The Prisoner

"Be Seeing You"

This British import TV series redefined television in 1967. Ostensibly about what happens when a British secret agent tries to resign his position, the series explored issues of identity, privacy, community, responsibility and sanity. And accomplished all this while maintaining an incredible style-ishness that remains unparalleled today.

Secret Agent Man Quits

The series starred Patrick McGoohan as the unfortunate secret agent, whose name we never learn. Since McGoohan had played the title character of an earlier series called Secret Agent in the US (Danger Man in the UK), most viewers assumed (incorrectly, according at least to McGoohan) that the Prisoner and the secret agent are the same character.

The plot setup is displayed in the opening credits; an angry McGoohan turning in his badge and storming off to his home, where he is taken prisoner by forces unknown and wakes up in The Village.

They've Given You a Number and Taken Away Your Name

The Village is a pleasant-appearing resort-like town, populated by peaceful people apparently enjoying a leisured life. Our hero discovers that the people here go by numbers rather than names, and that he has become Number Six.

Periodically, he is called into the presence of the Village administrator, Number Two. Number Two is always played by a different actor, giving us a sense of the insecurity of the position and the probable power of Number One.

The conversation usually goes like this - Number Six: "Who is Number One?" Number Two: "You are Number Six." Number Six: "What do you want?" Number Two: "We want information." The information they're looking for is the reason for Number Six's resignation, which he refuses to give them. It is never made clear if this is for personal safety reasons, for ethical reasons, or if Number Six is just bone-stubborn.

Also periodically, Number Six attempts to escape, either with accomplices or alone. He is always apprehended and returned, often by the sinister seemingly-intelligent giant white beachball known as 'Rover'.

Paranoia Strikes Deep

In the Summer of Love, one year before the Chicago riots, the paranoia and distrust for authority of The Prisoner struck a nerve. The show, with only seventeen episodes, was literally Must See TV, and each revelation hotly debated. It was instantly a true Cult Classic. When the series ended with Number Six's escape from The Village in episode 17, the ending was so ambiguous that TV stations were flooded with phonecalls from viewers wanting to know what the hell just happened here.

The Look and Feel of The Prisoner

The Prisoner remains fresh in viewers' hearts as much for its very look and feel as for its story. The Village, far from being a grim prison, is a cheerful British fin de siecle seaside resort. American readers, just picture the hometown of the musical The Music Man. Boater straw hats, candyman suits, walking canes, gazebos in the square and oom-pah brass bands - that is the 'look' of the Village.

The action, the dialog, the underpinnings, however - that's another story. Enigmatic. Paranoid. Sinister and brooding. The combination of 'Music Man' cheer with dark imaginings marks this series as a Must See even today. In the running, at least, for Best Television Series Ever.

For those of you born after 1967, you're in luck; the entire series is available on DVD.