Product Details

• Actors: Patrick McGoohan, Angelo Muscat, Peter Swanwick, Leo McKern, Kenneth Griffin
• Format: Color, Subtitled, Full Screen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 1.0), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 5
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: A&E HOME VIDEO
• DVD Release Date: October 27, 2009
• Run Time: 884 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (299 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002C68WOG
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,743 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "The Prisoner: The Complete Series [Blu-ray]" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

If a top-level spy decided he didn't want to be a spy anymore, could he just walk into HQ and hand in his resignation? With all that classified knowledge in his head, would he be allowed to become a civilian again, free to go about his life? The answer, according to the stylish, brilliantly conceived 1960s British TV series The Prisoner, is a resounding no. In fact, instead of receiving a gold watch for his years of faithful service, our hero (played by Patrick McGoohan) is followed home to his London flat and knocked unconscious. When he awakens, he finds himself in a picturesque village where everyone is known by a number. Where is it? Why was he brought here? And, most important, how does he leave?

As we learn in Episode 1, Number 6 can't leave. The Village's "citizens" might dress colorfully and stroll around its manicured gardens while a band plays bouncy Strauss marches, but the place is actually a prison. Surveillance is near total, and if all else fails, there's always the large, mysterious white ball that subdues potential escapees by temporarily smothering them. Who runs the Village? An ever-changing Number 2, who wants to know why Number 6 resigned. If he'd only cooperate, he's told, life can be made very pleasant. "I've resigned," he fumes. "I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered. My life is my own." So sets the stage for the ultimate battle of wills: Number 6's struggle to retain his privacy, sanity, and individuality against the array of psychological and physical methods the Village uses to break him.

So does he ever escape? And does he ever find out who Number 1 is? "Questions are a burden to others," the Village saying goes. "Answers, a prison for oneself." Within this complete 17-episode set, all is revealed. Or is it? --Steve Landau

Also on the disc
The 17 episodes are contained on four Blu-ray discs, and they look fantastic. This is older footage (1968) that really shows a marked improvement in high definition. Audio can be played in either Dolby Digital 5.1 or the original mono. Bonus features are included on the episode discs and on a fifth disc, which is a standard-definition DVD rather than a Blu-ray disc. Don't Knock Yourself Out is a 95-minute documentary from 2007 about the history of The Prisoner, including the early career of Patrick McGoohan and how a trip to Wales for Danger Man helped him discover Portmerion. New interviews with the original cast and crew are complemented by archive footage. There are two new featurettes--"The Pink Prisoner" and "You Make Sure It Fits!"--as well as production-crew commentaries on seven episodes, archive textless materials, extensive images and production archives, and a 30-second promo for the 2009 AMC miniseries. --David Horiuchi

Product Description

Product Description

Since its CBS debut in the summer of 1968, the masterful British TV series THE PRISONER has captivated American audiences. Now A&E presents a definitive aficionado s edition of the cult classic which is considered one of the most innovative TV series ever filmed, for the first time in breathtaking Blu-Ray. Fully restored from the original film elements with newly remixed 5.1 surround sound and featuring hours of bonus material never released in North America, this Blu-Ray edition is a fitting tribute to the creative vision of the late Executive Producer and Star Patrick McGoohan.

After resigning from a top-secret position, a man (McGoohan) is abducted and spirited from his London home to a mysterious place known only as The Village. Village Residents, known only by numbers, are held captive because each possesses valuable knowledge. The Prisoner, now known as Number Six, battles to protect his mind and his humanity while struggling to discover the identity of Number One and escape captivity.

DISC ONE: Arrival / The Chimes of Big Ben / A, B And C / Free for All / The Schizoid Man

DISC TWO: The General / Many Happy Returns / Dance of the Dead / Checkmate / Hammer Into Anvil

DISC THREE: It s Your Funeral / A Change of Mind / Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling / Living in Harmony / The Girl Who Was Death

DISC FOUR: Once Upon a Time / Fall Out / Bonus Features

DISC FIVE (DVD): Bonus Features

HOURS OF EXCITING NEW BONUS FEATURES:

• Newly remixed 5.1 surround sound for all 17 episodes (in addition to the original mono tracks).
• Don t Knock Yourself Out Feature-length documentary chronicling the production of THE PRISONER, told by those involved in its creation.
• Two Brand-New Featurettes - The Pink Prisoner and You Make Sure it Fits!
• Promo for AMC s THE PRISONER Miniseries
• Newly restored original edit of Arrival with an optional music-only soundtrack featuring Wilfred Josephs complete and abandoned score.
• Original edit of The Chimes of Big Ben.
• Production crew audio commentaries on seven episodes.
• Trailers for all episodes.
• Archive textless material, including the title sequence with clean themes by Ron Grainer, Wilfred Josephs and Robert Farnon.
• Commercial break bumpers.
• Image Archive with over 1200 stills.
• Production Paperwork Archive, featuring scripts, call sheets and press releases (DVD-ROM Feature)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

344 of 362 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I AM NOT A NUMBER, I AM A BOX SET OF DVDs August 3, 2001

By Eric Pregosin

Format:DVD

Well not exactly Patrick McGoohan's opening from The Prisoner, but it did catch your attention :-). Seriously here they are, all 17 episodes plus the Prisoner Video Companion originally offered on MCI Home Video now on DVD compliments of our good friends at A&E. What's nicer is the episodes are arranged in what the fans believe to be the chronological order of the episodes in terms of Number 6's time in the Village rather than order of original airdate (although some of them are in airdate order). As a hint at this look carefully at "The General" and "A, B and C". Both star Colin Gordon as Number 2, but in the opening for "A, B and C" he says "I am number 2" rather than "The new number 2". Also this set contains something released on video previously but only in England, a special edition of the 5th episode of the series, "The Chimes of Big Ben". Definitely the best of McGoohan's 3 British Secret Agent types series, but also the quintessential scifi series as well. By the way, a special debt of gratitude to A&E Homevideo. When this series first came out on VHS on MPI Homevideo in 1990, they made a muff in the episode "Checkmate". In the "Where am I" segment of the opening sequence it started with McGoohan doing it with the fore mentioned Colin Gordon even though Peter Wyngarde played Number 2 in this episode. By the third line "That would be telling" the tape was ok. I can't speak for the new A&E VHS copy, but on these DVDs the muff has NOT recurred. Which means either A&E acquired a better copy of the episode to restore on DVD or someone told them about the flub from 11 years ago. So kudos to A&E Video for to repairing this decade old "blooper". This 10 pack is much better buy than the 5 sets of 2 DVDs individually. Get it now, return to the Village and escape at your own pace.

136 of 140 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing quality, a must buy for any fan of The Prisoner. October 28, 2009

By Brother Bish

Format:Blu-ray

I bought The Prisoner on Blu-ray yesterday. Contrary to the one star reviews that were written before the Blu-ray release by people that had not seen the Blu-ray set yet, I can definitively say the picture and sound quality is top notch and is 100x better than the previous US dvd releases. (which I also own and compared it too.)

There really is no comparison here. The previous dvd's were muddy and the picture quality was severely lacking. The image on the Blu-ray release is crisp, clear and looks absolutely amazing. It looks like it could have been filmed yesterday.

I think if I had one complaint it would be that the fifth disc that contains many of the extras is a regular DVD and not in HD. However knowing that I would still have bought this set and been completely happy with my purchase.

The Prisoner has never looked or sounded better.

227 of 242 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for Prisoner fans June 4, 2002

By Alexander E. Paulsen

Format:DVD

I myself did not think the transfer was all that bad. In fact I think it looks good on my 61" Sony and Sony DVD.
I started watching the Prisoner when it first released in the US as summer replacement. I have been hooked ever since.
Yes it is about a spy or "Secret Agent" who resigns in obvious disgust and is kidnapped, taken to a very mysterious, secret and very secure place known as "The Village". It is also about his attempts at escape and other intrigues. Leading edge spy stuff for its time.
To appreciate The Prisoner you must go beneath the surface at what The Prisoner really means. The series is full of symbolism and social commentary while The Vilage is referred to as "The model for a new world order" by one of the constantly changing #2's.
The series blew everyones mind in the late 60's when it aired. I knew many people who could not get it and never watched more than one or two episodes. The die-hard fans hung in there and got our own minds blown in "Fall Out" the final episode.
After years and careful noticeof the world and politics and social upheavals The Prisoner now makes sense immediately to people who are just now seeing it for the first time - like my 22 year old daughter. she had it figured out (correctly) by the 3rd DVD.
Anyway, this is an important series and TV's first true masterpiece. It is a work or art, it is a social commentary and it is very prophetic and more relevant than ever.
I love this set. I enjoyed the bonus tracks. To those who think the bonus tracks are lacking, remember this is a TV show produced in 1967. This is a veritable gold mine of bonus material.
After seeing all 17 episodes again in order, sharing them with my daughter had brought me to even new revelations about the series and the genius behind them.
My daughter thinks the special effects and action sequences are not realistic - BUT be reminded again, this is a TV series from 1967.
Could The Prisoner be remade and updated? Perhaps, but I would have a fear of losing the message. This series was created in an era of relative innocence when most people trusted the government. This is one of the things thsat made the series so remarkable.
Here we are 37 years after production and we are STILL discussing it;s significance. While I might agree with my daughter that modern production values and updated special effects woulc be a good spice to the series I would fear destroying the essence and the uniqueness.
Mc Goohan had a degree of freedom when producing the series. Any newer production would most likely be polluted by attempts to make it more mass-market acceptable.
The Prisoner is a sensitive work and a work of genius. Buy the DVD set and enjoy.