Tonight, AMC premieres their "The Prisoner" remake miniseries.I've been looking forward to this for some time, and even bringing up my appreciation of the original series from time to time...
I'm hoping they don't mess it up. I'm happy to see they've included "Rover," and hope there are more nods to the original.
But then, as I've disclosed before, I'm an ornery originalist on just about everything:
I'm still livid with "Gunsmoke" for replacing Chester with Festus. Candy was an interloper who should have been driven off the Ponderosa--or better yet, hanged for Adam's disappearance. Who the hell are Ernie and Uncle Charlie, how did they get into the Douglas house on "My Three Sons," and what the hell did they do with Mike and Bub (I'm suspecting pod people here)? And "Zorro"--dude, you dress in black to evade pursuit on dark nights. What bad mescal could you have possibly been drinking to think replacing black Tornado with white Phantom was a tactically sound idea?As for tonight? I guess I'll see.
Be seeing you. And it.
Amen! I'm guessing that the SciFi (SyFy) channel was doing a Prisoner's marathon, as I happened to catch part of the final episode. Too bad, I would've liked to have seen more.
ReplyDeleteBut you're right, I also will be watching with a combination of anticipation, wonder & a critical eye & mind.
B Woodman
III-per
The final episode still irritates me. I watched it back when it first came out--had glued myself to the entire series, and felt so let down--and that was before repeats and VCRs to watch again and try to make some sense out of it. I've got the whole ting now on DVD and it still lets me down.
ReplyDeletePerhaps if McGoohan had let us know at the start it was supposed to be "art" and not mere "entertainment"...
But I still find inspiration from the entire message of a committed individual never yielding, never giving up, and always trying new and creative ways to defy and resist in spite of continual, seemingly overwhelming and spirit-crushing defeats...
Wikipedia says that McGoohan had to go into seclusion for several weeks after the finale first aired because several confused and angry fans showed up at his house demanding an explanation.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of the original series, perhaps I should have mentioned AMC has made the episodes available here to help drum up interest in the new show.
ReplyDeleteSo you can see more, Mr. Woodman.
& the Stooges never had the same timing after that newbie Curly showed up. SHEMP FOREVER!
ReplyDeleteArmed Geek
OK, point taken.
ReplyDeleteWatched it, and in order to show the Prisoners' confusion, I think they confused their audience as well. Too many jumpy and shaking and fast shots. Too many things did not make sense, to a viewer. And if the Prisoner could remember his previous life in detail, how come he never says his own, or anyone elses' name, especially since he detests being called six? I think they f-ed it up, royally.
ReplyDeleteWatched it too. The jury's still out. Had to keep reminding myself; "It's not intended to be a completely accurate remake. It's just another person's interpretation."
ReplyDeleteI remember the original series and never missed an episode, but never knew the familiar big white ball had a name, "Rover?" and wasn't really looking for hidden messages and morality issues at the time.
Of course when I re-read Atlas Shrugged, some fifty years after the first read, I experienced an entirely different book. I need to buy the original Prisoner series and re-watch same.
I'll be watching again tonight, so I guess it's doing its job...
ReplyDeleteI watched the series as it aired on CBS.
ReplyDeleteThe final episode never made sense. To this day, no one has offered an explanation that makes any sense.
Still, I enjoyed the series, and it still has some of the best lines.
How do you improve:
"I am not a number - I am a free man!?