TCA Day Two: Is there something queer about "The Prisoner"?

Jim Caviezel and Ian McKellen (Getty Images: Frederick M. Brown)

Is there something rather queer about the AMC remake of the 1960's hit The Prisoner?

Find out after the jump!

Yesterday's panel at the Television Critics Association tour in Los Angeles certainly gave me reason to think so. And as you know, we're always looking for the queer in TV. No, I'm not referring to the presence of Sir Ian McKellen as Two who is insisting that Six, played by Jim Caviezel, stay in the remote creepy village that provides the setting for The Prisoner.

I'm referring to what the show's director Nick Hurran and producer Trevor Hopkins told me after the panel when I asked if the show was going to include any gay content (my standard question at every TCA panel). After exchanging glances, Hurran and Hopkins said AfterElton.com readers would definitely want to watch the show.

When pressed for more specifics, the two clammed up only saying the show would include a very interesting exploration of sexuality and I got the sense they weren't talking about a minor character.

Color me intrigued!

So who could Hurran and Hopkins have been referring to? Obviously there is McKellen and Caviezel. The rest of the main cast includes Lennie James as 147, Jamie Campbell-Bower as 11-12, Ruth Wilson as 13, and Hayley Atwell as 4-15.

Lennie James, Ruth Wilson, Jim Caviezel

It's possible Hurran and Hopkins referred to one (or both) of the show's female characters, but I made it pretty darn clear I was asking about gay men so I'm pretty sure that is who they were referring to, but no matter how hard I pressed I couldn't get anymore out of them. 

If they aren't referring to either of the women or overstating what the show is going to do with the topic, I think this could be as interesting and novel as potentially is NBC's Kings since neither of these shows are where we typically find gay characters. Or perhaps there will turn out to be a bitchy gay assistant working in the village's headquarters. Wouldn't that just figure. 

The only downside is that The Prisoner doesn't debut until November. I guess we'll just have to settle for the gay characters on Mad Men to tide us over until then!

Well, maybe not entirely: Contributor Lyle Masaki pointed out that AMC is now streaming all of the original The Prisoner episodes from 1967 on their website, so grab your pickaxe and night goggles and start digging for some vintage HoYay!