Invasion of Number Six

Like many, I was sad to hear of the death of Patrick McGoohan, best known as one of the creators of (and star of) the 1960's eccentric British television show "The Prisoner". Although the 1960's was before my time, I first caught the show in the 1980's, and later in the early 2000's.

If you aren't familiar with the series it is difficult to explain. Superficially it is science fiction drama about a master spy who is kidnapped after he resigns and is taken to a mysterious place known only as "The Village". The lead character, known as Number Six, has two goals: escape The Village and find out the identity of the elusive Number One.

Beneath the surface the show has much to say about morality, liberty, the self, the role of government, and a host of other topics. It is well worth digging into.

Of course, the saddening news left me with a desire to watch the series again. However, The Prisoner is rarely on television and is sometimes difficult to find on DVD.

AMC TV to the rescue! AMC is working on a new version of The Prisoner, and as part of the promotion, you can watch every episode of the 1960's classic online. AMC's Prisoner Video site is at: http://www.amctv.com/videos/the-prisoner-1960s-video/.