The Prisoner

This article is about the 1967 British TV series. For other uses, see Prisoner (disambiguation).

The Prisoner
Genre
Created byPatrick McGoohan
Directed by
StarringPatrick McGoohan
Theme music composerRon Grainer
Composers
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes17 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerPatrick McGoohan
ProducerDavid Tomblin
Production locations
Running time50 minutes
Production companiesEveryman Films
ITC Entertainment
Original release
NetworkATV (ITV)
Release29 September 1967 (1967-09-29) –
1 February 1968 (1968-02-01)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

The Prisoner is a British television series created by Patrick McGoohan, with possible contributions from George Markstein.[2] McGoohan portrays Number Six, an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village after resigning from his position.[3] The allegorical plotlines of the series contain elements of science fiction, psychological drama, and spy fiction.[4] It was produced by Everyman Films for distribution by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment.[4]

A single series of 17 episodes was filmed between September 1966 and January 1968, with exterior location filming primarily taking place in the Welsh seaside village of Portmeirion. Interior scenes were filmed at MGM-British Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. The series was first broadcast in Canada beginning on 5 September 1967, in the UK on 29 September 1967, and in the United States on 1 June 1968.[5] Although the show was sold as a thriller in the mould of Danger Man, McGoohan's previous series, its surreal and Kafkaesque setting and reflection of concerns of the 1960s counterculture have had a far-reaching influence on popular culture and cultivated a cult following.[6][7]

  1. ^ The Prisoner, Original Soundtrack – 3 disc set – Network
  2. ^ Steven Paul Davies (17 August 2000). "Merciful release". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  3. ^ Anthony Clark. "The Prisoner (1967–68)". BFI. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  4. ^ a b Vinciguerra, Thomas (19 October 2008). "A Spy Trapped in a Nightmare of Psychedelia". The New York Times.
  5. ^ Pixley, Andrew (2007). The Prisoner: A Complete Production Guide. Network. p. 7.
  6. ^ Rogers, Dave (1992). The Prisoner & Danger Man. [London]: Boxtree. ISBN 978-1852832605.
  7. ^ "Celebration as cult show The Prisoner turns 50". BBC. 29 September 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2019.