AMC has just put online all 17 episodes of the original 1967 TV series "The Prisoner," in anticipation of its all-new "Prisoner" series airing in November. The prints are excellent quality, with restored-looking colors.
AMC has also put online 17 "episode-in-a-minute" highlight reels -- which are less interesting as episode summaries than as succinct evidence of just how weird "The Prisoner" was, and how disorienting it must have been to mainstream TV watchers 40 years ago.
Press release follows:
Los Angeles, CA - January 8, 2008 - AMC announced today, from the TCA conference in California, that it is premiering the original 1960s series, The Prisoner, in full screen at amctv.com. This marks the online debut of all seventeen episodes of the series, which originally aired from 1967-1968. The AMC site also features one-minute versions of all the episodes, full episode re-caps, a behind-the-scenes photo gallery, a trivia quiz, and a talk forum. Users can also catch exclusive, behind-the-scenes, making of video diaries of AMC's new reinterpretation of The Prisoner, scheduled to premiere in November, 2009.
AMC's reinterpretation of the highly influential 1960s cult classic, The Prisoner, will reflect 21st Century concerns and anxieties, such as liberty, security, and surveillance, yet also showcase the same key elements from the original including paranoia, tense action and socio-political commentary. The Prisoner is AMC's second original mini-series and combines a wide range of genres, including espionage, thriller and Sci-Fi, into a unique and compelling drama that expands upon the network's distinctive cinematic approach to creating high-quality storytelling. The first mini-series from AMC was the Emmy-award winning Broken Trail starring Robert Duvall and Thomas Haden Church.
Acclaimed film actors Jim Caviezel (Passion of the Christ, The Thin Red Line) and Ian McKellen (Lord of the Rings, The Da Vinci Code) will star in AMC's The Prisoner. Caviezel will play the title role of "Number Six," a part that was originally made famous when played by Patrick McGoohan. McGoohan also served as the creator, producer, writer and director of the 1960s series, which has become widely regarded as one of the most famous and intriguing cult TV series ever created, permanently altering the scope of the fantasy genre. Two-time Oscar nominee Ian McKellen will co-star, playing the role of "Number Two."
Even with McKellen, I'm guessing this remake will be no more successful than the Tim Daly "Fugitive" do-over in 2000...
Posted by: John in Canada, eh? | January 09, 2009 at 11:51 AM