Now this is bound to send fans of the 60s BBC TV show The Prisoner right off their trolley, including the various Hollywood people who have long been attempting to condense the open-ended 17-episode series in a cogent two-hour film.
But the show is instead rematerializing once more on British TV — Sky One is prepping a six-episode "thrilling reinvention" of the cerebral sci-fi series. Actor Christopher Eccleston, who last hammed it up as the titular Timelord on the imperishable Dr. Who series (his episodes are just now hitting the US Sci-Fi Channel), will reportedly be wearing the rather smart threads that Patrick McGoohan previously sported.
For those who haven’t seen the original show (and it should really be required viewing for anyone who has, or needs, an imagination), it starred the sublimely brusque McGoohan as a secret agent who, upon handing in his resignation, is abducted and relocated to a strange isolated township known as "the Village". Referred to only as "Number 6", he gets chased by big white bouncing spheres as he tries to figure out just what the hell he’s doing there.
The goddamn brilliant original show never actually answered the questions (including the all-important "Who is Number 1?"), and I sure hope this new version doesn’t make an attempt to either. Executive producer Damien Timmer compares the update to 24 (even though the original was resolutely not episodic), and prays it will "tap into this iconic show’s existing cult following, whilst creating a whole new generation of fans."
Usual Suspects writer Christopher McQuarrie, actor Russell Crowe (maybe that’s where his phone fondness came from) and, um, Simon West were all previously interested in spending some time in the Village.