Danger Man : AKA Serect Agent (1 Viewer)

[DavidEC]

If you are a fan of the TV show 'The Prisoner' I highly suggest that you check out the A&E release of the show "DANGER MAN", which shows our 'NUMBER 6' as spy John Drake. The set has the first six hour long shows.
I picked up 'SET 1' from DeepDiscountDVD.com for less than $20. http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/dvd.cfm?itemID=ANE070317
The black and white images are very sharp and the audio is clean. When you take into account the 35+ years old age of the source and most likely was not even thought of storing for this long.
Of the four shows that I have watched on the two DVD's only one time did the image seem not to match the audio and I feel that the original source must of skipped.
I do hope that A&E releases at least the show from the "Danger Man" series called the 'Prison'(I think that was the name) where John was sent in to British Spy from a city of retired spys... which you could say was an early version of the 'VILLAGE' later used in the 'PRISONER' series.
--David

 

[AdrianJ]

After being disappointed with the way they handle the Prisoner series, I'll wait until the Danger Man Megaset is available. I was collecting the Prisoner sets at $19.18 a piece and then the Megaset comes along afterwards and it is $85. I know it's only $10, but it's annoying. The SRP difference is almost $50!
------------------

Adrian Jones

 

[Michael St. Clair]

It'll take 8 sets to collect the 1-hour shows, then 3 or 4 more sets if they decide to go back in time 4 years and collect the half-hour shows.
I can't wait that long!
[Edited last by Michael St. Clair on September 25, 2001 at 03:36 PM]

 

[Peter M Fitzgerald]

David,
That proto-PRISONER episode of DANGER MAN was actually entitled "Colony 3".
I'm glad that DANGER MAN is becoming available on Region 1 DVD, but I'm also waiting for the inevitable mega-set, after buying THE AVENGERS, MONTY PYTHON, and the first batch of THUNDERBIRDS in the 2-disc set installments, since there's such a difference in pricing. That, and the audio problem in Set 2, was what convinced me to wait for the complete PRISONER set.

 

[David Lambert]

which shows our 'NUMBER 6' as spy John Drake

Just so there's no confusion: If you mean Patrick was both the character John Drake and the character Number 6, then yes. If you mean that John Drake *was* the same character as Number 6, you're incorrect. Patrick MacGoohan has denied that they were the same, and writers concur. In fact, this is one of the trivia questions on one of The Prisoner DVD's!
------------------
DAVE/Memphis

Did you want us to respect your cause? You just damned your cause.
Did you want to make us fear? You just steeled our resolve.
Did you want to tear us apart? You just brought us together.
http://www.miami.com/herald/content/...ocs/000565.htm

 

[DavidEC]

".... If you mean that John Drake *was* the same character as Number 6, you're incorrect. ...."
Well I was not really meaning that... but even if everybody say that the two were not the same.. it sure does look that way to this American viewer..

Also thanks for the corrected episode name.
Also if everybody waits for the "MEGA SET" then you might not ever see such a set with out the supporting sales of the smaller packages..
--David

 

[Martin Rendall]

I got mine. I hope they keep going.
Martin.

 

[Bleddyn Williams]

As I'm from the UK, I grew up with this show as Danger Man. Does the A&E release use the Secret Agent titles, which I have never seen?
I would much prefer the original titles, myself.
Bleddyn
------------------

 

[Ken Stuart]

The show should be released in Region 1 with the title that it had when it aired in Region 1.
If you saw the show in Region 2 (UK) then you should buy the Region 2 DVDs if you must have them just as you saw them.
But, if you moved to the USA, then changed names for things are just part of the adaptation.
E.G. I imagine you no longer say that you put on a rubber when it rains.

 

[DavidEC]

".... Does the A&E release use the Secret Agent titles, which I have never seen? ...."
The DVD uses the original titles, but has a "MUSIC VIDEO" (for lack of a better way to state it) of the US opening credits, with title song 'Secret Agent Man'
--David

 

[Mark Zimmer]

You don't really believe Macgoohan when he says that, do you? I mean, Number Six's name is John....not likely to be a coincidence, is it? Seems obvious to me.

------------------
"This movie has warped my fragile little mind."

 

[David Lambert]

? I mean, Number Six's name is John....not likely to be a coincidence, is it?

Oh? Where does that info come from? Be exact, please.
Even if they're both "John", there's a lot a Johns in the world. Besides, PM was Exec Producer on The Prisoner, and owned the production company, so in the end it's whatever he says, right?
In the meantime, I'll locate the exact disc in the set which had that trivia question and the answer which I quoted above.
------------------
DAVE/Memphis

Did you want us to respect your cause? You just damned your cause.
Did you want to make us fear? You just steeled our resolve.
Did you want to tear us apart? You just brought us together.
http://www.miami.com/herald/content/...ocs/000565.htm

 

[Mark_TS]

hmmmm....I thought I read on a site (SIX OF ONE?) that it was to be more or less *inferred* that #6 was simply a continuation of the JOHN DRAKE character.....
...as many know, to capitalise on the 007 craze at the time, CBS had the shows title DANGER MAN changed to SECRET AGENT-just so Jonny Rivers could use his song of the same title as an opener! ;-)
...Im glad they didnt change THE PRISONER to: 'SECRET AGENT MAN BEING CHASED BY BIG WHITE BALLOONS' or maybe:
'JOHN DRAKE IN PEPPERLAND' etc...
quote: "I imagine you no longer say that you put on a rubber when it rains."
...youd better, or youre likely to....'catch a death of a...'

------------------
[Edited last by Mark_TS on September 28, 2001 at 02:10 PM]

 

[David Lambert]

Okay, here we go. I used the handy-dandy digital camera to grab these screenshots from the disc with the episodes A,B,&C and The General.

------------------
DAVE/Memphis

Did you want us to respect your cause? You just damned your cause.
Did you want to make us fear? You just steeled our resolve.
Did you want to tear us apart? You just brought us together.
http://www.miami.com/herald/content/...ocs/000565.htm

[Edited last by David Lambert on September 28, 2001 at 06:39 PM]

 

[RobertR]

quote: If you mean that John Drake *was* the same character as Number 6, you're incorrect. [/quote]
"Secret Agent Man....they've given you a number and taken 'way your name...."

[Edited last by RobertR on September 28, 2001 at 06:58 PM]

 

[David Lambert]

"Secret Agent Man....they've given you a number and taken 'way your name...."

Gee, whiz. That could refer to James Bond 007, too!
Look, guys, I would definately be on your side except for one thing. Look at the screen shots I posted. Before I saw these, I thought the same as you.
But frankly, I won't argue with PM. It's his baby. Unless I see something from him stating that the DVD's trivia answer was in error, I'll go with it. Okay?
It really doesn't matter THAT much, does it?

 

[RobertR]

It really doesn't matter THAT much, does it?

Well Dave, the way I see it, PM can deny he was the character, and people can choose to think he was the character, and no harm is done.

 

[Ben Motley]

I don't remember anyone referring to No.6 as John, but in "The Chimes of Big Ben", Nadia calls No.6 Big Ben, to which he correctingly replies, "Big Bill".
------------------
"Who made it?! The Shark!?!"
Please sign this Hammer Films petition, thanks!
http://www.petitiononline.com/Hammer/petition.html

 

[Mark Zimmer]

Of course, part of the job of a secret agent is the dissemination of false information....Deny everything is standard operating procedure at the CIA, you know.
The reference to 'John' is in Arrival; I'll have to pull out my R2 disc to find the exact spot for you.
------------------
"This movie has warped my fragile little mind."

 

[Mark Zimmer]

OK, in the episode 'ARRIVAL', when Nr. 6 returns to his cottage and speaks to Nr. 2 for the first time on the phone, he is greeted with "Good morning, John." On the R2 disc, it's at 9m:08s. After accounting for 4% speedup that should be in the neighborhood of 9m:29s on the US version, if my math is right (no promises there).

Since so much of the content of The Prisoner is about manipulation of information and perception, I can't imagine why you'd expect Macgoohan to be upfront about the John Drake/Nr. 6 issue. Perhaps there are some legal issues relating to the use of the character name that require him to obfuscate the connection. In that case, a "vehement denial" is to be expected. Anyway, the connection seems obvious to me, regardless of the silly trivia questions that A&E puts on their discs, as if that were some sort of authority.
------------------
"This movie has warped my fragile little mind."