By Hook or By Crook....

I just discovered that there's a new version of The Prisoner airing this November.



I don't share many people's Pavlovian revulsion to remakes. It's possible to remake something and have it come out well, though opinions vary widely on what makes a remake "good".
My concern on this lies elsewhere.
I think Ian McKellan is a brilliant choice for Number Two. However, it wouldn't matter who they cast as Number Six. A big part of the original series' fire came from the subtle, witty, seething performance of Patrick McGoohan.
George Lucas' original choice for the role of Palpatine/Emperor in the Star Wars films (he reportedly turned Lucas down), McGoohan always made canny choices in his career and his performances.
Sadly, we lost him earlier this year.
He also played one of my favorite characters from childhood: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh, another lifelong obsession!