2 iconic TV actors — Ricardo Montalban and Patrick McGoohan — have died.

Montalban died this morning. McGoohan died yesterday. Montalban presided over Fantasy Island, "where visitors fulfilled their lifelong dreams," and McGoohan was The Prisoner in "a small enclave known only as The Village, where a mysterious authority named Number One constantly prevents his escape."

So, dreams and nightmares. Escaping to and escaping from. "Fantasy Island" aired from 1978 to 1984, and "The Prisoner" was a product of the 1960s. "Fantasy Island" was American, and "The Prisoner" was British.

How interesting that the synchronous deaths of these 2 men — Montalban, 88, and McGoohan, 80 — stir contemplation of the similarities and differences between 2 old television shows.