Saturday, November 22, 2008

The Prisoner

Hello, today @ Transgloballs we start a 17part classic tv drama series, The Prisoner starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combines spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory and psychological drama.

It follows a former British secret agent who, after abruptly resigning from his position, is held captive in a small village by the sea by an unidentified power that wishes to establish the reason for his resignation. Episodes typically feature the unnamed prisoner, labelled "Number Six" by his captors, unsuccessfully attempting to escape from or change the authority of "the Village." However, Number Six has numerous victories of his own, successfully thwarting the various individuals serving as the Village's chief administrator, "Number Two" in their attempts to break him or control the Village, causing a disconcertingly rapid turnover of personnel in the position. Eventually as the series reaches its surreal climax, Number Six's indomitable resistance and his mounting blows against the administration eventually threaten the viability of the Village itself, which forces its desperate warders to take drastic action.

The show was created by McGoohan and George Markstein, with exteriors filmed primarily on location at the Hotel Portmeirion in Penrhyndeudraeth, North Wales. Seventeen episodes were produced. The first was originally broadcast in London on 1 October 1967 and the last aired on 4 February 1968.

Although sold as a spy thriller in the mould of McGoohan's previous series, Danger Man, the show's combination of 1960s countercultural themes and its surreal setting had a far-reaching effect upon science fiction-fantasy-genre television and also popular culture in general.



Episode 1, Arrival (trailer @ Rho-Xs)

After handing in his resignation, the Prisoner heads off to his London home to pack for a holiday. He begins to feel faint and ends up unconscious. He awakes not in his house but in a strange village. He starts to explore but soon realisesthat in "The Village" all things such as phonecalls, maps and taxis are"only local". He's shown around the Village by Number Two who explains that the information in his head is priceless and that he wants to know why he resigned. Welcome to your new home Number Six.


AVI Format
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The Prisoner-Arrival (49min, 345mb)

I add a split archive alternative here

The Prisoner - Arrival pt 1

The Prisoner - Arrival pt 2

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks RHO!
Such a pleasure to watch that serie again.
I wouldn't put too much hope in the remake they'll come up with tough.

Likedeeler said...

cool stuff, thx. those end-of-the-60s british series rule. dont remember this one, cant wait. keep them comin!