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It's been known for several months now (http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-News-Blog/Todays-News/Prisoner-Amc-Remake/800042468) that AMC was going to remake the classic surrealist British spy drama The Prisoner in 2009.

In preparation for its release, the entire run of the original 1960s version of The Prisoner is available for free (http://www.amctv.com/videos/the-prisoner-1960s-video/), streaming from AMC's site. Well, if you're in the US anyway.

Georestriction on streaming media really chafes my balls.

That show was just weird!  Go on!  Some one tell me what the hell was going on in that show?  Unfortunately, it's one of those shows you can't stop watching regardless of how bizarre it gets.  I'm doubtful a remake will have quite the same effect on me.  It would be a shame if it suddenly all made sense.

There is no goddamn reason to ever remake this show. EVER. You cannot top the original, and trying is just going to make you look an idiot. We have DVD's of the origingal, there is no reason to have to reimagine it.

But... but.. but then the copyright will fall off and they don't get to make money on it anymore.

What do you expect them to do, come up with an original idea?

At 95 years since creation, I don't think The Prisoner is in any danger of that. Besides, it gets pushed back every time the Mouse is threatened with freedom.

True.  I hate it when reality ruins snarky comments like that.

How about: We have to remake it because it doesn't have enough quick pans, narrow shots and low-brow humor to play to the modern market.  Plus we have no new ideas.

I like the original, but I think it might be interesting to see a version with a little less LSD in it.  There's a lot you can do with the basic premise of the show.

The Prisoner was all about the cracked-out WTF. That, and Number Six punching people.

Lost is probably the best descendant of The Prisoner. They stole more than a few ideas (e.g., the Village is on an Island, the Black Smoke is Rover, Ben is all about secrets/information, no one is what they seem, escape is paramount and so is just conceding).

But like a lot of things, I live in fear of any remake.  The Prisoner is 90% intellectual and 10% head-butting.  And a lot running and fear/paranoia. So yeah, some things are best left alone.  Now to change my avatar back.

X-Files.

explainy?

The conspiracy heavy X-Files episodes share most on the same themes and cryptic dialog.

I think in many ways The Prisoner has been remade continuously since the show first appeared, e.g., it has insinuated itself into a tremendous amount of pop culture. So I don't think it's worth remaking unless someone has something fundamentally new to say about individuality, the state, paranoia, spying, and so on. In this sense, about the only move I can think of that's worth making is to set it in a place that's more like Gitmo, and to make some of the subtext be about terrorism. But that would have a very high likelihood of being totally cack-handed--it would have to be far more than simple allegory or simple political commentary.

The Prisoner was an allegorical pastiche of cold-war bureaucracy and fear of a loss of identity in the then emerging multinational superstate. That they're remaking it today suggests to me that it will be a thinly veiled and much more crass commentary on modern fears of urban surveillance and globalism. It will probably be worth watching simply for McKellen's performance of course.

Samwise is winning the Prisoner avatar competition.

Except that it missed the whole "brevity is the soul of wit" part of "The Prisoner"'s charm.

Actually I think there are a few filler episodes of "The Prisoner" that are pretty full of fluff and excess.

I agree.  There are so many aspects of this show (including the time that it was made) that make it unique.  The new version may have its own merits, but would be best served by being called something other than The Prisoner. 

The Prisoner: Escape the Game

The Prisoner: To the MAXXX

The Prisoner: Prison Break (it's a hybrid show with a built in fan base)

One person who definitely won't be in the remake. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7829267.stm)

ya sad, but the chap was 80.  Be seeing you.


BTW, Danger Man (aka Secret Agent Man) is some terrific B&W mid-20th century spy drama.  And there are more than 5 seasons.

Very sad. Although at least it means he won't get to see the awful fuckup of a remake. And we all know that's what it will be.

:|

I wish he had done more stuff during the Braveheart era or somewhat before. He did quite well in that film.

Also, I've been wanting to get my hands on DVDs of Danger Man for a while... need to do that some time.

got them, they're published by A&E.  Worth it, believe it or not.  Great casual viewing.  Very theatrical and cold war culture (smoking, cocktails, suits&hats&fisticuffs).

BTW, he's British playing an American working for the UN.  By the 3rd season or so they gave that up, since it's 100% Brit actors and production.  Accents thus normalize.

Yeah, I'm gunning to get the Danger Man set--I dropped $$$ for the set of the Rigg-McNee Avengers first, but it's been on my shopping list for a while.

But if you really want prime McGoohan, get a hold of the just released Disney Treasury set of "The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh", a production that first aired in the US on the Wonderful World of Disney. He plays a somewhat Robin-Hoodish character named Dr. Syn but he is all sorts of fucking awesome in the role. The shitheads at Disney unfortunately decided only to release this set for a period of about two months, so you already have to get it from a reseller at higher prices, but honestly, it's worth it.

Another great, great McGoohan performance: his two guest stints on Columbo, where he made a simply awesome antagonist for the detective.

McGoohan was one of my dad's absolute favorite actors when I was a kid, and I picked up on that taste from him. Just a fantastic combination of intensity, intellect and discipline.

I think I used to watch "Dr Syn:..." when I was younger. I was only interested in the character in costume.

Looking at it, why wasn't I more terrified?  :grin:

(http://tonova.typepad.com/thesuddencurve/images/2007/07/22/scarecrow_2.jpg)

Isn't it fun to think that while people wanted to kill McGoohan back in the 60s when the final episode originally aired (no seriously, they threatened him until he left the country), today we can safely say that's probably one of the most beautiful/intense TV series finale ever?

Oh is that where that's from...

Spoiler!

Prisoner is STILL my favorite TV show of all time.  I could write a thesis now but I'll  spare you.

The remake?  I'll have to watch it but it just won't be as good.  It just won't be.

Necro!

9 minute preview that premiered at SDCC with 11 minutes of panel discussion: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/41840 (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/41840)

I  :heart: AMC.

Looks interesting.  I don't know if I like Jim Caviezel as 6, but I don't think there's anyone who could really fill Patrick McGoohan's shoes in that role anyway.

I very much approve that they kept weird stuff like Rover and the funky look of the Village.

The preview did look good, and I share your doubt about Caviezel as 6. But seeing the big white bouncy ball was a good. I'm kind of glad they didn't stick with the tone of the 60's show, going more for an updated Lost type feel instead. I might actually watch this now, but only if I can manage to watch all the episodes of the old one I have on DVD beforehand.

Preview definitely makes it look good.

agreed.  Seems like an interesting story based on but not copying The Prisoner.

NOV 15!!   (http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSTRE5900PZ20091001)

Wooo! I still have 2 or 3 episodes of the original to catch up on. Looking forward to this.

So its a three part miniseries?

I'd like to see Jack Bauer be on the other side of torture and extraordinary rendition, but since he can only operate at two speeds (earnest or menacing) it wouldn't work.

Don't really get the Lost or X-Files comparisons.  Much of the show was the acerbic wit of Six, which simply doesn't exist in either.  If you're going to draw parallels based on the woo woo shit I think the Twilight Zone is more influential.

The preview is encouraging.  Still time for me to finish watching the original show before this airs...

Who doesn't fancy a good wrap?

Well it was sufficiently weird and surreal, but I didn't get that feeling of alienation like the original. With everybody else just as scared as him, it feels like they're all in this together.

Big Rover was cool though.  :grin:

That was the most disjointed hamfisted thing I've ever seen. I have a theory of what it's all about but I'll be damned if I'm going to stick around to see if I'm right.

Was Ok.  Good production value and acting.  Script was Ok.

Problem is the thesis -- why is 6 in the Village?  He never asks, or doesn't ask enough. 

And similarly, no one seems to care that he's there, just that he's always been there.  Maybe that's the point.

If so, 2 should be more clear on why they want 6 there.

It's good, but without a sense of motive like you had in the original you lose a lot of the sinister overtones, and thus less drama.

Well, I am at least glad that they did a complete, self contained ending.  So the Prisoner is like a modern myth.  Each telling of the myth is it's own thing rather than continue the previous versions.  This version doesn't presume to know what happened to the first Six.  Of course, this causes confusion because reference points of first telling don't necessarily map to the second.  I hope the future tellings continue this tradition. 

I look forward to puzzle over the next Six's attempt to leave the next Village.

Just finished it.  Some great ideas but I wasn't overwhelmed by it.  I'm a HUGE fan of the original series so maybe this has made me overly-critical of the new one.  I don't like how they revealed their major secrets for instance. 

Maybe if I chew it over I'll find that I really liked it but right now...meh.