The grandfather of mystery box shows combines the best elements of both J.J. Abrams’ Lost and Ben Stiller’s Severance in a 17-part masterpiece. Lost and Severance are often considered two of the best mystery box shows ever made, and for good reason. Both shows have mysterious premises that keep viewers guessing with each new episode, both have inspired cult followings of viewers, and both are prime examples of the mystery box genre, even with Lost‘s divisive ending.
Severance and Lost really have everything viewers could want out of a mystery box show. Severance‘s Lumon corporation has shadowy plans and intentions, the purpose of the Severed floor is entirely unknown, and each episode manages to reveal just enough about the whole thing to keep viewers engaged without giving it all away. Lost does much of the same with its mysterious island, time travel, and more, and it’s also a good example of how the mystery box genre often produces finales that leave fans underwhelmed.
While Severance and Lost are two of the best examples of the mystery box genre, they’re not the first examples of the genre. Lost did bring the genre into massive popularity when it premiered in 2004, and it injected heavy science fiction elements into the genre, but it had a predecessor. Before Lost, and even before Twin Peaks in 1990, all the way back in 1967: Patrick McGoohan’s 17-episode show The Prisoner started the mystery box genre.
The Prisoner Essentially Invented The Mystery Box TV Show
The Prisoner was essentially the advent of the very concept of the mystery box television show. The Prisoner follows a former secret agent known only as Number Six who is drugged and transported to a mysterious village known only as The Village. Across its 17 episodes, The Prisoner follows Six as he tries to find a way to escape, figure out who has captured him, and ascertain why his captors want to know why he resigned from his spy job.
The Prisoner‘s mysterious synopsis makes it clear that it’s a mystery box show, but it also pioneered a lot of trends of the genre. The entire show’s plot is one big allegory about the global political climate of the 1960s and the tension between individualism and collectivism. Since it’s allegorical, the show is also deeply metaphorical, with everything from the village to its residents to the large white balloon keeping everyone in line, Rover, hiding a deeper meaning.
Every episode of The Prisoner dived deeper into its allegory and metaphor even as Six discovered more about The Village and its inhabitants. By the end of the series, The Prisoner had gotten viewers so invested in finding the same answers Six was looking for that people sent angry letters to Patrick McGoohan, forcing him to “go into hiding,” (via NPR). The Prisoner got viewers hooked on a surreal and otherworldly mystery, just as shows like Lost and Severance would do decades later.
There Are Elements Of Both Lost And Severance In The Prisoner
As the first mystery box show ever, The Prisoner also went on to directly and indirectly inspire both Lost and Severance. Like Number Six, who cannot remember how he got to The Village or who his captors are, both Lost and Severance put their respective casts in mysterious islands and office complexes and hint at the idea of higher powers without ever fully revealing them. The survivors and the severed workers are trying to find the truth behind their apparent imprisonment, just as Six was in 1967.
Additionally, Lost and Severance are just as allegorical as The Prisoner was, albeit in different ways. While The Prisoner was a surreal commentary on growing political disillusionment and collectivism, Lost was a character study of good and evil and the afterlife, while Severance has some pointed remarks to make about modern corporate culture and capitalism, work-life balance, and identity itself. Meaning and metaphor drip from every element of each of these shows, from lines of dialog to background decoration.
Most importantly, all three of these shows have had similar effects on their audiences. As previously mentioned, The Prisoner inspired both angry fan letters and a cult following. Lost‘s finale is still a touchy subject to this day, 16 years later, and Severance still sparks debate about Gemma and Helly even though it’s been on hiatus for over a year. These shows encourage fan engagement, theories, discussions, and more. Lost and Severance never would have been the rabbit holes of fan culture that they are if The Prisoner hadn’t paved the way for them.
- Release Date
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1967 – 1968-00-00
- Network
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ITV1
- Directors
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Don Chaffey, Pat Jackson, Peter Graham Scott
- Writers
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George Markstein, Anthony Skene, Terence Feely, Vincent Tilsley, Ian Rakoff
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Arthur Gross
Control Room Operator
