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12 July 2009
McGoohan, would Have made an great James Bond
3 of 3 found this helpful In the 1960's the highest paid actor on British TV was Patrick McGoohan. Ironically despite what some people think McGoohan is American. His family came from Ireland to the U.S. where he was born. They later moved to England where he was schooled. It is equally ironic that agent John Drake was not always British.
The British tv series "Danger Man" exists in two versions with agent John Drake. First there was the half hour version (this set) which, contrary to Amazon's reviewer , was briefly shown in the U.S.Then there is the one hour version which was widely shown in the U.S. under the title "Secret Agent". But a change occured. In the half hour version John Drake is an American agent working for NATO although at times the NATO connection is fuzzy.McGoohan throughout the half hour series cuts back on the British accent.When the hour "Danger Man"/"Secret Agent" appeared Drake was now British and his accent given free reign.
What matters though is the quality of the shows. After 40 years they are still superb. Great scripts and actors with crisp no nonsense direction. McGoohan's Drake is equally no nonsense and he created one of television's most unforgettable characters. Fans of McGoohan's last tv series "The Prisoner" will find a few shocks here. Peter Swanwick, the Village's security controller, pops up in a few episodes as do several future Number 2's. The biggest shock though will come in the very first episode of this present series. Drake is in Rome tracking down a missing person . His only clue is a painting of an Italian village that he finds out is a real place. He goes there and it looks Italian. It is not though. It is Portmeirion in Wales, the resort village that would become The Village of "The Prisoner" ! So Patrick McGoohan's British TV career would span some 7 years and begin and end in the same place, Portmeirion, The Village.