CHUD.com Community › Forums › SPORTS, GAMES & LEISURE › Television › The Prisoner
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

The Prisoner

post #1 of 56
1/9/09 at 12:30pm
Thread Starter 
You can now watch the entire show on AMC online.

Lost fns who have never seen it my want to go through it since some of Lost had to be inspired from The Prisoner.
Reply
post #2 of 56
1/9/09 at 12:35pm
It's important to point out that by "entire show", you mean all of 17 episodes. This ain't like the Star Trekkin' project. You can (and should) get through The Prisoner in a week or so. Recommended.
Reply
post #3 of 56
1/9/09 at 12:38pm
'the Prisoner' is a good series to watch in a weekend marathon, if you can. Once you get started, you won't want to stop.

Anyone up for a game of Kosho?
Reply
post #4 of 56
1/9/09 at 12:45pm
Thanks for the link I've been wanting to watch this for a long time.The Netflix dvd's only have 1 or 2 episodes per disk.I can now watch it without the wait.
Reply
post #5 of 56
1/9/09 at 12:57pm
Funny. I've never seen the show, but was just reading about it. I was watching "The Simpsons" last night and there was a scene where it was revealed that Milhouse, who was pretending to be Lisa, was actually Nelson pretending to be Milhouse pretending to be Lisa. It was a bizarre throwaway gag that segged out with this quirky little jazz riff and the screen dissolving into puzzle pieces. Knowing the writers had to have lifted it from somewhere, I did some research and, apparently, it was an homage to "The Prisoner". Thus, I am definitely going to check this show out.
Reply
post #6 of 56
1/9/09 at 1:11pm
Thread Starter 
The player is choppy. It is flash based. But still, its the fucking Prisoner.
Reply
post #7 of 56
1/9/09 at 1:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattioli View Post
Funny. I've never seen the show, but was just reading about it. I was watching "The Simpsons" last night and there was a scene where it was revealed that Milhouse, who was pretending to be Lisa, was actually Nelson pretending to be Milhouse pretending to be Lisa. It was a bizarre throwaway gag that segged out with this quirky little jazz riff and the screen dissolving into puzzle pieces. Knowing the writers had to have lifted it from somewhere, I did some research and, apparently, it was an homage to "The Prisoner". Thus, I am definitely going to check this show out.
There have been quite a few Prisoner jokes in the Simpsons, including an appearance by "Rover" at one point. Somehow the fact that so many people won't get the jokes make them that much funnier to me.

http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/the...r-culture.html

I'm amazed at how often I see references actually. My kids were watching The Mighty B (Amy Poehler's cartoon on Nickelodeon) and the episode had a point where B and her brother (after a lot of psychologic manipulation) were in a fairly blank room with egg chairs slowly discussing her trying to break him. Blew my mind.

Anyway, I own all of the DVDs and I can't recommend this enough. Very few shows age as well as this one has, and McGoohan is both awesome and insane. After you finish the series you should go back and read his mindset and what led to the final episode.
Reply
post #8 of 56
1/9/09 at 4:29pm
Thread Starter 
In case anyone doesn't know, the whole reason AMC is running th show online is that they have a remake scheduled to come out this year with Jim Caviezal as No. 6 and Ian McKellan as No. 2.
Reply
post #9 of 56
1/9/09 at 4:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Casey Moore View Post
In case anyone doesn't know, the whole reason AMC is running th show online is that they have a remake scheduled to come out this year with Jim Caviezal as No. 6 and Ian McKellan as No. 2.
Wha--!?

First I heard of that. A series or a one-off? Who's behind the camera? Off to hunt...
Reply
post #10 of 56
1/9/09 at 4:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Casey Moore View Post
In case anyone doesn't know, the whole reason AMC is running th show online is that they have a remake scheduled to come out this year with Jim Caviezal as No. 6 and Ian McKellan as No. 2.
And now I need to change my pants.
Reply
post #11 of 56
1/9/09 at 4:54pm
http://www.chud.com/articles/blogs/6...e-Village.html
Reply
post #12 of 56
1/9/09 at 4:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianM View Post
And now I need to change my pants.
Because you're happy or upset?
Reply
post #13 of 56
1/9/09 at 4:58pm
Wow, I completely missed that; thanks for the link.
Reply
post #14 of 56
1/9/09 at 5:03pm
Thread Starter 
Official site. Go through the prod blog and you can read about them switching directors and re-shooting things. Still AMC gets some leeway for now when it comes to series.
Reply
post #15 of 56
1/9/09 at 5:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nekkerbee View Post
Because you're happy or upset?
It's so hard to tell when my pants are in this condition.

But thanks to Casey, I'll be marathoning the original this weekend.
Reply
post #16 of 56
1/9/09 at 5:20pm
Thread Starter 
I don't know how to feel right now. So confused. I am being thanked while you discuss the condition of your pants. I will go with being honored to have helped ruin them. And now I will go take my 2nd shower of the day.

Really, go through and read their production blog. Then read between the lines on it.
Reply
post #17 of 56
1/9/09 at 5:43pm
Yeah, the production sounds a mite "troubled." From what I've heard about AMC's other drama series I'm inclined, like you, to still hope for the best.

Funny - the original is one of those shows that has been in my subconscious for as long as I've been a nerd but I've never seen the full series. No such thing as intertubes or dvds when I was a younger man and would have devoured it - the young whippersnappers today don't know how good they've got it.
Reply
post #18 of 56
1/9/09 at 5:46pm
As much as I love the original series, I really have no desire to see it remade. For a long time I wanted somebody to redo it, or even possibly put it into movie form, but I'm past that. The original series is too good to outdo and odds are just trying to make this will turn out horrible.

Then again, I'm a sucker. I'll watch it and hope.
Reply
post #19 of 56
1/9/09 at 5:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianM View Post
Funny - the original is one of those shows that has been in my subconscious for as long as I've been a nerd but I've never seen the full series. No such thing as intertubes or dvds when I was a younger man and would have devoured it - the young whippersnappers today don't know how good they've got it.
One summer, our local PBS decided to go ahead and show all episodes in order but they did it at midnight a couple of nights a week. My Mom loves scifi (I fondly remember watching Star Trek with her regularly) and because my sister and I were out of school she turned it into a big deal. My sister and I had no idea what the show was, and my Mom let us stay up long enough to watch it and made snacks for the three of us to eat while we stayed up late. If the show had been horrible I'd probably still have fond memories of it, but instead the show was great and became an incredible memory.
Reply
post #20 of 56
1/9/09 at 6:03pm
That's very cool.
Reply
post #21 of 56
1/9/09 at 6:12pm
During this past season of Mad Men, they were very briefly pimping this remake with a couple of quick clips. The village looks like it's in the middle of a desert, if I recall.

The original show is brilliant, and aside from the wacky fashions and vague Russian/Cold War overtones, is just as relevant today.
Reply
post #22 of 56
1/9/09 at 7:46pm
Thread Starter 
What's funny is The Prisoner was my Doctor Who. I stayed up late and watched The Prisoner late at night on PBS. I wanted to be The Prisoner. Have always wanted to dress as No. 6 for Halloween one year.

So what about the original series? Favorite bits and parts... Thoughts on the ending?
Reply
post #23 of 56
1/10/09 at 1:35am
Except for a few mediocre episodes in the 2nd half of the series (brain swapping while Mcgoohan was away shooting a movie), it's absolutely brilliant. I have yet to see anything in filmed entertainment that conveys the psychological relationships between an individual and authority so well.

Most shows that have been influenced by it also manage to miss the point of the show's central mystery ("Why did you resign?"). The actual answer is unimportant, it's Number Six's personal integrity and right to his own principles and private thoughts that are at stake. 'Nowhere Man', while still being a great show, unwisely replaced it with a physical object for a Macguffin.

Lost also seems to be losing sight of the fact that the psychological and philosophical conflicts arising from the Island's mysteries are much more interesting than any answers they could ever concoct, but that's modern TV for you.
Reply
post #24 of 56
1/14/09 at 1:15am
Got halfway through the "Arrival" episode when the AMC website crashed Vista. FUCK YOU VISTA! (Good thing I've seen the series via DVD rental)

A really great SF series, though I always thought the ending was a bit of a let down.

What's funny is that when this show first aired, the whole idea of The Village (community as artifical Theme Park) must have been creepy as hell. Now you can see planned communities just like The Village in any US suburb!

Certaintly the themes of mind control and group think are just as relevant today if not more so.

After watching the entire episode run of The Prisoner, it's fun to watch Escape from Alcatraz, where Patrick MGoohan plays the warden (or no 2) and Clint Eastwood is a more hard bitten No 6!
Reply
post #25 of 56
1/14/09 at 2:44pm
Thread Starter 
Fuck. In case you haven't seen it, McGoohan died today.
Reply
post #26 of 56
1/14/09 at 2:51pm
Goddammit.
Reply
post #27 of 56
1/14/09 at 5:38pm
Thread Starter 
Wired piece on the new version.
Reply
post #28 of 56
1/14/09 at 10:16pm
They're "reimagining it as a thriller". Bummer. That means it will have to have a "real" ending, and probably a subplot with Caviezel's wife back home.

It might end up being entertaining by modern TV standards, but it seems like this won't be The Prisoner.
Reply
post #29 of 56
6/5/09 at 12:24pm
Thread Starter 
Very short teaser trailer posted on The Beat yesterday morning.
Reply
post #30 of 56
6/5/09 at 12:32pm
Thanks for the link. McKellan should be great in this.
Reply
post #31 of 56
6/5/09 at 12:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Casey Moore View Post
I can't view the video from work, but I'm assuming it's the same one that aired during the season finale of Breaking Bad. It had a few good moments and a lot of "I don't like that" moments. I'm sure I'll at least start watching it but I'd probably be better off just digging out my DVDs of the original series again.
Reply
post #32 of 56
6/5/09 at 12:38pm
All that this teaser really shows is McKellan delivering a few lines of dialogue with a few cuts of Jim Caviezel and other bits of scenery. You really can't get a feel for what the show is going to be like, but you can get a sense that McKellan is bringing his A game to the project.
Reply
post #33 of 56
6/5/09 at 12:40pm
The behind the scenes featurettes that made the rounds a while back seemed to show more. They're taking a long time to air this thing. But here's to AMC going from my favorite channel (old monster movies, first channel to show a lot of letterboxed films) to being my most hated channel (commercials, non-classics clogging the lineup) to being my most anticipated bringer of original content. Good going, AMC.
Reply
post #34 of 56
6/5/09 at 1:12pm
Thread Starter 
Doesn't air until November. Maybe it is because of the last special, but I got a very Doctor Who vibe from the teaser (could be because the thing was als cut like some of the BBC teasers).


Why is it AMC seems to get it so right with their original content but so wrong with their movies still? Although they are apparently trying to get Mad Men to cut down on content and ad more ads.
Reply
post #35 of 56
1/30/10 at 2:28pm
An amazing, amazing show. I loved it. I don't know if the Lost creators have talked about their influences but it's pretty obvious that this was a big one.

What in God's name was going on with that ending though? The show was always kooky and abstract, but is there any explanation for why things went off the rails in the last two episodes?
Reply
post #36 of 56
1/30/10 at 5:23pm
I watched this for the first time last summer. It was an experience, that's for sure. I don't know if I liked it as much as I expected to, but the show definitely stays with you and I keep thinking about it every so often.

As far as Lost goes, the creators have mentioned the show as a key influence. Back when they were putting the show together, they were expecting it to be canceled after half a season and felt if the best they could do was put out a cool mini-series in the vein of The Prisoner, it'd be worth it.

And I have no clue what goes on in the last two episodes. It will definitely be cool to revisit. The Prisoner is a show like Lost in that it raises a lot of questions. The difference is none of them are answered. It ends things in a fairly vague and out there manner that still feels like a fair conclusion.
Reply
post #37 of 56
1/30/10 at 5:27pm
I've got this on Blu-ray and keep wanting to sit down and watch it but my girlfriend isn't a fan of 'old TV shows' as she says. So I'm just biding my time until she's out of town for a while.

I did watch a couple episodes though and it's definitely different than I was expecting.
Reply
post #38 of 56
1/31/10 at 3:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dontEATnachos View Post
I've got this on Blu-ray and keep wanting to sit down and watch it but my girlfriend isn't a fan of 'old TV shows' as she says. So I'm just biding my time until she's out of town for a while.

I did watch a couple episodes though and it's definitely different than I was expecting.
I had never seen it until last week when I finally picked up the Blu-Ray based on things I've read about the show on these boards. It's nothing like any "old TV show" I've ever seen though. I would argue that the production values are as good as anything that's ever been on TV. They may be dated at times, but I was consistently impressed by the cinematography and the FX. Also, "Kosho".

Make her watch Arrival at least and see how she reacts, understandably this show may not be for everyone.

The way I just described it to a couple of friends is that it's one part James Bond, one part Twilight Zone and one part David Lynch.
Reply
post #39 of 56
2/1/10 at 3:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JuddL View Post
What in God's name was going on with that ending though? The show was always kooky and abstract, but is there any explanation for why things went off the rails in the last two episodes?
I believe the big reason that its ends the way it does is that McGoohan and Markstein (both co-creators of the show) had a falling out over the ending.

As it was McGoohan was more into the human nature episodes while Markstein was more into the idea of what spys would do.

Here a list of the prisioner episodes and notice that it states near the bottom of how Markstein would of ended it. For those who want some idea of why 6 retired its given here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...soner_episodes
Reply
post #40 of 56
2/1/10 at 4:04am
Interesting.
Reply
post #41 of 56
4/12/10 at 1:22pm
My take on..

MENACED BY BUBBLES The Motion Picture

Wow, I really wanted to like this but despite a strong performance by Cavasil (I'm starting to become a real fan of his, only recently was I able to get over my grudge about the fact that he was Mel Gibson's white guy Jesus) it was incredibly boring. I kind of admired some of the themes they explored but all in all it felt like a waste of 6 hours of my life. It feels like they chose the least interesting and most retarded explanation possible for the big mystery. Plus, there was a kind of "I'm getting paid to not care!" vibe from McKellen that was grating. Cavasil was clearly working his heart out ( I was amused to spot the fact that he had an acting coach in the credits) but not so much from #2

Usually I like to try and avoid scatological humor, but in this case I'm going to have to say that #2 about sums this show up perfectly
Reply
post #42 of 56
4/12/10 at 1:27pm
That's the really crappy remake that you're talking about, Kate. Forget about that and watch the original series.
Reply
post #43 of 56
4/12/10 at 2:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Judas Booth View Post
That's the really crappy remake that you're talking about, Kate. Forget about that and watch the original series.
I recently watched another 70s television miniseries (or tried to) and couldn't get through it due to poor picture quality. Assuming that's not the case though perhaps someday I will give it a try

Question: Do the bubbles make more sense in the 70s one? As far as I could tell there was no explanation for that in the 2009 (10?) version
Reply
post #44 of 56
4/12/10 at 6:36pm
The Prisoner was shot on film and is currently out on blu-ray. It is visually stunning.

That said, shame on you for letting poor picture quality get in the way of what really matters in storytelling.
Reply
post #45 of 56
4/12/10 at 7:30pm
I've got the Blu-ray and I really wouldn't call it 'visually stunning.'
Reply
post #46 of 56
4/12/10 at 7:56pm
For the 1960s, on TV, on film, in colour. It's fucking stunning.

The "rover" bubble was originally a shit robot that no-one had seen until it arrived on set and couldn't scare anyone, when it couldn't go on sand at all, (it was even meant to go in the water) it was shit canned and the props guy said "fuck it we'll use a weather balloon and tie it to McGoohan's belt with string to make it look like he's being chased". Shooting had already started so McGoohan just went with it. Weirdly it became a 60's icon.

The new Prisoner is OK, i like the way they've used some of the original stories as a springboard, shame Caviziel is so bland. Also AMC takes forever to get a show to air.

If you want good picture quality, go and watch avatar again.
Reply
post #47 of 56
4/13/10 at 8:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dontEATnachos View Post
I've got the Blu-ray and I really wouldn't call it 'visually stunning.'
I probably should have said its picture quality is stunning for a 60s show. You can't deny its crystal clear and free of most of the issues that plague shows from this era.
Reply
post #48 of 56
4/26/10 at 12:14am
Watched the "Reboot" last week. Weak. They made the cardinal mistake of de-mystifying The Village.

Also, in the original show you had this vast, mysterious and faceless conspiracy lined up against Patrick McGoohan, and the sides were evenly matched. The "reboot" Number Six seems to be brainwashed through most of the series, so there's no tension.

On the other hand there was much to like in this new version: Ian McKellan (it would have been great to see him matched against McGoohan), the episode with 6's "Brother" (Jesus that guy was creepy), the weird subplot of Number Two and 11-12.

In the early 90's (?) there was an "McGoohan approved" comic book sequel to the series...a 6-like Uber-Self-Sufficient woman decides to sail around the world in a totally computerized catamaran, get's caught in a storm and washes up in The Village, where she meets the original Number 6. Shenanigans ensue!
Reply
post #49 of 56
3/9/12 at 8:20am
I turned in my written notice today. I couldn't resist writing BY HAND on the outside of the envelope. I'm leaving on good terms so I didn't pound on her desk and spill her coffee, but yeah...can't wait to get out of here.
Reply
post #50 of 56
3/9/12 at 8:39am

Yes, but...why did you resign?

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Television
CHUD.com Community › Forums › SPORTS, GAMES & LEISURE › Television › The Prisoner