Remaking "The Prisoner"
The Unmutual and the BBC have both reported that a new series of The Prisoner is being planned. Sky One are rumoured to be involved in this “radical reinvention” of the series. Forgive me for my cynicism but this doesn’t sound like a good idea. Well at least we’ll still have Portmeirion as a background, oh wait…
Granted, I prefer the idea of a new TV series to the long-mooted film idea. A two hour film is not the best framework for something like the Prisoner. If they must do a “reimagining” then a series is the best format for it. It might work, although I doubt it. I prefer to view this as akin to the new Battlestar Galactica; it has the same name and same basic premise but it’s a completely new and unrelated programme.
Ideally Sky would steer well clear of making this programme. The channels track record is dodgy at best and I find it hard to believe that they can pull this off at all. I can’t imagine that they’ll get Patrick McGoohan involved with the new series which may assuage Prisoner diehards like myself, and without him this is a project that could very easily go wrong.
You never know, in a few years I may be raving about the brilliant new Prisoner series in much the same way as love the new Galactica. I hope I do, I just don’t want a new series to tarnish the classic series. Well, at least they’re leaving Danger Man alone.