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'The Prisoner' set to return?

Jaffa Cake

Jaffa Cake

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Aug 1, 2004
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The City of Culture, Englandshire
The BBC reports that Sky One is looking into making a new version of TV classic The Prisoner – according to the report, it's going to be a 'radical reinvention' of the original. Bringing back a classic series worked for the BBC with Doctor Who – it looks like Sky are pinning their hopes on the same happening for them.

I suppose Sky needs something new now that they've lost their monopoly on live football... ;)
 
Sounds interesting, but I would prefer Sky made a new series of Red Dwarf (now that the BBC seem to have given up on it).

If they make sure they get the same actors and writers back, I should be just as good as the original.:D
 
Danksi said:
.. could easily replace him with Sly Stalone or Marky Mark! :rolleyes:
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Now you're really scaring me.

What is it with remaking classics? Who thinks they can make a classic better than the original?:confused:
 
"the new series would take "liberties with the original" and would not retain its arty feel."

Bah. Count me out.

Lemme guess, they'll set The Village in a virtual environment....oh, wait, that's The Matrix...
 
I rented every single episode of the Prisoner earlier this year, and watched each DVD. Some episodes were fun, some were puzzling, some got a bit dull in places, but I enjoyed them overall.

I'd watch a remake, and probably complain about it too.

As always, I am Number 12149.
 
In and of itself, the idea of remaking The Prisoner is fine. But if the remake isn't going to be at least as smart and bizarre and quirky as the original, why do it?

I'll reserve judgement, but I wish they wouldn't do remakes and then tell us that it's not going to be like the original. Last year the WB tried to do that with a pilot for a new Lost in Space that inexplicably did not include the saboteur, Col. Zachary Smith, and the robot. That pilot went nowhere, no pun intended.

ABC has rightly taken criticism for Night Stalker, which is an interesting show in its own right but has almost nothing to do with the original. If you're going to change 90% of the show's look and feel, why are you still hanging onto the original character names? (I know, I know: $) Why not just invent an entirely original show and say it was inspired by The Night Stalker? It worked for The X Files.

I'm more excited about the release of Nowhere Man on DVD. At least I know that was a quality series on a par with The Prisoner.
 
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Like Doctor Q, I also rented the entire box set earlier this year while convalescing and watched an episode a day... I was so ill at one point, I almost feel I understood the final episode.

It was interesting to watch the writing evolve from the first mysterious action-driven episodes to the later psychological mind-games.

I wouldn't trust Sky to commission anything that is as remotely good or interesting. It'll be a ratings-driven project that'll be far more accessible to a wider audience -- doubt that the art direction will be as interesting either.

Be seeing you... :cool:
 
I really liked the original Prisoner and it will be interesting to see what they do with it in a new series. Tom, I agree, why not just create new shows that are inspired by the original? I think Lost does this pretty well, it has elements from other series but does it's own thing. I loved Nowhere Man and can't wait for the DVD!
 
Its cold outside, no kind of atmosphere,
I'm all alone, more or less.
Let me fly far away from here,
It's fun, fun, in the sun, sun, sun.

I want to lie, shipwrecked and comatose,
Drinking fresh mango juice,
Goldfish shoals, nibbling at my toes,
It's fun, fun, in the sun, sun, sun...
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Has red dwarf even aired outside of the UK?

images
 
Palad1 said:
Has red dwarf even aired outside of the UK?

images
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Yes... they used to show it on some PBS stations in the US.

Back OT: I think remaking The Prisoner is a HUGE mistake. The only reason you should remake a TV show or movie is if you think you can improve on it... and I really don't see how that's possible in this case.
 
Oh, I'm not saying a good remake couldn't be made, but it would take somebody with appreciation of the original and exceptional filmmaking skill.

If I were hiring somebody to remake The Prisoner, it would be the team of George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh. If you've seen "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" and "Solaris", you understand why I would pick them. "Solaris" in particular was an intelligent, oddball film.
 
IJ Reilly said:
What is it with remaking classics? Who thinks they can make a classic better than the original?:confused:
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I think it's more of an 'easy money' idea. Perhaps the thought is that since the original was so successful, a remake is guaranteed money (as they assumed fans of the original will flock in droves to it).

*shrugs* :rolleyes:
 
Thomas Veil said:
Oh, I'm not saying a good remake couldn't be made, but it would take somebody with appreciation of the original and exceptional filmmaking skill.

If I were hiring somebody to remake The Prisoner, it would be the team of George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh. If you've seen "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" and "Solaris", you understand why I would pick them. "Solaris" in particular was an intelligent, oddball film.
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Ack! No, not Steven Soderbergh! (The man who ruined the remake of Traffick, among other things.)

Seasought said:
I think it's more of an 'easy money' idea. Perhaps the thought is that since the original was so successful, a remake is guaranteed money (as they assumed fans of the original will flock in droves to it).

*shrugs* :rolleyes:
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It's a complete lack of original ideas, is what it is. And a complete lack of creative vision or courage -- the very factors that made The Prisoner such a durable series. It's a shame, really. The Prisoner has its own legacy. People still want to see the original. They should just leave it alone!
 
Thomas Veil said:
I'm more excited about the release of Nowhere Man on DVD. At least I know that was a quality series on a par with The Prisoner.
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Wow, a couple of people actually watched Nowhere Man? I also loved that show, and love the Prisoner references...

Re-making The Prisoner is a horrible idea...without Patrick, it's not going to be The Prisoner, simple as that.
 
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I'm with most of you... they're going to redo a show which was successful largely because of its "arty feel" -- only without the arty feel. Genius.

Maybe they'll redo the terrific Ron Grainer theme and make it a muddled, tuneless, new-agey "atmospheric" piece as well. Can't wait for that.
 
2jaded2care said:
I'm with most of you... they're going to redo a show which was successful largely because of its "arty feel" -- only without the arty feel. Genius.

Maybe they'll redo the terrific Ron Grainer theme and make it a muddled, tuneless, new-agey "atmospheric" piece as well. Can't wait for that.
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"I am not a number, I am a pale imitation!"

The good news is, we in the U.S. probably won't get to see this show, no matter how it turns out.
 
huck500 said:
Wow, a couple of people actually watched Nowhere Man? I also loved that show, and love the Prisoner references...
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Yeah, down to the standard opening intro, just like The Prisoner used to do.

Remember the episode where Tom found himself in an idyllic town with other people who'd been "erased"?

...without Patrick, it's not going to be The Prisoner, simple as that.
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Yeah, but who wants to see an 80-year-old man running from a balloon? ;)

IJ Reilly said:
Ack! No, not Steven Soderbergh! (The man who ruined the remake of Traffick, among other things.)
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Well, you know who would have been the ideal guy to make it? Stanley Kubrick.
 
Thomas Veil said:
Well, you know who would have been the ideal guy to make it? Stanley Kubrick.
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You mean The Prisoner, or Traffick?

I just thought of a possibly worthy sequel to The Prisoner -- and it could (should) star Patrick McGoohan. Can anybody guess where I'm headed with this?
 
IJ Reilly said:
You mean The Prisoner, or Traffick?
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The Prisoner.

I also have to wonder what a David Lynch version would be like. :p

IJ Reilly said:
I just thought of a possibly worthy sequel to The Prisoner -- and it could (should) star Patrick McGoohan. Can anybody guess where I'm headed with this?
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A show about a guy held captive in a nursing home? :confused:
 
Thomas Veil said:
I also have to wonder what a David Lynch version would be like. :p
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Amazing but incoherent. Still, The Prisoner did have a dwarf in it, so you may be onto something there... :)
 
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