Free For All

In this episode, Chris Bainbridge and Cai Ross dive deep into the original press and public reactions to The Prisoner when it first aired in 1967. Lauded by some as visionary and condemned by others as baffling, Patrick McGoohan’s enigmatic series sparked one of the most divided responses in British television history. Chris and Cai explore contemporary newspaper reviews, viewer letters, and broadcast commentary to uncover how audiences really felt about the show’s surreal storytelling, political undertones, and groundbreaking style. Was The Prisoner celebrated as a work of genius, dismissed as nonsense, or something in between? Join us as we step back into the social and cultural climate of the late 1960s to understand why this strange, defiant series confused, captivated, and ultimately transformed its viewers. The only Prisoner podcast produced in north Wales, home of the Village itself, Portmeirion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode of Free For All, Cai Ross and Chris Bainbridge are once again joined by Wandering Planet's own Gavin Hignight and Chris "Doc" Wyatt to discuss the recently released Wave Two Prisoner action figures with exclusive news on the upcoming Wave Three! Not only that but Gavin and Chris spill the beans about the new Ultimate Edition 6 inch figures (1/12 scale) coming very soon. The only Prisoner podcast produced in north Wales, home of the Village itself, Portmeirion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this second special live episode, Chris and Cai trade the studio for the beautiful north Wales village of Portmeirion—the iconic filming location of The Prisoner, to record straight from Six of One's PortmeiriCon! Joining Chris and Cai is editor and PortmeiriCon host Cyril Martin, who takes us through his work restoring the Prisoner episodes to the original shooting scripts with some interesting results. Recorded on Sunday 13th April 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this very special live episode, Chris and Cai trade the studio for the beautiful north Wales village of Portmeirion—the iconic filming location of The Prisoner, to record straight from Six of One's PortmeiriCon! Surrounded by die-hard fans, eccentric architecture, and plenty of Number Six lookalikes, our hosts dive deep into the lasting legacy of the cult classic series. Joining Chris and Cai is Six of One founder member Dave Barrie, who reminisces about the first ever Portmeiricon back in 1977 as well as his new book - The Prisoner - What's It All About? Recorded on Sunday 13th April 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Prisoner. 1967. A Village where everyone is watched—and no one is free. But what happens when we look at it through the lens of AI?

In Free For All, we dive deep into The Prisoner, the groundbreaking cult TV series starring Patrick McGoohan, and explore how its themes of surveillance, identity, and autonomy eerily anticipate our modern world of artificial intelligence. Each episode unpacks how this psychedelic, philosophical spy thriller foreshadowed algorithmic control, predictive behavior, and machine-driven governance—decades before Silicon Valley even existed. As ever, minutiae will be scrutinised and tangents will be explored with discussion, interpretation, trivia and humour. The only Prisoner podcast produced in north Wales, home of the Village itself, Portmeirion.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.