The Prisoner Review: A Pretentious Reimagining Nov 16, 2009
In the original series, creator Patrick McGoohan starred as an agent who resigns his post and is abducted and taken to the Village, a cheerfully totalitarian seaside town where everyone has a number. He becomes Six; the Village is overseen by the despotic Two. (Time.com)
It takes a Village Nov 16, 2009
In the midst of the Cold War, the late 60s British television show The Prisoner gripped audiences with its allegorical tale of a secret agent played by series creator Patrick McGoohan being held against his will in an eerily idyllic seaside town generically called The Village ... In my mind, I was imagining that [old man] as Patrick McGoohan, says Gallagher ... In the midst of the Cold War, the late 60s British television show The Prisoner gripped audiences with its allegorical tale of a secret... (New York Post -- Entertainment)
The Prisoner Trapped by Original and AMC's High Expectations Nov 14, 2009
That means the people most interested in tuning in are passionate about the way Patrick McGoohan told the story, no matter how confusing, confounding and incomprehensible that 70s-era series was to most people. No new production is likely to be an improvement as far as true fans are concerned. (Multichannel News)
Palin's memoir creates fuss Nov 14, 2009
The six-hour event, concluding Tuesday, stars Jim Caviezel in the title role, played by Patrick McGoohan in the original, and Ian McKellen as the ostensible string-puller of a mysterious, insulated village. "The Prisoner" first aired on British television in 1967, created by McGoohan as a sequel of sorts to his "Secret Agent" series. (Albany Times Union)
TV review: 'Prisoner' remake captive of past Nov 14, 2009
British actor Patrick McGoohan conceived of the original after he left the hit spy series "Secret Agent." In his original "Prisoner," McGoohan was again a spy, this time disillusioned to the point of quitting. He's kidnapped and forced to live in the Village, a bizarre resort where nobody has a name, just a number (he's No. 6), and secrets and hidden motivations mix into mind games, paranoia and escapist thrills. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Review: 'Prisoner' chained to its own befuddlement Nov 14, 2009
It sounds like a blast of good, trippy fun, and it surely was back in 1967 when the original British television version tethered the enterprise to appealing lead man Patrick McGoohan ... The 1967 TV series The Prisoner was a mind-boggling story of a former spy (Patrick McGoohan) who, after announcing his retirement, finds himself mysteriously whisked to a place called The Village. (Fresno Bee)
Uneven ‘Prisoner’ gets caught in plot loops Nov 13, 2009
In AMC s remake of The Prisoner, Jim Caviezel plays Six, the part created by Patrick McGoohan in the 1967 original ... Based on the far more entertaining and whimsical 1967 Patrick McGoohan series, the AMC remake is numbingly paced, heavy-handed, aimless, and humorless. (Boston Globe)
Ian McKellen rules in remake of The Prisoner Nov 12, 2009
"McKellen says he saw only enough "to get a flavor" of the original "Prisoner" series, which starred Patrick McGoohan as Six while shuttling numerous actors through the role of Two.Filming took place in Capetown, South Africa, and in Swakopmund, a town on the Atlantic coast of Namibia. Hayley Atwell, Ruth Wilson, Lennie James, Rachael Blake and Jamie Campbell Bower also star.Asked how difficult he found the role of Two, McKellen says, "I don't think I've ever played a part that I haven't really,... (MSNBC -- Television)
'The Prisoner' starts Nov. 15 Oct 12, 2009
James Caviezel will play Number Six, the role previously played by the late great Patrick McGoohan. Oscar-nominee (and Gandalf and Magneto) Ian McKellen will play Number Two. (Seacoast New Hampshire)
Starr report Sep 30, 2009
Back in 1968-69, CBS also aired Britain's "The Prisoner" (Patrick McGoohan), which is being revived in a new ver sion premiering Nov. 15 on AMC with stars ... Back in 1968-69, CBS also aired Britain's "The Prisoner" (Patrick McGoohan), which is being revived in a new ver sion premiering Nov. 15 on AMC with stars Jim Caviezel and Ian McKellen. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
AMC's Prisoner Escapes Nov. 15 Sep 30, 2009
AMC is also streaming all 17 episodes of the original ;The Prisoner; series from the 1960s starring Patrick McGoohan on its website. Some cable operators are also offering the classic series via their on-demand systems. (Multichannel News)
Spotting Fairies in Snowdonia Jul 15, 2009
The village played a starring role as the set of "The Prisoner," starring Patrick McGoohan. Just outside of Portmeirion is the Castell Deudraeth, originally the site of a medieval castle and now a hotel, where a world-class meal and service can be attained. (Suite101.com)
Old TV series keep returning in new forms Apr 5, 2009
"The Prisoner" returns this summer on AMC. James Caviezel becomes the nameless Number 6 -- played by Patrick McGoohan in the '60s classic about a former spy detained in an idyllic "village" prison by devious secrets -- seeking Number 2 (now Ian McKellen). TV series remakes are nothing new. (Erie Times-News, PA)
DVD Report: This week's new releases (March 1) Mar 1, 2009
This British espionage grab-bag is a timely chance to remember the late Patrick McGoohan in "The Prisoner," and to puzzle over Roger Moore and Tony Curtis's pairing in "The Persuaders." (A&E, $99. 95; available now). (Boston Globe)
Total Coincidence? Feb 22, 2009
Nolan is a fan of the show, which starred Patrick McGoohan as a British secret agent who is captured. Nolan leaves the door open to anything, even shooting in black and white again. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Finally, Oscar is starting to "get" documentaries Feb 18, 2009
Douglas Sirk's "Magnificent Obsession," Patrick McGoohan in "The Quare Fellow," Rossellini takes on Louis XIV, new reissues of Audrey Hepburn's best-loved films and more. Wednesday, Feb 4, 2009 15:28 EST. (Salon)
Oscar shows us his shorts Feb 7, 2009
Left: Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman in "Magnificent Obsession." Right: Patrick McGoohan in "The Quare Fellow.". Good gracious, but we're buried in fascinating new DVDs this winter here at Beyond the Multiplex Towers, from glorious Hollywood Technicolor to dour Dublin black-and-white. (Salon)
