Before the castaways of "Lost," there was Number 6, the designation given to a government agent who made the mistake of attempting to leave his job.

For that, he was abducted and taken to what appeared to be heaven, a gorgeous hamlet — was it in England? Spain? — where he was asked enigmatic questions by an ever-changing parade of interrogators and lived with other numbered people, most of whom, having revealed whatever secrets they once possessed, were perfectly happy.

Number 6, however, had but one goal: escape.

If any of that sounds familiar, it can only be because you have somewhere encountered "The Prisoner," a British TV series conceived by (at least, according to him) and starring Patrick McGoohan. There were but 17 episodes of the show. Sixteen of them aired in the United States as a summer replacement series in 1968, and hardly anyone watched.

But the shows would spawn a cult whose members parsed and dissected every scene and line in an effort to define "the meaning" of the Franz Kafka-inspired drama, which McGoohan would later say was probably a "fool's errand" because there was no solution.

There is, however, a definitive study tool, in the form of a TV box set that belongs in any core collection. It's "The Prisoner — Complete Series Megaset: 40th Anniversary Edition" (A&E).

And this, one presumes, is the final word on the subject.

It contains digitally restored versions of all the shows (including the second-season's "Living in Harmony," originally not aired by NBC because of either its psychedelic drug references or its antiwar theme, depending on whom you believe) and a restored alternate version of "Chimes of Big Ben" that has some additional scenes.

On disc, "The Prisoner Video Companion" digs deeper into the mythology of the series and addresses many of the more burning questions. But be warned: There are only assumptions and theories, no answers.

DAVE CHAPPELLE

Another series to achieve legendary status, albeit for different reasons, is "Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episodes (Uncensored)" (Paramount).

Aired recently in three installments, this collects the sketches that were completed, or nearly completed, for broadcast during the expected third series of the hit Comedy Central series.

Chappelle walked away from the show for cloudy reasons; these episodes were stitched together by his former co-writer and producer.