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- Prisoner: Resignation, The
Prisoner: Resignation, The
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Faneditor Name:
Original Movie/Show Title:
Genre:
Fanedit Type:
Original Release Date:
1966
Original Running Time:
380
Fanedit Release Date:
Fanedit Running Time:
390
Subtitles Available?
Available in HD?
Additional Links:
Brief Synopsis:
This is a prequel mini-series for Patrick McGoohan's 1960s masterpiece The Prisoner (a spy attempts to resign and wakes up imprisoned in a beautiful place called The Village). By using episodes of McGohan's spy series Danger Man/Secret Agent with moments from The Prisoner, I have edited six episodes that tell John Drake's journey of disillusionment that led to his fateful resignation.
Intention:
I first discovered The Prisoner as a poor, newly married grad student trying to survive in Boston. Since my wife and I didn’t have money beyond rent and tuition, for entertainment we would rent VHS tapes of old TV shows from the local library. When I brought home the VHS tape of The Prisoner episode of Arrival, I was hooked. I love the surrealism, the lava lamps, the mystery, the strange line delivery of Patrick McGoohan. My wife, on the other hand, connected with the action and espionage elements of the show. As we continued to get out tape after tape of episodes, she became less entranced as the surrealism became more pronounced, and I became more entranced. We needed a show that met more in the middle. We soon discovered Patrick McGoohan’s Danger Man aka Secret Agent.
She loved the tightly plotted scripts of Danger Man, the real-world connections, and the cynicism of Cold War espionage. I liked it too but wanted it to be a prequel to The Prisoner. I wanted Patrick McGoohan’s character, John Drake, to be the agent who becomes Number 6 in The Prisoner. Sure, there were connections. The setting of Portmeirion in season one. "The Village" in the episode Colony Three. The dream-like surrealism of The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove. The character of Potter (played by the same actor) in Koroshi. But these were two different shows. John Drake is not Number 6.
In this Fan Edit, I wanted to fix this. So twenty years later, I am revisiting one of the first shows that my wife and I watched as a newly married couple and turning episodes of Danger Man aka Secret Agent Man into prequel episodes of The Prisoner
She loved the tightly plotted scripts of Danger Man, the real-world connections, and the cynicism of Cold War espionage. I liked it too but wanted it to be a prequel to The Prisoner. I wanted Patrick McGoohan’s character, John Drake, to be the agent who becomes Number 6 in The Prisoner. Sure, there were connections. The setting of Portmeirion in season one. "The Village" in the episode Colony Three. The dream-like surrealism of The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove. The character of Potter (played by the same actor) in Koroshi. But these were two different shows. John Drake is not Number 6.
In this Fan Edit, I wanted to fix this. So twenty years later, I am revisiting one of the first shows that my wife and I watched as a newly married couple and turning episodes of Danger Man aka Secret Agent Man into prequel episodes of The Prisoner
Special Thanks:
@asterixsmeagol was the first fan editor to reach out and help me move beyond talk. I feel a little bad that they had to sit through such a rough first effort but I so appreciate the encouragement to split the "movie" into more of a mini-series. In the same way, @Cero also reviewed the equally rough mini-series. They guided me in order to iron out some pretty major plot holes to tell a more cohesive story. Both of you helped craft a story out of a pretty rough starting place. I am so very thankful to you both!
I would especially like to thank @INIGHTMARES and @ArtisDead . They definitely went above and beyond to help this rookie fan editor make his vision come alive. Having @INIGHTMARES upscaling unrestored DVD quality to HD with Topaz was a total game changer! I can't thank them both enough! This was a huge undertaking and I feel like this fan edit is equally theirs with how much work they put in. I was so frustrated by the blurry DVD quality of my initial edit, and @INIGHTMARES made it look like something I could only dream about: an HD remaster of Danger Man episodes that are not available anywhere but in these edits. Now this edit is not just a Fan Mix but, thanks to INIGHTMARES remastering these episodes, it is now a Fan Fix.
I would especially like to thank @INIGHTMARES and @ArtisDead . They definitely went above and beyond to help this rookie fan editor make his vision come alive. Having @INIGHTMARES upscaling unrestored DVD quality to HD with Topaz was a total game changer! I can't thank them both enough! This was a huge undertaking and I feel like this fan edit is equally theirs with how much work they put in. I was so frustrated by the blurry DVD quality of my initial edit, and @INIGHTMARES made it look like something I could only dream about: an HD remaster of Danger Man episodes that are not available anywhere but in these edits. Now this edit is not just a Fan Mix but, thanks to INIGHTMARES remastering these episodes, it is now a Fan Fix.
Release Information:
Digital
Editing Details:
My goal was to make this as true of a prequel as possible rather than just a couple of Danger Man/Secret Agent episodes that kind of relate to The Prisoner. In this fan mix, John Drake only drives the Lotus 7 from The Prisoner (not a Mini-Cooper). Peter Madden's character from Danger Man (General Hobbs) is the same as his character from The Prisoner (the Undertaker.) Paul Eddington's character from Danger Man (Captain Schulman) is the same as his character from The Prisoner's first episode (Cobb). Of course, Potter from Koroshi is the same Potter as in The Girl Who Was Death (Danger Man). The Portemieron setting of the first episode of Danger Man becomes the foreshadowing of the Village to come. Even Rover makes a small cameo in the 6th episode. (I did not consider "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling" as canon for this mini-series.) This edit brings out the disillusionment of espionage that was already in Danger Man. John Drake has never been a free man. Like the Jonny Rivers song "Secret Agent" says: "They've given you a number, and taken away your name."
Cuts and Additions:
Change List:
Episode 1: Yesterday's Enemies
Original length: 48.50
New length: 50
Changes:
Took out Drake's arrival to see the admiral in him Mini-Cooper.
Replaced it with the opening credits of The Prisoner when Number 6 drives in his Lotus 7.
Replaced the anger and resignation from the credits with Number 6's entrance from Many Happy Returns.
Episode 2: Colony Three
Original length: 51.39
New length: 49.00
Changes:
Took out Drake's surveillance.
Replaced it with Number 6 being tracked by the Undertaker (played by Peter Madden who also plays Hobbs) from Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling.
Cut some of the burning on the ID picture and replaced it with the typewriter, and warehouse from the opening of The Prisoner. I also brought in Peter Madden as the Undertaker again from Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling.
At the end overlapped the dialogue with Hobbs and Drake with the same shots as the former warehouse and Undertaker using gas.
Episode 3: The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove
Original length: 48.50
New length: 50
Changes:
Replaced Drake's driving in the country with the Lotus 7 from Many Happy Returns.
Took out Drake waking up from his nightmare to see that he is being taken care of by ambulance workers.
Replaced it with Number 6 waking up in his flat using footage from The Prisoner episode Arrival.
When Number 6 looks out his blinds in Arrival, I replaced The Village with the hearse driving away outside of his flat from the opening credits of The Prisoner.
Ended with Number 6 getting connected and hooked up while asleep from The Prisoner episode A, B, and C.
Overlapped sound of Mr. Lovegrove and Drake laughing.
Episode 4: I'm Afraid You Have the Wrong Number
Original length: 48.50
New length: 48.50
Changes:
Mostly kept this one in tack. Just changed the credits to Village font like I did the rest of the episode.
Added Drake recognizing the police chief as a fellow agent who is playing an undercover opperattor named Cobb from the Prisoner episode of Arrival (as they are played by the same actor.) Took the whisper of Cobb's name from Arrival and added it when the police chief gets a surprised look.
Also added a small conversation between Cobb and Number 6 in Arrival to the moments when Drake is being shown surveillance footage.
Episode 5: Koroshi (feature film)
Original length: 48.50
New length: 90
Changes:
Blended Korshi and Shinda Shima into one feature-length picture. (I know that they were released this way, but I could only find them as two separate episodes.)
Made episodes black and white.
Brought in the underwater cold open from Shinda Shima in as the beginning.
Added a hint of Rover under the water at the end of the cold open.
Trimmed a long scene when the flowers were explained as the "humor" did not seem to work (and relied on stereotyping).
Brought in the airplane announcement from Shinda Shima into the end of Koroshi to blend these two episodes.
Brought in Rover as the reason John Drake needs to jump from a speed boat by using Rover from a similar speed boat scene in The Prisoner episode Free For All.
Have Drake look over when being taken to the enemy layer and notice two jukeboxes from Fall Out.
Have Kenneth Griffith see the strange moment when it appears like Rover is being worshiped (from the Prisoner episode called Free For All) before he dies.
Ended with the flashing lights from Schizoid Man to imply that parts of this episode were induced.
Episode 6: The Man on the Beach
Original length: 49.50
New length: 57.26
Changes:
Opened with the same elements from Schizoid Man, this time showing Number Six in bed with flashes of Portmeirion.
Have Drake try to find Portmeirion through a painting that he finds. This is taken out of context from the pilot episode of Danger Man that takes place in Portmeirion called View from the Villa. (Drake has a transatlantic accent for these early episodes.)
Drake takes his own pictures of this village of his dream and shows them to his superior officers who question what side he is on and his potential to defect. This scene is taken from Many Happy Returns.
After Drake is ignored, dismissed, and almost killed by the lack of action of his superiors. He also realizes that he has been spied on by a machine that enters his subconscious. When he realizes this, he resigns. Of course, this is taken from the opening credits of The Prisoner.
Made his waking up in The Village in the original color (like a Wizard of Oz effect.)
Episode 1: Yesterday's Enemies
Original length: 48.50
New length: 50
Changes:
Took out Drake's arrival to see the admiral in him Mini-Cooper.
Replaced it with the opening credits of The Prisoner when Number 6 drives in his Lotus 7.
Replaced the anger and resignation from the credits with Number 6's entrance from Many Happy Returns.
Episode 2: Colony Three
Original length: 51.39
New length: 49.00
Changes:
Took out Drake's surveillance.
Replaced it with Number 6 being tracked by the Undertaker (played by Peter Madden who also plays Hobbs) from Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling.
Cut some of the burning on the ID picture and replaced it with the typewriter, and warehouse from the opening of The Prisoner. I also brought in Peter Madden as the Undertaker again from Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling.
At the end overlapped the dialogue with Hobbs and Drake with the same shots as the former warehouse and Undertaker using gas.
Episode 3: The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove
Original length: 48.50
New length: 50
Changes:
Replaced Drake's driving in the country with the Lotus 7 from Many Happy Returns.
Took out Drake waking up from his nightmare to see that he is being taken care of by ambulance workers.
Replaced it with Number 6 waking up in his flat using footage from The Prisoner episode Arrival.
When Number 6 looks out his blinds in Arrival, I replaced The Village with the hearse driving away outside of his flat from the opening credits of The Prisoner.
Ended with Number 6 getting connected and hooked up while asleep from The Prisoner episode A, B, and C.
Overlapped sound of Mr. Lovegrove and Drake laughing.
Episode 4: I'm Afraid You Have the Wrong Number
Original length: 48.50
New length: 48.50
Changes:
Mostly kept this one in tack. Just changed the credits to Village font like I did the rest of the episode.
Added Drake recognizing the police chief as a fellow agent who is playing an undercover opperattor named Cobb from the Prisoner episode of Arrival (as they are played by the same actor.) Took the whisper of Cobb's name from Arrival and added it when the police chief gets a surprised look.
Also added a small conversation between Cobb and Number 6 in Arrival to the moments when Drake is being shown surveillance footage.
Episode 5: Koroshi (feature film)
Original length: 48.50
New length: 90
Changes:
Blended Korshi and Shinda Shima into one feature-length picture. (I know that they were released this way, but I could only find them as two separate episodes.)
Made episodes black and white.
Brought in the underwater cold open from Shinda Shima in as the beginning.
Added a hint of Rover under the water at the end of the cold open.
Trimmed a long scene when the flowers were explained as the "humor" did not seem to work (and relied on stereotyping).
Brought in the airplane announcement from Shinda Shima into the end of Koroshi to blend these two episodes.
Brought in Rover as the reason John Drake needs to jump from a speed boat by using Rover from a similar speed boat scene in The Prisoner episode Free For All.
Have Drake look over when being taken to the enemy layer and notice two jukeboxes from Fall Out.
Have Kenneth Griffith see the strange moment when it appears like Rover is being worshiped (from the Prisoner episode called Free For All) before he dies.
Ended with the flashing lights from Schizoid Man to imply that parts of this episode were induced.
Episode 6: The Man on the Beach
Original length: 49.50
New length: 57.26
Changes:
Opened with the same elements from Schizoid Man, this time showing Number Six in bed with flashes of Portmeirion.
Have Drake try to find Portmeirion through a painting that he finds. This is taken out of context from the pilot episode of Danger Man that takes place in Portmeirion called View from the Villa. (Drake has a transatlantic accent for these early episodes.)
Drake takes his own pictures of this village of his dream and shows them to his superior officers who question what side he is on and his potential to defect. This scene is taken from Many Happy Returns.
After Drake is ignored, dismissed, and almost killed by the lack of action of his superiors. He also realizes that he has been spied on by a machine that enters his subconscious. When he realizes this, he resigns. Of course, this is taken from the opening credits of The Prisoner.
Made his waking up in The Village in the original color (like a Wizard of Oz effect.)
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