The Prisoner: 1960s spy fiction TV series, way ahead of its time

[westhill]

A very rare interview from Canadian Television circa 1977.
Warner Troyer interviews Patrick McGoohan about the making
and meaning of the 1960's T.V. series "The Prisoner."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=WiIUnCMpGbM

"You wanted the bicycle now pedal!"

[Violet]

Posted by Violet (here)
You know, I actually managed to review up until the 4th episode an I want you all to really start focusing from 15 min onwards.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ETVZwV17EnQ

Do you guys see anything peculiar?

Well since nobody guessed it, I will just give it away then: it's round 15.50 min.

[westhill]

Here's what I see...
No. 6 descends the stairway from the stars to earth. He is man, the individual at center (rotating through the signs).
The zodiac is represented by the 12 persons at the podiums, on the disc/ecliptic (all 2's with a lowercase letter).
No. 2 represents the sun, reinforced by the flashing circle of light. The scene ends as No. 6 descends further into hell, for his test.

Yep, there's the all-seeing eye in the pyramid watching it all.

[Antagenet]

The Prisoner was by far my favorite TV show ever. I was in grade school, but I got it, the likeness to the system in real life.
I have no idea what part it make in waking me up politically, but I remember just loving the show. It was like a window into
sanity. It made me feel I wasnt the only one who hated "the system".

[westhill]

There were three attempts composing the iconic opening music sequence for The Prisoner.
Wow how different the result would have been and how important the music.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=8EFugZqvhMU

[CdnSirian]

Good to see this emerge again...I will get back to checking some of the details noted a little later again. Thanks.

[greybeard]

I really enjoyed the Prisoner--- I didn’t really get it but I was enthralled by what Patrick brought to the series -- he just created a mood.
I cant thing of anyother actor who coulld have carried so well.
The Film -Ice Station Zebra was another good part for him.

Chris

[Curt]

Posted by westhill (here)
A very rare interview from Canadian Television circa 1977.
Warner Troyer interviews Patrick McGoohan about the making
and meaning of the 1960's T.V. series "The Prisoner."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=WiIUnCMpGbM

"You wanted the bicycle now pedal!"

Thanks for this interview. It was fascinating, and it offered lots of insight into the show and its creator, which was great.

McGoohan's calm suggestion that we're all prisoners kept imprisoned by our lack of individual moral will is food for thought.

I also found it interesting that a studio audience was capable of asking such thoughtful and intelligently worded questions only a few decades ago. How quickly the culture has degenerated since then.

[westhill]

one more interview...

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=gMLly2u6xA4

[naste.de.lumina]

[Merlinus]

Numbered Man – An Analysis of The Prisoner

The Prisoner remains one of the most fascinating presentations of the dark side of international espionage, combining the esoteric, philosophical, geopolitical and the fantastical, as well as functioning as a critique of the most foundational assumptions of modern, “progressive” man. For this, it most certainly warrants an analysis.

https://jaysanalysis.com/2015/07/05/...prisoner-1967/

[Foxie Loxie]

None of the videos would work for me. I do remember seeing a couple episodes; however, I was not "awake" at that time, so didn't "get it"!

[jaybee]

*
*

I was looking something up and stumbled on this great interview - with Patrick McGoohan - it's from 1977 and The Prisoner Series was 1967...

Patrick and the interviewer are smoking throughout - as people often did back then - many interesting comments and then questions from the audience - a real trip down Memory Lane - but maybe there are some connections to what's going on today, 58 years later?

The Video Title mentions 15 minute cities... this, of course, doesn't come up in the programme because the whole concept of 15 minute cities wasn't around then (not in the public arena anyway...)


Was The Village The First 15 Minute City? | The Prisoner Puzzle (36:38)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=DJVLWPyXXvk

Was The Village The First 15 Minute City? It is a question, not a statement. The Prisoner Puzzle, was filmed in 1977 with host, Warner Troyer. The Ontario Educational Communications Authority published this interview. The Prisoner was a 17 part series first shown in 1967 through to 1968. Published by ITC/ITV, over 17 million viewers tuned in to watch each episode. It featured one man's quest to retain his individuality in an enclosed village. Both literal and allegorical, the deep and dark series confused many on its release and has become one of the most popular shows ever broadcast. Often copied, parodied and even used in Iron Maiden's song, The Prisoner. The Prisoner series is available to buy as a DVD collection or through television download channels. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE to our new channel.

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edit - thanks for moving my post to this thread - I did do a search looking for a 'Prisoner' thread but for some reason didn't find one and I thought that was a bit strange...

[jaybee]

Posted by GarethBKK (here)
The location was Portmeirion in NW Wales. This Mediterranean town was created in Wales as a resort in the C20th - which is weird in itself.



Harlech castle and stark mountains are its neighbor.

Just had a look through the thread and it's a shame so many videos are gone - (for copyright reasons) -

when I saw the mountain in the above picture I thought 'pyramid'.... there are some big hills / mountains in Wales that resemble pyramids and I actually think they probably ARE ancient pyramids .... from a time when pyramids were part of a world wide ancient energy system ....

so if there is more to the Prisoner story than meets the eye - it's very apt that Portmeirion is in a special location...?

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by jaybee (here)
Just had a look through the thread and it's a shame so many videos are gone

Here's the first episode. (Highly recommended for anyone who's never heard of this )


Source: https://www.bitchute.com/video/tCrQHPHT9eWA

[Satori]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

Posted by jaybee (here)
Just had a look through the thread and it's a shame so many videos are gone

Here's the first episode. (Highly recommended for anyone who's never heard of this )


Source: https://www.bitchute.com/video/tCrQHPHT9eWA

I’m a fan of The Prisoner. Watched it back in the 70’s.

Coincidentally, the other day I stumbled across the Clint Eastwood movie Escape From Alcatraz. Interestingly, to me at least, is that the warden of Alcatraz in that film is Patrick McGoohan. The irony of that is a nice twist. From prisoner to warden. He is not a nice guy in the film either.

[Hym]

I remember the ending of the series "Secret Agent", originally called Danger Man, then being disappointed by the stark realism presented in The Prisoner.

The soul, the essence of the Secret Agent series lasted as long as it did, '64 to '67, because it hit a bit on my training. In great contrast, The Prisoner was prophetic for anyone who felt the heartbeat of a sick world. I understand McGoohan's need to get on to something more realistic, and with more influence and popularity at hand he went there, though the realism was cloaked in symbology and puzzles.

Despite how The Prisoner progressed, for me personally at least, it was a disservice to have it all ended after so few episodes. It was then being recognized by those who run such things as another threat presented by a series that engaged the audience to think for themselves...Danger Will Smith....Danger....

It hit home to me deeply from what I had survived until that time, then further realizing that the entire presentation was a projective script into the most likely future. Hey, I was already there....Depress me some more, why don't you?

Though almost all productions seemed so kitschy to me growing up, this show was comfortable and distant for those who didn't see the stark reality, yet who were pulled along enough with all of the visual and story clues, even in presenting an awkward realism that was passable then.

I went back to listening to the theme for Pat's precursor show, and the song "Secret Agent Man" by Johnny Rivers, an early, stark guitar version, with beach boy riffs that fit the time.

Hey Barkeep....
If you've got the vinyl...
please put it up on one of the following posts..
And, Thank You 🎶

[Did You See Them]

To watch the Prisoner you must / need to watch the last episode of "Danger Man" ! and also understand the departure of from this series from the what came before it for the same character.

Be Seeing You !

[Tintin]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

Posted by jaybee (here)
Just had a look through the thread and it's a shame so many videos are gone

Here's the first episode. (Highly recommended for anyone who's never heard of this )


Source: https://www.bitchute.com/video/tCrQHPHT9eWA

..and all 17 episodes downloadable here on the Internet Archive

https://archive.org/details/The_Prisoner

Clocks in at 8GB so you'll need a fair amount of space on your device/s