IMDb > "The Prisoner" (1967)
"The Prisoner"
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"The Prisoner" (1967) More at IMDbPro »TV series 1967-1968

Videos (see all 3 NEW)
"The Prisoner" (1967): :  -- MyMovies.Net - Clip - Don't forsake (WMV)
"The Prisoner" (1967): :  -- MyMovies.Net - Clip - Original trailer (WMV)
"The Prisoner" (1967): :  -- Home video trailer for this popular 60s show

Overview

User Rating:
9.1/10   2,405 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 25% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Contact:
View company contact information for The Prisoner on IMDbPro.
Seasons:
1 full episode list
Release Date:
1 June 1968 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi more
Tagline:
No Man Is Just A Number.
Plot:
After resigning, a secret agent is abducted and taken to what looks like an idyllic village, but is really a bizarre prison. His warders demand information. He gives them nothing, but only tries to escape. full summary
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(54 articles)
[TV] The Prisoner: The Complete Series
 (From JustPressPlay. 30 October 2009, 10:00 AM, PDT)

New On DVD This Week
 (From The Flickcast. 27 October 2009, 3:30 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
I find more in it, and it in more, every time I see it.... more (75 total)

Cast

 (Series Cast Summary - 5 of 31)

Patrick McGoohan ... Number Six / ... (17 episodes, 1967-1968)
George Markstein ... Man behind desk in title sequence (15 episodes, 1967-1968)
Angelo Muscat ... The Butler (14 episodes, 1967-1968)
Peter Swanwick ... Supervisor (8 episodes, 1967-1968)
Fenella Fielding ... Loudspeaker Announcer (7 episodes, 1967)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
50 min (17 episodes)
Country:
UK
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono | Dolby Digital (DVD Release)
Certification:
Singapore:PG | Australia:PG
Company:
Everyman Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The Prisoner was filmed in the North Wales resort village of Portmeirion over the course of a year. Patrick McGoohan was inspired to film his series there after filming a couple of "Danger Man" (1960) episodes in the village. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: In the opening sequence, the letter X is typed across the prisoner's photograph, but the typewriter typebar for the letter H is moving. The typebar for the letter X is at the far right of the frame. more
Quotes:
Number 6: I will not make any deals with you. I've resigned. I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own. I resign. more
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in "ReBoot: Number 7 (#3.7)" (1997) more
Soundtrack:
Party Dress more

FAQ

What's written on the envelope Number Six slaps down on the desk?
more
27 out of 29 people found the following comment useful.
I find more in it, and it in more, every time I see it...., 29 April 2003
10/10
Author: janemerrow from A Village in Central USA

This has become by far my favorite series of all time, so much so I have given up watching television altogether and turned to DVD's instead. That's not to say it's the best show ever, but it's one of those things you can watch as fluff action-adventure entertainment one day, or chew down to its bones, if you like, the next. That is, it doesn't require intelligence and concentration or an easy day at the office to enjoy, but if you've read a few books or have philosophical leanings you can amuse yourself by wringing quite a bit out of it.

On that note, it's especially fun to watch this series in conjunction with Danger Man/ Secret Agent. Although it isn't uncommon to have the same actors work together on different series, there is a town full of spies in DM/SA

referred to as the Village in the episode "Colony Three" which is the center of a debate on whether Number 6 and John Drake are the same. (McGoohan categorically denies this, but Markstein says it's true. Perhaps there is a legal hurdle involved? We will probably never get that information.)

I recommend watching them in order, so you can see Number 6 gradually abandon his open desperation and anger ("Arrival" to "The Chimes of Big Ben") for a cool and calculated needling of the system from within ("A, B and C" to "Hammer Into Anvil"). They try drugs, brainwashing, torture, virtual reality, letting him escape, and even babysitting to get him to talk. Each episode will appeal to someone different, some funny, some aggravating, but they all fit together by "Fall Out"; I have never met anyone who was not surprised at the final episode. It's truly extraordinary!

You will find references to the Prisoner are made constantly in other shows and movies, especially Sci Fi. The character Bester uses the Village greeting on Babylon 5; I have seen Village interrogation methods on the Pretender, John Doe and Farscape (whose leading man has an acting style similar to McGoohan's and a character similar to Number 6, IMHO, especially if you watch "A, B and C"); Number 2's trademark sphere chair is used on everything from Austin Powers to ads for American Idol.

The Village itself has appeared in tribute episodes of the Invisible Man and, of all things, the Simpsons ("The Computer Wore Menace Shoes"). Rover has actually appeared on the Simpsons twice!

I believe it's a classic that shouldn't be missed for anyone who ever feels trapped by rules that make little sense. If you like quoting Brazil and Office Space you'll find plenty of quotes to add to your collection here. My friends and I have even started referring to each other by number at work!

Be Seeing You!

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