Rating: 
Summary: "A, B, and C" is one of the most brilliant episodes of TV
Review: "The Prisoner" is one of the handful of all-time great television series (one of the others - "I, Claudius" - is also now on DVD).After seeing the series originally on a 9-inch B&W TV and then later on a very snowy UHF PBS channel, it's great to see it now in DVD quality. Unlike one of the other reviewers, I find this particular set to be possibly the best of the lot (although certainly Set One is the best starting point). The episode "A, B, and C" has many levels, and is an excellent spy story, an outstanding "dream" story, and would be appreciated by fans of Dr. Who, Forbidden Planet or the Twilight Zone, as well. Amongst the other colorful elements is a posh 1960s party for the upper crust of society. While not wanting to reveal any spoilers, I can say that the scene where Number Two and his accomplice both turn to look at the door is one of the great moments in TV drama. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: "A, B, and C" is one of the most brilliant episodes of TV
Review: "The Prisoner" is one of the handful of all-time great television series (one of the others - "I, Claudius" - is also now on DVD). After seeing the series originally on a 9-inch B&W TV and then later on a very snowy UHF PBS channel, it's great to see it now in DVD quality. Unlike one of the other reviewers, I find this particular set to be possibly the best of the lot (although certainly Set One is the best starting point). The episode "A, B, and C" has many levels, and is an excellent spy story, an outstanding "dream" story, and would be appreciated by fans of Dr. Who, Forbidden Planet or the Twilight Zone, as well. Amongst the other colorful elements is a posh 1960s party for the upper crust of society. While not wanting to reveal any spoilers, I can say that the scene where Number Two and his accomplice both turn to look at the door is one of the great moments in TV drama. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Who is Number 1? That would be telling!
Review: "The Prisoner" remains to this day to be one of televisions most original series. Through it's short run, in England and then on CBS in the USA, this series captivated with it's mind-bending array of unanswered questions. And, the eerie feeling that this kind of thing could happen to you. If a well trained Secret Agent Man can't escape, what hope would you have? Patrick McGoohan, who also co-created the series, stars as Number 6 a former government agent who won't reveal to anyone why he abruptly quit his position with the agency. Number 2 will stop at nothing to get his answers. Number 6 will stop at nothing to beat the bubble. (You'll have to see it.) I strongly suggest you get the first edition so that you can see it from the beginning. Otherwise a lot of this won't make sense.
Rating:
Summary: Four great episodes, all worth owning.
Review: All of these episodes are great. I own them all on video and have watched them many many times. I have been looking forward to the DVD release for quite a while. Even if the DVD is a direct transfer from video these will be well worth it as the series has not been available for a number of years now. "Checkmate" and "The Chimes of Big Ben" follow the Prisoner staple of letting no. 6 (McGoohan) formulate a plausible escape plan and execute it only to end up back in the village. From these episodes the viewer learns that the village reaches everywhere and none can be trusted. "A, B, and C" follows another Prisoner plot favorite. In this episode no. 6 is able to turn the tables on his captors and take advantage of the fact that they are afraid of their masters. The viewer learns how strong-willed no. 6 really is. While the other episodes are fun, "The General" is serious (more along the lines of "Free for All" available in the first pack). "The General" is concerned with the subject of programmed thought and learning. Of course, you can guess what no. 6 feels about these things and it is great to see him triumph against them.
Rating: 
Summary: Perfect, Apart From The (Soon To Be Fixed?) Audio Problems
Review: Although the episodes in this second Prisoner set aren't quite as strong as those in the first (with the exception of the spectacular "The Chimes Of Big Ben"), it's still an entertaining, surreal three and a half hours. McGoohan is exceptional in his portrayal of Number 6 - his sharp wit and terrifying anger anchor the series just on the right side of reality, providing a perfect forum for the examination of how modern technology and institutions strip freedom and dignity from the individual. There are observations made here - particularly in "The Chimes Of Big Ben" and "The General" - that seem eerily prescient in light of subsequent political and technological developments. Of course, the series in horribly dated in terms of style and production values - it's obviously a product of the late 1960's. Still, given pop culture's lasting romance with that era, that's hardly a deficit for The Prisoner - indeed, it dramatically enhances its entertainment value for contemporary viewers and further contributes to that era's mystique. From a technical standpoint, this second set of Prisoner discs is a mixed bag. The picture quality is spectacular compared to the previous releases I've seen (the MPI NTSC VHS editions and the old Image laserdiscs from the early '90s -- I've been told there was a late '90s laserdisc release that looked pretty good, but haven't seen those). The contrast, brightness, tint, saturation and black levels on these DVDs are excellent, and unlike the old Image laserdiscs, the focus is perfect. Apart from some film dirt, I doubt you could achieve a superior transfer without spending a fortune in restoration and processing. There are no compression artifacts to speak of. Unfortunately, two episodes here are marred by a weird audio flanging effect, "The General" and in particular "The Chimes Of Big Ben". "Chimes" is practically ruined by this bug in my opinion, as many scenes take place at or near the beach, where the flanging turns the sound of wind and waves into what sounds like a jet landing nearby. You have to lip-read to make out the dialog! The good news is that A&E is apparently considering a recall, from what I've seen posted on the web and on USENET. Don't know the details yet - how you'll be able to trade in your discs (by mail?) and if there will be any charge (for postage?) - but if true it will completely restore my faith in their ability to produce quality product (though how these got past QA is beyond me - maybe their QA guy is deaf, assuming they have QA . . .). I can't strongly recommend this second set until the audio bugs are fixed, but once that's accomplished I feel this will be another 4 to 5-star set of Prisoner episodes, and well worth the money.
Rating: 
Summary: Prisoner Fans Rejoice! Faulty Set Two's To Be Exchanged!
Review: As a consultant on the A&E release, (liner notes, DVD Trivia Quiz, etc.) and as the American Coordinator of "The Prisoner Appreciation Society", I can confirm that we were the first to point out the Set Two audio problems to A&E. We were also responsible for convincing A&E to remaster the Set Two DVDs (and tapes) and to have customers be able to exchange them. Details on how to send in your faulty product will be posted on our website (URL shown on the tape and DVD box). I look forward to the new release so my "two star" rating can (hopefully) be improved. But as it stands now, I find the Set Two audio track unacceptable. The replacement product will probably be ready by the end of January 2001.
Rating: 
Summary: Great picture, poor sound
Review: As an earlier reviewer mentioned, the sound on the second episode on each of the DVD's is extremely poor. There must be something wrong with the master. I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled this set off the market. It's really a major problem. Which is too bad, I've been waiting for this for a long time.
Rating:
Summary: "W. H. Y. Question mark." "Why?"
Review: Back in 1967, an allegorical television show emerged that has yet to be topped by any other English television series. The show: The Prisoner. Starring Patrick McGoohan, he plays the role of No. 6, a former secret service agent who resigned for unknown reasons and then finds himself knocked unconscious and trapped in a seemingly peaceful place called "the Village." Each episode features a new No. 2 (with a few exceptions), who watches his every move and strives to find out why he resigned. The only superior is the unseen No. 1, the supposed ruler of the Village. The only other characters that reoccur are The Supervisor (also called Controller), played by Peter Stanwick, and The Butler, played by Angelo Muscat. In "Checkmate," the Prisoner is inspired to gather other people who still have their individuality after watching a chess game in which people act as the pawns in the game and are told to move by the chess player. The question asked in this episode is whether or not we are pawns in life. This harks back to the pilot episode "Arrival," when the retired admiral tells a woman that "we're all pawns." In "The Chimes of Big Ben," a russian agent (?) is brought to The Village and is in the same exact position that the Prisoner's in. He decides to cooperate in the arts & crafts show so that she'll not get hurt... but of course, he still is defiant towards Number 2. One of my favorites in the series, he is hesitant on whether or not he should trust this beautiful russian prisoner. In "A,B, and C," the Prisoner is sedated and captured in a laboratory. The new Number 2 uses untested drugs to probe through his dreams to find out why he resigned. An interesting plot point at the end keeps this from being average, as we find out that the Prisoner did not intend to sell out. In "The General," the same Number 2 returns, this time utilizing a "speed learning" program (run by the Professor, sort of...) in which everyone learns something in merely 15 seconds. What Number 6 soon realizes is that one merely memorizes the information as opposed to learning it. This one's hard to analyze, but I think McGoohan tried to convey the message that technology is getting the better of us, and the technology is interfering with the growth of knowledge (either that, or we are misusing the technology to that effect.). The Butler never speaks. He always serves his master faithfully and unconditionally. In the "Prisoner Companion" that came with the DVD set (or if you get the "Fall Out" volume), it is stated that the Butler represents all the little people in the world who blindly follow the strongest leader just so they'll be alright. I agree with that. What's up with the Bicycle? We see it on the number badges, the signs, and practically everywhere else in the Village. Could it mean that technology is getting the better of us (as supposedly stated in "The General"), or could it mean that we should slow the growth of technology? I agree with the latter, although the first possibility could be a true statement. "Questions are a burden to others."
"Answers are a prison for oneself."
Two phrases used prominently throughout the Village. These two are probably individuality at its most basic. Without questions, you cannot build on friendships or even just simply gain knowledge! Without answers, one simply doesn't know and is forever confined in secrecy. This leads someone to think for themselves and form opinions. Naturally, opinions are not allowed in the Village. A great series with messages in each episode. Preferably, I give every episode 5 stars, but I highly recommend getting the megaset and watching the series all the way through as opposed to the individual volumes.
Rating:
Summary: The Prisoner: Leaving 1984 and Brave New World In The Dust
Review: Each episode of The Prisoner could provide for a week's debate in a classroom or home setting. Although the entire series works together, each installment can be separated out as a story unto itself, each with layer after layer of allegorical content. I think one of the main differences between The Prisoner and its predecessors (1984 & Brave New World) is that those authors, Orwell and Huxley, were saying that this is what *could* happen if we weren't careful. I think Patrick McGoohan was saying that this was *already* happening in our society. Furthermore, what could inspire McGoohan to leave a profitable network TV series for such a gamble as The Prisoner? I theorize that McGoohan, somewhere in his past, was "blackballed" or has become very angry about certain issues explored over the course of 17 episodes. Additionally, characters in the series represent people in McGoohan's actual life that he was pointing fingers at. When they watched, they knew who they were--and they more than likely squirmed at having such a magnifying glass put on them. Interestingly, The Prisoner seems to have more resonance in our society today in 2000 than it did 33 years ago during its initial network run. Is it possible that the futher we go, the more accurate McGoohan's magnum opus will be? "The man that would not bend, simply broke. Shattered and alone, he chose a number and christened himself Number One." -Number Two, THE PRISONER Comicbook, Book B (1988)
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful otherwise, but FIX THE AUDIO!
Review: Great care has obviously been taken in assembling the 17 "Prisoner" episodes (18 if you count the apocyphal alternate version of "The Chimes of Big Ben") for its DVD release, with episodes arranged in a fan-friendly order that resolves continuity and character development issues in the original British and US running orders. The DVD's also include a brief trivia quiz, a map of "the village", and the original promos or trailers for each episode, which are amusing if only because while the show remains elegant and timeless, the trailers are ham-handed and occasionally ridiculous. So with so much care given to the content of the DVDs, how can the audio be this bad? Specifically, "The Chimes of Big Ben" phlanges horribly throughout the entire episode. It's most evident during the opening titles and other moments where the music or sound effects are at their loudest, and it's totally intolerable. Seriously, my old copies of The Prisoner were on VHS tapes in 6-hour mode and they didn't sound THIS bad. According to the message board on A&E's website, the company is looking for better audio sources and will manufacture new DVDs at that time and will take trade-ins. Only time will tell if they follow through.
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