I can't remember when I became a fan of
The Prisoner but I think it was at some point in the Eighties when
Channel 4 did a re~run. I was at an age when
Doctor Who wasn't quite doing it for me anymore and was needing something more mature and challenging, and this was it. Each week was an amazing journey (sometimes literally) watching
No. 6 battle with 'the man'. And, as the story unfolded, he began to win.
Win, but
not escape. I remember watching the episode
A Change Of Mind and from the start wondering in befuddlement, "How the flip is he going to get out of this one?" I knew he would, but watching him do so was televisual heaven. As the series came to an end it became even more challenging and bizarre. And the way he spoke! Man, I think I irritated everyone with
Be seeing you regurgitated at any possible moment. He could roll his "r"s like no~one's business. For me,
The Schizoid Man is where we get a true
McGoohan masterclass - plus there's two of him!
As a young man the
denouement of the series left me with the realisation that television
could be interesting, thoughtful and wildly entertaining. Frustratingly, the legacy of
The Prisoner hasn't
quite happened. Although very influential in editing and style in terms of its modernity, the ideas and themes have been left on their own island. Seems nobody is willing to pick up the baton in that respect.
Well, not
quite. There
is a remake (or re~imagining, whatever the hell they want to call it!) coming up. What that will throw up is anyone's guess but I welcome it heartily as the central core of
The Prisoner is as vital today as it was back in the late Sixties; identity is in flux and personal liberties are questioned/abused every day. So strong where his ideas and concepts that no~one has been able to successfully replicate them or come closing to approximating the hero/anti~hero of his character,
No. 6.
Of course, he did 'other' stuff and
Danger Man certainly has its fans but I was more than taken with his numerous appearances on
Columbo. I wasn't the only one though, the
Goo~Man was awarded a couple of
EMMYS for his roles. The chemistry between
Peter Falk and
McGoohan was obvious and they clearly enjoyed working together with Patrick directing some episodes too.
He kept busy in the Nineties popping up in stuff like
Braveheart whilst trying to get a movie version of
The Prisoner (Mel Gibson, at one point, was linked to it) produced. One of his last roles, was a
thigh~crushingly funny performance on
The Simpsons, where the world of
Portmerion (the home of the titular prisoner) was recreated (including
those suits!) with applomb. A
real testament to the man that his creation could feature in the world's biggest cartoon show. It also highlights the inherent juxtapositions of pop culture that
McGoohan himself was so fond of; now he himself would be used a sign post for a decade and what it stood for - artistry, expression and freedom.
PATRICK MCGOOHAN: 1928 - 2009
posted by Cameron McEwan at 
Links
I really don't think that "Lost" could have happened if it weren't for "The Prisoner." The themes have been left on an island, just not the SAME island.