Recap / The Prisoner (1967)

"One of the many fascinating things about The Prisoner is that no-one knows what order the episodes should be watched in. There is, however, a consensus on two things. Firstly, they should not be watched in the order they were made, and secondly, they should not be watched in the order they were broadcast."

—Jonathan Morris, introducing the BBC's episode guide.

The order used for this list of The Prisoner episodes is the order of initial UK broadcast, also used on most DVD issues. This order causes some characterisation and thematic inconsistencies and there are other potential episode orders suggested by fans.

Contrary to popular belief, Patrick McGoohan never endorsed a particular order. He once said there were seven episodes that "really count," but did not say what they were. (A fan wrote an essay for 6 of 1 laying out his speculation of what they might be, and this somehow caught on as "McGoohan's seven," but McGoohan never endorsed that list.)

---

1. "Arrival"
2. "The Chimes of Big Ben"
3. "A. B. and C."
4. "Free for All"
5. "The Schizoid Man"
6. "The General"
7. "Many Happy Returns"
8. "Dance of the Dead"
9. "Checkmate"
10. "Hammer into Anvil"
11. "It's Your Funeral"
12. "A Change of Mind"
13. "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling"
14. "Living In Harmony"
15. "The Girl Who Was Death"
16. "Once Upon a Time"
17. "Fall Out"

---