The Official Prisoner Companion

The Official Prisoner Companion
by Matthew White, Jaffer Ali

The Official Prisoner Companion
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Book Summary Information

Author: Jaffer Ali, Matthew White
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1988-07-01
ISBN: 0446387444
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Book Reviews of The Official Prisoner Companion

Book Review: The Story behind a TV Classic.....
Summary: 3 Stars

1988's "The Official Prisoner Companion" is a still useful guide for those just discovering the long-lived TV cult clasic "The Prisoner", first aired in 1967 and still selling in its DVD incarnation. The show starred Patrick McGoohan, fresh from his stint as TV's Secret Agent/Danger Man, as a British secret agent who, after resigning from the Secret Intelligence Service, is kidnapped and held prisoner at a remote and unlocated seaside village.

In the village, the inhabitants are known by their place in a numerical sequence. Patrick McGoohan is re-christened Number Six, while the village is run by Number Two, played by a new actor each episode. Number Two's job, among others, is to find out why Number Six resigned. It is implied that those behind Number Two fear Number Six is a traitor. Number Six vigorously resists being questioned or imprisoned. His plaintive "I am not a number, I am a free man" is part of the opening sequence of each show. Most plots center around Number Six's efforts to escape or to undermine the authority of Number Two.

"The Prisoner" only ran for 17 episodes. The episodes are summarized in the guide, along with some fascinating production notes. The Prisoner Official Companion also explores the debates over the meaning of the series, which was considered cutting edge and provocative in the late 1960's and is still fascinating TV today.

"The Official Prisoner Companion" is recommended to those seeking some backstory on the series. The series itself is highly recommended to those looking for something different in classic TV.

Actor Patrick McGoohan passed away 14 January 2009, aged 80 years. ITV has announced a revival of "The Prisoner" tv series, starring Sir Ian McKellan as Number Two and Jim Cavezeal as Number Six.

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