The main letdown with this three-disc set is its altogether uninspiring selection of bonus materials. The main bright spot is in the deleted scenes that accompany each episode. Most are rather interesting inclusions and shed further light on the characters' actions or extend scenes that breezed by in the final cut. There are two utterly dull commentary tracks on the first and last episodes, where the producer and editor either state the obvious or lapse into uncomfortable silence. "Beautiful Prison: The World Of The Prisoner" (16:32) is a more standard behind-the scenes look at producing the series. "A 6-hour Film Shot In 92 Days" (15:25) is a pseudo-diary of production in Namibia and South Africa. "The Prisoner Comic-Con Panel" (11:24) is a surprisingly dull and uninformative panel discussion. "The Man Behind 2" (4:54) is the other bright spot of the bonus items, with the young co-star Jamie Campbell Bower interviewing a relaxed and talkative Sir Ian McKellen.
Hopefully people will not view this new mini-series as intending to be a substitute or replacement for the original series. The original has become a cult favorite for good reason; it was years ahead of its time in terms of intriguing storytelling and use of technology, plus it was just an enthralling set of episodes. This new version feels a bit more "typical" in its modern-day constructs, but it's thoroughly enjoyable, offering an efficiently paced mystery series, superb acting, and excellent production. It's a very suitable and entertaining successor to the original. A very recommended series (both of them).
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