The Prisoner 'set for TV return'
- Thread starter belboid
- Start date
Pickman's model
sunset spires and twilight woods
the prisoner is of course freely available via the internet archive. along with pretty much every dr who (at least the first five doctors)Megabump
The original series is been shown on horror channel starting earlier this evening.
Has no one thought about trying to escape using a pointy stick?
ATOMIC SUPLEX
Member Since: 1985 Post Count: 3
It was shit and nobody watched it. Some kind of US hybrid that gave into us US sensibilities and missed the point. Had nothing really to do with the Prisoner at all.
Not that a 100% UK centric remake approach would have been any better .
pogofish
Testicle Hairstyle
Nowhere near it.
Some British TV had been produced in colour with an eye for sale to the US and other markets who already had colour broadcasting since the mid 1950s and ITC were one of those companies who made more money from overseas sales compared to the UK. Plus there had been various localised test transmission areas in the UK for some years before - Alexandra Palace being the main one IIRC.
pogofish
Testicle Hairstyle
Depends on where you were. Some of the ITV transmitter network away from the major population centres didn't get upgraded to colour until well into the 1970s.
I think I remember some of the more remote Scottish repeaters still only carried black and white till around 1980.
That said, The Prisoner is amongst the very first progs I can remember seeing in colour but it wasn't at home. We didn't get a colour TV until 1977, when there was a big push to sell/rent colour sets prior to the Silver Jubilee and the prices came right down. £2.50 a month rental for our 21-inch set and we were paying it for years!
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ATOMIC SUPLEX
Member Since: 1985 Post Count: 3
Really??? I don't think I have seen a colour one.
belboid
Exasperated, not angry.
There were only two episodes in the ‘series’. I don’t remember the second/final one at all, tho it was sometimes shown as a single film length episode. In the UK it only got shown when the Prisoner fell behind schedule and there was a gap to fill.
ATOMIC SUPLEX
Member Since: 1985 Post Count: 3
So in the UK they never intended to play the last two episodes??
I'm confused. I think I had better just have a little read up on it.
pogofish
Testicle Hairstyle
It was also because Danger Man had run its course in the UK but US popularity remained relatively high, so after making certain aspects of the story more US-friendly from the second or third series, ITC finally gave it an all-out makeover, all colour "exotic" production (ie scenes shot in Hong Kong) to try and position itself nearer James Bond in the US Market.
It didn't work, so the two pilot episodes shot were recut into a single movie - with the title changed from Danger Man to "Secret Agent" and it was marketed that way instead.
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ATOMIC SUPLEX
Member Since: 1985 Post Count: 3
It was already called danger man in the states.
T & P
|-o-| (-o-) |-o-|
I remember The Prisoner from when it was first broadcast in Spain, but I was far too young to appreciate it. My parents loved it though.
I've wanted to watch it after visiting Portmeirion a few years ago, which of course was the filming location, and to this day has an official Prisoner mechandise shop in there. I think I might try to do so now
I've wanted to watch it after visiting Portmeirion a few years ago, which of course was the filming location, and to this day has an official Prisoner mechandise shop in there. I think I might try to do so now
ATOMIC SUPLEX
Member Since: 1985 Post Count: 3
I've been wanting to visit portmeirion since I was about 16. It's not easy to get to without driving. About once a year I look into getting a black boating jacket with white piping. The prisoner merch store never ever did them in my size. Best I can do is get a semi tailored one for around £300 (which I find difficult to justify).I remember The Prisoner from when it was first broadcast in Spain, but I was far too young to appreciate it. My parents loved it though.
I've wanted to watch it after visiting Portmeirion a few years ago, which of course was the filming location, and to this day has an official Prisoner mechandise shop in there. I think I might try to do so now
There are school blazers made in that colour but it's impossible to get them without having a child that goes to the correct school (plus they all come with the patch).
I looked recently and might just get one of those colourful capes. I can put it on my coat rack with my never worn Dr who scarf and Marty Mc Fly hat.
pogofish
Testicle Hairstyle
It was called Secret Agent in the US, at least after a certain point, hence the awful "Secret Agent Man" theme song instead of Astley's taut theme music for the UK and they had other names for different markets. The two episodes edited into a single movie had a different name for a European Cinema release as well. There were a lot of other changes - like in the first series, Drake worked for NATO but later-on his employer became a more vague "agency" and his character became more anglicised. Ironically Drake was more trans-Atlantic in the first (UK) run.
I also have a memory of reading that persuading Lew Grade/ITC to pick-up The Prisoner effectively got McGoohan out of a potentially difficult situation regarding his contract with ITC for Danger Man.
Grade had the good sense to appreciate that The Prisoner, with a fully engaged and enthusiastic McGoohan was a much more bankable proposition compared to Danger Man and released McGoohan from that contract, so McGoohan didn't have to break it.
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Oula
Well-Known Member
I spent my honeymoon in Portmerion. The village has it's own TV station and shows The Prisoner every night at 6pm. So at 6pm you hear the theme music start up from every direction. I also stayed there as a kid for my mum's 40th day. I've also gone just for the day when camping in the area.
pogofish
Testicle Hairstyle
Yes - It took a while for colour broadcasting to work the length of the UK.
BBC2 was the first all-colour channel and that didn't arrive until 72/73 here. BBC1 transmitted in mono and colour for some time too - they had "Colour" in big letters under the idents before a colour prog came-on, probably to let us folk still watching in mono know when/what we were missing!
BBC2 was the first all-colour channel and that didn't arrive until 72/73 here. BBC1 transmitted in mono and colour for some time too - they had "Colour" in big letters under the idents before a colour prog came-on, probably to let us folk still watching in mono know when/what we were missing!
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
I once had a fantastic day tripping my tits off on LSD at Portmeirion 
ATOMIC SUPLEX
Member Since: 1985 Post Count: 3
Dilemma.
Do I get the blue edged cape because that's the one number 6 wore in checkmate, or the brown edged one simply because it looks better?
www.portmeiriononline.co.uk
Do I get the blue edged cape because that's the one number 6 wore in checkmate, or the brown edged one simply because it looks better?
Page not found - Portmeirion Online
Page not found - Welcome to the Portmeirion Online website built by Iconography Ltd
www.portmeiriononline.co.uk
T & P
|-o-| (-o-) |-o-|
On the day we visited it was rainy and grey and miserable weather, and it still looked great. I can only imagine how much more fantastic the place must be on a hot, sunny summer day.
The small hotel outfit right by the water, with the attached outdoor pool for good measure, would surely be a heavenly place to be of a warm August late afternoon in particular
Oula
Well-Known Member
We stayed in the hotel in a rainy October so didn't use the pool but the other two times the weather was gloriousOn the day we visited it was rainy and grey and miserable weather, and it still looked great. I can only imagine how much more fantastic the place must be on a hot, sunny summer day.
The small hotel outfit right by the water, with the attached outdoor pool for good measure, would surely be a heavenly place to be of a warm August late afternoon in particular
Gromit
International Man of Misery
Tip 1.
Go during Festival Number 6 and there are direct coaches during the festival.
Tip 2.
There is a steam train to Porthmadog from Blaenau Festinog. But of course you have to get to Blaenau first
belboid
Exasperated, not angry.
I’ve been to portmeirion four times now, I think. Stayed in one of the central buildings one night when I’d hitched down for a Prisoner convention and not found anywhere to camp. Otherwise just day trips, but I’m tempted to go for new year this year, be nice to see it at night properly
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