From the Vault: When ‘The Prisoner’ transformed primetime TV drama into avant-garde art
Photo courtesy: ITV
No ‘From the Vault’ would be complete with paying tribute to one of the all-time classic series from the ’60s — or for that matter, anytime — The Prisoner. Equal parts spy fiction, science fiction and allegory with a major dose of psychological drama thrown in for good measure, The Prisoner was created by and starred Patrick McGoohan (Danger Man or Secret Agent in the U.S.) as No. 6.
The series tracks a British secret agent who, following his abrupt resignation from his job, appears to have been abducted and then imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village resort run by No. 2, the village administrator.
No. 2 desperately needs to know why No. 6 has resigned his position with a myriad of ways to extract information, including hallucinogenic drug experiences, identity theft, mind control and dream manipulation at his fingertips. Adding to the complexity of the series, the identity of No. 2 changed from week to week partly to confuse No. 6 as he continued to refuse to co-operate or provide the answers they sought.
Photo courtesy: ITV
Secured by numerous monitoring systems and security forces including a militarized, balloon-based device called Rover that recaptures or destroys those who attempt escape, The Village was isolated from the mainlands by mountains and seas. No. 6’s sole purpose while living in The Village is to learn the identity of No. 1 and escape, all the while defiantly pronouncing that, “I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.”
Photo courtesy: ITV
Numerous well-known actors had guest roles in the series including Leo McKern (Rumpole of the Bailey), Peter Bowles (To the Manor Born) and Paul Eddington (Good Life and Yes, Minister).
Originally broadcast during 1967-68, and even counting the Beatles among its as avid fans, this brilliant series’ location filming was done mostly in Portmeirion in North Wales. If you’re headed that way on a road trip, that’s 1 1/2 miles south of Porthmadog and 1 1/2 miles west of Penrhyndeudraeth, just off the main road at Minffordd. Should be easy enough for you to find with these parameters, don’t you think?
FROM THE VAULT
Each week Bill reaches back for a favorite, memorable clip or classic highlight. See more gems from British telly history.
The brilliant thing about Portmeirion is that it still remains today true to “the village” look of the series. The surreal architecture and Mediterranean feel of the village was the vision of Welsh architect, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, who acquired the desolate coastal village in 1926 for 5,000 pounds. You can stay at the Portmeirion Hotel, stroll through gardens and dine in numerous restaurants. If you decide to leave, however, make sure you know just where the bouncing ball is. It’s kind of like Hotel California where you can checkout any time you like but you can never leave. Or maybe the Overlook, perhaps?
The Prisoner transformed primetime television drama into avant-garde art. At a time when British telly was shot in black and white, the series was shot in color with an eye towards overseas sales in the U.S. I remember the first time I watched the series in its entirety, I sat there with a “WTH” look on my face wondering what just happened during the 17 episodes I had just seen.
Even though The Prisoner was created over 50 years ago, it has stood the test of time and remains one of the best series ever made.
In: Action/Drama
