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Friday 28 December 2012

The Therapy Zone

    Interesting are the props requested for the episode ‘Dance of the Dead’ which included "Three breakfast trays; coffee; cups; etc. Silverware, village scroll for Town Crier, old fashioned hand bell, transistor radio - no named markings {this radio is wet from the body in the sea}. Tubs of village ice cream wrapped in polythene bags, flags of all nationalities. Soggy plain lifebelt and rope, clipboard, stopwatch, pen, pipe, soggy wet tobacco pouch. Billfold type of wallet containing photograph of the dead young man and pretty girl. Paper, invitation cards for carnival. Black surgical bag and walking stick for Jack the Ripper. Dummy body to float in sea, cafe dressing, paintbrushes, paint, shovels, spades."

No.7's It Doesn't Really Mean Anything!
    Some episodes such as ‘Arrival,’ ‘The Chimes of Big Ben,’ ‘Hammer Into Anvil’ are logical stories which people accept at face value. However, others, like ‘Free For All,’ ‘Dance of the Dead,’ and ‘Fall Out’ are subject to bewilderment. We are told we cannot view them on the surface, that we must go deeper. I find it astonishing that this is accepted as the truth with which no-one seems to argue!

    ‘Living In Harmon’ - there is no standard title sequence in this episode, but a parody in the style of the western story {although the 1984 Channel 4 screening of the Prisoner the standard opening sequence had been inserted into the episode, possibly by someone who did not know the series at all, and thought that with Living In Harmony the standard opening sequence had been left out}. Five sequences hit censorship problems when the episode was originally screened and was either deleted or edited prior to transmission, a hanging, a fight with Zeke, the Prisoner being dragged back to Harmony and a pair of sequences where Cathy is attacked. The episode marks the only credited appearance of Frank Maher {as third gunman}.
    The Harmony Township was a Borehamwood backlot, redressed and re-used several times in the series. It has been claimed that the episode was because it promotes mind-altering drugs! Well what about the previous 15 episodes, do they not also promote mind altering drugs, and many other forms of dug? Actor Alexis Kanner said that in his role as the Kid, he was faster on the draw than McGoohan during the end gunfight. The episode does not give the audience any confirmation that this is a Prisoner episode. It is not until the very end that the familiar scene returns.

I’ll be seeing you

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