows the name of his vision. What a horrible, sad, soulless existence that must be. Truly, I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

    --
    Breakfast served all day!
    1. Re:I pity them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, in this day and age working on a *paying* job must be torture.. /rolls eyes

    2. Re:I pity them by Hurricane78 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Sadly that form of existence, called "living your life in a walking daze", is the state of nearly all people in this society.

      They work for someone who is no bit better than them, has some crappy ideas, but has the money to make others with much better ideas, work for him to make them real.
      They fall into a passive state of not thinking for yourself. Not leading. And when they come home, they do the same, by watching TV.

      I don't think it's actually life anymore. You are just a material that gets used up. A human resource.

      --
      Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
    3. Re:I pity them by dbIII · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Some episodes were brilliant. Others were pointless crap. Some had incredibly bad and stupid dialogue which were saved by Leo McKearn and Patrick McGoohan looking and sounding very intense about it. Some actors and cinematographers can take rubbish and turn it into gold.

    4. Re:I pity them by rho · · Score: 1

      On the upside it encouraged me to add the original series to the Netflix queue again. So, uh, good job, guys?

      --
      Potato chips are a by-yourself food.
    5. Re:I pity them by vrai · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Sadly that form of existence, called "living your life in a walking daze", is the state of nearly all people in this society.

      Everyone is asleep but me!

      I don't think it's actually life anymore. You are just a material that gets used up. A human resource.

      Anymore? As opposed to a utopian time when all men were free and lived only for themselves? Never existed outside of wishful thinking and revisionist history.

    6. Re:I pity them by maxume · · Score: 1

      He has a rather healthy case of Dunning-Kruger.

      --
      Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
    7. Re:I pity them by Joe+Tie. · · Score: 1

      At least they're associated with brilliance in some way. I somehow doubt the backend web coding I do is going to get me even the footnote in history they'll have.

      --
      Everything will be taken away from you.
    8. Re:I pity them by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      Imagine knowing, every day you go in to work, that you're working on inane, pointless crap that's nothing more than the result of an endless negotiation between lawyers for the sake of earning a few bucks.

      That's most of humanity. It's called "working for a living". No different from videogame programmers.

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
    9. Re:I pity them by mqduck · · Score: 1

      \'.'/

      Is that an icon version of Mothula?

      --
      Property is theft.
    10. Re:I pity them by my_left_nut · · Score: 1

      You have to go back at least 10000 years (maybe more) to when we were hunter-gatherers for that. As soon as agriculture happened, we all started to work for someone else.

    11. Re:I pity them by joeyblades · · Score: 1

      The Prisoner was a lot like Star Trek (the original series) in the sense that is tried to make socio-political statements that were relevant to the time and audience. Some of those episode that strike you as pointless crap might have seemed more relevant if you were living in the UK during the 60s and keeping up with the politics and pop culture of the time.

    12. Re:I pity them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They Live You Sleep

    13. Re:I pity them by PCM2 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, so I was being a trifle melodramatic about it. The point is made, yeah?

      --
      Breakfast served all day!
  12. Alternative running order by TastelessGarbage · · Score: 5, Interesting
    The PBS station in San Jose reran the series about 20 or so years ago. Scott Apel hosted bumpers before and after the series, which greatly enhanced the viewing. The biggest move was his re-ordering of the episodes into a sequence that made more sense than the CBS original run, in particular. The re-ordering went as follows:

    Arrival

    Dance of the Dead

    Checkmate

    Free for All

    The Chimes of Big Ben

    Many Happy Returns

    The Schizoid Man

    The General

    A, B and C

    It's Your Funeral

    Living in Harmony

    Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling

    A Change of Mind

    Hammer Into Anvil (my favorite ep)

    The Girl Who Was Death

    Once Upon a Time

    Fall Out

    In this order, the series consists of three cycles. Cycle one (ending with Many Happy Returns) focuses on #6 trying to escape. Cycle two (ending with Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling) focuses on 'intrigue in The Village' as #6 adjusts to his captivity. The final cycle consists of #6 taking charge and subverting The Village from within. Continuity is also improved in this sequencing.

    And yes, #6 does have a name: Carl (his fiancee would know his name, after all).

    --
    That ain't liver; that's beef kidney!
    1. Re:Alternative running order by mockchoi · · Score: 1

      I never thought of it, but what you are saying makes perfect sense. I'm looking forward to watching the series again this way.

    2. Re:Alternative running order by techno-vampire · · Score: 1
      And yes, #6 does have a name: Carl (his fiancee would know his name, after all).

      His first name may have been Carl, but his last name was Drake. The only reason they didn't use it during the series is that it was done by a different production company than the one that'd done Secret Agent, and they couldn't get permission. In fact, if you can find and read the novels that were written about the series, one of them starts, "Drake woke up."

      --
      Good, inexpensive web hosting
    3. Re:Alternative running order by DynaSoar · · Score: 1

      One can also obtain the DVD "The Prisoner: Special Edition" and look into the 'extras'. Two episodes had their soundtracks redone, but on this DVD were presented in their original form. Doesn't add meaning such as this reordering, but worth a comparison if one's a fan.

      --
      "I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
    4. Re:Alternative running order by ZM73 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Where do you get that his "real" name is Carl? If The Prisoner (#6) has a "real" name, it's John Drake, (ie, Secret Agent, aka Danger Man, from which Patrick McGoohan first starred.) In fact, the photo used of #6 in The Village is a stock photo of "John Drake" from Secret Agent. However, I have never heard of #6 being referred to as "Carl", even by his fiance. I just re-watched "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling" (the episode with Janet, #6's fiance) and she never once utters "Carl."

      .

      Please, if you can, point to your reference where #6's name is Carl.

      .

      Also, if you wish to speak of running order, you should check out the Wiki of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Prisoner_episodes There are 5 different running orders listed, all of which seem to have their own validity.

      .

      In the end, Patrick McGoohan (RIP) should have the last say in all of this... and over the years he never once admitted that #6 was John Drake, (or any other "real" name). Plus, he always said that the running order should have been much shorter than it was: only 7 episodes:

      Arrival

      Dance of the Dead

      Free For All

      Checkmate

      Chimes of Big Ben

      Once Upon a Time

      Fallout

      .

      The reason the series lasted 17 was due to network requests, not Patrick's. Although British TV series have always been "odd" in the number of episodes making a whole "season," they didn't want to do just 7 episodes, but Patrick didn't want to do 24... so, there are 17.

      .

      As for the running order debates... frankly I don't care where AB&C, and The General belong in the greater running order, but they certainly belong in That order, (and back to back). Colin Gordon is one of the few actors who plays #2 twice, and in the opening sequence of the episode of The General he says "I AM Number 2" NOT "I am the New Number 2." Thus bridging his appearance from AB&C into The General. If we are to take The General as coming before AB&C, then it's rather out of place to then hear him say he is the New #2 at the start of AB&C.

      .

      Another running order debate is with placing Checkmate before Free For All. Frankly, Free For All MUST come before Checkmate. In Free For All, as he is campaigning for #2's "office" he announces that he intends to find out who are the prisoners and who are the warders. Then, in Checkmate he formulates a theory on which to test this separation. It would seem illogical to reverse these two in the running order.

      .

      And... no matter where you place Dance of the Dead, it must be within the first 2 or 3 episodes as one of #6's opening lines in that episode is "I"m new here!" If this episode starts creeping into a running order later that the 3rd episode, that line becomes less logical.

      .

      As for the second-half (or last third) of the running order... there really aren't as many line specific instances, or continuity points to really say one way or the other. Maybe because these later episodes were merely filler... until we get to the conclusion with Once Upon A Time and Fallout, which (frankly) should be watched as one episode.

      .

      If it were me, this would be the definitive running order: (A slightly modified Six of 1 Appreciation Society running order):

      Arrival

      Dance of the Dead

      Free For All

      Checkmate

      Chimes of Big Ben

      AB&C

      The General

      The Schizoid Man

      Many Happy Returns

      It's Your Funeral

      Change of Mind

      Hammer Into Anvil

      Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling

      Living In Harmony

      The Girl Who Was Death

      Once Upon A Time

      Fallout

      .

      Still.... I'd really like to know where "Carl" came from. In my 16 years of fandom with this show, I've Never heard "Carl" being used as #6's real name... in any circles of fans or critics.

    5. Re:Alternative running order by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've just watched openings of AB&C and The General and in AB&C â-2 says 'I am Number Two', in General - 'I am the new Number Two'.

    6. Re:Alternative running order by ZM73 · · Score: 1

      Whoops. I wrote my reply/post at 3AM and should have done a better job proof reading/editing. Yes, it's The General first, THEN AB&C. It must be said, this is the only moment where #2 says "I AM #2" and not "the new" #2. My apologies for getting it wrong in my reply/post. Other than that... Who the hell is Carl?

    7. Re:Alternative running order by TastelessGarbage · · Score: 2, Informative
      Uh, ok. I had watched the program on first-run on CBS way back when, and was lucky enough to be living in Silicon Valley when KTEH ran the series. I was surprised that the KTEH work by Apel was so widely circulated. Good excuse to pull my old tape of DNFMOMD and give it a rewatch.

      Having said that, I was trying to provide a service to potential fans of my favorite series of all time. Sorry to upset you.

      --
      That ain't liver; that's beef kidney!
  13. Jesus as the Prisoner? by tomRakewell · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Wow, Jesus (James Caviezal) is is not a number but a free man. FYI, Caviezal was struck by lightning during the filming of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ". Kind of like getting eaten by that big bouncing ball...

  14. Proper use of quotes in title by gmuslera · · Score: 1

    Verbally the title could be a little ambiguous, Is not the same AMC releasing "The Prisoner", than AMC releasing the prisoner (in the last reading the first thing anyone will think is "what is AMC?")..

    I suspect that more people will be happy with AMC putting free the old The Prisoner, than releasing a new one.

    What number will he have? The old one was 6, maybe next one will be 66, and we should wait till the real good version, in the reboot of the serie, when will be 666 (if the prisoner is 666, i would be very afraid of some entity called AMC that not only managed to imprison him, but plans soon to release him to the world)

    1. Re:Proper use of quotes in title by sdBlue · · Score: 1

      I for one am quite happy about the old ones being released, and cautiously optimistic about the new series.

    2. Re:Proper use of quotes in title by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No one should be happy about the Great Old Ones being released. Oh, you meant old ones... Oh, that's a little different.

    3. Re:Proper use of quotes in title by DynaSoar · · Score: 1

      Verbally the title could be a little ambiguous, Is not the same AMC releasing "The Prisoner", than AMC releasing the prisoner

      Originally the title was: Number Six Returns: AMC Releasing "The Prisoner". Less ambiguous but with enough double meaning to be catchy. The original did require fixing as it was max length before adding the quotes, and they caused it to truncate at the 'e' in 'Prisoner'. I didn't see it in the editor but did in the post-submission display.

      What number will he have? The old one was 6, maybe next one will be 66, and we should wait till the real good version, in the reboot of the serie, when will be 666 (if the prisoner is 666, i would be very afraid of some entity called AMC that not only managed to imprison him, but plans soon to release him to the world)

      If only you'd noticed that Jesus from 'The Passion of Christ' was playing the the hero, this last bit would have had much more impact. Someone already mentioned Caviezal having played Jesus, but nobody has yet commented on whether having McKellen as #2 would make it "Jesus vs. Magneto" or "Jesus vs. Gandolf". Since in the editing they decided that the links to the actors IMDB pages weren't necessary, it's more difficult to make such connections. Of course had I followed all the links I'd started with, I'd have noticed that one said "the ever changing Number Two" which I interpreted as a new one every episode, most Number Two actors played in 2 episodes, and one of them in 3. I might have even noticed how many of the Number Twos had played one part or another in Dr. Who, but I doubt I'd have had the nerve to appear to be that much of a nerd.

      --
      "I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
    4. Re:Proper use of quotes in title by PainKilleR-CE · · Score: 1

      but in the end, 666, the number of the beast, is a different track. The Prisoner is track 3, not track 5.

      --
      -PainKilleR-[CE]
  15. i wish Nowhere Man was never cancelled by Blue+Shifted · · Score: 1

    it was the prisoner of this generation.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowhere_Man_(TV_series)

  16. I wish them the best, it isn't an easy chore... by NeuroManson · · Score: 2, Interesting

    About 8 years ago, I came up with, but never penned (maybe to the benefit of all), the idea of taking the concept of The Prisoner, and the concept of reality TV and bringing them together.

    The psychological aspects alone would have been awesome, get a bunch of unsuspecting "reality show" contestants together, seperate them into groups based on political beliefs, make them increasingly paranoid with each episode, force them in some way to work with/against each other, make them believe they were in fact prisoners in some kind of foreign or even an American prison camp, and totally play on that situation.

    Like I said, it may be a good thing I never did that. It could have made me millions, or could for someone daring enough to do that (in which case, send me money via paypal), it could have majorly screwed things up, but it was a concept worth thinking about at least.

    --
    Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
  17. I think the butler did it by goombah99 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Something small and quiet just died...

    My first reaction was oh good maybe i'll understand it this time. Then I thought well if I did maybe some of the magic would be gone too. Sort of like how the mysteroulsy tantilizing aspect of the X-files slowly drained out and only sculley kept me watching and eventually that was not enough.

    I recall seeing the prisoner on as a kid. Back then it was common for syndicated shows to be shown out of order since it was expected there was no story arc. for example, it did not matter what happened last week in Hawaii 5-0.

    So it was a mystery what the hell was going on more than it even was supposed to be.

    Later when it came to DVD I watched it end to end. And I still don't really understand it. especially the last three episodes. It was oddly a product of it's era but also way way way ahead of it's time for TV. A surreal secret agent show.

    I always liked how #2 changed but no one said anything. The one constant seemed to be the butler.

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
    1. Re:I think the butler did it by h4rm0ny · · Score: 1


      Your reminiscences make me want to go and re-watch the whole thing. I have a fond memory of him drinking to the bottom of the glass and finding, written on tiny letters at the bottom, "you have just been poisoned". James Bond would never have survived that scene in Casino Royale if he hadn't watched The Prisoner as a kid. ;)

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    2. Re:I think the butler did it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ah,"The Girl Who Was Death". That episode was hilarious. It was kind of a "spy's fairy tale" version of his own job. So many clichés. It's not surprising they turn up elsewhere.

    3. Re:I think the butler did it by hughk · · Score: 1

      The prisoner is old enough that they wrote many of the cliches. The series was an inspiration to many writers and directors.

      --
      See my journal, I write things there
    4. Re:I think the butler did it by Dogtanian · · Score: 1

      And I still don't really understand it. especially the last three episodes.

      I think that's around the time script editor George Markstein left; the final episodes AFAIK more represent McGoohan's vision for the show.

      Which- if it is the case- means that Markstein was a useful counterbalance to McGoohan's undeniable vision, because the final few episodes- particularly the last two- were definitely inferior, seeming to suffer from cod psychological/philosophical/surreal elements. The earlier episodes had some of that but got away with it, I assume because of Markstein's involvement.

      --
      "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
  18. I guess that means I'll... by Darinbob · · Score: 5, Funny

    Be seeing it.

  19. If one believes in God... by MsGeek · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...one might think the lightning strike was a divine verdict on the whole tawdry spectacle of The Passion Of The Christ.

    --
    Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
    1. Re:If one believes in God... by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      One could as easily think that the fact that getting hit by lightning and not dying might be a devine verdict in the other direction.

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
  20. What's the point ? by CharlyFoxtrot · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Yet another regurg of something that was once original and worthwhile. Am i really supposed to believe they're doing this for some other reason than to milk some of their 'property' until it's dry ? Give me back my culture already.

    --
    If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error.
    1. Re:What's the point ? by joeyblades · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I guarantee you that the new series will generate interest in the old series.

      My kids would have never watched the old Star Trek series had they never been exposed to the "Enterprise" series.

      Similarly, they gained an appreciation for The Who because they watched the Limp Bizkit version of "Behind Blue Eyes" on YouTube and then followed some Who links.

      Remakes can have a positive impact on culture, even when the remakes are poor imitations of the originals... although I DO like Limp Bizkit's "Behind Blue Eyes"...

    2. Re:What's the point ? by 6031769 · · Score: 1

      I've got news for you, your culture has already vanished. Some chopper has already decided that it's a good idea to remake Edge of Darkness. Clearly nothing is sacred and everything is up for grabs by the almighty dollar.

      --
      Burns: We're building a casino!
      McAllister: Arrr. Give me 5 minutes.
    3. Re:What's the point ? by dangitman · · Score: 1

      For fuck's sake, shoot yourself in the head if you you think that a TV show is "your culture."

      --
      ... and then they built the supercollider.
    4. Re:What's the point ? by CharlyFoxtrot · · Score: 1

      It's certainly part of it. Movies and TV are just another way to tell stories and sites like TV Tropes show quite clearly that it has become part of our "vocabulary." It may not conform to your idea of "high culture" but it does form part of our common background and frame of reference. So don't be a snob, culture is about more than just Picasso.

      --
      If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error.
    5. Re:What's the point ? by dangitman · · Score: 1

      I don't think culture is only about high art, and doesn't include TV. I was commenting on your notion that it belongs to you, and somebody stole it from you, which is absurd. You didn't have anything to do with making "The Prisoner," so it's not yours.

      --
      ... and then they built the supercollider.
    6. Re:What's the point ? by CharlyFoxtrot · · Score: 1

      I'll clarify my position. I think that once passed into the collective consciousness it belongs to all of us (hence public domain) and yet only these unimaginative media conglomerates get to remix these movie/tv shows/songs whatever. To them it's only a way to recycle a "property" into a new "product" to make a few quick bucks. I do feel it's somewhat like theft, they're fencing off ever larger parts of the cultural commons.

      That doesn't mean by the way that I don't respect the original creators of any work. I hold them in the highest regard and only wish I could contribute like them.

      --
      If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error.
    7. Re:What's the point ? by dangitman · · Score: 1

      Well, that's where you are wrong. It does belong to whoever owns the copyright to do whatever they please with. Attaching yourself to such things why you have this problem. It truly was never yours.

      What if some other fan disagrees, and likes the new series? What gives you more claim to it than any other viewer?

      --
      ... and then they built the supercollider.
  21. working torrent anyone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    off the original version... the only ones i could find were dead...

    1. Re:working torrent anyone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/3565524/The_Prisoner

  22. So while the media industry complains about... by Gordonjcp · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ... "Knock-off Nigel" buying knock-off DVDs, they're busily pumping out knock-offs and "remakes" and "sequels" of stuff from the 1960s?

    Dear film producers,

    I will start buying DVDs again when you start producing original content. No, adding an Audi R8 and some explosions doesn't count as original.

    1. Re:So while the media industry complains about... by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      I will start buying DVDs again when you start producing original content.

      Sometimes I suspect that the generation supposedly creating new stuff has no imagination.

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
  23. Okay I'll bite by crimperman · · Score: 2, Interesting

    What is AMC? I am guessing it's a US TV channel but I've never heard of it. A simple "US TV channel AMC" the first time it's mentioned in TFS would have helped!

    1. Re:Okay I'll bite by Rick+Richardson · · Score: 1

      We don't get AMC in Minnetonka, MN. Only TCM (Turner Classic Movies), which is commercial free.

    2. Re:Okay I'll bite by Vohar · · Score: 2, Funny

      It's American Movie Classics, which has been expanding their definitions of 'movie' and 'classics' since they first started. They began with movies like Casablanca, now they're on Bride of Chucky.

      Seriously, Bride of Chucky. 11pm EST today.

    3. Re:Okay I'll bite by the_humeister · · Score: 1

      American Motor Corporation. They made such venerable cars as the Gremlin and the Pacer and various Jeep models. Then they were bought by Chrysler. Now they're making movies for some reason.

    4. Re:Okay I'll bite by swordgeek · · Score: 1

      Hey! Let's not forget their GOOD cars - like the Matador, and...um...

      Actually, never mind.

      (I grew up with a '73 Matador as the family car - dad hated it as long as we owned it.)

      --

      "People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban
  24. Watching the first episode... by seeker_1us · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Why am I reminded of Teletubbies? And why does that scare the @#$% out of me?

    1. Re:Watching the first episode... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Probably because you don't consciously remember the time when you were caught trying to escape and were brutally interrogated by Village personnel wearing Teletubbie outfits.

      Be seeing you, Number 1203072.

  25. What's wrong with the original location? by Snospar · · Score: 2, Informative

    I visited Portmeirion a couple of years back while on holiday in Wales. IMHO it was the perfect location for The Prisoner - a quirky, custom made village built into the hillside/cliffs leading down to a stretch of beach. The original show used this location to great effect and as I walked around the village I felt sure I was about to be chased by a seemingly sentient, menacing, white bubble - either that or knocked down by a jaunty Mini Moke!

    Did they replicate the concrete boat in Swakopmund (Namibia)? I somehow doubt it and hope they didn't just fall back on cheesy CGI.

    Where have all the original story tellers gone?

    --
    Moore's law is not a law. Theory, yes; Predictable trend, certainly; Law, no.
    1. Re:What's wrong with the original location? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe this will assuage your worries: http://www.denofgeek.com/television/100695/the_prisoner_heres_the_new_village.html

      I've been to Swakopmund several times and saw some of the sets for the show. Swakop definitely has an odd feel to it, something about a colonial German villa transplanted and squeezed between the Namib sand dunes and chilly south Atlantic makes it feel otherwordly. Still, McKellen coming to Namibia didn't produce as big headlines as when Jolie does anything, anywhere; Namibians are still in love with her.

  26. It could be worse by maroberts · · Score: 1

    Why am I reminded of Teletubbies? And why does that scare the @#$% out of me?

    It could be worse, you could be In the Night Garden!

    --

    Donte Alistair Anderson Roberts - hi son!
    Karma: Chameleon

  27. Half-Life connection by HoppQ · · Score: 1

    What I want to know is if there is a Half-Life connection. I mean, looking at their posters in the downloads section, Ian McKellen sure does look like he could be the G-Man. Is Number Six going to be seen crawling in vents with a crowbar in hand?

    --
    My sig will be released in 2015 third quarter. Rating pending.
  28. Comicon by ShakaUVM · · Score: 1

    I saw this at Comicon - they had clips from the upcoming series running, and were taking photos of people as ID Badges for the Village. Had a nice retro-modern look to their largish booth.

    I got my ID. I hope the series is good so that it'll be a fond collectable item some day (not like I'd sell it), rather than yet another tchotchke from some worthless failed project.

    The clips they showed looks like it has promise, but you never really know until you actually watch it.

  29. I Am SO Buying This by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This Prisoner was one of the great shows (well, a couple towards the end were sloppy). This sounds superb.

  30. Sounds very kafkaesque by rohit+krishnan · · Score: 1

    Anybody seen the original? The setup sounds very similar to Kafka.

    1. Re:Sounds very kafkaesque by h4rm0ny · · Score: 1


      I don't know if there were any actual ties to Kafka's work, acknowledged or otherwise, but there are strong parallels. And by a strange co-incidence, I like both. Number 6's struggle against the literally anonymous powers of The Village and the determination to assert his identity in an environment determined not to acknowledge it, the incomprehensibility of the rules and customs of the people in the Village (yet often with a hint of unknown purpose) and finally the way individuals can be replaced yet maintain continuity (for example, Number 2 is sometimes replaced by someone else, yet everyone behaves as if he's always been that person) - yes, very kafkaesque.

      Incidentally, it's that last issue about how Number 2 changes, that is one of the alarm bells ringing about the remake.

      Be seeing you,

      H.

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
  31. I think they captured the original spirit well. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When I went to the site and tried to view the video it said:
    "THE VIDEO YOU ARE TRYING TO WATCH CANNOT BE VIEWED FROM YOUR CURRENT COUNTRY OR LOCATION"

    The mix of surreal paranoia and bureaucratic nonsense this engendered took me right back to the original episodes.
    Looking forward to seeing the final result!

  32. I can't imagine they're going to get this right. by brennanw · · Score: 1

    That said, I'd still like more...

    information...

    --
    Eviscerati.Org: All Hail the Eviscerati
  33. Thirty Six Hours vs The Prisoner by hammarlund · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The story line for The Prisoner (1967 - 1968) is eerily similar to the 1965 movie called "Thirty Six Hours", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/36_Hours. In it, James Garner wakes up in a hospital supposedly five years after attending the final briefing for the D-Day invasion. He is disoriented; there's a newspaper dated five years later. He goes to the window and looks out in a scene reminiscent of the opening sequence of The Prisoner. Instead of the village, he sees the hospital grounds. The deception is an attempt to discover the plans for the D-Day invasion, "by hook or by crook". It's uncanny how similar The Prisoner is to this movie. It's been a long time since I've seen the movie, but I believe that the Garner character is referred to as Number Two (instead of number six in The Prisoner), as well as other similarities.

    1. Re:Thirty Six Hours vs The Prisoner by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Now, that is the sort of thing we need to see!! McGoohan, in an interview once, modestly commented that so far as he was concerned, his show was "........ just another grain of sand in the desert........." There was an episode of McGoohan's earlier show, "Secret Agent" that had as part of it's plot a village where spies were trained...... All this stuff comes from someplace else. The Prisoner has in turn inspired many subsequent shows and ideas.

  34. Something tells me the last episode... by wonkavader · · Score: 1

    Something tells me the last episode won't resemble "Fall Out" -- the original last episode. If you haven't seen the original series, haven't seen the last episode when everything becomes "clear" (HAHAHAHAHAH!! [Read that as maniacal laughter]) and "#2" "Escapes" "The Village" [read the quotes as irony/dual meaning], you might still think there's a possibility that the new series will be a little bit faithful to the original.

  35. Why did you think a giant bubble would stop them? by maino82 · · Score: 1

    "Shut up, that's why!"

  36. Re:If the link worked...Suggestions? by arthurpaliden · · Score: 1

    Install Vista.

    --
    Undetectable Steganography? Yep, there's an app fo
  37. What about the music? by vonhammer · · Score: 1

    I can probably forgive most changes, but they had better not mess with the music! I want the exact same soundtrack and closing video sequence of the penny-farthing bicycle. A Lotus 7 would be nice, but not required. And who here can recall where Patrick McGoohan used his trademark "Be seeing you" on another series? (Columbo, he even played an evil spy on that episode).

  38. You only THINK that AMC is "Releasing" Him by Philip+K+Dickhead · · Score: 1

    Inn fact, he's really still in "the Village" the whole time. You can tell - because his apartment door in London still opens by itself.

    --
    "Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act." -- George Orwell
  39. Hmmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1) Take classic British show
    2) Add Americans
    3) Profit!

    Just like Red Dwarf, IT Crowd, Ab Fab, etc

  40. Please tell me this is a joke by nurb432 · · Score: 1

    I really hope they have not made plans to ruin yet another classic.

    Without PMG being involved its just 'wrong'.

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  41. He didn't say they were free by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He was complaining about a small group of people holding sway over the rest of us, increasingly forcing us into unrewarding work and lifestyles.

    There was a time when that was not so, and not that long ago. Only the last century or two as all land was owned, and all resources restricted were the majority forced to pay tax on their every living act.

    Obviously you won't be manning the barricades when the revolution comes. You'll be fighting your bosses side in the hope that he will bestow great wealth on you should his side win. Look out if he looses...

  42. FAN T-SHIRT DESIGNS? by DarkStarZumaBeach · · Score: 1

    What about Fan T-shirt designs???

    Front - over a silhouette of Jim Caveziel:

    "THE PRISONER" -- in 72 pt

    "The Special Rendition Edition" -- in 48 pt

    Vote for 6! -- in 56 pt.

    On the back - over the facing silhouettes of Ian McKellan and Dick Cheney:

    Vote for 2!

    Be seeing your replies! ....

    PS: Gosh - what if Port Merion had Twitter and iPhones instead of Rovers?

    --
    DarkStarZumaBeachSurfinApocalypseWow
  43. Ruh-Roh! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    After reading an interview with the "writer" of this new project, there's absolutely no hope for this to be anything other than crap. The fact that it will have been sitting in the can for nearly a year after completion by the time it airs is Big Flashing Uh-Oh Sign #2. That they didn't use Portmerion is BFUOS #3, and that this is NOT a remake but a "re-imagining" with an entirely different overall storyline that is pro-conformity and anti-individualism is BFUOS #3.

    You read it here first -- fans will HATE THIS THING.

  44. I work for myself by snowwrestler · · Score: 1

    I work for myself. I use my boss and my employer to provide money and health care to myself, giving them some of my talent, time*, and effort in return. I'm an equal partner in my working conditions; if I don't like them I have great freedom to go get another job or start my own company.

    --
    Build a man a fire, he's warm for one night. Set him on fire, and he's warm for the rest of his life.
  45. Number Six by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Perhaps instead of JC for the lead, how about Tricia Helfer?