Emmy-winning actor Patrick McGoohan, best known for starring in cult 1960s TV show The Prisoner, has died at the age of 80. He died in Los Angeles after a short illness, his film producer son-in-law Cleve Landsberg told Associated Press. McGoohan played the character Six in the surreal 1960s show, filmed in the north Wales village of Portmeirion. His character spent the entire time attempting to escape from The Village and finding out the identity of his captor, the elusive Number One.
He repeatedly declared: "I am not a number - I am a free man!"
From the BBC News website
As a huge fan of The Prisoner, this is really sad news. I was only five years old when the iconic series first hit our small screens but I watched the re-runs decades later avidly. Every week I used to urge Number Six to escape and there were some weeks when I thought he had done so. In one episode he devised what seems an elaborate plan to escape involving a helicopter and ship to take him back to what he believes is London. But it was all a hoax and he had never left the village!
McGoohan was quite superb as Number Six. He was also in another 1960s series, Danger Man, and also played a memorable role - somewhat ironically given the tv programme that made his name - as the prison governer in the film Escape from Alcatraz which also starred Clint Eastwood.
I believe that ITV are in the process of remaking a new series of The Prisoner to be shown on our screens next year. I don't think I'll be watching it - for the simple reason there will never be another Patrick McGoohan.
