Shown as a summer-replacement series in 1967, only 17 episodes of The Prisoner were ever made, but creator and star Patrick McGoohan packed each show with the perfect blend of fast-paced action and high-concept ideas. McGoohan played "Number 6," a disaffected secret agent held captive in a mysterious resort known only as "The Village," where everyone was referred to only by their number. Needless to say, escape was impossible. The Prisoner has a mod, late-'60s feel to it, and is the perfect tonic for those tired of the far more shallow James Bond.

Jon Brooks