British Reinvention Of The Prisoner All Set To Not Be As Good As The Original
Author: AF Duncan
July 2nd, 2008
Well, this should be interesting. The Brits and AMC are teaming up to do a new 6-part Prisoner mini-series. I’m a huge fan of the old 1960s show piloted by and starring Patrick McGoohan because it’s easily one of the weirdest and most mind-bending popular media freak outs of all time, so, we’ll see how this new one goes. Hey, maybe it’ll be good. TV is pretty great these days.
Gandalf/Magneto/James Whale as Number 2 is inspired casting…but Jim Caviezel as the title character? He’s one of the dullest actors around — I don’t care if he did play S&M Jesus.
ITV today said the remake, which has been written by Bill Gallagher, “will reflect 21st century concerns and anxieties, such as liberty, security and surveillance, yet also showcase the same key elements of paranoia, tense action and socio-political commentary seen in McGoohan’s enigmatic original”.
Gallagher, who scripted BBC1’s Lark Rise to Candleford, said: “I was haunted by The Prisoner when I saw it as a boy on its first broadcast. Here was something that was more than television, something I couldn’t quite grasp but couldn’t let go of. It’s a unique opportunity for a writer to be able to go back to The Village and tell some new stories about that strange place and its surreal menace.
“We have a terrific cast and a wonderful director, so we hope to serve up something as beguiling and disturbing as the original was.”
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4 Responses to “British Reinvention Of The Prisoner All Set To Not Be As Good As The Original”
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:30 am
I think I could throw a dart at a board full of actors and come up with a better fit for that role.
Let’s see *tosses dart*. Keanu Reeves. Crap.
OK, that was just a practice throw. *throws three more* Christopher Eccelston, Cuba Gooding Jr., Mark Heap. And I am sure one of them would have leapt at the chance without even hearing the money attached.
July 2nd, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Although the original is one of my favorite shows of all time, I really don’t mind to see a new version with a new take…why do people always hate new versions before they’ve seen anything? Although Shatner will always be Kirk to me I dont mind seeing what Chris Pine does with the role.
We will always have the Patrick McGoohan version and nothing will change that so a new version with 2 fine actors that takes it in a new direction will be exciting - if it does suck it will die and will only strengthen the original.
The Shadow movie has never changed my high opinion of the The Shadow pulps, same goes for Wanted. The movie was its own thing and not the comic, but I’ll always appreciate the comic better but now everyone knows what I’m talking about and are more easily susceptible to reading it.
BUT I was always waiting for Hugh Grant to get a bit older (which I think he is now) to play Number 6 because if you do a correct angle comparison he does have that same crazy forehead that McGoohan has.
Gandalf is a perfect Number 2…but since that character changed so many times over the course of the show I would also hope they cast Tom Wilkinson and John Rhys-Davies as Number 2 for the different appearances of Number 2.
Gandalf is an in-demand movie actor if he’s “slumming it” on UK TV the script must be something good for him to be involved in. Remember the Brits were involved in financing of the new BSG series.
July 3rd, 2008 at 5:44 am
Homie, I agree with you almost 100%. But man…Jim Caviezel…
You’re right though, maybe it’ll work out. The Brits do know their quality TV.
July 4th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
jim caviezel kicks ass, hes the only reason this is gonna be worth watching.