# A remake of "The Prisoner"? By hook or by crook, it will be made **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 20, 2005, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868 "2005-11-20T02:23:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/1 "2005-11-20T02:23:12Z")
[This is London story](http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/til/jsp/modules/Article/print.jsp?itemId=20960466) Like it or not, _The Prisoner_ was a unique, sometimes bizarre, series. There’s no details yet about the remake. I have a bad feeling about this. Especially, since the new production “will take liberties with the original”. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/2 "2005-11-20T02:34:47Z")
Aargh. They’ll probably give Number 6 a cute female companion (number 69?) and it will be cancelled in three episodes. The Prisoner fit its time. They should leave it be. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/3 "2005-11-20T02:39:15Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > I have a bad feeling about this. Especially, since the new production “will take liberties with the original”. Well, there wouldn’t be much point to remaking it if they didn’t “take some liberties.” On the other hand, I share your reservations that there is anything like the kind of creative freedom that McGoohan enjoyed. Most likely it’ll come out being your basic, paint-by-numbers action-adventure, man on the run plot. Yawn. And they’re not going to use The Village? What, are they going to replace the Rovers with CGI effects, too? Maybe they should go and remake “The Avengers” instead, or better yet, “The Man From UNCLE.” There’s not as far to fall from those heights… Stranger ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/4 "2005-11-20T02:54:57Z")
> [@Stranger On A Train](#): > > Maybe they should go and remake “The Avengers” instead, or better yet, “The Man From UNCLE.” There’s not as far to fall from those heights… > > Stranger Hey! Those were good shows when I was nine. You watch your ass. 🙂 I’d prefer a remake of _Secret Agent Man_ or whatever it was called. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/5 "2005-11-20T03:03:10Z")
Didn’t Mel Gibson plan to a remake a few years ago? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/6 "2005-11-20T03:07:07Z")
> [@Tapioca Dextrin](#): > > Didn’t Mel Gibson plan to a remake a few years ago? Patrick McGoohan talked about a theatrical version back in '02, but nothing ever came of it. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/7 "2005-11-20T03:20:01Z")
LIberties, eh? No. 6: Where am I? No. 2: You are in … The Village. No. 6: Who are you? No. 2: I am Number Two. You are Number Six. No. 6: What do you want? No. 2: We want … _a shrubbery!_ ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/8 "2005-11-20T03:24:17Z")
> [@Evil Captor](#): > > LIberties, eh? > > No. 6: Where am I? > > No. 2: You are in … The Village. > > No. 6: Who are you? > > No. 2: I am Number Two. You are Number Six. > > No. 6: What do you want? > > No. 2: We want … _a shrubbery!_ More than just “liberties” – it will be a “radical reinvention.” I’ve got it! This time he actually **does** escape! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/9 "2005-11-20T03:38:05Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > I’ve got it! This time he actually **does** escape! He did escape, with that submachinegun toting James Dean dude on a flat bed truck. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/10 "2005-11-20T04:36:18Z")
> [@Stranger On A Train](#): > > And they’re not going to use The Village? Well, it doesn’t say they won’t use The Village. They just aren’t planning on using the original Village location. I wouldn’t be so much worried that it will stray too far from the original, which I like just fine for the most part. I’d be more worried that it’s going to be too much like “Lost.” ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/11 "2005-11-20T04:39:30Z")
I used to follow a “Prisoner” newsgroup, and there were perpetual posts about an imminent movie. The choice of director and lead seemed to change every month. I seem to remember Simon West being considered for director (which sounds dreadful), and Clive Owen for the lead (which sounds brilliant). I wonder if they abandoned the movie in favor of a series? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/12 "2005-11-20T05:02:11Z")
> [@Stranger On A Train](#): > > Maybe they should go and remake “The Avengers” instead, or better yet, “The Man From UNCLE.” There’s not as far to fall from those heights… > > Stranger Too late! [The Avengers](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118661/) [The Avengers Review](http://www.eskimo.com/~rkj/weekly/aa081798.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/13 "2005-11-20T05:44:52Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Too late! > [The Avengers](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118661/) Yeah, I know. That was the joke. And what an absolute bolsh of a film that was. Uma Thurman as Emma Peel? That was like a bad Saturday Night Live skit writ large. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![priapus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@priapus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/priapus)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/14 "2005-11-20T08:51:21Z")
If they do remake it,I hope they explain the last 2 episodes of the original ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/15 "2005-11-20T09:21:00Z")
I wonder if they’ll get The Rock to play the lead? I mean, he’s already done the remake of _Walking Tall_ and is currently shooting the remake of _Dirty Harry_, so he’d be a “natural” for the part. (I mean, since they’re going to screw it up and all, they might as well do it right. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/16 "2005-11-20T09:49:10Z")
There was a serious attempt to revive _The Avengers_ in the seventies (called, appropriately enough, _[The New Avengers](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074031/)_) starring Patrick MacNee, Joanna Lumley and Gareth Hunt. I thought it was okay. I didn’t see a rerun of the original until decades later, and aside from being turned on by Diana Rigg, the original didn’t seem to me any better written (and in some episodes, far worse) than the seventies version. As for a new _Prisoner_, the original had a lasting effect because it was blissfully incoherent, with no pretense of trying to explain itself. Shows like _Lost_ and _X-Files_ instead try to tantalize the viewer by promising that next week, maybe, all will be explained. _The Prisoner_ laughed at such tawdry unsubtle temptations; rotting cheese left on rickety traps for only the commonest of mice. To do a new version right, logic has to to be abandoned. Turn it over to David “Twin Peaks” Lynch and let him go nuts for exactly one season - no more, no less. Explanations are for losers. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/17 "2005-11-20T14:06:12Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > …and is currently shooting the remake of _Dirty Harry_, so he’d be a “natural” for the part… La, la, la, la, NO HE ISN’T, la, la ,la ,la. But he is doing a live action version of _Johnny Bravp_. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/18 "2005-11-20T14:39:17Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > But he is doing a live action version of _Johnny Bravp_. Anyone see him in _Dppm?_ ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/19 "2005-11-20T14:41:31Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Anyone see him in _Dppm?_ :smack: D’ph! ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868/20 "2005-11-20T18:39:29Z")
They’ll probably ruin it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-remake-of-the-prisoner-by-hook-or-by-crook-it-will-be-made/331868.md?page=2)