Danger Man...

[Warped9]

Although I have watched The Prisoner (a couple of years ago) I have finally begun to watch episodes of Danger Man from the early 1960s. This is a half hour b&w series that contributed to the spy craze of the 1960s. The show starred Patrick McCoogan as John Drake and the series was also known as Secret Agent in the U.S.

This series actually predates the debut of the James Bond films with Sean Connery.

This is quite a different series from the Bond films that would follow as well as the like minded series on television, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Mission: Impossible, The Avengers, The Saint and the like. It's much more low-key than those series and films. While Drake can be charming he isn't a suave womanizer nor does he utilize all manner of exotic gadgets. Whatever spy gear Drake uses tends to be rather low tech and quite believable.

I've heard of this series before, but never seen any of it. It's interesting and somewhat different than the more familiar spy fare of the era.

 

[auntiehill]

^It *IS* very interesting, and rather sophisticated; it's much more serious and realistic--at least, as much at it could be.

Hubby and I watched them all a few years back; we really enjoyed it, but it is a very odd duck, this show. It was very refreshing.

 

[Shatinator]

Although I have watched The Prisoner (a couple of years ago) I have finally begun to watch episodes of Danger Man from the early 1960s. This is a half hour b&w series that contributed to the spy craze of the 1960s. The show starred Patrick McCoogan as John Drake and the series was also known as Secret Agent in the U.S......

..... While Drake can be charming he isn't a suave womanizer nor does he utilize all manner of exotic gadgets. Whatever spy gear Drake uses tends to be rather low tech and quite believable.

I've heard of this series before, but never seen any of it. It's interesting and somewhat different than the more familiar spy fare of the era.

I have not watched this series yet, but had stubbornly parked the series on my long term 'to get to' list. Back years ago when A&E was releasing a lot of these programs on DVD, the only available format then (Prisoner, Space 1999, The Avengers, The Saint, Danger man; etc and the like). It seemed to costly for what was offered.

I eventually saw the Prisoner on Blu-Ray, so guess it was worth the wait. I found The Prisoner, amazing and Must See for all genre geek, like myself. Interesting in the commentary, it spoke about Patrick McGoohan, being offered the role of James Bond at one time; but turning it down.

Not only because by then he had portrayed two series as a 'secret agent', but also most important to him, he was very opposed to the 'sexual-suave' approach all En Vogue in the late 60's based on his strong Catholic beliefs; that he would required to project.

Very interesting and complicated fellow that Mr. McGoohan, especially in light of other roles he took on later in his career, such as "Silver Streak" and "Escape from Alcatraz"

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I know McGoohan denied that John Drake is Number Six, but I'm not so sure...

 

[auntiehill]

I've always thought of Number 6 as Drake in an alternate universe.

 

[inflatabledalek]

A great show, and one that has aged very well thanks to McGoohan's strong moral convictions, it tends to stand up much better in terms of its treatment of women and foreigners than pretty much any other 60's spy show.

It also has an extremely strong, mesmerising performance from McGoohan. You can see why the producers were keen to warp their original intent for the series (which would have been much more proto-Bond in terms of the womanising and violence) around what he was prepared to do rather than just go with another actor.

Whilst The Prisoner is the most famous follow up, what the other half of the production team (including creator Ralph Smart) went on to do, Man in a Suitcase, is well worth checking out as well as it has a very similar style and feel.

 

[Warped9]

Another interesting aspect of this series is that it's a half-hour drama--something unheard of today, but common enough in the late '50s and early '60s.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I know McGoohan denied that John Drake is Number Six, but I'm not so sure...

I've always thought of Number 6 as Drake in an alternate universe.

Neither of you are alone. Even after all this time, it's still a popular idea among some fans regardless of what McGoohan said (or perhaps of it.).

"He was never called John Drake, he just happened to look like him."
--Patrick McGoohan

 

[tharpdevenport]

As I said in another thread a few days ago, McGoohan denied #6 was Drake, but one of the producers said #6 was in fact Drake, and that he was brought to the Village because he found out about it (or might have had some hand in creating the idea of it; I don't recall precisely -- there's some good youtube interviews posted).

The photo of him in the opening credits of "The Prisoner", is a promotional photo from "Danger Man".

Apparently fans we so pissed off at the lack of answers in the finale (after being promised early on all would be answered), McGoohan had to go in hiding for six or mroe months.


Curious as I was, I saw the pilot of "Danger Man", but didn't watch more afterward. It was nothign special and rather boring. I wonder if it gets a little better.

 

[C.E. Evans]

As I said in another thread a few days ago, McGoohan denied #6 was Drake, but one of the producers said #6 was in fact Drake...

That producer was likely George Markstein, the show's story editor who worked with McGoohan on both Danger Man and The Prisoner. Markstein and McGoohan--who were quite an odd couple--had a bitter falling out over almost every aspect of the series, including whose idea it was anyway (Markstein eventually got fed up with McGoohan and left the show with four episodes left to go). Sometime after the show ended, Markstein was the one that said John Drake was Number Six, while McGoohan said he wasn't. I don't think the two ever did reconcile.

The photo of him in the opening credits of "The Prisoner", is a promotional photo from "Danger Man".

You mean the one that was X-ed out? That was McGoohan's own personal publicity photo. Because it had been seen quite a few times while Danger Man was on the air, some fans have latched onto the idea that it's John Drake being X-ed out in The Prisoner's opening credits. McGoohan used his own publicity photo in the sequence to send a subtle message about celebrity worshipping.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

I remember first watching The Prisoner on DVDs I borrowed from the library about 10 years ago. It was quite compelling TV. I think everyone should see it once and just let it simmer in your brain pan for a while. It has this great surreal-'60s vibe to it which I find fascinating. (But then, I grew up with the barren, sterile, difficult to categorize 1990s. Just about any level of strong stylization hold an exotic appeal for me.)

I was on such a kick that I did borrow some Danger Man DVDs as well. But they're not nearly as mesmerizing.

Be seeing you.

 

[Joel_Kirk]

I tried watching Danger Man, but I just couldn't get into it. The Prisoner, with it's weirdness and recurring music themes (and lovely double agents) held my attention more....

 

[Andrew_Kearley]

Another interesting aspect of this series is that it's a half-hour drama--something unheard of today, but common enough in the late '50s and early '60s.

Common enough for ITC in that period: Invisible Man, The Four Just Men, Interpol Calling all fit into that format. They made the jump to hour-long drama in the early sixties, although they did make a brief return to the format in the early seventies.

Worth remembering though that there are two different shows called Danger Man. The half hour series ran 39 episodes. The show was rebooted after a gap of three or four years as an hour long drama, completely revamped and stylistically very different. I think it's a vastly better show, and probably makes for a better comparison with The Prisoner. It's right up there as one of the very best ITC action shows. (Just ignore those two horrible colour episodes though.)

 

[Warped9]

I've watched the first dozen episodes so far. Yes, the pilot is rather tame, but as it progresses it has its own appeal. As I said upthread it's more lowkey than if it had been an American production. Watching it I can see how this is a way you could do Bond as a television series where you would be more constrained in terms of budget and resources.

In some respects the show feels much more realistic than the more well remembered spy series of the era. And it neatly suits the early '60s era.

 

[Warped9]

And I think the episodes get better as the series progresses.

 

[scotpens]

Apparently fans we so pissed off at the lack of answers in the finale (after being promised early on all would be answered), McGoohan had to go in hiding for six or mroe months.

Yes, I remember watching the last two episodes of The Prisoner and going "WTF???" Instead of any resolution or answers to the obvious questions -- Where is the Village? Who's running the place? Is it Number Six's own side, the enemy, or some third party? -- we got two hours of surrealism and absurdist theater. Feh.

 

[HIjol]

< 60's English Rock combo playing in background, building towards bridge of song>

"Odds are he won't live to see tomorrow..."

 

[Christopher]

Yes, I remember watching the last two episodes of The Prisoner and going "WTF???" Instead of any resolution or answers to the obvious questions -- Where is the Village? Who's running the place? Is it Number Six's own side, the enemy, or some third party? -- we got two hours of surrealism and absurdist theater. Feh.

Questions are a burden to others, answers a prison for oneself.

But seriously, we weren't supposed to get answers. The Village is the world we live in. The people running it are the authority figures of our own society. And it doesn't matter what side they're on because they're all the same. The Prisoner wasn't a prosaic spy story, it was an allegory about the conflict between personal freedom and authoritarianism in the real world. Number Six is Number One, because we are complicit in our own surrender of freedom to the authority figures we empower. It was really quite prescient, dealing with themes we face today with the rise of the surveillance state and the surrender of personal liberty in the name of national security.

 

[inflatabledalek]

On the Drake/Number 6 thing... It's worth remembering that Drake undergoes a massive and insane retcon between the half and hour long episodes, most noticeably changing from American to English because English spies were cool when the show came back (Roger Moore also starts off The Saint with a transatlantic accent before shifting to his own voice for similar reasons, but that's more gradual and less of a shock when watching the show in order).

So obviously, American Drake isn't Number 6, but British Drake is .

Mind, I'd really go with his character in Ice Station Zebra being Six as well, thanks to McGoohan clearly being right in the midst of his Prisoner induced breakdown (Randomly SHOUTING words in the middle of SENTENCES for no reason) helping to make it really feel like the same guy.

 

[Captaindemotion]

Yes, I remember watching the last two episodes of The Prisoner and going "WTF???" Instead of any resolution or answers to the obvious questions -- Where is the Village? Who's running the place? Is it Number Six's own side, the enemy, or some third party? -- we got two hours of surrealism and absurdist theater. Feh.

Questions are a burden to others, answers a prison for oneself.

But seriously, we weren't supposed to get answers. The Village is the world we live in. The people running it are the authority figures of our own society. And it doesn't matter what side they're on because they're all the same. The Prisoner wasn't a prosaic spy story, it was an allegory about the conflict between personal freedom and authoritarianism in the real world. Number Six is Number One, because we are complicit in our own surrender of freedom to the authority figures we empower. It was really quite prescient, dealing with themes we face today with the rise of the surveillance state and the surrender of personal liberty in the name of national security.

I've a suspicion that had The Prisoner's finale addressed and answered all those questions, it would be much less remembered and discussed now than it is as a result of that ambiguous and open ending.