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The Prisoner

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cw10
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14 Feb 2012, 3:27 am

is an awesome series.



auntblabby
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14 Feb 2012, 3:32 am

i remember watching the original series in the 60s as a child, and not having a clue as to what it was about. but i remember being mildly frightened at the scenes where that white bubble would collect the prisoner.



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14 Feb 2012, 3:42 am

I remember when the Sci-Fi channel debuted as a new network and played reruns of The Prisoner. It was weirdly fascinating to me at the time. It's seemed more concept driven that anything.

Of course everyone else in my family thought it was plain weird.



cw10
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14 Feb 2012, 3:43 am

auntblabby wrote:
i remember watching the original series in the 60s as a child, and not having a clue as to what it was about. but i remember being mildly frightened at the scenes where that white bubble would collect the prisoner.


I was completely terrified of that thing. Later on come to find out the original Rover was supposed to be an actual golf cart (like the ones they drive around) that was supposed to be autonomous. But it ran itself into the water on the first episode and they decided it wasn't going to work out. haha. :)



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17 Feb 2012, 7:43 pm

Isn't a remake in the works?


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18 Feb 2012, 12:28 am

moved from Random Discussion to Television, Film, and Video


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19 Feb 2012, 7:25 pm

Ah man, I thought you were referring to the play that I can't find any info on that my mother apparently designed the costumes for.


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19 Feb 2012, 8:21 pm

AnonymousAnonymous wrote:
Isn't a remake in the works?


There was a 6 episode American miniseries made in 2009. Although it is quite different stylistically it is worth watching.



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20 Feb 2012, 1:42 am

xmh wrote:
AnonymousAnonymous wrote:
Isn't a remake in the works?


There was a 6 episode American miniseries made in 2009. Although it is quite different stylistically it is worth watching.


Personally, I thought it didn't live up to the original series.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer



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20 Feb 2012, 11:12 pm

The original series was not bad, but the ending episode was literally made up on the spot, and was a tremendous letdown. The newer one I didn't see, but I wonder what they did with it.

Seeing you!...;)


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21 Feb 2012, 2:44 am

The remake did not have a closing episode (possibly they were wanting to make another more episodes later)

I think the better episodes in the originals are better than the remake, however as the number of episodes kept changing as they were making some (including the concluding two) were written hastily. To save on production costs some of the episodes had no new outdoor filming, instead re-using clips from previous episodes.

As for the ending Wikipedia gives the following alternative ending:

Quote:
According to author James Follett, a protege of Prisoner co-creator George Markstein, Markstein had mapped out an explanation for the Village. In George Markstein's mind, a young Number Six had once submitted a proposal for how to deal with retired secret agents who posed a security risk. Six's idea was to create a comfortable retirement centre where former agents could live out their final years, enduring firm but unintrusive surveillance.

Years later, Six discovered that his idea had been put into practice, and not as a benign means of retirement, but as an interrogation centre and a prison camp. Outraged, Six staged his own resignation, knowing he would be brought to the Village. He hoped to learn everything he could of how his idea had been implemented, and find a way to destroy it. However, due to the range of nationalities and agents present in the Village, Six realised he was not sure whose Village he was in – the one brought about by his own people, or by the other side. Six's conception of the Village would have been the foundation of declaring him to be 'Number One.' However, Markstein's falling out with McGoohan resulted in Markstein's departure, and his original intent was discarded.

According to Markstein: "The Prisoner was going to leave the Village and he was going to have adventures in many parts of the world, but ultimately he would always be a prisoner. By that I don't mean he would always go back to the Village. He would always be a prisoner of his circumstances, his situation, his secret, his background… and 'they' would always be there to ensure that his captivity continues."



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21 Feb 2012, 2:54 am

AnonymousAnonymous wrote:
Isn't a remake in the works?


The remake is a pale shadow of the brilliant original and not worth watching.



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21 Feb 2012, 3:03 am

xmh wrote:
The remake did not have a closing episode (possibly they were wanting to make another more episodes later)

I think the better episodes in the originals are better than the remake, however as the number of episodes kept changing as they were making some (including the concluding two) were written hastily. To save on production costs some of the episodes had no new outdoor filming, instead re-using clips from previous episodes.

As for the ending Wikipedia gives the following alternative ending:

Quote:
According to author James Follett, a protege of Prisoner co-creator George Markstein, Markstein had mapped out an explanation for the Village. In George Markstein's mind, a young Number Six had once submitted a proposal for how to deal with retired secret agents who posed a security risk. Six's idea was to create a comfortable retirement centre where former agents could live out their final years, enduring firm but unintrusive surveillance.

Years later, Six discovered that his idea had been put into practice, and not as a benign means of retirement, but as an interrogation centre and a prison camp. Outraged, Six staged his own resignation, knowing he would be brought to the Village. He hoped to learn everything he could of how his idea had been implemented, and find a way to destroy it. However, due to the range of nationalities and agents present in the Village, Six realised he was not sure whose Village he was in – the one brought about by his own people, or by the other side. Six's conception of the Village would have been the foundation of declaring him to be 'Number One.' However, Markstein's falling out with McGoohan resulted in Markstein's departure, and his original intent was discarded.

According to Markstein: "The Prisoner was going to leave the Village and he was going to have adventures in many parts of the world, but ultimately he would always be a prisoner. By that I don't mean he would always go back to the Village. He would always be a prisoner of his circumstances, his situation, his secret, his background… and 'they' would always be there to ensure that his captivity continues."


Too bad that plan hadn't worked out.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer



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25 Feb 2012, 8:54 pm

Kraichgauer wrote:
Too bad that plan hadn't worked out.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer


Indeed! That sounds amazing.

I haven't seen the new one. I don't really care to, but I really enjoyed the old series.



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25 Feb 2012, 9:40 pm

Never seen it, although many people have insisted that I absolutely must. It's hard enough to get me to watch a movie, let alone a whole TV series. I've got a Prisoner novel by Thomas Disch on my shelf, which I bought because it was dirt cheap and I was familiar with the author, but I haven't read that either.

Patrick McGoohan's awesome, though.



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25 Feb 2012, 9:45 pm

Jory wrote:
Never seen it, although many people have insisted that I absolutely must. It's hard enough to get me to watch a movie, let alone a whole TV series. I've got a Prisoner novel by Thomas Disch on my shelf, which I bought because it was dirt cheap and I was familiar with the author, but I haven't read that either.

Patrick McGoohan's awesome, though.


Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that it was The Prisoner that put McGoohan on the map.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer