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For The Love Of StoriesBig Finish produce fantastic full-cast audio dramas for CD and download.

The Prisoner Volume 01
The Prisoner

1. The Prisoner Volume 01

Available January 2016

Written by Nicholas Briggs

From US $44.15

27 Listeners
recommend this
 

‘I’m not a number. I’m a free man!’

January 16th, 1967...

A secret agent resigns, then wakes up to find himself imprisoned in ‘The Village’ - a bizarre community with a cheery veneer, but an underbelly of mystery and threat. All occupants of The Village have numbers instead of names, with our secret agent forced to accept the mantle of Number Six.

The authorities running this Village are intent on discovering why Number Six resigned - but it’s a secret he steadfastly refuses to divulge. As the drama unfolds, the authorities, in the guise of the sinister Number Two, try ever more ingenious and aggressive means to bend Number Six to their will. All the while, Number Six is intent on two aims: to escape and to find out ‘Who is Number One?’.

1.1 Departure and Arrival

A failed meeting in Belgium catalyses Agent ZM-73 to resign from his top secret post, but when he wakes the following morning everything has changed - even his name. Trapped in a bizarre coastal village, and with his every move monitored by the mysterious Number Two, the man now known as Number Six struggles to make sense of it all.

1.2 The Schizoid Man

Six finds himself fascinated by a strange bond which has suddenly developed between himself and Number Nine. But the next morning, Six wakes to find himself changed. A moustache, different hair, and… a new name. Number Twelve.

1.3 Your Beautiful Village

Something is very wrong, as Six experiences the most disturbing sense deprivation. Almost complete darkness, filled with haunting sounds, fragments of conversations, and a desperate call from Nine start to test his reason.

1.4 The Chimes of Big Ben

A new prisoner arrives in The Village. The woman is strong-minded, independent, and refuses to accept her new number - Eight. She is not a number, she is Nadia. And Six is convinced that she is his ticket out of The Village.

Based on the classic ITV series.

This limited edition numbered box set contains four episodes (two 78-minute, feature-length and two hour-long episodes), a Behind-the-Scenes audio documentary, and a lavish colour booklet.

The Prisoner™ and © ITC Entertainment Group Limited 1967, 2001 and 2016. Licensed by ITV Ventures Limited. All rights reserved.

**THIS TITLE IS NOW OUT OF PRINT ON CD**

Recorded on: 1 and 5 July, 9 and 30 August 2015
Recorded at: The Soundhouse

 

THE PRISONER™ remains unique in the world of television. A taut psycho-thriller about a secret agent who resigns and finds himself thrown into a Kafka-esque world of mindplay and enigma.

THE PRISONER™ is the story of a man known only as Number 6 played by Patrick McGoohan. He has committed no crime, but is being held against his will in The Village – a location from which there is no escape.

Number 6 can trust no one and is under constant supervision by his ever-changing adversary Number 2 – the leader of The Village. Number 6 attempts to trace the real identity of his captors, and the mystery of the ever-elusive Number 1, but is forever thwarted. Mysterious white orbs known as Rovers help to maintain order, and will engulf any who attempt escape.

Shot in the village of Portmeirion, a creation that features a melange of cultural styles, and at the MGM Studios at Borehamwood, the look of THE PRISONER™ is both surreal and enchanting. Portmeirion, a leading tourist attraction in its own right, forms a captivating backdrop to the futuristic, fantastic, and often bizarre interior sets.

First appearing on British TV screens in 1967, THE PRISONER™ was one of the most expensive series produced by Lew Grade and ITC at that time. The idea for THE PRISONER™ series allegedly grew out of Patrick McGoohan’s desire to move on from playing the popular undercover agent John Drake in DANGERMAN.

The allure of THE PRISONER™, with its mystery and enigmatic symbolism, remains timeless...

Reviews

Mark Elstob convinces from the first line, and the role of Number 9 blossoms with the performance of Sara Powell... this is a rich retelling replete with potential...

Starburst

Elstob gives a commanding and volatile performance... this new imagining of The Prisoner creates an immersive world that we will not be seeking to escape from anytime soon. 5 stars.

Cultbox

Big Finish have produced a bold and brave retelling of the original, keeping everything that worked in the original, but giving the series a lot more edge, actually a lot more cruel and disturbing feel.

Planet Mondas

A wonderful reimagining of Patrick McGoohan's original that doesn't simply continue the stories, but brings the show bang up to date... How do they do it? ... high production values, quality casting ... and the passion of writer, director and sometimes voice star Nicholas Briggs. Treat your ears. 5 stars.

Geeky Monkey

Darker in tone, feel and execution than its progenitor... an exciting, engaging thriller that’s been upgraded for a twenty-first century audience without losing any of the ferocious tension, intelligence and energy that originally made it so special. Nicholas Briggs has achieved the nearly impossible. He’s reimagined and breathed fresh, vibrant, creative life into The Prisoner... Mark Elstob’s portrayal of Number Six is uncannily good...

MassMovement

It's familiar and yet different; faithful and yet experimental; authentic and yet remarkably imaginative... It is quite possibly the best thing that Big Finish has ever produced.

Alan Hayes, Spy Vibe

... tight, clever scripts, and some excellent sound design throughout, it works brilliantly... This box set is a triumph.

Reviews in Time and Space

Elstob... who’s on top form throughout... [The Chimes of Big Ben is] psychologically complex, immaculately designed and a perfect demonstration of just why this series works so well as audio drama... The Prisoner is a legendary piece of television and Briggs and co. have done an excellent job of capturing its essence in an entirely different medium.

Sci-Fi Bulletin

A new imagining of The Prisoner, keeping true to the original concept, but bringing it up to date, even futuristic. Wonderful and compulsive listening.

Six of One (The Official Prisoner Appreciation Society)

An enjoyable, quirky, fun, and entertaining re-imagining of the series… It feels in tune with the original series, but is different enough to be original at the same time.

The Unmutual (The Prisoner news website)
  • Product Format: 5-disc CD (deluxe slipcover book)
  • Number of Discs: 5
  • Duration: 356 minutes
  • Physical Retail ISBN: 978-1-78178-561-4
  • Digital Retail ISBN: 978-1-78178-562-1
  • Production Code: BFPPRIS001
Next release in this range: The Prisoner: Departure and Arrival
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