In 1967, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were in. During this time, one of the greatest cult television shows was spawned: The Prisoner, a weekly, hour-long show with 17 episodes, starring Patrick McGoohan. Now it is possible to rent these from video stores.

In it, McGoohan works for a secret agency, probably controlled by the British government (you never really find out). He resigns his position to go on vacation, but "someone" thinks otherwise, for upon reaching his house, he is gassed and faints. When he awakens, he finds himself in "The Village," a self-contained place much like a Swiss resort, where all the citizens possess numbers, not names, and he can't be sure who he can trust. His number is 6, and he is relentlessly attacked for information. "Why did you resign?" is their constant question. Number 6 is a metaphor for the true individual, the person who will strive to be different.

The Prisoner may have been made in the '60's, but its ideas don't seem outdated. Have an hour to spare? Rent the first episode, and see if you're not transfixed.