Search - The Prisoner - Set 4: A Change of Mind/Hammer Into Anvil/Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling/Living in Harmony on DVD

MARK B. (BeeKarM) from AUSTIN, TX
Reviewed on 3/9/2011...

Excellent psychological drama; I love the music and architecture as well.

Possibly most Interesting and Intelligent TV series ever.

Nigel Funge | Redwood City, California United States | 01/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Patrick McGoohan's `The Prisoner' TV series is perhaps one of the most intelligent and interesting programs ever created. The basic premise is that a British secret agent resigns for some reason. After turning in his notice, he is kidnapped and moved to a secret location called `The Village'. The series follows the efforts of his mysterious kidnappers to find out the reason why he quit and shows his repeated escape attempts.The series is filled with nuances that need multiple viewings to enjoy all of them. The DVD transfer is first rate with the picture quality excellent. The "technicolor" sets are shown in their vivid color. Highly recommended. This set continues to develop the series further and should only be viewed after seeing the first three."

Original and enthralling.

Michael A. Brown | Salt Lake City, UT USA | 12/03/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

""The Prisoner" remains to this day to be one of televisions most original series. Through it's short run, in England and then on CBS in the USA, this series captivated with it's mind-bending array of unanswered questions. And, the eerie feeling that this kind of thing could happen to you. If a well trained Secret Agent Man can't escape, what hope would you have?Patrick McGoohan, who also co-created the series, stars as Number 6 a former government agent who won't reveal to anyone why he abruptly quit his position with the agency. Number 2 will stop at nothing to get his answers. Number 6 will stop at nothing to beat the bubble. (You'll have to see it.)I strongly suggest you get the first edition so that you can see it from the beginning. Otherwise a lot of this won't make sense."

This set is anything but unmutual!

Mark Savary | Seattle, WA | 05/14/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It has always been hard for me to choose my favorite episodes of "The Prisoner". This is partly because we have relatively few episodes to choose from due to the series' short run, and partly because so many of the episodes we do have are so darned GOOD! This particular set contains some of the shows that stand a bit apart for me, and are a delight to get reaccquianted with. "Do Not Forsake Me Oh, My Darling" is certainly one of the stranger segments in the series, putting our favorite Village resident's mind in another man's body! Everything is quite satisfactory, except for the ending (a bit too "pat", I think). It was interesting to note three things in this episode, however; the address in Scotland on the envelope sent to the scientist, the number on the door to the Prisoner's London flat, and the fact that we learn more about Number 6's past while Patrick McGoohan is hardly even featured!"Living in Harmony" is certainly the most different, if not bizzare episode of "The Prisoner", outside of the final installment. The episode puts Number 6 in a completely fabricated environment. It was so different, it's no wonder the show did not air in the US, given that (other than the star's presence), we have no clue until the very end that this is actually an installment of "The Prisoner"!The remaining two episodes in the set are more standard fare, but are quite possibly the best in the series. "Change of Mind" introduces several more samples of unique Village terminology; "unmutual", and "disharmonious". Number 6's unmutualism leads to yet another attempt to be broken by the new Number 2. It was very interesting to see the independent Number 6 react to being shunned by his fellow Villagers. It begs the question, has Number 6 grown a bit accustomed to living the Village, perhaps even started to fit in?"Hammer Into Anvil" is just stellar. Number 6 takes control of his situation like never before. While Number 6 has often used the Village's own schemes against it, this time he is completely turning the tables on his captors. He destroys the sanity of a particularly ruthless Number 2 in the process, taking revenge for one of Number 2's victims. This is an excellent set overall, although I naturally recommend buying and watching the sets in their proper order.A & E has done a good job packaging the series for DVD. The transfers are really good (for the most part), and while the extras on these sets mysteriously do not include an interview with Mr. McGoohan, there is an extensive interview with production manager Bernie Williams included with Set Three.What can be said about this wonderful series that has not been said already? Probably what is listed on the cover of the A & E sets sums it up best:"Television's First Masterpiece"."