Shark Bytes

Loved it in the 60's, recently saw entire series reruns, was amazed at how much it sucked. The show has not aged well and is a chore to watch, I'm amazed at how boring it is 40 years later.

Never jumped. Patrick was a truly great actor.

This great program just may have inspired the Jim Carrey film "The Truman Show" in some small measure. Nothing like it existed before. And it never jumped.

Yes, the ending was weird. Yes, it was put together in a hurry. Yes, we are still talking about it 40 years later.

Never jumped -- one of the finest TV series of all time!

THE best TV show ever made

if the prisoner were like prison break, the company would be "the village" the president would be #2 michael scolfield would be #6 even patrick mcgoohan can't hold a candle to wentworth miller!

In reference to the assembly shouting as McGoohan is trying to speak: Its intersting the poster below quotes it as "Aye, Aye Aye..". I understood it as "I, I, I,...". From what I can reall, they asked him to make a speech only HE (an individual) could make. McGoohan's first word in the speech is "I". The Assembly shouts it back because THAT IS the speech. That's all he needs to say. "I" belongs to the individual. Yes/no??

I am in agreement that this was a great show until the end. The final two episodes seemed to become bogged down in psychedelia and nonsense. For those who are trying to 'educate' those of us who think the ending was lousy, yes, I believe most of us get the "Who is Number 1 - YOU are, Number 6" hint. That one has been analyzed to death. I get it, I get it. That explanation has nothing at all to do with the main gripe I think most of us who have a problem with the ending have. The final two episodes were so incredibly disjointed and haphazard that they literally appear to have been slapped together by McGoohan and the other writers when they couldn't come up with an ending that ties anything together or otherwise makes any semblance of sense.

The Prisoner was a GREAT allegory. Wonderful show. The premise was excellent and haunting and the show definitely induced one to actually THINK (something that modern shows don't do much of anymore). But... The stinker of an ending was a major letdown to me. I have viewed the last two episodes back-to-back at least three times and it still makes no sense. I do understand that McGoohan has said we are supposed to make up our own minds as to just what it all means, but really, what is one to make of 'The Kid' (Number 48) coming back to life (WTF? Number 2 is also brought back to life??) and then singing "Dem Bones"? And what's the meaning of the jukeboxes blaring out "All You Need is Love"? Then Number 6 tries to speak and the assembly keep shouting "Aye, aye, aye, aye, aye!" every time he tries. Then we have Number 6 pulling a mask off an 'imposter' and it turns out to be a chattering monkey, which is yet another mask which he pulls off to reveal - himself. He then proceeds to chase himself around a room full of globes.

There are other silly things, but off the top of my head, those are silly enough. No doubt, there are those who feel they have all of this figured out and can wax eloquently about the answers to them all. I say, there are no real answers to them. You make of them what you wish to. This is just plain silly and almost ruined a great show. I say almost, because I love the show otherwise.

The ending really sucks, though, and that did, indeed, cause The Prisoner to JTS.

Last episode when the jury stated singing "Them bones". The it got really weird....

I fully agree with Salwa 12 below. This is a masterpiece. Long gone are the days when shows were WRITTEN - yes, WRITTEN meaning the shows needed research, thinking, planning. A piece like the Prisoner enlightens us. Nearly 40 years later we are still intrigued.

Now it’s all cheap reality shows and instant celebrity. I can’t even look. (totally off the subject, will someone PLEASE deport the Beckhams???)

I loved this show and have it on both c.d & *****,Portmeirion in wales is where it was set & I have visited there on several occasions. Can,t wait for the film

The ending was an FU from a weird and brilliant man. I like the alternate ending that was written in which we learn that No. 6 did indeed resign when he discovered the the existence of the Village. However, g****mn that was a great show.

One of the best TV shows ever.

We used to watch it in college back in the mid 80's and we even said back then that Western society was headed towards the "Big Brother is watching you" situation. NOW look at us! Constant surveillance, political correctness bends our thoughts, and plenty of punishments for those who are INDIVIDUAL.

The Prisoner was quite prescient! We're all in the Village now!
Great show!

Didn't jump. This program was very heady for 1966-1968 programming. There were so many interpretations of what Patrick McGoohan was trying to say with this series, and every one was not necessarily incorrect. From where I stand, this show was about an individual's struggle against an increasingly controlled society (sound familiar?) and his battle to overcome his/her own shortcomings. The strange beauty of Portmeirion added to the program's peculiar ambience and strengthened the messages of each story (whether it be about the nature of freedom, democratic elections, the influence of surrealism, etc). This excellent series was definitely ahead of its time. Be seeing you.

This is the greatest series in TV history. And for those who still don't get the last episode, listen to Leo McKern's emphasis in the opening voice-over:

McGoohan: Who is Number One?
McKern: You are, Number Six.