Patrick McGoohan, the man who embodied hope over despair in the coolest way imaginable in the 1960s cult TV classic The Prisoner, has died–he was 80 years old.
The Prisoner was a British TV series that aired in America starting in 1967. Only 17 episodes long, The Prisoner was a strikingly original show about a former British spy who wakes one morning to find himself in a psychedelic fantasy-land that’s not all candy and sunshine–it’s a combination British village/futuristic prison, and McGoohan’s character was stripped of his identity and known only as “Number Six.” McGoohan (who’d starred in an earlier spy show, Danger Man, which was titled Secret Agent in the U.S.) had the rugged good looks and clipped accent that leant The Prisoner a gravity its giddy alternate-worldliness might otherwise have lacked. Number Six’s famous cry, “I am not a number, I am a free man!” became both a counterculture catchphrase as well as an anguished plea for freedom. The Prisoner was James Bond for acid-heads, and McGoohan’s straitlaced image made his small-screen version of a hip spy all the more appealing.
McGoohan also appeared in many films, from Ice Station Zebra to Braveheart, but for TV fans, he’ll always be The Prisoner.
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RIP Mr. McGoohan. I just finished watching the Prisoner last week. Thank you. You are missed.
You will be sadly missed Patrick.
You really should have said yes to the offer of the James Bond job!
I’m only 24 but The Prisoner is definitely one of my all time favorites. RIP McGoohan and I hope AMC does a great job in your memory.
And Disney’s SCARECROW OF ROMNEY MARSH. Great adventure series.
Scarcrow of ramsey marsh is my all time number 1 movie…I wish I could find it on dvd.
And yes, he was born in the US — in Queens, in fact.
And yes, he was born in the US — in Queens, in fact.
And yes, he was born in the US — in Queens, in fact.
For TV fans…he’ll always be remembered NOT for The Prisoner, but for DANGER-MAN !
Incredible in Braveheart and deserved an oscar nod for his performance.
A hero & role model for me. Thanks just for being there.
I’ve been a fan of “The Prisoner” ever since my local PBS affiliate ran when I was in high school. My friends and I thought it was the coolest (and most confusing) show ever.
To this day, most books on TV, and most critics, call “The Prisoner” one of the most brilliant TV series ever made. Amen!
Don’t forget, Patrick McGoohan was also memorable in several of his guest roles on “Columbo”. He will be missed!
My favorite was The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh on Disney
Ironically, Disney just put out on DVD one of McGoohan’s lesser known works “The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh” where he plays a vicar who dresses in a costume to fight British oppression in costal England circa 1770. Good stuff from him in both guises. A real great actor, RIP and thanks for the memories.
be seeing you
R.I.P Number 6.
Before he was The Prisoner he was Secret Agent Man and Danger Man. Both were programs that were part of my growing up and woven into my imaginative life — to this day! He was a huge influence. I was just watching a terrific episode of Secret Agent called “A Sting in the Tail” on YouTube last Friday. He will be remembered. (Note to Sean Connery: “Don’t you go dying on me, dude!”)
Long live King Longshanks!
Oh, my, RIP, No. 6. I loved that show. He was so good in it (and other things). PBS or someone ought to reshow The Prisoner. It was brilliant.
No. 6 certainly was not “Unmutable”. Live on, my friend.
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I hope he had a happy life, he certainty brought pleasure to millions as an actor.
Will have to bust out the ol’ No. 6 Halloween costume this October.
Thank you for the mind blowing show!
Will really miss the guy! Awesome actor, director and cool dude. Be seeing you…
RIP
He will be sadly missed.
I’m a big fan of his work on Columbo, The Prisoner and the Danger Man series.
There was nobody quite like Patrick McGoohan.
Such is life.
Goodbye #6.
He was a splendid actor, in one of the most original and delightfully quirky tv series ever. (Others include “Kung Fu” and “Twin Peaks” and “Northern Exposure.”) Now he has left us: sad for us, but not for him. He is not a number, he is a free soul. Blessings go with you on the ultimate journey, sir.
It is sad to see that Six of One – the UK based Prisoner Appreciation Society are cinicaly exploiting Patrick Mcgoohan’s death to promote the sales of an unauthorised book about the actor on its website.
A bit more McGoohan trivia: He played the vet in the Disney film adaptation of Paul Gallico’s “Thomasina.” The film was called “The Three Lives of Thomasina.” He also had a failed U.S. TV series in the 80s or late 70s, “Rafferty,” about a gruff, Scottish doctor.
The Prisoner was brilliant, and McGoohan was a genius. I would love to get Doc Jensen’s take on this as The Prisoner was a huge influence on Lost.
I remember Secret Agent Man was exciting but I can’t recall any episodes. The Prisoner, on the other hand, was the coolest thing I’d ever seen (even cooler than Dark Shadows) – my Dad and I both loved it. Then came The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh! I was always happy to see Patrick McGoohan – even as a bad guy. This is terribly sad news for me.
Thank you Patrick! It would have been good to see you in a few more films.