Because I have been watching far too much AMC recently (I’m actually in the middle of the Matrix trilogy, God help me), I’ve seen many many commercials for the remake of the short lived 60s British TV show The Prisoner. A government agent is kidnapped by a mysterious group and placed in a remote and eerily peaceful village because he knows something of vital importance. In other words, think back to the Simpson episode where Homer becomes Mr. X. The last 10 minutes of that episode is exactly like this show.

Two things intrigue me about this show. For one, it is on AMC. While I am often skeptical of the movies they get on that network (the 2nd and 3rd Matrix movies are on that list), their original shows Breaking Bad and Mad Men are both really intriguing shows. They could make this work.

They also got Ian McKellen. I have never heard of McKellen doing a show like this, which might just mean that it’s special. Plus… it’s Ian McKellen… he actually made The Davinci Code a little better. I could watch him read an insurance policy and enjoy it.

There are only six episodes in the series (which I’m sure is a reference to the main character Number 6). Two episodes are being shown tonight, followed by two on Monday and the final two on Tuesday (which I know seems confusing). If you end up seeing any of the episodes, let me know what you think.