I'll give you an interesting take. The first episode I ever saw of the Prisoner, after vaguely hearing about it over the years and then seeing an article in Starlog, was the final episode. I discovered it on the local PBS station, on a weekend night, while going to Supply Corps School, in Athens, GA. Aside from what the article covered, that was my intro to things. I mostly sat there, thinking, "WTF?" Now, the acting was superb and the setting was intriguing, so that kept me watching, as my brain smoked. Unfortunately, the station aired another program in its place, the following week, so I couldn't see it repeated. I did find that a local Camelot Music store (remember those?) had a select few tapes for sale, for a low price. I bought the first, "Arrival," "The Alternate Version of The Chimes of Big Ben" and "Fallout." which were all they had. Those first two give enough context to the series that rewatching Fallout was less, WTF and more "what does it mean?" Soon after, I discovered a local comic shop (on the other side of town) and they had a copy of The Prisoner Companion for sale and I bought it.

When I reached my new duty station, in Charleston, SC, I discovered that a local Blockbuster had the whole series, for rent and soon watched the whole thing (and pirated it) and I was totally hooked. It was clear in my first viewing and reinforced in repeated, that Fallout is an exercise in philosophy, rather than an adventure or the revelation of a mystery. The subsequent reading of the Prisoner Companion and the history of the show and McGoohan's statements added to that. Once you know that the whole series is more about the conflict between the Individual maintaining their individual identity and freedom and Society trying to bring them into the fold, subverting their individuality for the whole of Society (conform), then everything pretty much makes sense, beyond the basic plot of Number 6 trying to escape or throw a monkey wrench into the workings of the latest scheme of the new Number 2. That final episode is pretty much the final debate on the subject and the fact that you are left to ponder if Number 6 truly escaped leads me to the conclusion that the question is, do we ever escape the pressure of society to conform to proscribed norms, even when we have firmly expressed our individuality? Is it an endless struggle? Is it the main conflict of communities?

That's why I love the series, because it makes you think, as well as it entertains you. It's the reason I loved Columbo so much and why McGoohan loved appearing on that show and working with Peter Falk (aside from the brilliant writing and acting). It's also why I devoted a whole thread to the show and related media.

I think I posted this, in the thread; but, this is a tremendous interview and discussion, with McGoohan, and a Canadian audience, about the series.



After decades of Phil Donahue, Oprah Winfrey and Jerry Springer putting out inane and insulting questions from an audience, it is so refreshing to see intelligent questions and conversation, from a large group (of admitted fans). This was the biggest failure of the remake, that appeared on AMC. It substituted advertising tricks, cliche and bad New Age pop psychology for intelligent philosophical discourse. It was also bland as all hell.

I was more angered by the remake than I ever was about Fallout, mostly in the commercial break teases of more information, only to find out it was just a trick to get you to sit through the ads. That was a move that the Village would have used, which Number 6 would have crapped all over. Then, the reveal of things just goes to show that some things shouldn't be explained; or, at least, you better have a much better explanation than it was all set up by Number 2 to heal people, emotionally. The f@#$ it was! It was set up to protect and extract secrets....end of story.

Be seeing you!