Remembering 'The Prisoner' creator/star Patrick McGoohan
The Prisoner was a 1960's take on surveillance societies, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.
We're saddened to learn that actor/writer/director Patrick McGoohan has died at age 80. His cult favorite TV series, The Prisoner (1967-68), was startlingly forward-thinking in its imaginative use of technology, presaging surveillance societies, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.
After starring in the '60s spy series Danger Man (and turning down the role of James Bond), McGoohan turned the genre on its head and created and starred in (as well as writing and directing several episodes of) this 17-episode story arc about a kidnapped secret agent. The show played off of Cold War paranoia, with plenty of genre-breaking psychological and psychedelic overtones.
AMC TV is currently working on an updated remake of the series, with with Ian McKellen and Jim Caviezel.
If for some reason you've never seen the original series, full episodes are available online from AMC.
New York native Dan Ackerman, a former radio DJ turned journalist, has written about technology and music for publications including Spin, Blender, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. He hosts the weekly Digital City podcast and the New York edition of Editors' Office Hours. Dan's new album, Tales Out of Night School, is available now. E-mail Dan.
Former radio DJ turned
journalist Dan Ackerman grew up in the Bronx and now lives in
Manhattan. He’s covered music, technology, and video games for
more than 10 years. His latest album, Tales Out of Night School
is available now. 
Joseph Kaminski,
when not juggling the dual demands of parenthood and HD gaming, is a
life-long Manhattanite and can be found testing the latest tech in
CNET’s Lab. 
Julie Rivera grew up
and currently resides in Brooklyn. When she's not deejaying,
bartending, or fixing gadgets for friends on the outside, you'll find
her testing, troubleshooting and developing benchmarks for laptops in
the "fish bowl" known as CNET Labs. 
Scott Stein, CNET's
newest laptops editor, was born in Queens and grew up a Long Islander -
and is now raising a kid in NYC. In addition to covering games and
tech, writing screenplays, and performing improv in seedy downtown
establishments, he's also a die-hard, season-ticket-holding Jets fan.
I remember the final episode of the series was one of the most watched in television history at that time at least. Some of the episodes were definitely almost acid like mind trips but all-in-all it was a fine series. PATRICK will be missed.