TV Dog’s Dinner

Hmmmm …

Can I make a confession, here … ?

Right now, Allison’s sitting at the dining room table, happily doing a bit of embroidery.

And I think I might just see if she’s got spare bit’s of kit.

Because I’ve just seen Arrival, the first episode of the remake of The Prisoner.

And I think I’d rather be stabbing my fingers to bits with an embroidery needle!

Rather than possibly watch another five hours of it!

Maybe I’m being a little too hard on it.

I should at least watch the next episode, in the hope that it improves.

But tonight’s episode?

You know, I’m none to sure if I can be (excuse the language, Karen) arsed to talk to you about the plot, but need’s must.

It sees Jim Caviezal* as No. 6 waking up in a patch of unidentified desert, and being told by a dying man — named only as No. 93 — that he need’s to talk to No. 545, about getting away from The Village.

And it all goes down hill from there …

Hmmmm …

Now, I’ll be honest and tell you that the cult 1960s original series was — and still is — something of a favourite of mine.

Patrick McGoohan, the original’s co-creator and star, brought a lot of passion, charm, anger, intellect — what have you — to the role of No. Six: and had a hand in what had to be a series that was both ahead of its time, got people seriously thinking, and generated as much talk in Britain’s pubs as a controversial FA Cup final.

Or Superbowl, Aussie Rules Final, what have you.

Just as a point, that original series is still being talked, argued and debated, today, some 40 years after its original airing on ITV.

Going on the first episode of the remake, though?

Bar the appearance of Sir Ian McKellan, as No. 2, the remake could well be an utter, utter disaster.

And unless things markedly improve by the next episode, I}m going to have to add that I’m glad Patrick McGoohan is dead.

Because I think he’d’ve hated what’s been done to his series.

I really do.

* Jim Caviezal is, I should add, a fine actor. But I don’t think that he has any of McGoohan’s anger, that made McGoohan so riveting in the role. Thing’s had better improve!