““The Prisoner” was not an ABC, NBC, CBS - network TV broadcast show”
I hate to date myself...but my recollection is that The Prisoner was
originally broadcast on CBS as a “summer replacement”, at least in
my hometown in Oklahoma.
Sadly, about the only Internet evidence I can find is about CBS declining
to broadcast one episode (due to drug-use issues). (URL and excerpt below)
And I will say that the first time I saw The Prisoner, years after the
original run, was on a PBS station.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prisoner
“The network, CBS, stated that their refusal was due to the episode’s
depiction of drug abuse, which many fans claimed was also seen in
other episodes.”
Interesting. I think I looked at the Wikipedia site already but didn’t follow all the links. Thanks.