"The Prisoner" - Mini-Series Review

In November of 2009, the cable network AMC premiered its new mini-series event, The Prisoner.

Sherry and I watched the series using the On Demand feature of our new digital cable service, and it was a great way to see TV. I want more content delivered this way. But, that doesn't tell you anything about the show itself, or what I thought of it.

Well, that's too bad! (Almost) Because I'm not going to tell you anything! (Almost) Telling you anything will spoil things for you. (Almost)

OK, OK, I'll try to tell you only things you might pick up by reading the TV guide, or seeing the commercials.

As the story opens, there is a jumbled series of images until finally James Caviezel comes to consciousness in a desert, remembering nothing of his life. He wanders into The Village, where people greet him by calling him "Six." Soon we see that everyone in The Village has a number for a name, and none of them understand what Six is saying when he seems convinced that there is a place other than The Village.

Soon, Six runs into Two, played by the wonderful Ian McKellen. Two is clearly revered in The Village, and he clearly wants Six to just accept The Village for what it is -- the only place, and the perfect place.

Throughout each episode of this well-crafted story, we catch glimpses of another life, a life more clearly like the lives we experience, and we join Six as he tries to find others in The Village who believe there is more to life than what Two is willing to admit.

I recognize that this mini-series is likely a re-telling of a story told in a BBC series from 1967-1968, but I have not seen that series, and while I'm intrigued to see it, I was very impressed with this six-episode mini-series from AMC. I cannot say if knowing the story of the first Prisoner series would spoil this one for you. I merely will point out that if you have not seen the original, I'm quite sure you will like this one if you like speculative fiction, good acting, and character-driven mysteries.