The Prisoner is an allegorical UK 1960s science fiction television series starring Patrick McGoohan. It follows a former British secret agent who, after abruptly resigning from his position, is held captive in a small village by the sea by an unidentified power which wishes to establish the reason for his resignation. Episodes typically feature the unnamed prisoner, labelled "Number Six" by his captors, unsuccessfully attempting to escape from "the Village", but successfully resisting interrogation and attempts of brainwashing.

The show was created by McGoohan and George Markstein, with exteriors filmed primarily on location at the Hotel Portmeirion in Penrhyndeudraeth, North Wales. Seventeen episodes were produced. The first was originally broadcast in London on 1 October 1967 and the last aired on 4 February 1968. The world broadcast premiere was on the CTV Television Network in Canada on September 5, 1967.

Although sold as a spy thriller in the mould of McGoohan's previous series, Danger Man, the show's combination of 1960s countercultural themes and its surreal setting had a far-reaching effect upon science fiction-fantasy-genre television and also popular culture in general.

In 2006, Granada Productions revealed plans for a remake for the Sky One channel, which will take "liberties" with the original. However, in May 2007 it was reported that Sky One had pulled out of the project.

Prisoner is an Australian television soap opera which was set in Wentworth Detention Centre, a fictional women's prison. Because of its success in the United Kingdom, the series has become one of the most enduring in Australian television history. The series was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation and ran on Network Ten for 692 episodes from 1979 to 1986. It was seen as an alternative to the British television drama Within These Walls which had achieved moderate success in Australia. Because of an injunction brought by UK based ATV who considered the title too similar to their own series The Prisoner, it was originally not possible for buyers to screen the show under the name Prisoner. Overseas broadcasters were able to retitle the show accordingly. It was broadcast under the title Prisoner: Cell Block H in the UK and the United States, and as Caged Women in Canada.

This Australian series has, after 692 episodes, received cult status all over the world. The series takes place in Wentworth, a prison in Australia. Wentworth is a high-security female prison. The women are there for all sorts of crimes. We get to follow how they got there, their life in the prison and what becomes of them afterwards. We also get to follow the staff, their work in the prison and their personal relationships. Written by Jens Andersson

"The Prisoner" is a unique piece of television. It addresses issues such as personal identity and freedom, democracy, education, scientific progress, art and technology, while still remaining an entertaining drama series. Over seventeen episodes we witness a war of attrition between the faceless forces behind 'The Village' (a Kafkaesque community somewhere between Butlins and Alcatraz) and its most strong willed inmate, No. 6. who struggles ceaselessly to assert his individuality while plotting to escape from his captors. Written by Stuart Berwick

A high-ranking but un-named Agent in the British Government resigns from his job/post and leaves for a holiday. While packing he is gassed and is taken to a beautiful but deadly prison known only as "The Village" where people are taken, given a Number to be called by and kept there for the rest of their lives if they don't tell No. 2 (the deputy head of "The Village") the information they are captured for. Escape is nearly impossible as "The Village" has amazing but deadly weapons to use if anybody tries to escape. The Agent is given the title of "No. 6" but he adopts the name of "The Prisoner". The series tells of his attempts to resist the plots of each No. 2 (who is replaced with another if an attempt on No. 6 fails) to get his information and against any attempt to disrupt the nearly peaceful running of the "The Village". The Village is determined to crack The Prisoner by attempting to get the answer to why he resigned from his job/post. As time goes on, two questions plague The Prisoner's mind - How can he escape and who is the real leader of the Village - the mysterious No. 1?. Written by Lee Horton

A man who drives a 60's Lotus sports car around London resigns from a Top secret job. We next see him packing for a holiday at home, and a credit appears ... "The Prisoner". He is gassed, falls asleep and then wakes up in "The Village". Everyone in "The Village" is a number, and is there for security reasons (people to dangerous and who hold too much information to just let go). The series spends all its time trying to get the "information" out of No.6 about why he resigned. Plus it spends quite a while chasing him with a weather balloon :-) A strange cult UK TV series. Written by Tim Moore