The Prisoner is a British-American television mini-series based on the 1960s TV series of the same name which tells the story of a man who finds himself trapped in a mysterious and surreal place known as The Village, with no memory of how he arrived. It is produced by American cable network AMC in co-operation with British channel ITV.
The mini-series was filmed entirely on location in Namibia (Swakopmund and the Namib Desert) and South Africa (Cape Town, Worcester and the Huguenot Tunnel in the Du Toitskloof mountains).
The Prisoner aired in the USA on AMC from 15-17 November, 2009. There are six hour-long episodes in the series.
The Prisoner premiered in South Africa on M-Net on Wednesday 9 December 2009, at 20h30. New episodes air weekly.
Synopsis
The Prisoner is a remake of the original 1960s cult series of the same name, which starred Patrick McGoohan in the lead role of secret agent Number Six.
Starring Jim Caviezel and Ian McKellen as Number Six and Number Two, the six one-hour episodes tell the story of a man who finds himself trapped in a mysterious and surreal place known as The Village, with no memory of how he arrived.
As he frantically explores his environment, he discovers that its inhabitants are identified by number instead of by name and have no memory of a prior existence or outside civilization.
Not knowing who to trust, Number Six is driven by the desperate need to discover the truth behind The Village, the reason for his being there, and most importantly, how he can survive and escape to his previous life.
The Village is controlled by one man – the sinister and charismatic Number Two. In each new episode, Six and Two are locked in a battle of wits, as Six challenges the oppressive nature of The Village and battles against his captors.
Six must find out what The Village is, but in doing so, he must also confront some dark truths about himself.
The Prisoner mini-series is a co-production of AMC and ITV Productions; the deal was brokered by Granada International, which holds international distribution rights.
Bill Gallagher serves as writer and executive producer, along with Michele Buck, Damien Timmer, Rebecca Keane, and AMC's Charlie Collier, Christina Wayne and Vlad Wolynetz. It is produced by Trevor Hopkins.