Glowing reviews are already coming in for Big Finish’s The Prisoner Volume Three, released today. This third (and quite possibly final) series of four hour-long episodes stars Mark Elstob (Number Six), Lucy Briggs-Owen (Kate Butterworth), Jim Barclay (Control), Genevieve Gaunt (Number 43), Alicia Ambrose-Bayly (Number 999) and Lorelei King (Number Two). 

I’ve been fighting for so long. That’s all I’ve become. The fight itself. The fight for freedom. And if that fight is over. Who am I? What’s left of me?  

The Prisoner Volume Three is now available as a collector’s edition box set or via download from £19.99 at the Big Finish website. 

With an ending very different from the original TV series, the box set has already been well-received. Writer and director, Nicholas Briggs said: “It’s been absolutely lovely and such a relief that people like what we’ve done. I knew I was entering controversial territory so there was a big danger that our version would be seen as terrible, sacrilege, or at the very least an irritating irrelevance. So many people have been really generous and encouraging." 

Here are some extracts from the pre-release reviews. The first is written by Rick Davy of The Unmutual, a news website dedicated to The Prisoner:  

In terms of audio drama, there are few greater visionary talents in the medium than writer, director, and executive producer Nicholas Briggs, and he has delivered his strongest set of episodes yet. Big Finish’s Series 3 of The Prisoner is the zenith of its output, a triumph of nerve-tingling tension and storytelling with some truly frightening and foretelling moments which rank at the very top of the franchise's peak.

The second is written by Debs McDougall from Six of One, The Prisoner Appreciation Society:  

The writing is nothing short of a masterpiece and the voice actors are all amazing, none more so than Mark Elstob as Number Six.  Some of the episodes were recorded out of order just like in the original TV series, the voice actors doing a marvellous job of working out where they were in the plot! The ending is not what I expected and is cleverly written to leave a door open, once again, just as in the original series and maybe as controversial? Nick Briggs has very cleverly kept the essence of The Prisoner alive.  A must for all Prisoner appreciators.

The Prisoner Volume Three contains four new stories: 

Free For All 

Time for an election in the Village. The regime seems to want Six to stand as a candidate to be Number Two. But when Two’s manifesto seems to be based on the notion of freedom, what platform will Six decide to stand upon? And can there ever be freedom in the Village? 

The Girl Who Was Death 

Six finds himself free again, back in London. But how did he get here? An explosion rocks the city and Six must work out who he can trust. Will it be Control, Danvers, Number 43, Kate, Number Two or Potter? 

The Seltzman Connection 

Potter and ZM-73 think that if they go back to the beginning of it all, they’ll be able to solve the mystery of the Village. But can Professor Jacob Seltzman really provide all the answers? 

No One Will Know 

From London, to Kandersfeld to the Village… will an end to it all ever be possible? 

The Prisoner Volume Three is available now as a collector’s edition box set at £24.99 or on download from the Big Finish website at £19.99. You can also save money with a bundle and get Volumes One-Three on download together for just £75. 

If you’re completely new to the world of The Prisoner, you can try episode one, Departure and Arrival, from Volume One of The Prisoner for free. Be seeing you...