Patrick McGoohan had everything, intelligence, charm and supernatural charisma. One of the greatest actors of all time, someone to look up to and respect. I salute you Patrick McGoohan ...Be seeing you...
And his show The Prisoner, though only on for 13 episodes (couldn't let it stay on too long - it was WAY ahead of its time) was also the only instance of a Beatles song played in the 60s, other than in concerts and on records and radio. The Beatles were great fans of The Prisoner and gave special permission for Patrick to use All You Need Is Love🥰 on the final show. Remember - I am NOT a number....I am a FREE MAN !!!
And when you come to the path that is the end of your life, there will be a bright light which you will follow, and you’ll find yourself in The Village.
An old friend "hipped" me to this show 15 years ago. To say the show was complex would be an understatement. The Prisoner was a labyrinth, a 3D chess board, a matrix of philosophy, allegory and a foretelling into the future. This show was a total work of art.
Hey, If you enjoy *The Prisoner* like me you might find you also really like *Severance* (2022) 👍 which is not dissimilar to that show in its psychological mysteriousness, beautifully shot and acted - and honestly is one of the VERY few things on TV that is genuinely interesting nowadays.
This is the only serious and deep TV interview with Patrick available in internet. A very powerful interview to get to know better his strong personality and charisma. Patrick's message is nowadays more valid than ever
The Prisoner was a great show which took advantage of the “ambiguities “ of the Cold War, but from Twilight Zone to Sopranos there is too much competition for me to agree it was the best. It may have been the show requiring the most viewer thought
If you enjoy The Prisoner you might really like Severance (2022) which is not dissimilar to that show in its mysteriousness, beautifully shot and one of the VERY few things on TV that is genuinely interesting at the moment
The Prisoner was made about 20 years before I was born, but it's still one of my favorite TV series. I have tried non stop to get my friends to watch it so I'll have someone to talk to about it to. McGoohan is a legend.
Good concept spoiled when they turned it into a self-indulgent thespian farce. Only thing missing was a Brian Rix episode where trousers repeatedly fall down. The public were duped, but they try to rationalize all the bs with their own interpretations. Of course, they should know it was really about Jesus resigning as the son of God. Lol
@@SearchBucket2 - Talk about self-indulgent!! At least the series was open to a number of different interpretations. Excellent next day water cooler fare.
McGoohan would have certainly not like our fish in a bowl existence today. A great actor and a genius creator. By far the best sci-fi serious ever put small screen.
I think it is great, but it had a great imported rival: "The Avengers." Both were solid and "sci-fy-ish" enough to conquer the ratings and dispel any doubts that they wouldn't be accepted by a U. S. audience.
Everything he said is coming true. There is a line in the Prisoner where no 2 says about the Cold War that the two sides will look at each other and see how similar they've become... Over the past year, western governments have fallen head over heels not only to appease China, but to copy its political system which combines the worst features of Communism and Capitalism - naked greed combined with censorship and surveillance, governments and mega-corporations pushing totalitarianism together.
@@thursoberwick1948 Amazingly he managed to get a modern take of George Orwells 1984 past the television networks! They did a recent remake needless to say McGoohan wouldnt be impressed! Even if the bigger picture is lost on most take comofort Thurso Berwick you are certainly not a number!
I ran to the Philippines. a cash based economy with horrible infrastructure. the thing is . whenever I exchange dollars at a money exchange place, they are required by US law to record the serial number of each American bill and get a copy of my passport. so even with cash here you can't hide from uncle Sam.
Mr. McGoohan was (and is) a genius far ahead of his time. He lived only a few miles from my home, and I often wished I could have met this extraordinary, wise gentleman.
I watched The Prisoner late at night with my Dad, back when I was a teenager. We never understood it but loved it regardless. Great to see this interview and how intelligent McGoohan was. I'm also impressed by the thoughtfulness of the audience and the interviewer. How eloquent everyone was back then, and how well expressed are their insights. TV these days is so dumbed down. Ah Patrick, you are missed. Be seeing you.
I think not understanding The Prisoner is what compelled people to keep watching the show. I first saw The Prisoner on the local PBS station in Denver on Friday nights in the summer of 1985, and after the first episode, I kept watching because I wanted to see how the next elected number 2 would try to get number 6 to reveal why he quit his top secret spy job. Some of the technology used in the episodes were silly, but I kept watching. Like Star Trek, the show still holds up and has a timeless message about authority and control over the individual.
If you enjoy The Prisoner you might find you really like Severance (2022) 👍 which is not dissimilar to that show in its psychological mysteriousness, beautifully shot and acted - and honestly is one of the VERY few things on TV that is genuinely interesting nowadays.
This is without doubt the best exegesis of The Prisoner serial by the creator. Coming back to this story after 55 years and having just returned from our holiday to north Wales and Portmeirion, I'm even more impressed by the serial. My kids - who are my age when I first saw it - are equally enthused!
I watched every episode back when it appeared here in UK, 1967, saw the first and could not wait for the next episode, McGoohan had more charisma in his toenails than the typical Hollywood star!
thatwilldonicely It was the same for me. Saw it in 1967 and was hooked. We moved about the country a lot due to family upheaval and over the years watched the entire series three times in three different parts of the country. Later I bought the DVD box set which I still have. I still see something new every time I watch an episode. Like my childhood it doesn't let you stay in one place.
The Prisoner was my most favorite show when I was 7. I didn't get to see the end of the series until I was 56 and got the boxed set of it from Amazon. I still consider it my favorite show ever.
Hey, If you enjoy *The Prisoner* like me you might find you also really like *Severance* (2022) which is not dissimilar to that show in its psychological mysteriousness, beautifully shot and acted - and honestly is one of the VERY few things on TV that is genuinely interesting nowadays. 👍
Waited forty years for the end.....I imagine that was a little disappointing . There was an uproar about the ending when it aired but all in all ...still absolutely brilliant.Happy viewing
Jonny Wells good point. We had been told that cigarettes caused cancer and were dangerous,minutes made our own decisions. We didn’t need to be protected from reality. We didn’t hide in safe spaces. We recognized that if we got cancer from cigarettes, it was our responsibility.
After all these years I still say "Be seeing you" rather than goodbye, or Bye or anything else. The opening; in the first 30 seconds I was hooked. I knew it was something special.
i first watched in the early nineties ...staying up late and always looking for something to take my mind off of my problems...patrick is pure genius...a legend his show is priceless....
This series is one of my obsessions. It’s impact upon me has not diminished at all over the many years. It helped me understand me, and I continually turn back to it, learning something new each and every time.
Same here. I return to this series every couple of years and experience it all over again. Endlessly fascinating and new things I notice each time. I so wish McGoohan was still with us.
I would hold Patrick McGoohan up as a modern-day philosopher, what his view on society said then is absolutely what has happened & still is happening now & the future. Genius.
I hope his views on philosophy are not entirely accurate, for he predicts the end of the world, and I am watching this in March 2022 with the Ukraine crises at its height.
@@keithnaylor1981 If things were left to humans it probably would be the end of the world. But the Bible predicted the times we are now living in, and the Bible also predicts that it will lead to much better times thanks to God's intervention.
There was a funny story that Peter Falk told where they went for lunch somewhere after filming a Columbo episode that McGoohan directed, and they shook hands, and McGoohan felt something cold in his hands. McGoohan opened his hands to see two of Peter's glass eyes in his hand and Peter said, Be Seeing You. Peter said it was the only time he heard McGoohan laughed.
Patrick McGoohan is the only actor in history to have appeared as a guest performer on a TV show in 2 different episodes and won the Emmy for guest appearance on BOTH occasions ! Just think about the astonishment of that feat for a couple of seconds ? They were for his work in " Columbo" alongside the brilliant Peter Falk . They don't make ' em like that any more ! Now yer talkin' turkey ?
Some context is in order: I saw this interview when it first aired on TVO in 1977. Similar to PBS in the US, TV Ontario was (and still is) an educational network funded by the Government of Ontario. TVO had run The Prisoner series with Warner Troyer (the interviewer) serving as host and providing pre- and post- commentary for each episode. As Troyer mentioned, Seneca College (Toronto) ran a course on The Prisoner in conjunction with TVO’s airing of the series. I was 17 at the time, and I thoroughly enjoyed not just the series, but the analysis of the themes and concepts that McGoohan explored in what I consider a masterpiece of film-making. Thank you for posting this. Thanks for the memories.
Well and truly hooked by this series. Have owned 2 Lotus 7s and 1 Caterham 7 since following the Prisoner, and have been going to Portmerion for over 30 years. In fact was last there last week. A fabulous place and a equally remarkable series.
McGoohan was way before his time, and TV and cinema will probably never see his like again in terms of acting and writing. He is greatly missed and greatly appreciated for the legacy he left.
Patrick McGoohan has the most unique voice that one can imagine. It has a universality that is unmatched. With that voice he could come from anywhere. His accent was truly international. The Prisoner did manage to crack him, at the end he drove everybody around him mad, this is a very intensive person. Was to the end, like a human volcano.
I wonder how he got on with Mel Gibson while making Braveheart. Both were born in the US but didn't grow up here, then came back and lived here a long time. Both were very religious but rebellious at the same time. I wonder how their personalities and world views meshed.
@@44032 It's interesting to note that Patrick McGoohan was the first choice to replace Sean Connery as James Bond. He turned down the role numerous times because of the way the Bond character was misogynistic and promiscuous. Being a devote Roman Catholic that was a line he was not willing to cross.
It's funny as an Irishman, his accent to me at least sounds purely Irish, well to do pale Irish (Leinster area) specifically, barring the odd word like "shooting" for instance which sounds vaguely American. Also as someone who has good friends from the Leeds/Bradford area of Yorkshire I can't actually hear any Yorkshire in his accent at all really. Maybe thats just me though.
pantslizard The remake was awful! (Fallout was the title of the last show of the original series. It was a confusing mish-mosh that angered many viewers. I saw it in reruns back in the 90s and enjoyed it. A fun end to a mind-bending show.)
Iron Maiden got me here. Knew nothing of this series until I watched a video of Iron Maiden talking about the song they wrote and asked Patrick McGoohan permission to use the intro. About 5 years ago I found this series on YT but episode 3 was missing. Now Amazon prime video has them all. Over the past 3 weeks I have been watching them and finished it yesterday. Such a great series, and a really cool guy. I always love when he just smirks.
have you heard of the term 'global village' ? im not sure if its on youtube but 'payday monsanto - world order prelude' is a short 30 second excerpt from episode 2. why i think this whole series is highlighting. a war on sanity. the war with ourselves against everyone else. a very spiritual concept when you think about it, but the sinster nature of our current paradigm, im not sure if it IS going to come to a head. slow kill.. maybe the realit of the situation is that we will exclude ourselves from having more than ourselves which ulitmately circles to a cell - a prison.
I was too young to understand what the Prisoner was about when it was originally aired.The balloons puzzled everybody,what an hilarious explanation.. He convincingly played the most irritating characters in Columbo.Haviing now watched this interview I really appreciated what a superb actor he was.The Prisoner now appears to be an amazing piece of foresight by Mr McGoohan which foresaw all the control freakery which we have all experienced in 2020/2021.He now deserves the accolades which have been given in the past to George Orwell with 1984.RIP Mr McGoohan and thank you
... Great interview! Patrick McGoohan was well ahead of his time regards the philosophical inspired TV series 'The Prisoner'. Which is probably why not many people got the full meaning behind it and why in some quaters we are still talking about it today. Patrick McGoohan was a great actor and personality. RIP. ♥
Similar themes in Aldous Huxley and George Orwell never mind Kafka. Even Hitchcock drew on confusion, ambiguity, manipulation and psychological trauma. An early to mid-20th century phenomenon brought on by the post-industrial revolution societies which were hell bent on wiping each other out in two world wars. Joyce and TS Eliot drew on similar forms of articulating the inner workings.
Always found McGoohan absolutely mesmerizing, whether in character or out. I still watch old Prisoner & Secret Agent episodes as if I've never seen them before. The Prisoner ran here in the USA when I was in high school: A show guys talked about during gym class. I saw a couple of episodes then, but sadly the folks preferred the medical drama & variety shows.
Unfortunately, the honey bee knows better than man and their societal structure is not only more efficient than man's, it is also more peaceful. #hivemind - "Who are you?" - 'The new #2.' - "Who is #1?" - 'You are, #6'. > 35:40 - the final words for that series should have been: "Acid is groovy - Kill the pigs.' lol
... and there you have it. A man who wanted to break away, a 'prisoner' if you will, of the already franchise dominated entertainment media who wanted to escape from it and produce something to challenge - to make people think. Love it or hate it, it has been debated, analysed and discussed since it's creation, and will be for many years to come. How fortunate we were to have such a determined and forthright artist - and saddening when you look at the unimaginative 'safe' tosh that is produced in the mainstream now.
This is so revealing and required watching only after you see the entire series. Pat is so open here, I think it’s because his fans are there, not the press.
I really enjoy this interview. I love hearing Patrick talk as himself. And I love it when he pushes his glasses up on his nose. He had the most wonderful inflexion of speech. His foresight, in comparing what he said at this time and with what is happening now, was frightening. He talked of having to live on a desert island to escape "prisonership". I'm glad that he was able to go up to Montana and tend his chicken farm and fish and spend time with his family.
Patrick McGoohan was the thinking man's actor. He would never carry a gun or involve himself in erotic scenes "on screen". That required a strong set of ethics. His work was highly allegorical and yet there was never any politics or religion rammed down the audience's throat. Watch some of his early work in cinema. He demanded hard work and dedication from himself _and_ those with whom he worked. (as it should be). Many actors considered him to be oppressive but I suspect it was because they were used to compromise and sloppiness. McGoohan wouldn't settle for anything less than 100%. We lost a fine actor when he died.
On Danger Man,he refused to let John Drake be romantically involved with any of the female characters, on the grounds of his personal morals and in the interests of portraying a secret agent realistically.
Patrick was a true artistic genius and this is no better proven than by the discussion, beginning about time-stamp 15:30, when the fellow sort of 'accuses' McGoohan of 'lucking' into some of the most important little 'accidents.' That, Patrick and would recognize the unplanned, or 'happy little accidents,' 'if you will, and take advantage of them is the mark of a great artist. The ability to 'leave something unplanned the hell alone' instead of recklessly making the next stroke of the creative brush covers up the accident of genius, is a talent and skill all artists strive for. (post script: I'm not well, so forgive me if I didn't state that very well.)
Most all you all say about the series and the man are true, everything. you watch now is just a carbon copy of another series most times you can guess the plot and when you talk about James Bond I beg to differ They got their plot from the original James Bond, Secret agent man A.K.A danger man just upgraded I love Patrick and I Love Sean Connery. and Rodger you just can't lose with a remake of A.K.A. Danger man
6 лет назад+25
Really interesting. Great question at 15:00 about how the unplanned "little pieces" came together. Nobody says "serendipity" but planned preparedness makes happy accidents possible. McGoohan seems to be the master of happy accidents.
He delivered this classic line in the first episode of the Prisoner- "It had crossed my mind" after number 1 said "I suppose you're wondering what you're doing here?"
I grew up with incredible content, in entertainment, music and art. The BBC played heavily in the entertainment content, especially through TVOntario and WNED17 Buffalo. DOCTOR WHO became my favourite television program, of all time, but much later in life, I discovered THE PRISONER, at last. I can scarcely believe that something this intelligent, insightful, thought provoking and thoroughly honest ever got the green light to be made (much like WHO). Patrick McGoohan was absolutely, in every sense of the word, a genius. I have watched the series multiple times, now, and will do so again, many times. I'm so glad that I finally discovered THE PRISONER, and Patrick, may he rest in light ... and freedom.
Few TV series have aged so well and are still relevant. McGoohan was ahead of his time - concerned about personal identity, consumerism and Big Brother back in the 60s
I'm french, and I first watch The Prisoner - on a black and white television, with voices dubbed - when I was a teen in the seventies... Now I can watch it with the original voices and colors, and it's still my favorite television series... There is so much you can find in each episode every time you watch it... It's like a dream, or a tale... And so visionary! I don't know if Patrick MacGoohan met Philip K. Dick, may be they're having good times together where they are now...
Just amazing that I'm watching this interview the same day I finished watching The Prisoner, 02/25/23, and as Mr. McGoohan talked about progress being our downfall just as the whole world is in danger of WW3 at this very moment.
David Torres Your question is what lies at the very heart of... well, everything! It’s a choice... one we all must make at some point if we wish to be an authentic individual (think: Morpheus, “I can only show you the door...”) I don’t actually know that much about Patrick’s interests, but It’s pretty safe to assume he was reading Campbell, as this exquisite piece of work (the Prisoner) delves into Jungian and Platonic notions like a hot knife through butter. Paraphrasing Carl Gustav himself: if you don’t willingly assume the role of hero in your own story, you will inevitably be cast as a bit player in somebody else’s myth. Intention, will, agency and the primacy of the individual. Is your life your own? My opinion: since it’s entirely dependent on what you do with it, the question can only be truly answered when you’ve completed it. Your life that is. But... seeing as you can, at any point along the way, decide to answer “YES!” and willingly assume the responsibility... I guess the answer really was yes all along.
at the end scene, his door opens automatically and he is still watched. He has LOST. He ripped off the monkey mask of number one? and saw himself as Number one. McGoohan said its about the evil of oneself. why did you resign... give up on life? we want information? whose side are you on? it's not about usa vs Russia. All these are in the global village. who is number one? He puts himself in that role? he's clueless... He escapes back to the world? and is still a prisoner. He is useless. LOST. Number one is GOD. Number TWO is Satan, whose face changes, an examiner. who tests him. and finds out .. who's side are you on? He is number six, the number of a man. He cannot be free until he chooses number one, Christ. Death would be freedom. But he chose to go back to the world. this is all freemasonry , an elaborate declaration. McGoohan retreated back to Wales, the pagan country of Witchcraft. Britain of the sixties was so pagan, it was everywhere on tv and society. Thatcher arrived and she swept it under the carpet with MONEY and GREED. When the money runs out? Paganism resurfaces. All the old evils return, Age of Aquarius. Growing up in Britain was like growing up in a Wickerman Village.
Recently rewatching Secret Agent Man. His body language is superb. Married to the same woman, has my utmost respect for both his personal & professional lives.
Back when The Prisoner ran (I saw it first run as a summer replacement show), I enjoyed the show immensely but never became a cultist. In other words only a superficial understanding of the show. I enjoyed Danger Man much more (and still think of it as the best 60s show). But this wonderful interview made me realize what McGoohan was trying to bring forward with The Prisoner. I understand it only because I now have the context to do so, along with Patrick's straightforward explanations. YES! We are prisoners. Prisoners of our minds. More specifically, the portion of our mind partitioned off for the purposes of survival; i.e. the EGO. Patrick focused on the word "progress". Progress being the second danger after own selves. And he noted the two were connected. YES! Progress is an expression of the need for more. We haven't got enough. We're incomplete. We need more. More stuff. More everything. That's the trap. That's what binds us and makes us unfree. The ego is never satisfied. The Prisoner series is what I have now come to understand as simply an other lesson in how our egos shackle us. We are trapped, and are running out of time (mass destruction around the corner now. Another thing McGoohan foretold). The key is to transcend the ego. The ego is not who we are. It is a survival machine run amok. We must evolve. We must raise our consciousness. Then we will cease to be slaves.
No fake grins like a certain Tom. Just a very thoughtful interview with a very smart man. McGoohan is somewhat arrogant and I can imagine he was not easy to work with, but he is unique. Loved him as Edward I in Braveheart. My dad loved the guy full stop. RIP Number 6.
"I think progress is the biggest enemy on Earth ... apart from oneself. And that goes with oneself - they're two-handed." Coming from someone who saw what was coming then so clearly, God help us now.
at the end scene, his door opens automatically and he is still watched. He has LOST. He ripped off the monkey mask of number one? and saw himself as Number one. McGoohan said its about the evil of oneself. why did you resign... give up on life? we want information? whose side are you on? it's not about usa vs Russia. All these are in the global village. who is number one? He puts himself in that role? he's clueless... He escapes back to the world? and is still a prisoner. He is useless. LOST. Number one is GOD. Number TWO is Satan, whose face changes, an examiner. who tests him. and finds out .. who's side are you on? He is number six, the number of a man. He cannot be free until he chooses number one, Christ. Death would be freedom. But he chose to go back to the world. this is all freemasonry , an elaborate declaration. He retreated back to Wales, the pagan country of Witchcraft. Britain of the sixties was so pagan, it was everywhere on tv and society. Thatcher arrived and she swept it under the carpet with MONEY and GREED. When the money runs out? Paganism resurfaces. All the old evils return, Age of Aquarius. Growing up in Britain was like growing up in a Wickerman Village.
I am of the mindset that the series opening sequence revealed the identity of Number 1 concealed in plane sight (Hearing). "Who is Number 1?" : You are, Number 6."
My parents were born around the same time period and as opposed to the younger generation of today, people would age much faster back then. However within a period of ten years, people do change a little bit.
It is a very good interview. If it had come out nowadays there would be 'employees' of the studio where this was recorded "walking out" because he implied some in the audience are not smart.
Celebrities aren't like this anymore, deep thinking. They are obsessed with being "celebrities", with a few notable exception, Keanu Reeves, Harrison Ford
I like the beginning of your list. I would like to see a bigger list, but that might start arguments :-), which might not be a bad thing. I will add four more though: Bill Bixby, Jon Voight, Charlize Theron, Mel Brooks
Really appreciate the host. He does an excellent job with the questions and follow ups. Allows us to get a great perspective on Mr McGoohan’s impressive talent and intellect.
One of my Favourite Actors ! First time I saw him was in Danger Man, I was a kid, when I saw it in 1988 in France !and I used to watch the Show each Tuesday nights of the Summer of 1993 just after Mission Impossible with my Dad !Two of the Best Espionage Series !R.I.P Mr McGoohan !
One thing that never made sense was that The Prisoner said “I am not a number, I am a free man” but never used his name - always his number - in the 17 episodes...
Because they did not want to make it explicit that the series was a sequel to Danger Man/Secret Agent, while at the same time leaving it open that it might be. Also, it established the character's defiance. In his situation he was obsessed with never revealing himself to the people of The Village, knowing that everyone might betray him.
“I am not a number, I am a free man” Secret Agents are made not born. The budding agents are tested and tried every step of the way throughout their childhood. This is well outlined in the movie, *The Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)* Sometimes, they would submerge potentials underwater, and have them learn to rely on themselves (not a maternal figure) to find the escape hatch, out. They would be tasked with other traumatizing challenges in order to desensitize them to assassination. How else is James Bond able to commit so many murders and not shed a tear? (It's the training) Secret Agents are made, not born. For instance, In the movie *Goldeneye (1995)* , Alec Trevelyan, under the alias "006" told Bond 007 "We're both orphans james....MI6 figured I was too young to remember...to work for the government "
In his prime Patrick McGoohan would have made a scary ass James Bond. Danger Man was kind of watered down, but bring his inherent rage to his work and he makes Sean Connery look like Roger Moore.
@@wiseonwords No, Danger Man is 1960, the first Bond books were in the early fifties. There was even a TV show and bad bond movie done before danger man. Danger Man was McGoohan's answer to Bond because he didn't like the glamourization of guns and the demeaning of women that was in the books.
@@trentontolmer-amos7966 I meant watered down espionage stories. Its pretty hard not to, but look at Smileys people for example and compare them to bond or even danger man. Television hours simply have to water down complex realities. But it wasn't nearly as watered down and mutated as todays shows and movies.
I see the comments are still recent and coming in. Just finished viewing on RUclips "The Prisoner- Behind The Scenes" also great for fans. Surprisingly I had some big laughs at various revelations of the interviewees. Seeing the original run in high my high school years right after The Jackie Gleason Show sent my young brain spinning. I never forgot it either.
Patrick McGoohan had everything, intelligence, charm and supernatural charisma. One of the greatest actors of all time, someone to look up to and respect. I salute you Patrick McGoohan ...Be seeing you...
And his show The Prisoner, though only on for 13 episodes (couldn't let it stay on too long - it was WAY ahead of its time) was also the only instance of a Beatles song played in the 60s, other than in concerts and on records and radio. The Beatles were great fans of The Prisoner and gave special permission for Patrick to use All You Need Is Love🥰 on the final show. Remember - I am NOT a number....I am a FREE MAN !!!
And when you come to the path that is the end of your life, there will be a bright light which you will follow, and you’ll find yourself in The Village.
When I first saw The Prisoner I went, "Hey, that's the guy who played Dr. Ruth in Scanners!"
🏴
well said!! be seeing you!
It’s nearly 60 years old, and just as thought provoking, frustrating and wonderful as ever.
✊ Scouser-girl 😃
The Prisoner is as relevant today, if not more, than when it was first shown.
I was just blown away by the quality of questions by the audience and the interviewer.
It was probably a selected audience of cultured people, back when cultured debates had a place in life and on tv.
An old friend "hipped" me to this show 15 years ago. To say the show was complex would be an understatement. The Prisoner was a labyrinth, a 3D chess board, a matrix of philosophy, allegory and a foretelling into the future. This show was a total work of art.
It is that complicated to tell a simple truth of "being" on earth.
you can't imagine what it was like to watch it when it was first released
in the late '60's at that; got my draft number at the end of the rerun season the following year, #6, of course
Hey, If you enjoy *The Prisoner* like me you might find you also really like *Severance* (2022) 👍
which is not dissimilar to that show in its psychological mysteriousness,
beautifully shot and acted - and honestly is one of the VERY few things on TV that is genuinely interesting nowadays.
@@zetetick395 Cool. Will definitely check it out
This is the only serious and deep TV interview with Patrick available in internet. A very powerful interview to get to know better his strong personality and charisma. Patrick's message is nowadays more valid than ever
Yes it feels natural and honest with only a genuine discussion about what lead to the events and creating of an amazing series.
It's called...Canada.
totally
And it becomes more relevant (valid) with each passing crisis
He is every bit as cool as you would expect. I love it when he gets worked up. Prisoner is the best TV show ever.
It's very cool to find that he really is the Prisoner. I had assumed he was simply acting a role.
The Prisoner was a great show which took advantage of the “ambiguities “ of the Cold War, but from Twilight Zone to Sopranos there is too much competition for me to agree it was the best. It may have been the show requiring the most viewer thought
If you enjoy The Prisoner you might really like Severance (2022)
which is not dissimilar to that show in its mysteriousness,
beautifully shot and one of the VERY few things on TV that is genuinely interesting at the moment
The Prisoner was made about 20 years before I was born, but it's still one of my favorite TV series. I have tried non stop to get my friends to watch it so I'll have someone to talk to about it to. McGoohan is a legend.
I can recommend the podcast Time for Cakes and Ale, they have a lot of insight into each episode.
Do not ever touch or go near lsd.
So did you get your friends to watch it? Mine are too retarded and think this show is too old. I seriously need new friends ;_;
Good concept spoiled when they turned it into a self-indulgent thespian farce. Only thing missing was a Brian Rix episode where trousers repeatedly fall down. The public were duped, but they try to rationalize all the bs with their own interpretations. Of course, they should know it was really about Jesus resigning as the son of God. Lol
@@SearchBucket2 - Talk about self-indulgent!! At least the series was open to a number of different interpretations. Excellent next day water cooler fare.
McGoohan would have certainly not like our fish in a bowl existence today. A great actor and a genius creator. By far the best sci-fi serious ever put small screen.
I think it is great, but it had a great imported rival: "The Avengers." Both were solid and "sci-fy-ish" enough to conquer the ratings and dispel any doubts that they wouldn't be accepted by a U. S. audience.
Everything he said is coming true. There is a line in the Prisoner where no 2 says about the Cold War that the two sides will look at each other and see how similar they've become...
Over the past year, western governments have fallen head over heels not only to appease China, but to copy its political system which combines the worst features of Communism and Capitalism - naked greed combined with censorship and surveillance, governments and mega-corporations pushing totalitarianism together.
@@thursoberwick1948 Amazingly he managed to get a modern take of George Orwells 1984 past the television networks! They did a recent remake needless to say McGoohan wouldnt be impressed! Even if the bigger picture is lost on most take comofort Thurso Berwick you are certainly not a number!
@@bettyjones2614 The remake was okay. I've seen worse. The origjnal is a classic though.
I ran to the Philippines. a cash based economy with horrible infrastructure. the thing is . whenever I exchange dollars at a money exchange place, they are required by US law to record the serial number of each American bill and get a copy of my passport. so even with cash here you can't hide from uncle Sam.
Mr. McGoohan was (and is) a genius far ahead of his time. He lived only a few miles from my home, and I often wished I could have met this extraordinary, wise gentleman.
I watched The Prisoner late at night with my Dad, back when I was a teenager. We never understood it but loved it regardless. Great to see this interview and how intelligent McGoohan was. I'm also impressed by the thoughtfulness of the audience and the interviewer. How eloquent everyone was back then, and how well expressed are their insights. TV these days is so dumbed down.
Ah Patrick, you are missed. Be seeing you.
I think not understanding The Prisoner is what compelled people to keep watching the show. I first saw The Prisoner on the local PBS station in Denver on Friday nights in the summer of 1985, and after the first episode, I kept watching because I wanted to see how the next elected number 2 would try to get number 6 to reveal why he quit his top secret spy job. Some of the technology used in the episodes were silly, but I kept watching. Like Star Trek, the show still holds up and has a timeless message about authority and control over the individual.
If you enjoy The Prisoner you might find you really like Severance (2022) 👍
which is not dissimilar to that show in its psychological mysteriousness,
beautifully shot and acted - and honestly is one of the VERY few things on TV that is genuinely interesting nowadays.
Every single question from the fans was superb. The average tv viewer had much more on the ball back then i think.
Totally agree - like they were all in a uni psychology lecture and completely understanding the subject before asking their questions.
Agree!
I was waiting for someone to ask if N°6 was actually John Drake but nobody did.
@@jean6872 think those theories didn't become popular until later.
@@broken1394 Golly! I was thinking it was John Drake from Episode 1.
Just watched the first episode on u toob... still holds up 52 years later... McGoohan was a total genius...
Bruce McKay you can now watch Secret Agent and The Prisoner on TUBI.
👁👃👌
A great actor. Watch him doing four Columbo shows. Brilliant. I am always amazed at how perfectly he speaks. Every word is pronounced so definitely.
It's January 2021 and we're all Prisoners now.
And we are still number 1.
Patrick McGoohan has left us, but videos like this are where I'll be seeing you, sir.
Watching this video made me realize what a wonderful tribute Taylor Swift made with Love story for his wake.
This is without doubt the best exegesis of The Prisoner serial by the creator. Coming back to this story after 55 years and having just returned from our holiday to north Wales and Portmeirion, I'm even more impressed by the serial. My kids - who are my age when I first saw it - are equally enthused!
I really enjoyed this 45 year old interview and was especially impressed by the intelligence of the host, the audience, and of course, Mr. McGoohan.
I watched every episode back when it appeared here in UK, 1967, saw the first and could not wait for the next episode, McGoohan had more charisma in his toenails than the typical Hollywood star!
thatwilldonicely It was the same for me. Saw it in 1967 and was hooked. We moved about the country a lot due to family upheaval and over the years watched the entire series three times in three different parts of the country. Later I bought the DVD box set which I still have. I still see something new every time I watch an episode. Like my childhood it doesn't let you stay in one place.
Did he EVER Get the HELL OUT????????
im number one ,be seeing you
@@lewiswilliamsjr.1040 Heheheheh.
@@lesliefox9800 Watch The Series Finale Fallout and you'll see
The Prisoner was my most favorite show when I was 7. I didn't get to see the end of the series until I was 56 and got the boxed set of it from Amazon. I still consider it my favorite show ever.
Hey, If you enjoy *The Prisoner* like me you might find you also really like *Severance* (2022)
which is not dissimilar to that show in its psychological mysteriousness,
beautifully shot and acted - and honestly is one of the VERY few things on TV that is genuinely interesting nowadays. 👍
Waited forty years for the end.....I imagine that was a little disappointing . There was an uproar about the ending when it aired but all in all ...still absolutely brilliant.Happy viewing
This is the kind of television I grew up with. You guys get Jimmy Fallon
Ash tray the size of a dog basket on the table, real telly
Who put Jimmy Fallon on TV? The people who watched TV in the 60s and 70s...
And they do it by figuring out what young people want to see.
Jonny Wells good point. We had been told that cigarettes caused cancer and were dangerous,minutes made our own decisions. We didn’t need to be protected from reality. We didn’t hide in safe spaces. We recognized that if we got cancer from cigarettes, it was our responsibility.
Fallon... Gay heroes for gay generation I suppose.
After all these years I still say "Be seeing you" rather than goodbye, or Bye or anything else. The opening; in the first 30 seconds I was hooked. I knew it was something special.
The German phrase "Auf wiedersehn" approximates to "Be seeing you".
👌Be seeing you
The village with CCTV scared the living daylights out of me as a lad!
Patrick McGoohan had such AMAZING INSIGHTS.
The background on "Rover" was sheer genius.
Patrick McGoohan acted as if he was the characters he played. He was that good at his craft.
Hey folks, how could one imagine that we would live in the "Village" ? Because, this is precisely what happens now !
i first watched in the early nineties ...staying up late and always looking for something to take my mind off of my problems...patrick is pure genius...a legend his show is priceless....
I saw it on Bravo as a kid. Changed my life
This series is one of my obsessions. It’s impact upon me has not diminished at all over the many years. It helped me understand me, and I continually turn back to it, learning something new each and every time.
Have you seen The Good Place on Netflix? I wouldn't be surprised if the people behind this recent tv series, were huge fans of the original Prisoner.
Same here, plus my draft number was #6.
Same here. I return to this series every couple of years and experience it all over again. Endlessly fascinating and new things I notice each time. I so wish McGoohan was still with us.
@@danapeck5382 Mcgoohan’s quote “trying to destroy the individual” is an excellent description of the draft.
@@stevekru6518 ever work in government or corporate? I'd take working for a chief or sergeant over reporting to an MBA, no contest
He was a fascinating man.
He still is
Loved the series so ahead of it's time
I would hold Patrick McGoohan up as a modern-day philosopher, what his view on society said then is absolutely what has happened & still is happening now & the future. Genius.
I hope his views on philosophy are not entirely accurate, for he predicts the end of the world, and I am watching this in March 2022 with the Ukraine crises at its height.
@@keithnaylor1981 If things were left to humans it probably would be the end of the world. But the Bible predicted the times we are now living in, and the Bible also predicts that it will lead to much better times thanks to God's intervention.
@@antonioverdad5071
Bullshit 🙄
Don't be so obtuse
Or maybe he just had insiders info on the elites plans aka new world order
Patrick McGoohan: I remember him doing the bad guy in a couple of episodes of Columbo. Excellent actor and writer.
He and Peter Falk were good friends.
There was a funny story that Peter Falk told where they went for lunch somewhere after filming a Columbo episode that McGoohan directed, and they shook hands, and McGoohan felt something cold in his hands. McGoohan opened his hands to see two of Peter's glass eyes in his hand and Peter said, Be Seeing You. Peter said it was the only time he heard McGoohan laughed.
He did three episodes. All very good.
Patrick McGoohan is the only actor in history to have appeared as a guest performer on a TV show in 2 different episodes and won the Emmy for guest appearance on BOTH occasions ! Just think about the astonishment of that feat for a couple of seconds ? They were for his work in " Columbo" alongside the brilliant Peter Falk . They don't make ' em like that any more ! Now yer talkin' turkey ?
Some context is in order: I saw this interview when it first aired on TVO in 1977. Similar to PBS in the US, TV Ontario was (and still is) an educational network funded by the Government of Ontario. TVO had run The Prisoner series with Warner Troyer (the interviewer) serving as host and providing pre- and post- commentary for each episode. As Troyer mentioned, Seneca College (Toronto) ran a course on The Prisoner in conjunction with TVO’s airing of the series. I was 17 at the time, and I thoroughly enjoyed not just the series, but the analysis of the themes and concepts that McGoohan explored in what I consider a masterpiece of film-making. Thank you for posting this. Thanks for the memories.
many thanks for this important context
Well and truly hooked by this series. Have owned 2 Lotus 7s and 1 Caterham 7 since following the Prisoner, and have been going to Portmerion for over 30 years. In fact was last there last week. A fabulous place and a equally remarkable series.
Do you ever get the feeling of being trapped when you're there?
I have only managed to go to Portmerion twice. Ended up buying a weather balloon on my first visit.
Interesting name , you must like Percy Thrillington !
I would love to have a Lotus 7! KAR120C: such a cool license plate number.
There is and never will be another show like 'The Prisoner'. It's profundity will never diminish.
What a freaking genius ... way , way ahead of his time 👏
If you can really put yourself in the position of number 6 you will realize how terrorizing his life in the village was.
McGoohan was way before his time, and TV and cinema will probably never see his like again in terms of acting and writing. He is greatly missed and greatly appreciated for the legacy he left.
Rest in peace, Patrick.
Patrick McGoohan has the most unique voice that one can imagine. It has a universality that is unmatched. With that voice he could come from anywhere. His accent was truly international.
The Prisoner did manage to crack him, at the end he drove everybody around him mad, this is a very intensive person. Was to the end, like a human volcano.
Irish/American/English. Listen closely and Pierce Brosnan has similar intonation
@@fincorrigan7139 Born in New York to Irish parents, and grew up in both Ireland and Sheffield in Yorkshire.
I wonder how he got on with Mel Gibson while making Braveheart. Both were born in the US but didn't grow up here, then came back and lived here a long time. Both were very religious but rebellious at the same time. I wonder how their personalities and world views meshed.
@@44032 It's interesting to note that Patrick McGoohan was the first choice to replace Sean Connery as James Bond. He turned down the role numerous times because of the way the Bond character was misogynistic and promiscuous. Being a devote Roman Catholic that was a line he was not willing to cross.
It's funny as an Irishman, his accent to me at least sounds purely Irish, well to do pale Irish (Leinster area) specifically, barring the odd word like "shooting" for instance which sounds vaguely American. Also as someone who has good friends from the Leeds/Bradford area of Yorkshire I can't actually hear any Yorkshire in his accent at all really. Maybe thats just me though.
Love it "The One Rebel they could not Break".
Do you guys realise how deep a discussion they are having on TV?
Compared to now...
That is exactly why I watch RUclips.
In a market society you have to settle for whatever is popular.
@Roman Viking
Politics is a market, it is marketed. Why do you suppose #6 got elected.
@Roman Viking yep, and become the prisoner
Amusing Ourselves to Death is a good read to highlight the decline.
over 50 years later we're still talking about it...not the remake...which no one remembers... ;>)
pantslizard I felt far more cheated by the remake than anyone must have felt by “Fallout”.
...sorry, no idea what you mean...
pantslizard The remake was awful! (Fallout was the title of the last show of the original series. It was a confusing mish-mosh that angered many viewers. I saw it in reruns back in the 90s and enjoyed it. A fun end to a mind-bending show.)
@Le Zouzou the remake of "The Prisoner" was on the AMC network in 2009 starring Jim Caveziel. Not good and very forgettable.
We're currently in the remake. Not the McKellen version either.
profound. I wish he was still around.
Iron Maiden got me here. Knew nothing of this series until I watched a video of Iron Maiden talking about the song they wrote and asked Patrick McGoohan permission to use the intro. About 5 years ago I found this series on YT but episode 3 was missing. Now Amazon prime video has them all. Over the past 3 weeks I have been watching them and finished it yesterday. Such a great series, and a really cool guy. I always love when he just smirks.
Thank you for making this available for other to see. 🙏👍
"We're run by the Pentagon. We're run by Madison Avenue..." social media. etc. "We all live in a little Village."
have you heard of the term 'global village' ? im not sure if its on youtube but 'payday monsanto - world order prelude' is a short 30 second excerpt from episode 2. why i think this whole series is highlighting. a war on sanity. the war with ourselves against everyone else. a very spiritual concept when you think about it, but the sinster nature of our current paradigm, im not sure if it IS going to come to a head. slow kill.. maybe the realit of the situation is that we will exclude ourselves from having more than ourselves which ulitmately circles to a cell - a prison.
@@BCzepa Were you a bot?
@@Boylieboyle no what does that mean?
@@BCzepa Hi no offence, it was just a lot of things (with which I tend to agree btw) "typed" in a staccato way. Cheers mate
Who runs the village?
Oh one side or the other.
I was too young to understand what the Prisoner was about when it was originally aired.The balloons puzzled everybody,what an hilarious explanation.. He convincingly played the most irritating characters in Columbo.Haviing now watched this interview I really appreciated what a superb actor he was.The Prisoner now appears to be an amazing piece of foresight by Mr McGoohan which foresaw all the control freakery which we have all experienced in 2020/2021.He now deserves the accolades which have been given in the past to George Orwell with 1984.RIP Mr McGoohan and thank you
... Great interview! Patrick McGoohan was well ahead of his time regards the philosophical inspired TV series 'The Prisoner'. Which is probably why not many people got the full meaning behind it and why in some quaters we are still talking about it today. Patrick McGoohan was a great actor and personality. RIP. ♥
At least now he is free.
Similar themes in Aldous Huxley and George Orwell never mind Kafka. Even Hitchcock drew on confusion, ambiguity, manipulation and psychological trauma. An early to mid-20th century phenomenon brought on by the post-industrial revolution societies which were hell bent on wiping each other out in two world wars. Joyce and TS Eliot drew on similar forms of articulating the inner workings.
This guy and Rod Serling were geniuses. I am in awe of both of them.
He did it. He touched the chord and ongoing discussions are the results. He touched the spirit of the people and they needed it. We still do.
Always found McGoohan absolutely mesmerizing, whether in character or out. I still watch old Prisoner & Secret Agent episodes as if I've never seen them before.
The Prisoner ran here in the USA when I was in high school: A show guys talked about during gym class. I saw a couple of episodes then, but sadly the folks preferred the medical drama & variety shows.
1:17 - his message to 'society'. Message received, from beyond the grave, well done, sir.!!
Unfortunately, the honey bee knows better than man and their societal structure is not only more efficient than man's, it is also more peaceful. #hivemind - "Who are you?" - 'The new #2.' - "Who is #1?" - 'You are, #6'. > 35:40 - the final words for that series should have been: "Acid is groovy - Kill the pigs.' lol
He was ahead of his time. I am watching Danger Man at the moment after running out of episodes of 'Man In a Suitcase'.
... and there you have it. A man who wanted to break away, a 'prisoner' if you will, of the already franchise dominated entertainment media who wanted to escape from it and produce something to challenge - to make people think. Love it or hate it, it has been debated, analysed and discussed since it's creation, and will be for many years to come. How fortunate we were to have such a determined and forthright artist - and saddening when you look at the unimaginative 'safe' tosh that is produced in the mainstream now.
Incredibly charismatic fellow. I admire him to the point of imitation.
I kept thinking of this show during the pandemic and how scary the comparisons were. I fear Patrick wouldn’t have liked lockdown much.
This is so revealing and required watching only after you see the entire series. Pat is so open here, I think it’s because his fans are there, not the press.
patrick is just brilliant. love his way of thinking, and everything he does. thanks for the upload. 🙏🏻
Wish he could have broken the tobacco addiction and lived a few more years ! What an extraordinary talented man !!
True but he died at 80, not too bad for a smoker.
How beautiful, this series is GOOD.
I really enjoy this interview. I love hearing Patrick talk as himself. And I love it when he pushes his glasses up on his nose. He had the most wonderful inflexion of speech. His foresight, in comparing what he said at this time and with what is happening now, was frightening. He talked of having to live on a desert island to escape "prisonership". I'm glad that he was able to go up to Montana and tend his chicken farm and fish and spend time with his family.
I love to hear him speak.he had deep ocean commanding voice yet intriguing.can you imagine trying to lie to this guy if he were your father.lol.
He’s flipping everyone the bird lol
@@Redwhiteblue-gr5em And I LOVE it!!!
Patrick McGoohan was the thinking man's actor. He would never carry a gun or involve himself in erotic scenes "on screen". That required a strong set of ethics. His work was highly allegorical and yet there was never any politics or religion rammed down the audience's throat. Watch some of his early work in cinema. He demanded hard work and dedication from himself _and_ those with whom he worked. (as it should be). Many actors considered him to be oppressive but I suspect it was because they were used to compromise and sloppiness. McGoohan wouldn't settle for anything less than 100%.
We lost a fine actor when he died.
He's happier now!
Oh there are politics in there, big time.
On Danger Man,he refused to let John Drake be romantically involved with any of the female characters, on the grounds of his personal morals and in the interests of portraying a secret agent realistically.
Patrick was a true artistic genius and this is no better proven than by the discussion, beginning about time-stamp 15:30, when the fellow sort of 'accuses' McGoohan of 'lucking' into some of the most important little 'accidents.'
That, Patrick and would recognize the unplanned, or 'happy little accidents,' 'if you will, and take advantage of them is the mark of a great artist. The ability to 'leave something unplanned the hell alone' instead of recklessly making the next stroke of the creative brush covers up the accident of genius, is a talent and skill all artists strive for.
(post script: I'm not well, so forgive me if I didn't state that very well.)
If you watch an episode of Danger Man called “the village” in which McGoohan played you can see where he got the idea for “The Prisoner”.
Most all you all say about the series and the man are true, everything. you watch now is just a carbon copy of another series most times you can guess the plot and when you talk about James Bond I beg to differ They got their plot from the original James Bond, Secret agent man A.K.A danger man just upgraded I love Patrick and I Love Sean Connery. and Rodger you just can't lose with a remake of A.K.A. Danger man
Really interesting. Great question at 15:00 about how the unplanned "little pieces" came together. Nobody says "serendipity" but planned preparedness makes happy accidents possible. McGoohan seems to be the master of happy accidents.
So nostalgic people smoking on ser
it had to be in the mid to late 1970s
Severine', Spot on!
A man who thinks before answering. How refreshing.
He delivered this classic line in the first episode of the Prisoner- "It had crossed my mind" after number 1 said "I suppose you're wondering what you're doing here?"
Was it not number 2 who said that?
@@tparsons353 Yes you're right, no. 2 said it..:)
His putting the interviewer in a difficult position, Patrick is a very very intelligent man.
I grew up with incredible content, in entertainment, music and art. The BBC played heavily in the entertainment content, especially through TVOntario and WNED17 Buffalo. DOCTOR WHO became my favourite television program, of all time, but much later in life, I discovered THE PRISONER, at last. I can scarcely believe that something this intelligent, insightful, thought provoking and thoroughly honest ever got the green light to be made (much like WHO). Patrick McGoohan was absolutely, in every sense of the word, a genius. I have watched the series multiple times, now, and will do so again, many times. I'm so glad that I finally discovered THE PRISONER, and Patrick, may he rest in light ... and freedom.
Tout comme moi ❤🙏
Few TV series have aged so well and are still relevant. McGoohan was ahead of his time - concerned about personal identity, consumerism and Big Brother back in the 60s
I'm french, and I first watch The Prisoner - on a black and white television, with voices dubbed - when I was a teen in the seventies... Now I can watch it with the original voices and colors, and it's still my favorite television series... There is so much you can find in each episode every time you watch it... It's like a dream, or a tale... And so visionary! I don't know if Patrick MacGoohan met Philip K. Dick, may be they're having good times together where they are now...
I was one of the...couldn't wait till next week's episode. The last episode, was perfect for those individuals with a calling. Freedom.
Just amazing that I'm watching this interview the same day I finished watching The Prisoner, 02/25/23, and as Mr. McGoohan talked about progress being our downfall just as the whole world is in danger of WW3 at this very moment.
I will not make any deals with you.
I've resigned.
I will not be pushed
filed
stamped
indexed
briefed
debriefed
or numbered.
My life is my own.
Is it?
"Hahahahahahahaha"
👌 Be seeing you.
David Torres Your question is what lies at the very heart of... well, everything! It’s a choice... one we all must make at some point if we wish to be an authentic individual (think: Morpheus, “I can only show you the door...”)
I don’t actually know that much about Patrick’s interests, but It’s pretty safe to assume he was reading Campbell, as this exquisite piece of work (the Prisoner) delves into Jungian and Platonic notions like a hot knife through butter.
Paraphrasing Carl Gustav himself: if you don’t willingly assume the role of hero in your own story, you will inevitably be cast as a bit player in somebody else’s myth.
Intention, will, agency and the primacy of the individual. Is your life your own? My opinion: since it’s entirely dependent on what you do with it, the question can only be truly answered when you’ve completed it. Your life that is.
But... seeing as you can, at any point along the way, decide to answer “YES!” and willingly assume the responsibility... I guess the answer really was yes all along.
Take a shot every time Patrick flips off the interviewer pushing up his glasses 0_o
He makes the act of pushing up his glasses into a gesture of defiance
He is giving the finger as he pushes up his glasses.
I look upon "The Prisoner" as any other work of art. It can be judged on its own merits. It was a great TV show.
You sell it short - it's better than art.
With a hasty final episode,due to it being pulled early.
@@broken1394 This is what art is meant to be. Not just billionaires jerking over a blank canvas.
As a child I loved the intrigue of this series.
A brilliant Series, and a Fantastic interview, which explains quite a lot... Be seeing You!
There is a foreshadowing of who Number 1 is in episode 6, 'Many Happy returns' when he returns to his townhouse and and the number on the door is "1".
at the end scene, his door opens automatically and he is still watched. He has LOST.
He ripped off the monkey mask of number one? and saw himself as Number one.
McGoohan said its about the evil of oneself.
why did you resign... give up on life? we want information? whose side are you on?
it's not about usa vs Russia. All these are in the global village.
who is number one? He puts himself in that role? he's clueless...
He escapes back to the world? and is still a prisoner.
He is useless. LOST.
Number one is GOD.
Number TWO is Satan, whose face changes, an examiner. who tests him. and finds out .. who's side are you on?
He is number six, the number of a man.
He cannot be free until he chooses number one, Christ. Death would be freedom. But he chose to go back to the world.
this is all freemasonry , an elaborate declaration.
McGoohan retreated back to Wales, the pagan country of Witchcraft.
Britain of the sixties was so pagan, it was everywhere on tv and society.
Thatcher arrived and she swept it under the carpet with MONEY and GREED.
When the money runs out? Paganism resurfaces. All the old evils return, Age of Aquarius.
Growing up in Britain was like growing up in a Wickerman Village.
Recently rewatching Secret Agent Man. His body language is superb. Married to the same woman, has my utmost respect for both his personal & professional lives.
Back when The Prisoner ran (I saw it first run as a summer replacement show), I enjoyed the show immensely but never became a cultist. In other words only a superficial understanding of the show. I enjoyed Danger Man much more (and still think of it as the best 60s show).
But this wonderful interview made me realize what McGoohan was trying to bring forward with The Prisoner. I understand it only because I now have the context to do so, along with Patrick's straightforward explanations. YES! We are prisoners. Prisoners of our minds. More specifically, the portion of our mind partitioned off for the purposes of survival; i.e. the EGO.
Patrick focused on the word "progress". Progress being the second danger after own selves. And he noted the two were connected. YES! Progress is an expression of the need for more. We haven't got enough. We're incomplete. We need more. More stuff. More everything. That's the trap. That's what binds us and makes us unfree. The ego is never satisfied.
The Prisoner series is what I have now come to understand as simply an other lesson in how our egos shackle us. We are trapped, and are running out of time (mass destruction around the corner now. Another thing McGoohan foretold). The key is to transcend the ego. The ego is not who we are. It is a survival machine run amok. We must evolve. We must raise our consciousness. Then we will cease to be slaves.
No fake grins like a certain Tom. Just a very thoughtful interview with a very smart man. McGoohan is somewhat arrogant and I can imagine he was not easy to work with, but he is unique. Loved him as Edward I in Braveheart. My dad loved the guy full stop. RIP Number 6.
In the book Shooting Coulmbo- there is a great insight on PG from his time on that show by fellows actors/producers etc
"I think progress is the biggest enemy on Earth ... apart from oneself. And that goes with oneself - they're two-handed." Coming from someone who saw what was coming then so clearly, God help us now.
at the end scene, his door opens automatically and he is still watched. He has LOST.
He ripped off the monkey mask of number one? and saw himself as Number one.
McGoohan said its about the evil of oneself.
why did you resign... give up on life? we want information? whose side are you on?
it's not about usa vs Russia. All these are in the global village.
who is number one? He puts himself in that role? he's clueless...
He escapes back to the world? and is still a prisoner.
He is useless. LOST.
Number one is GOD.
Number TWO is Satan, whose face changes, an examiner. who tests him. and finds out .. who's side are you on?
He is number six, the number of a man.
He cannot be free until he chooses number one, Christ. Death would be freedom. But he chose to go back to the world.
this is all freemasonry , an elaborate declaration.
He retreated back to Wales, the pagan country of Witchcraft.
Britain of the sixties was so pagan, it was everywhere on tv and society.
Thatcher arrived and she swept it under the carpet with MONEY and GREED.
When the money runs out? Paganism resurfaces. All the old evils return, Age of Aquarius.
Growing up in Britain was like growing up in a Wickerman Village.
Now I have to go back and watch the whole series again. Great find! Thanks
I am of the mindset that the series opening sequence revealed the identity of Number 1 concealed in plane sight (Hearing). "Who is Number 1?" : You are, Number 6."
Ha! I just made the same comment somewhere else.
Wellcome to 2022...where knowledge is controntational...Be seeing You...
Patrick's appearance changed a lot from 1967 to 1977.
enjoy your pint
My parents were born around the same time period and as opposed to the younger generation of today, people would age much faster back then. However within a period of ten years, people do change a little bit.
Patrick McGoohan got to make some decisions about this show and we got a great show.
Dan', McGoohan made ALL the decisions on "The Prisoner"!
He often rode roughshod over the feelings and interests of the writers, directors and other actors!
no he invented the show
This is a very good interview.
"A lot of the stuff that is bought is not needed" . Patrick, you are so right.
What a legend of a man 🙏 a must watch for the fans
It is a very good interview. If it had come out nowadays there would be 'employees' of the studio where this was recorded "walking out" because he implied some in the audience are not smart.
This Interviewer is really amazing. He has smart questions. But they aren’t overly smug. He listens. And fits this subject perfectly.
Celebrities aren't like this anymore, deep thinking. They are obsessed with being "celebrities", with a few notable exception, Keanu Reeves, Harrison Ford
Yep and the people put them there.
I like the beginning of your list.
I would like to see a bigger list, but that might start arguments :-), which might not be a bad thing.
I will add four more though:
Bill Bixby, Jon Voight, Charlize Theron, Mel Brooks
@@GeeTrieste I'll have to seek out interviews with them. Thanks for the recommendations :-)
Really appreciate the host. He does an excellent job with the questions and follow ups. Allows us to get a great perspective on Mr McGoohan’s impressive talent and intellect.
One of the most epic TVs series ever and I remember seeing this village in the middle eighties in north wales
One of my Favourite Actors !
First time I saw him was in Danger Man, I was a kid, when I saw it in 1988 in France !and I used to watch the Show each Tuesday nights of the Summer of 1993 just after Mission Impossible with my Dad !Two of the Best Espionage Series !R.I.P Mr McGoohan !
Wonderful to hear the great man's story!
Great discussion. All the questions answered. All the answers questioned.
One thing that never made sense was that The Prisoner said “I am not a number, I am a free man” but never used his name - always his number - in the 17 episodes...
Because they did not want to make it explicit that the series was a sequel to Danger Man/Secret Agent, while at the same time leaving it open that it might be. Also, it established the character's defiance. In his situation he was obsessed with never revealing himself to the people of The Village, knowing that everyone might betray him.
“I am not a number, I am a free man”
Secret Agents are made not born. The budding agents are tested and tried every step of the way throughout their childhood. This is well outlined in the movie, *The Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)* Sometimes, they would submerge potentials underwater, and have them learn to rely on themselves (not a maternal figure) to find the escape hatch, out. They would be tasked with other traumatizing challenges in order to desensitize them to assassination. How else is James Bond able to commit so many murders and not shed a tear? (It's the training)
Secret Agents are made, not born. For instance, In the movie *Goldeneye (1995)* , Alec Trevelyan, under the alias "006" told Bond 007 "We're both orphans james....MI6 figured I was too young to remember...to work for the government "
In his prime Patrick McGoohan would have made a scary ass James Bond. Danger Man was kind of watered down, but bring his inherent rage to his work and he makes Sean Connery look like Roger Moore.
Mike Archibald - Ian Fleming actually based James Bond on McGoohan's Danger Man character.
@@wiseonwords No, Danger Man is 1960, the first Bond books were in the early fifties. There was even a TV show and bad bond movie done before danger man. Danger Man was McGoohan's answer to Bond because he didn't like the glamourization of guns and the demeaning of women that was in the books.
Danger Man was not watered down at all. First class television series although the last two episodes set in Japan were disappointing...
@@trentontolmer-amos7966 I meant watered down espionage stories. Its pretty hard not to, but look at Smileys people for example and compare them to bond or even danger man. Television hours simply have to water down complex realities. But it wasn't nearly as watered down and mutated as todays shows and movies.
@@wiseonwords This is true!
I see the comments are still recent and coming in. Just finished viewing on RUclips "The Prisoner- Behind The Scenes" also great for fans. Surprisingly I had some big laughs at various revelations of the interviewees.
Seeing the original run in high my high school years right after The Jackie Gleason Show sent my young brain spinning. I never forgot it either.