Patrick McGoohan--R.I.P 1928-2009

Dr Syn (The Scarecrow)
John Drake
Number Six
Rafferty
King Edward "Longshanks"

A few of the many roles this British actor portrayed over a career that began in the late 1940s and ended a few years prior to his death.

Originally he was approached to be both James Bond and Simon Templar (the Saint), turning down both offers. They later went to Sean Connery and Roger Moore respectively. However, when television producer Lew Grade approached him on a new series about a secret agent, McGoohan accepted. With a few conditions. His agent would not use weapons, instead relying on his wits, intelligence. In addition...no romantic involvments or hint of involvement. They agreed.

Dangerman was the first series, 30 minutes in length was each episode and had Drake as an operative for NATO. Seasons 2 and 3 had shows expanded to 60 minutes and had Drake working for a British spy agency. The stories were well written and well acted. In the US, the show was renamed Secret Agent.

Season 4 filmed 2 episodes when McGoohan left the series. Instead he concieved, wrote and produced what is perhaps the greatest cult show of all time: The Prisoner.

A secret agent resigns his position. At his apartment, he is gassed and taken to a remote village. When he wakes up, his name, like everyone else's is taken away and he is given a number. He is Number Six. Thru 17 episodes, Number Six tries to escape the village and to learn the identity of Number 1. Each attempt fails. His captors try to break him, find out why he resigned and the information that is locked in his head.

The ending of the series was ambigious leaving much food for thought as to who is Number 1, why is Number 6 a prisoner. Who is he imprisoned by, or is he imprisoning himself.

McGoohan left a large body of work that will be enjoyed for many years by fans old and new.

Thanks Patrick for your work.

Much more could be written