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International The Prisoner (1967) Network Blu Ray Series. (1 Viewer)

bigshot

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It's a very good transfer. I've been on a British TV binge lately.
 

youworkmen

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tele1962 said:
I agree, it really does look stunning.
While dozens of Networks dvd's from a few years back suffer from sub standard authoring resulting in poor pictures they have excelled with their Blurays which are quite simply outstanding.
The Prisoner , Space 1999 and The Persuaders all look incredible and put many a Hollywoood Bluray to shame . They are all better than the Star Trek TOS Blurays.

Likewise their Retro Action series . Even the HD Supermarionation discs sparkle at 1080i.

And who would believe that The Professionals could ever look even close to the way it looks on Networks restored Blurays.
You could be forgiven for thinking that was shot on 35mm and not 16mm.

When it comes to classic tv on Bluray Network really do know what they're doing and long may it continue.

Be seeing you.
 

David_B_K

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tele1962 said:
No interest in this one, oh well received my copy today. Stunning.
At one point, the US release could be had for a great price. It may hve been a Gold Box deal, but I know I only paid $20-$25 for it a few years ago. It is shocking how much it costs now. You got a good deal.
 

Alan Tully

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No interest in this one, oh well received my copy today. Stunning.
Oh, I care. I ordered it the same time as you, what a great price! I just got home from being away for Christmas & it's arrived. I loved it in the sixties (in b/w!), my dad didn't like it at all ("what's all this bloody rubbish"), & I can't tell you what he thought of the last episode :)
 

Sgt Pepper

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Watched the first two episodes, fantastic. Anyone with even a passing interest in TV history needs this in their collection.
 

Sgt Pepper

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Concluded the series, now I am going to keep this short and sweet. Brilliant, include it in your collection, a must see, PQ jaw dropping. I think that's it, " be seeing you ".
 

youworkmen

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I fell in love with the show when it first appeared and I was only 5 . Something of its bizarre nature remained in my memory and I finally got to see it properly when ITV repeated it in 1977.


I first got it to video recording off C4 in 1983 with its messed up order and missing sequences. But they were at least 35mm.


So the first retail video release was a step back to 16mm but I bought them all around 1987.


They lasted me until the Carlton dvd set in 2000 which lasted me until the Network dvd then the Network Bluray.


In all those years and all those incarnations one thing has never changed for me - and that is that Once Upon a Time is absolute rubbish.

It makes Fall Out seem almost ordinary. Interviews with the cast and crew show they didn't really have a clue what OUAT was all about either.

I've read several books which explain what that episode was about but I still think it was terrible.

That 3 episodes were also written around the express purpose of not having access to Portmerion and one without McGoohan aswell also allowed the end of the series to fall into mediocrity with filler that would never normally be allowed even in ITC shows.


Clearly Arrival was The Prisoner concept as created by George Markstein and David Tomblin but the last episodes were McGoohans concept with a mixture of both concepts in between . Even directors on some episodes were unclear of what it was about as were a number of the guest cast.


But overall its an excellent unforgettable show that stood out like a sore thumb in 1967 and still does today.


One of the highlights of the Network dvd which was ported over to the Blu is the 95 minute documentary . Watching it again last year its sad and surprising how many of the participants have died since that appearance including Sheila Allen and Anton Rodgers - most recently production manager Bernie Williams who featured heavily in the documentary.
 

Sgt Pepper

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I have to disagree with your comments regarding the episodes you mention, i though they were rather refreshing. But everyone takes something different from this series and i think that is part the attraction.
 

youworkmen

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tele1962 said:
I have to disagree with your comments regarding the episodes you mention, i though they were rather refreshing. But everyone takes something different from this series and i think that is part the attraction.

Refreshing ? I suppose you could call them that but I would want episodes like that in the middle of a 50 episode series . A total of 17 is too few to allow for filler - which is what they are.


I do always enjoy The Girl Who Was Death but I think thats because it was the first ever episode I recorded when ITV showed it as part of their Best Of British in 1982 - and what a dumb episode to choose when they had so many others that were the epitome of the series. TGWWD was as atypical as any episode could be. But I must have watched it quite a lot until C4 started their repeats.


Like all of Networks tv Blurays the quality is incredible and while I know the episodes back to front I sometimes just pick one at random to watch and pay most attention to the sets , scenery and other non story related things that we never expected to see in such clarity.


Similarly the Blu of Space 1999 finally allows us to see clearly where the money went with the sheer beauty of the sets and other costly items.

Tv broadcasts , tapes and even dvd were never able to do Year One justice and bring us the clarity to really see what a high quality production it was .

I'm watching the German Blu of UFO at the moment and the HD makes it easy to see this was nowhere near on par with Space for its budget.
 

Sgt Pepper

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youworkmen said:
Refreshing ? I suppose you could call them that but I would want episodes like that in the middle of a 50 episode series . A total of 17 is too few to allow for filler - which is what they are.


I do always enjoy The Girl Who Was Death but I think thats because it was the first ever episode I recorded when ITV showed it as part of their Best Of British in 1982 - and what a dumb episode to choose when they had so many others that were the epitome of the series. TGWWD was as atypical as any episode could be. But I must have watched it quite a lot until C4 started their repeats.


Like all of Networks tv Blurays the quality is incredible and while I know the episodes back to front I sometimes just pick one at random to watch and pay most attention to the sets , scenery and other non story related things that we never expected to see in such clarity.


Similarly the Blu of Space 1999 finally allows us to see clearly where the money went with the sheer beauty of the sets and other costly items.

Tv broadcasts , tapes and even dvd were never able to do Year One justice and bring us the clarity to really see what a high quality production it was .

I'm watching the German Blu of UFO at the moment and the HD makes it easy to see this was nowhere near on par with Space for its budget.

Of course your entitled to your opinion, but I thought Once Upon A Time was excellent. The shear power of the acting, which nearly cost Leo Mckern his sanity (he suffered a breakdown) is testament to that.
 

youworkmen

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tele1962 said:
Of course your entitled to your opinion, but I thought Once Upon A Time was excellent. The shear power of the acting, which nearly cost Leo Mckern his sanity (he suffered a breakdown) is testament to that.

I think the documentary features several cast and crew ( including some that were in it or part of making it) that also thought it was nonsense- or that it at least came across that way during production.


It was nice to see some interview footage of Leo McKern originally shot for the C4 documentary Six Into One :The Prisoner File but ultimately unused ( due to his language I assume) finally shown in the Network documentary where he voiced his opinion of McGoohan. Can't recall his exact words but some of them were quite fruity.


Alexis Kanner also seemed slightly mystified by what he had to do in Fall Out.


Crikey - all 3 of them are now gone to the great Village in the sky
 

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