Anyone who knows me personally knows I'm a long-time fan of 'The Prisoner', the 1960s spy/sci-fi/allegorical series starring Patrick McGoohan, once Britain's highest-paid TV actor. He was at the height of his success in 1966 which gave him the licence to make his own show, full of his own ideas, and one which remains etched in the minds of everyone who saw it.
The influence of the programme has been felt far and wide, and only two years ago a remake was produced, to mixed reviews. All the same, it is the iconic imagery of the original which remains fixed in most peoples' mind, and it continues to influence art today.
I recently discovered a band calling themselves after one of the episode titles: Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling are a duo coming out of Boston, USA and made up of bass player Michael J. Epstein and drummer/vocalist Sophia Cacciola. They recently released their first music video, a shot-for-shot remake of the opening sequences to 'The Prisoner', only the location was Boston rather than London, and with Sophia Cacciola in the McGoohan role. The song is called 'Episode 1: Arrival' and is the first of 17 planned tracks, all titled after the episodes and all based on the programme.
The video is available to watch on YouTube now and it is a painstakingly accurate recreation, right down to the Caterham 7 'Prisoner' edition car (a replica of McGoohan's car, which was produced in 1990 in limited quantities) and the near-perfect replica of the interior of The Prisoner's flat. If like me, you are a fan of this series, you will be amazed at how close they got it. They substitited a Boston garden for the Welsh village of Portmeirion, but found a beach location which is uncannily similar to that in the location in Wales.
Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling's music is loud and hard-hitting alternative rock, not quite the sort of old-school hard rock I normally prefer but with the use of 'The Prisoner' they have an effective hook in which to draw people in. Take a look at their video for 'Episode 1: Arrival' and if you are a fan, there are companion clips which show the original in an inset, and another which shows the making of the video.
The band, (and video producers Lost Jockey Productions) are to be congratulated on a superb piece of work and the video will doubtless get them plenty of attention. I look forward to more.
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