One of the most acclaimed TV series of the 1960s, “The Prisoner,” has an unusual backstory. That memorable opening scene, where an angry spy (Patrick McGoohan) resigns from his agency before being kidnapped and confined to a resort-prison, refers to the previous star vehicle for McGoohan. That earlier show, released in the U.K. as “Danger Man” and the U.S. as “Secret Agent,” is out now in a new DVD set.
The 17-disc box set “Secret Agent: The Complete Series” collects all 86 episodes with audio commentary by several participants. The series had an odd history, originally running from 1960 through 1962 and starting over again from ’64 through ’68 with a different scenario. In the first seasons McGoohan plays John Drake, an agent for a fictitious Washington, D.C.-based NATO spy agency. Despite his mid-Atlantic accent, he is identified as Irish American. In version two, Drake works for British intelligence without any reference to American ties. Well, that’s the spy game, all those enigmas wrapped in riddles.
Many episodes feature great low-tech spy gear—a handgun hidden inside a loaf of French bread or a sniper rifle assembled from innocent looking car parts. Drake gets to tool around the world in cool cars, often against backdrops suggesting high style from the era of Carnaby Street. He is impeccably attired, knows his way around a cocktail lounge and holds a reserve of anger and cynicism. Identifying himself early on as “Drake, John Drake,” he may well have provided Sean Connery with a model for playing a more famous spy who emerged from the era.
