Christopher Eccleston - remember him? - is being hotly tipped to take the lead in Sky One's remake of The Prisoner. Every few years, there are rumours that the classic 60s series about a spy abducted and imprisoned in a 'village' will get remade. Mel Gibson was going to make a movie of it for a while; Granada was hinting at it last year, but dropped it. But this appears to be officially official - another interesting move by Sky's new director of programmes, Richard Woolfe, who's actually going to get Granada to make it for him.
I think Eccleston would be a good choice for the role. He may have been miscast as the Doctor, but Eccleston suits the role of “Number 6” perfectly. As played in the original series by Patrick McGoohan, 6 was a shouting, angry man, constantly on the prowl, sarcastic, untrusting, always getting into fights. Eccleston can do all of those things and do them well. Given Eccleston is now persona non grata at the Beeb and many other networks are wary of working with him in case he buggers off after five minutes, a major role in an iconic series would rehabilitate him no end and might help him shed the image of the Doctor.
Updates and related entries
May 10, 2006: We all heard the news that Christopher Eccleston may be starring in the forthcoming remake of The Prisoner. Now The Independents Pandora reports that CE may have had a bust-up with the producers and Sky are getting cold feet....
August 11, 2006: Christopher Nolan is now set to direct a remake of The Prisoner.
Subscribe to the daily news by RSS or email
May 4, 2006 | Reply
Oooh this would be very good!
May 4, 2006 | Reply
Agreed! you're bang on with your comments about CE (though I'm probably more forgiving of his work on Doctor Who).
But yeah, that would be an interesting project for him.
May 4, 2006 | Reply
I disagree CE was miscast, I think he was a great introduction to kids as to what the Doctor is. His prickliness towards humans was a great touch... if anything I might prefer it to DT's charm offensive...?
Nah, probably not. :)
May 4, 2006 | Reply
His prickliness towards humans was
a) in the script and probably not of his own invention
b) is pretty much standard for most Doctors. Off the top of my head, Hartnell, Pertwee, T Baker, Davison and C Baker all had scenes were they berated humans for being stupid, rubbish, warlike, etc, and I'm sure, given half a chance, I could think of ones for the other Doctors, too.
Eccleston was good at anger and similar dark emotions, but the lighter stuff always seemed to give him problems. He gave off vibes of it all being a little beneath him. Which is why I think he was miscast: he needs something dour and deep to work with, but the Doctor, even in his grumpy phases, still has light moments and the show's aimed at kids.
I'm not saying he was awful, only that there were better actors for this particular job.
May 4, 2006 | Reply
"He gave off vibes of it all being a little beneath him."
Totally agree with you there, actually. And where you say 'all', I really think 'all'. The light stuff, as you say, but also just what inherently goes along with being The Doctor. The whole thing didn't sit with him very well - can't imagine him having gone on Ready, Steady, Cook, or Totally Doctor Who. What I love about Tennant (ah one of many things) is that he seems to be relishing it 'all'.
Still think that CE was a great Doctor, though, and that he himself was something I looked forward to seeing every Saturday.
May 7, 2006 | Reply
He'll be cracking.
I AM NOT A NUMBER! I AM A FREE MAN!
Sorry, don't know what came over me.
WHO IS NUMBER ONE?
I think I need a lie-down.