This week on Very British Futures, Gareth Preston gathers a trio of passionate creatives to revisit the enigmatic world of The Prisoner — a series that reshaped British sci-fi and still sparks fierce conversation today.

The Prisoner is one of the most distinctive and influential TV series to emerge from the Sixties. A surreal, allegorical blend of spy-fi, psychological drama, and contemporary satire that has frustrated and fascinated viewers for decades. At its core is Number Six, played by creator-star Patrick McGoohan, an impressive intelligence agent abducted after resigning and imprisoned in the Village, a picturesque yet sinister coastal settlement where everyone is known only by a number. Ruled by ruthless, seemingly omnipotent authority, but Number Six is determined to escape.

Joining Gareth is David Barrie, writer and co-founder of Six of One, the officially recognised fan club for The Prisoner, who has recently published The Prisoner: What’s It All About? Alongside him sits Cev Moore, the ever-insightful voice behind Film Guff and The House of Hammer pod-casts, bringing a fan’s enthusiasm and a critic’s eye. Completing the panel is Will Hadcroft, author of thoughtful speculative fiction, music artist and long-time admirer of Patrick MacGoohan’s pas-sion project.

Each guest selects a favourite episode, revealing what drew them in — the atmosphere, the allegory, the audacity — and why Number Six’s struggle remains so compelling. Expect humour, nostalgia, and sharp analysis as they celebrate one of TV’s most unforgettable creations.

Under discussion:

A Change of Mind

Living in Harmony

Fall Out

Hosted and produced by Gareth Preston with guests David Barrie, Will Hadcroft & Cev Moore.

Music by Chatri Art

Artwork by Ken Moss

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Find out more about The Prisoner - What's It All About by David Barrie

Listen to Cev Moore on House of Hammer podcast.

Discover Will Hadcroft's music project Principle Character.

More information about Six of One.

Time Riders took one of science fiction’s oldest questions — what if you could travel through time? — and wrapped it in a distinctly British television sensibility. It mixed adventure with education, history with fantasy, and that uniquely early-nineties atmosphere where earnestness and oddness often went hand in hand.

Welcome to Very British Futures, the podcast where we digthrough Britain’s small screen visions of tomorrow. In thisinstallment we’re heading back to 1991, to a curious and largely forgotten corner of children’s television: Time Riders.Produced by Thames Television for ITV, it arrived at a moment when British-made telefantasy was largely being carried by children’s drama. And with the absence of Doctor Who, maybe there was room for a new temporal adventurer – Dr B B Miller? Played by Hadyn Gwynne, with TV newcomer Kenneth Hall as her young sidekick. Although this series was inspired more by Back to the Future than the old time lord.

Written by Jim Eldridge, and directed by Michael Winterbottom, years before he became an award-winning filmmaker.

But nearly thirty-five years later, Time Riders has become one of those intriguing television artefacts that sits justoutside the mainstream memory. For those who watched it, there are flashes of recognition — themes, moments, perhaps a particular feeling — while for others it’s almost vanished entirely into the fog of children’s television history.

So what exactly was Time Riders? How was it made? Whatwas it trying to do? And what does it tell us about the futuresBritish television was imagining at the beginning of the 1990s?

Joining me to explore all of that are three exciting guests:Rebecca Wray and Kevin Hiley from I Don’t Do SciFi podcastand brand new voice Tina Jones.

So set your coordinates, rev your Yamaha motorbike, and join us as we travel back to Time Riders — and to a very particularvision of Britain’s future, from the recent past.

Produced and hosted by Gareth Preston, with guests Kevin Hiley, Rebecca Wray and Tina Jones.

Music by Chatri Art

Artwork by Ken Moss

A Phantom Frame Production

I Don't Do SciFi - https://open.spotify.com/show/6vPllHxYmotp85gcFFxmJd

Jim Eldridge Home Page - https://www.jimeldridge.com/

Gareth Preston's blog - https://garethpreston.blog/

Ready to take a trip to Tracy Island? In the latest episode of Very British Futures, host Gareth Preston is firing up the atomic engines for a deep dive into the 1960s puppet masterpiece: Thunderbirds.

To help navigate the high-stakes world of International Rescue, Gareth is joined by a powerhouse trio of guests from the Official Talking Pictures TV podcast: Mel Byron, Scott Phipps, and Daniel Reifferscheid.

The gang isn't just looking at the flashy vehicles (though, let’sbe honest, we all want to pilot Thunderbird 2). They’re gettinginto the nuts and bolts of what made Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s vision so enduring. Concentrating on three varied episodes: “Trapped in the Sky”, “Attack of Alligators”, and “Alias Mr Hackenbacker”. Since TPTV is the spiritual home of vintage telly, the guests bring their expert perspective on why Thunderbirds still looks "F.A.B." on modern screens.

Includes Dinky Toys, Busted and the most popular Blue Peter make ever.

It’s a warm, witty, and wonderfully nostalgic conversation.Whether you’re a lifelong fan who knows their Thunderbird 4 from their Thunderbird 5, or you just have a soft spot for Parker’s "Yus, M'Lady," this episode is a lovely tribute to acultural touchstone of British television.

Useful links

Very British Futures on Xhttps://x.com/FuturesVery

The home of Gerry Anderson shows https://gerryanderson.com/

The Official Talking Pictures TV podcasthttps://talkingpicturestvpodcast.libsyn.com/

More on Gilly’s Antiqueshttps://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/25842588.boltons-gillys-antiques-full-thousands-treasures/

Gilly’s Antiques on Ebayhttps://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/gillysantiques

Mel Byron’s home page https://www.melbyron.co.uk/