September 29, 2024

PRISONER-SCARLET ANNIVERSARY

It was on this day in 1967 that two groundbreaking programs made their debut: Patrick McGoohan's The Prisoner and Gerry Anderson's Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. If mystery/adventure of the mid-1960s captured the youthful and optimistic energy of the jet-setters, these two programs marked a growing sense of consequences and uncertainty for agents during the later part of the decade.

McGoohan's Danger Man had been on the air since September, 1960. His stories often exposed the darker side of espionage: moral sacrifices deemed necessary to protect the common good. His John Drake, though slightly insubordinate, presented the image of a man who could recognize -but look beyond- the distasteful consequences of the job in order to carry out his duties. His critique rose to a boiling point in a number of episodes (Yesterday's Enemies, To Our Best Friend) and the theme ultimately was channeled into his next project, The Prisoner (1967-1968). McGoohan's character in The Prisoner, now an unnamed spy, has resigned as a matter of principle and finds himself kidnapped to a remote village, where he undergoes constant psychological torture to determine why he resigned and whether he will spill his secrets. Capturing a counter-culture-era mistrust of authority, he never discovers if his torturers are the enemy after his secrets or his own people testing his loyalty (or indeed, his own mind). Known as Number 6 in the Village, McGoohan's character epitomized the theme of individual freedom, liberty, and rebellion against a surveillance state and conformity. There was a 2010 mini-series based on The Prisoner, starring Ian McKellen. Although it didn't measure up to the original, the show did a good job bringing the "Village" concept up to date in the form of complacent, consumeristic communities we see developing around trends in globalization. Even in my area, I note the trend to build large apartment complexes above retail streets, for example.

Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation programs, high-octane Sci-Spy adventures, had appealed to kids throughout the early 1960s. After establishing himself with inventive programs like SupercarFireball XL5, and Stingray, Anderson and his team found international success with Thunderbirds (1965-1966). The show featured their familiar cocktail of futuristic gadgets and intrigue, while the blockbuster stories focused on a secret organization of international rescuers keeping the world safe. But as Anderson and his wife, Sylvia, moved into the later part of the decade, they shifted toward the darker sides of human nature and the theme of consequences, echoing conversations around the Vietnam War and Cold War. 

The next project would be Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons (1967-1968), which began with a story about a team of space explorers discovering a mysterious city of energy. In a rash act of misunderstanding, the explorers mistake an innocent Mysteron gadget as a weapon and obliterate the city from the planet. As it turns out, however, the aliens can re-create any matter that has been destroyed. Neat trick, and essential to the show's premise. The city magically returns and the Mysterons vow to take revenge on humanity for its cruel, aggressive nature. The program was a much more violent affair. The hero of the piece, Captain Scarlet, began the series as an alien-constructed double agent assigned to assassinate the world's president. There was even a devastating suicide-bomber scene in the pilot and the series is packed with violent killings and ominous plots to destroy the earthmen. Once Scarlet was killed, however, he was able to regenerate and escape alien control. This established the arc of each episode, where the hero ultimately experiences a brutal death followed by a resurrection. His colleague, Captain Black, remained a rogue killer-agent for the enemy. Children's programming? Dark times indeed! Style fans take note: the costumes in the series were inspired by Pierre Cardins' space fashions! 

If these two programs illustrated transitions in the popular imagination, the trend seemed to take an odd turn by the following year. In a visit to the 1968 Exhibit in Oakland some years back, I was struck by the odd juxtaposition of truly violent historical experiences in the news, public anxiety and protest, and the strange effort of American mainstream TV, in contrast to these UK shows discussed above, to create a lulling oasis with shows like Green Acres, Beverly Hillbillies, and I Dream of Jeanie. Independent filmmakers had more liberty to present subversive material, creating films such as Easy Rider, The Monkees Head, and Night of the Living Dead. In the UK, The Prisoner and Captain Scarlet illustrated a culture trying to cope with the circumstances of the times within a mainstream medium. Whether it was questioning freedom and individuality, or consequences and culpability, these programs stand the test of time because they weren't afraid to ask questions and to frame them in ways that evoked excitement, sparkled with cutting-edge playful fashion and design, and explored real empathy. Spy Vibe wishes a very Happy 57th anniversary to The Prisoner and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. Related posts: Review: The Prisoner Vol 2 (Big Finish), Interview: The Prisoner Guide,  Portmeirion Photography 1Portmeirion PhotographyThe Prisoner London FlatAlan Hayes Prisoner Audio ReviewInterview: Ian OlgivyInterview: Brian GormanPrisoner SupergrassPrisoner XTCPrisoner XTC 2Prisoner DC FontanaThe Prisoner 50th EventGerry Anderson ComicsInside Gerry AndersonAnderson documentaryThunderbirds Comic CollectionLicense to Kill PuppetsAnderson ModelsSylvia Anderson FashionThe Prisoner and Captain ScarletSet Design Countdown #9Nehru JacketsSpy Vibe Radio #6 (The Prisoner)

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