The Prisoner - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

Way before the strange island-based shenanigans of ‘Lost’ and the headache-inducing weirdness of David Lynch’s ‘Twin Peaks’, Patrick McGoohan and co. were confusing and confounding audiences with a little British show called, The Prisoner. With a biting social commentary and a skewed, surreal edge, The Prisoner was no ordinary espionage thriller. In fact, The Prisoner was like nothing else that came before it, becoming a daring prime-time small screen series that broke boundaries and didn’t give a damn about the rules.

Despite some claiming that the show had lost its way by the end of the series, and despite the huge uproar concerning the cryptic (and to many, unsatisfactory) climactic 17th episode, The Prisoner still remains a true original, and perhaps the first real great TV drama.

For those unfamiliar with the set-up, The Prisoner focuses on an unnamed spy (McGoohan) who, for one reason or another, decides to resign. While attempting to flee from his life of espionage, McGoohan’s character is abducted and imprisoned within a strange dystopian village that is inexplicably cut off from the rest of normal civilisation. While incarcerated within the oddball prison, McGoohan’s character (who is given the numerical ranking of Number 6) does his utmost to try to escape, but his captor and village leader, Number 1, has other ideas.

All 17 episodes of the cult TV series make their way to Blu-ray courtesy of Network, and all 17 episodes are looking terrific in hi-def. Presented in its original 4:3 aspect ratio, the show has received an impressive hi-def clean-up, with the visuals boasting bright and bold colours that bring the eerie ‘village’ to life. The rich colour palette serves the vivacious 60s vibe beautifully, with the costumes, furniture and scenery practically bursting out of the screen with vibrancy. Detail on the characters’ faces are well rendered, and the general sharp and pristine picture quality is maintained throughout.

The audio options offer a well-rounded 5.1 accompaniment, which does a fine job with the wonderful music score, and for Prisoner purists, there’s an original mono option, which still presents a clean and clear experience, though it does of course lack punch during the louder moments.
 
The special features basically see the huge list of appendages from the previously released DVD anniversary edition being carted over to the Blu-ray. While the Blu-ray package doesn’t boast much in the way of exclusivity, it’s still a fine mix of bonus footage, interviews and crew audio commentaries, and includes enough trivia and insight to please even the most ardent Prisoner fan.

Overall Verdict: A TV gem that looks stunning in hi-def.

Special Features:
Audio Commentary With Production Manager Bernie Williams And Film Librarian Tony Loman On ‘Arrival’
Audio Commentary With Writer Vincent Tilsley On ‘The Chimes Of Big Ben’
Audio Commentary With Pat Jackson On ‘The Schizoid Man’
Audio Commentary With Director Peter Graham Scott On ‘The General’
Audio Commentary With Production Manager Bernie Williams, Film Librarian Tony Sloman and Editor John S Smith On ‘Dance Of The Dead’
Audio Commentary With Writer Roger Parkes On ‘A Change Of Mind’
Audio Commentary With Music Editor Eric Mival And Editor Noreen Ackland On ‘Fall Out’
‘Arrival’ Original Edit
‘Arrival’ Original Edit With Music Only
‘Arrival’ Original Edit Restoration
Textless Material
‘Behind The Scenes’ Footage
Bonus Footage
‘Don’t Knock Yourself Out’ Documentary
‘You Make Sure It Fits!’ Featurette
‘The Pink Prisoner’ Featurette
‘The Chimes Of Big Ben’ Original Edit
‘Television’s Greatest Hits’ Interview
Audio Interview With Patrick McGoohan
Galleries
Trailers

Reviewer: Lee Griffiths