Rating: 
Summary: What a letdown!
Review: Nice, remastered picture with clear, bright colors. AWFUL sound quality though! A&E, what happened? This was supposed to be digitally remastered! Who screwed up the sound? This is especially noticeable during the second episodes of this set. Ugh! Watch out for Set 1 as well, I had problems with that too.
Rating: 
Summary: Some great episodes here.
Review: Of the 17 episodes produced for the show, near midpoint there seems to be a slight shift in No. 6's plan from one of outright escape to making things miserable for No. 2. However, with the possible exception of "The General", escape is still uppermost in No. 6's mind in the episodes of Set 2.In "Checkmate", No. 6 witnesses the manipulation of a human pawn in a giant, outdoor chess game. No. 6 attempts to determine who is a true "villager" like himself and who is a planted guard on the island. Through the relationship with the pawn, No. 6 thinks he's found himself an ally in escape. But has he? "The Chimes of Big Ben", arguably one of the best of the series, allows No. 6 to meet a beautiful woman prisoner who has already been foiled by Rover (you know, that giant bubble thing). No. 6 agrees to help No. 8 escape and he does so by entering in a village sponsored arts and crafts exhibition. This is fun to watch. Be sure to pay close attention as it all unfolds at the end and No. 6 realizes some crucial details he had overlooked before. A great episode, "A, B, and C", has No. 2, played well by Colin Gordon, using drugs to get at No. 2's past. Hardly possible in real life but definitely fun and intriguing on the screen. Finally, "The General" is the weakest of these four episodes but it should be said that there's no such thing as a bad episode from this show. No. 2 has decided that mind control through something called "speed learn" and operated by a giant computer called "The General" will eventually cause No. 6 to reveal that information that they so desperately want ("Why did you resign?!"). Enjoy these episodes and watch them in order along with the others in the series. This is TV at its best.
Rating:
Summary: The chimes ring a little truer this way.
Review: Patrick McGoohan's classic 1967 miniseries begins as an offbeat spy thriller and ends as a surrealistic allegory. It concerns an ex-secret agent (McGoohan) held captive in The Village, a prison camp that looks like a vacation resort. Everyone is identified solely by number, and our protagonist is No. 6. The Village is managed by No. 2, who reports to an unseen and unidentified No. 1 -- and who gets replaced regularly. THEY want to know why No. 6 resigned, he wants to know who THEY are and where he is. A&E presents the miniseries in a revised order, intended to arrange events in their proper sequence, but having several additional benefits: -Showing No. 6's increasing level of confidence and command of his situation -Beginning with some of the more surrealistic episodes (in set 1), thus foreshadowing the surrealistic and allegorical conclusion. -Keeping the original concept as intact as possible. McGoohan wanted only seven episodes, but was required to do seventeen. A&E groups five of the seven "essentials" together, at the beginning, in McGoohan's prescribed order. All ten additional episodes are inserted before the two that must conclude the series. "Checkmate" is now one of the early episodes because of a reference to No. 6 being new. It also gives us our first look at the kind of "treatment" one gets in the hospital. I suspect "Checkmate" was originally postponed to save the large-scale escape attempt for later, but I feel it shows that No. 6 still had a lesson to learn. He'd progressed beyond the half-baked escape attempt in "Free for All," but still hadn't learned how few people he could trust. Although I felt the specific reason for his plan's failure was a bit predictable, I also found it interesting in light of how one of the BIG QUESTIONS would ultimately be answered in the final episode. A&E corrects a technical blooper found in the MPI release. "Checkmate" is an episode where the actor who will play No. 2 also performs the introductory dialog. But in the MPI release, the first few lines are done with that "generic" No. 2 (Robert Rietty) before switching to the correct voice -- with a rather obvious splice. "Chimes of Big Ben" has been moved from second* to fifth -- which makes perfect sense to me. Yes, it also makes sense to put one of the more straightforward episodes at the beginning, but, as A&E points out, "Chimes" takes place over several months and establishes that No. 6 has been missing for several months, so it cannot precede the three episodes that call No. 6 "new." Furthermore, No. 6 has completed his transition from defensive to offensive tactics, and knows his way around The Village, as evidenced by his taking charge with Nadia. Two details that stood out for me were (1) his giving Nadia the nonalcoholic liquor spiel we saw him getting in "Free for All," and (2) his telling Nadia that an attempt to escape by sea has already been tried -- presumably a reference to "Checkmate." And it seems that No. 6 has learned his lesson from "Checkmate." This time, he involves only Nadia in his escape attempt, because she's a new arrival and hasn't been infected by Village mentality -- or so he believes. What I find interesting about the ending is that it combines victory and defeat. No. 6 fails to escape, but thwarts a plan to trick him into revealing information. The ending also suggest that his own people might be running The Village. And now for the nonessential episodes. "A. B. and C." originally came early -- third* -- at least partly, I suspect, because it's both straightforward and upbeat. No. 6 doesn't escape, but he does make fools of No. 2 and the lady doctor who's been enlisted to help force information out of him. A&E places this episode later because dangerous drugs wouldn't have been used on No. 6 until other methods had failed. I agree with this reasoning, and would add two more points. First, No. 6 appears to have taken as much command of his station as possible. Second. I prefer this episode as an antidote to "Free for All," rather than a setup for the defeatism of that episode. I also find No 2's terrified discourse with No. 1 on the red phone interesting now that I've seen the whole miniseries and thus know who No. 1 is. "The General" is what I call a "side trip" episode. Departing from the central conflict, it concerns an instant university-level education that's really a scheme to brainwash most of the Village population This episode introduces us to the gray-uniformed, white-helmeted goons we'll see in the final episode, as well as some of the equipment and underground corridors seen in that episode. This is one place where I would debate A&E's order. Yes, "General" must come after "A. B. and C." because it features the same No. 2, who states the "No. 6 and I are old friends." But should it come IMMEDIATELY afterward? A&E theorizes that No. 1 said, "Okay, you get one more chance," but he could have just as easily said "You're fired," then later, "I'm calling you back in," as implied by the original order*. A&E also claims "General" must precede "Schizoid Man,"because the No. 12 in "General" has been there "a long time," and so can't logically appear after the recently-arrived No. 12 in "Schizoid Man." This makes it wrong to put "General" IMMEDIATELY after "Schizoid Man," but the insertion of several episodes in between would solve the plausibility problem. The bonus material in this set is limited, but that's not a major problem, considering it includes four episodes. I do wish, however, that the alternate version of "Chimes of Big Ben" had been put here instead of in set 1. *In both the U.K. and U.S.
Rating:
Summary: The chimes ring a little truer this way.
Review: Patrick McGoohan's classic 1967 miniseries begins as an offbeat spy thriller and ends as a surrealistic allegory. It concerns an ex-secret agent (McGoohan) held captive in The Village, a prison camp that looks like a vacation resort. Everyone is identified solely by number, and our protagonist is No. 6. The Village is managed by No. 2, who reports to an unseen and unidentified No. 1 -- and who gets replaced regularly. THEY want to know why No. 6 resigned, he wants to know who THEY are and where he is. A&E presents the miniseries in a revised order, intended to arrange events in their proper sequence, but having several additional benefits: -Showing No. 6's increasing level of confidence and command of his situation -Beginning with some of the more surrealistic episodes (in set 1), thus foreshadowing the surrealistic and allegorical conclusion. -Keeping the original concept as intact as possible. McGoohan wanted only seven episodes, but was required to do seventeen. A&E groups five of the seven "essentials" together, at the beginning, in McGoohan's prescribed order. All ten additional episodes are inserted before the two that must conclude the series. "Checkmate" is now one of the early episodes because of a reference to No. 6 being new. It also gives us our first look at the kind of "treatment" one gets in the hospital. I suspect "Checkmate" was originally postponed to save the large-scale escape attempt for later, but I feel it shows that No. 6 still had a lesson to learn. He'd progressed beyond the half-baked escape attempt in "Free for All," but still hadn't learned how few people he could trust. Although I felt the specific reason for his plan's failure was a bit predictable, I also found it interesting in light of how one of the BIG QUESTIONS would ultimately be answered in the final episode. A&E corrects a technical blooper found in the MPI release. "Checkmate" is an episode where the actor who will play No. 2 also performs the introductory dialog. But in the MPI release, the first few lines are done with that "generic" No. 2 (Robert Rietty) before switching to the correct voice -- with a rather obvious splice. "Chimes of Big Ben" has been moved from second* to fifth -- which makes perfect sense to me. Yes, it also makes sense to put one of the more straightforward episodes at the beginning, but, as A&E points out, "Chimes" takes place over several months and establishes that No. 6 has been missing for several months, so it cannot precede the three episodes that call No. 6 "new." Furthermore, No. 6 has completed his transition from defensive to offensive tactics, and knows his way around The Village, as evidenced by his taking charge with Nadia. Two details that stood out for me were (1) his giving Nadia the nonalcoholic liquor spiel we saw him getting in "Free for All," and (2) his telling Nadia that an attempt to escape by sea has already been tried -- presumably a reference to "Checkmate." And it seems that No. 6 has learned his lesson from "Checkmate." This time, he involves only Nadia in his escape attempt, because she's a new arrival and hasn't been infected by Village mentality -- or so he believes. What I find interesting about the ending is that it combines victory and defeat. No. 6 fails to escape, but thwarts a plan to trick him into revealing information. The ending also suggest that his own people might be running The Village. And now for the nonessential episodes. "A. B. and C." originally came early -- third* -- at least partly, I suspect, because it's both straightforward and upbeat. No. 6 doesn't escape, but he does make fools of No. 2 and the lady doctor who's been enlisted to help force information out of him. A&E places this episode later because dangerous drugs wouldn't have been used on No. 6 until other methods had failed. I agree with this reasoning, and would add two more points. First, No. 6 appears to have taken as much command of his station as possible. Second. I prefer this episode as an antidote to "Free for All," rather than a setup for the defeatism of that episode. I also find No 2's terrified discourse with No. 1 on the red phone interesting now that I've seen the whole miniseries and thus know who No. 1 is. "The General" is what I call a "side trip" episode. Departing from the central conflict, it concerns an instant university-level education that's really a scheme to brainwash most of the Village population This episode introduces us to the gray-uniformed, white-helmeted goons we'll see in the final episode, as well as some of the equipment and underground corridors seen in that episode. This is one place where I would debate A&E's order. Yes, "General" must come after "A. B. and C." because it features the same No. 2, who states the "No. 6 and I are old friends." But should it come IMMEDIATELY afterward? A&E theorizes that No. 1 said, "Okay, you get one more chance," but he could have just as easily said "You're fired," then later, "I'm calling you back in," as implied by the original order*. A&E also claims "General" must precede "Schizoid Man,"because the No. 12 in "General" has been there "a long time," and so can't logically appear after the recently-arrived No. 12 in "Schizoid Man." This makes it wrong to put "General" IMMEDIATELY after "Schizoid Man," but the insertion of several episodes in between would solve the plausibility problem. The bonus material in this set is limited, but that's not a major problem, considering it includes four episodes. I do wish, however, that the alternate version of "Chimes of Big Ben" had been put here instead of in set 1. *In both the U.K. and U.S.
Rating:
Summary: Perhaps the most interesting and intelligent TV series ever.
Review: Patrick McGoohan's `The Prisoner' TV series is perhaps one of the most intelligent and interesting programs ever created. The basic premise is that a British secret agent resigns for some reason. After turning in his notice, he is kidnapped and moved to a secret location called `The Village'. The series follows the efforts of his mysterious kidnappers to find out the reason why he quit and shows his repeated escape attempts. The series is filled with nuances that need multiple viewings to enjoy all of them. The DVD transfer is first rate with the picture quality excellent. The "technicolor" sets are shown in their vivid color. Highly recommended. This set continues to develop the series further and should only be viewed after seeing the first three episodes. "Checkmate" is a great example of the paranoia that McGoohan was able to capture in `The Prisoner.'
Rating:
Summary: Perhaps the most interesting and intelligent TV series ever.
Review: Patrick McGoohan's `The Prisoner' TV series is perhaps one of the most intelligent and interesting programs ever created. The basic premise is that a British secret agent resigns for some reason. After turning in his notice, he is kidnapped and moved to a secret location called `The Village'. The series follows the efforts of his mysterious kidnappers to find out the reason why he quit and shows his repeated escape attempts. The series is filled with nuances that need multiple viewings to enjoy all of them. The DVD transfer is first rate with the picture quality excellent. The "technicolor" sets are shown in their vivid color. Highly recommended. This set continues to develop the series further and should only be viewed after seeing the first three episodes. "Checkmate" is a great example of the paranoia that McGoohan was able to capture in `The Prisoner.'
Rating:
Summary: It Takes a "Village", indeed.
Review: The Prisoner remains one of the most creative and brilliant of TV series. Chillingly prophetic in its portrayal of the direction of our society, George Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm could very well have influenced its production. For those of you brainwashed enough to still believe it takes a PC "Village", instead of a society of individuality and freedom, this series is required viewing.
Rating: 
Summary: THE PRISONER IS A CLASSIC SERIES
Review: the prisoner series even had it's own collectable magazine that would often go into detail on the MEANING of the show plots. the star, # 6, patrick was a voice on the simpsons in an episode, and there are at least two simpsons episodes that make references to the prisoner and especially "rover" the big killer balloon that guards the water around the village - if it's good enough for the simpsons to reference, it's good enough to own all of the episodes - which i do on video and i plan to aquire all of the episodes on DVD so my four-year-old son can watch this classic series when he gets older. if you've never seen this series, i HIGHLY recommend it. peace.
Rating:
Summary: THE PRISONER IS A CLASSIC SERIES
Review: the prisoner series even had it's own collectable magazine that would often go into detail on the MEANING of the show plots. the star, # 6, patrick was a voice on the simpsons in an episode, and there are at least two simpsons episodes that make references to the prisoner and especially "rover" the big killer balloon that guards the water around the village - if it's good enough for the simpsons to reference, it's good enough to own all of the episodes - which i do on video and i plan to aquire all of the episodes on DVD so my four-year-old son can watch this classic series when he gets older. if you've never seen this series, i HIGHLY recommend it. peace.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Finest T.V. series ever made !!!
Review: THE PRISONER American audience had never seen anything like The Prisoner on their t.v. sets when it first aired in June of 1968 on C.B.S. This was a complete departure from the last series Patrick McGoohan had appeared in (Secret Agent Man) and the series was an inventive, intelligent, sometimes surreal and thought-provoking Kafka-esque journey into an Orwellian/Huxley like microcosm of society where an omnipotent authority ruled controlling every aspect of people's lives.. Experiments were regularly performed on citizens to explore issues of conformity, manipulation, brain-washing, mind control. At the time while most critics embraced the series, some lambasted it for being too cerebral, confusing and British!!! McGoohan did not answer questions from the press regarding what series was about, or what he was saying in various episodes. Critics grew a bit frustrated with him and expressed that frustration toward the end of the series. Today The Prisoner remains one of the finest television series ever made. It is still an innovative, complex, inspiring and thought provoking series that at times is bizarre, controversial and perplexing. It holds up well though some of the props are dated and not as psychedelic and futuristic as they once appeared, and there is a definite style to the proceedings that might take a new-comer an episode or two to get comfortable with. Stick with it and you will be rewarded greatly for your effort and time. The recent (October 31, 2000) DVD release is indeed cause for celebration. The complaints of the audio and visual problems seem to have been somewhat exagerated and the severity of them may depend on the type of DVD player you have. There have been some problems however. If you are not acquainted with The Prisoner-it's time for you to change that. There's even a tribute to it toward the end of The Matrix (did you notice?). Patrick McGoohan is Number 6. In the pro-logue before each episode (a condensation of the first episode : The Arrival we see Number 6 resigning as a secret agent. He prepares to go on an extended holiday when he is knocked out and kidnapped. When he wakes up he discovers he is in THE VILLAGE. A too perfect, picaresque small town with the appearance of a quaint medieval town and all the conveniences of modern life. No one has a name in The Village however, only numbers. McGoohan is Number 6 and he soon discovers it is nearly impossible to escape from the seemingly idyllic Village. He is being watched by a well organized security force who answers to the person who runs The Village. This person is Number 2. Number 2 we will learn in subsequent episodes changes and answers to the un-seen Number 1. Number 2's job is to find out the real reason why Number 6 resigned from being a secret agent and to keep order and control over the Village. If you try to escape from the Village and somehow slip past the surveillance cameras and guards, you will be pursued and captured by a huge amorphous white ball (a weather balloon) that will absorb you. No one it seems has ever or can ever escape the village. There seems to be a number of people however that are interested in escaping. These people all seem to be various former spies or people with secrets who must be carefully watched and controlled. They have information that is dangerous but most have served their government well and deserve respect. Of course some of these villagers are actually working as part of the security team to insure that in fact no one can escape. All of the people in the village wear various types of 'fun' clothing, and hair styles. Sometimes they even don costumes for various games and activities that continually are announced. A lot of the games however are experiments in various forms of mind-control. The chief mode of transportation for the 'citizens' is walking. Golf-cart like vehicles are used by Village workers, and technical personnel and as 'taxis'. Everything we experience in The Prisoner is through the perspective of Number 6. We learn the Village's rules, we meet the various Village citizens and guests. Number 6 is not unlike a lab rat in a complex physical and psychology maze. Number 6 is a guarded man of ethics who's core beliefs we merely get glimpses of. He insists he is more than just a number-but is he? Has he become part of the experiment so completely he doesn't actually remember who he is and where he came from but for some fleeting glimpses? And are these glimpses into a former life real memories or dreams? You should be getting the idea this is a complex series where ideas are introduced and suggested and the audience can come up with their own interpretations and ideas of what they mean. McGoohan's stylized intensity has a black comedy edge to it (perhaps somewhat campy to a new viewer of the series). He is often photographed in a way that exaggerates his squinting eyes and barely controlled rage at being in an elaborate cage. He speaks often with a clipped, no-nonsense speech pattern through seemingly permanently clenched teeth. He is a man who seems like he is a split second form exploding into a violent rage. It's a delightful performance to watch and varies ingeniously throughout the episodes. His outward intensity softens in latter episodes as he learns escaping will involve possibly orchestrating a series of complex events. The Prisoner t.v. series first aired in black and white in England in 1967 and in the U.S. on C.B.S. it first aired (in color) in June of 1968 was repeated in 1969 and re-ran many times on P.B.S. stations throughout the 1970s. Originally McGoohan wanted to do 7 episodes (shades of Twin Peaks !!!), but main financier of the series Lew Grade insisted on 30 episodes so it could be re-sold later as a series. McGoohan did not want to dilute the series by doing 30 episodes and a compromise was made for 17 episodes. The production schedule however created some unforeseen problems. The best order to watch the shows in is how they are being released on this new DVD version. DOES THE VILLAGE ACTUALLY EXIST? Yes. The main exterior setting of The Prisoner is an actual place in Wales UK called Port Meirion. It was built by Clough Williams-Ellis on his private peninsula on the coast of Snowdonia in Wales from 1925 to 1975 and is still a tourist attraction/retreat today. Several famous people from Noel Coward to Alistair Sims vacationed there on a regular basis. Patrick McGoohan was a friend of Clough and in 1966 secured his permission to film his t.v. series The Prisoner there. Patrick McGoohan was the creator and executive producer of the series (he also wrote and directed some episodes). David Tomblin was the Producer, George Markstein was the script editor and the series was financed by ITC It followed McGoohan's very popular Danger Man and later Secret Agent Man series in which McGoohan played a spy. The Prisoner however isn't actually connected to the older more conventional series. The series featured many guest stars and appearances by famous actors, writers and up and coming stars which included: Leo McKern, Peter Bowles, Eric Portman, Patrick Cargill, Mary Morris, Paul Eddington , George Baker, Guy Doleman, Rosalie Crutchley, Donald Sinden, Ian Flemming(creator of James Bond), and many others. Did you know Patrick McGoohan was originally offered the role of Bond before Sean Connery? The Chimes of Big Ben is one of the best episodes of the entire series and features one of Leo McKern's delightful appearances as Number 2. McKern's almost campy performance and the dialogue exchanges between McGoohan and McKern are highlights in an ultimately very dark edged episode of cat and mouse. A B & C may have dated a bit, but remains an ingenious episode focusing on the use of experimental drug which allows dreams and the subconscious to be manipulated. The implications of such techniques are extremely disturbing of course. The General is an episode in which a technique called speed reading is being tested on the Village inhabitants. While learning an entire college degree in a matter of a few days through a hypnotic like learning transmission seems like a great idea. . . we quickly realize how it can be used as yet another form of mind control and must be stopped. Checkmate is an episode where Number 6 learns there are ways in which he can identify Village inhabitants who haven't been brainwashed yet. Indeed he is playing a very insidious game of chess with the unseen Number 1. Most of the episodes have clever twists and subtexts that explore many facets of politics, goverment, censorship, the media, behavioral conditioning, societal experiments and more. I hope you'll soon discover perhaps the greatest television series ever made. Chris Jarmick, Author of The Glass Cocoon with Serena F. Holder - a steamy cyber thriller (Available January 2001. Please pre-order today.)
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