The Prisoner

PATRICK McGoohan became a cult hero in the late 1960s when The Prisoner was originally broadcast. To say that the audience was puzzled is being polite about a series which lasted just 17 episodes before it was dropped due to a decline in viewing figures.

PATRICK McGoohan became a cult hero in the late 1960s when The Prisoner was originally broadcast.

To say that the audience was puzzled is being polite about a series which lasted just 17 episodes before it was dropped due to a decline in viewing figures.

It is, however, now recognised as an innovative series which was years ahead of its time.

McGoohan is Number 6: an ex-secret service agent who is now imprisoned in "The Village," a kind of open prison for spies where everyone has a number.

The 40th anniversary special edition is an opportunity to understand a series which has more than a touch of Kafkaesque qualities.