It's been 9 months since it landed in my hands, but I still haven't made my way through "The Prisoner" DVD boxed set. In that time I've read three of George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" books, watched all of Breaking Bad bar season 5, and spent countless hours on Skyrim (doing a lot of stupid stuff). Is it because this series from 1967 is boring?
Hell no. It's amazing.
To put it briefly, it's about a former secret agent who is drugged and wakes up to find himself in a mysterious village. Every episode is about him trying to find out more about this village and trying to escape.
It would be awfully formulaic if not for the stories being incredibly clever and fun. Take one of my favourites, the Schizoid Man. The protagonist is drugged and subjected to aversion therapy by his captors, who then introduce a doppelgänger. All to make him think he's losing it, in order to break him mentally.
The Prisoner is fantastic, a mixture of cerebral storytelling, psychological drama and sci fi. The sets have a whimsical and colourful look that both contrasts and complements the sinister nature of the show.
It's a piece of television no one ever quite forgets, remaining an iconic British series to this day. I first saw it in the 1990s when the Sci Fi channel were broadcasting re-runs. Even then I never finished the series, but I do remember the opening and my dad quipping off references to the show when he walked into the living room.
5 out of 5 floating white balls. I highly recommend this.
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