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Monday 31 August 2015

Caught On Camera!


   How is it that Number 240 gets her own control panel and telephone, while at the same time gets to use the Control Room’s main wall screen? This when other Observers have to sit for hours at a time looking at small monitor screens? Perhaps this is one of the perks of the job, Number 240 being The Village’s best Observer, watching Number 6, being their prize prisoner!

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The Mini-Moke That Died of Shame!


    When I think of HLT709C I cannot help but be reminded of the 1955 film ‘The Boat That Died of Shame,’ starring George Baker, Richard Attenborough, and Bill Owen. The film revolves around the WWII exploits of British Royal Navy Motor Gun Boat 1087 and her crew, surviving anything the enemy can throw at them. At the end of the war, George Hoskins played by Richard Attenborough, convinces the Motor boat’s former Captain Bill Randall, played by George Baker, to buy their beloved boat in order to use her for some harmless, minor smuggling of black market goods, such as wine from France. However they find themselves transporting ever more sinister cargoes such as weapons, and counterfeit money. Although Motor Gun Boat 1087 has always been completely reliable, and never once let the crew down during the war, now frequently breaks down, as if 1087 is ashamed of her current use. Finally the crew rebel when they are used to transport a child murderer.
   We do not know how Mini-Moke HLT 709C was taken from MGM studios after the completion of the production of ‘the Prisoner.’ Most probably she taken by a member of the series production crew. What happened to the Mini-Moke after that is a complete mystery, as all of the vehicles history has been lost. Save for the fact that HLT 709C appeared in ‘the Prisoner’ episode ‘Living In Harmony.’ However at some point HLT 709C was taken by someone, possibly being used as a run-about by a possible proud owner. Then later during her life the Mini-Moke was taken onto the European continent. What happened then, and why HLT 709C was not brought back to England is again unknown, or how many hands she subsequently passed through. However eventually the Mini-Moke found herself in the Netherlands, and somehow came into the ownership of a farmer, and put to work on a farm. It may be supposed that HLT709C was used as a farm truck, transporting bails of hay, animal food, possibly buckets of pig swill, such is menial work HLT 709C would have been reduced to, for a once proud Mini-Moke who found fame working on a television series. The work would be hard, working in the dirt day in day out, and in all weathers. Unloved, and uncared for, just as long as the Mini-Moke kept running the farmer only keeping the fuel tank full, the engine topped up with oil, the radiator with water. So with each passing day, the Mini-Moke losing more and more of her dignity and self esteem. And home? Home for HLT709C would be a barn, possibly an open Dutch barn, meaning the Mini-Moke might have been open to all weathers. Her paint work left unwashed and unpolished. The wood panelling rotting away, if not ripped out altogether, as well as the two back seats in order to make room for the transportation of hay bails, the buckets of pig swill, and bags of animal feed. At one point HTL 709C suffered a flat tyre, the spare was then fitted, and the original simply discarded as was the plastic cover for the spare wheel, never repaired and so never replaced. Her plastic candy coloured canopy, although growing more grimy and faded by the passing years afforded the interior of HLT 709C some little protection. But not so the matching seat covers, as these had become worn with age and use, and so removed and simply discarded without thought. And The Village canopied Penny Farthing insignia on her bonnet, growing more and more faded as the weeks turn into months, the months into years, and the years into decades. Until one day HLT709C finally gives up the ghost. Possibly her engine having seized up, the Mini-Moke was put at the back of the barn, left there forgotten and uncared for, and unappreciated until July 2011 when she was discovered in a dishevelled state, but largely intact by two brothers. Now that HLT 709C has been sold for well above its valuation, hopefully to a wealthy enthusiast of ‘the Prisoner,’ the Mini Moke can be finally go through a physical restoration period, restoring her to her once former glory. And emotionally returning pride to Mini-Moke HTL709C.

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Checkmate

    ‘Checkmate’ is a rather clever title for an episode, in which there are at least four clear meanings. The obvious one is the game of chess, and the human chess match which takes place. The first recorded game of human chess took place in Marostica in Italy in 1454.
    The white Queen is hypnotised into believing that she is in love with Number 6, and he with her. In fact, her emotions are being programmed into the alarm system, and so through this would be mate, Number 2 and his administration are able to keep a check on Number 6.
    As the storyline progresses, Number 6 discovers who the prisoners and who the warders. In other words he checks who are his mates and who are not!
    On a deeper level Number 6 plays a clever game with Number 2, which ends in a “fools mate” win for Number 2!

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Sunday 30 August 2015

The Prisoner Mini Moke - HLT 709C
















   The Prisoner Mini-Moke HLT 709C was sold at auction yesterday by CCA {Classic Car Auctions} the sale price has not yet been disclosed

http://www.classiccarauctions.co.uk/1965-morris-mini-moke

   It can only be hoped that the Mini-Moke has been purchased by an enthusiast for 'the Prisoner,' and that HLT 709C will eventually be fully restored to its former glory.

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The Chimes of Big Ben!

   We know that as the chimes of Big Ben struck eight that Number 6’s wristwatch said eight. The only trouble is that wristwatch had been given to Number 6 by a man in Poland. Number 6 wanted it  particularly to check the time, to make sure the trip tallied with the journey to London. Strange then how a man in Poland came to have a watch showing English time when there’s one hours difference! The Colonel suggested that perhaps he was slow, well someone certainly was! But it was rather clever, the way they made the eight o’clock chimes of Big Ben coincide exactly with the time of Number 6’s wristwatch! Mind you the result may well have been exactly the same had Number 6 been wearing his own wristwatch. After all that would have been set at the same time as Karel’s seeing as they both came from The Village. And one final observation, seeing as the wristwatch given to him showed English time, that should have given Number 6 a small clue as to the location of The Village. That it’s in the same time-zone as Great Britain!

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Exhibition of Arts And Crafts

                              “Be Seeing You!”


BSEENU

Caught On Camera!


   It was once interpreted that after ZM73 drives the Lotus Seven on the A20 with Potter in close pursuit, that the man seen in the picture mysteriously appears from behind the A20 road sign. The man doesn’t do anything of the kind. He’s just an innocent member of the public who probably doesn’t even know he’s been caught on camera during the location filming for a scene in ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling.’
   What the man is doing is stretching his legs whilst walking along the grass verge. Anyone who has driven on a long journey will know that from time to time a driver will stop for refreshment. If you look deeper into the picture, and to the right, there is a lay-by, and parked in that lay-by appears to be a mobile food stall. The man having had something to eat and a cup of tea, simply went for a walk to stretch his legs and possibly to find a secluded spot in order to relieve himself of said cup of tea before re-commencing his journey.

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The Girl Who Was Death

    In ‘the Prisoner’ Number 6 is the main protagonist, and everything in the drama revolves around him, because ‘the Prisoner’ is about all about Number 6. And to no lesser a degree than as Mister X in the episode ‘The Girl Who Was Death.’
   He set himself up as the hero, and his deadly enemy The Girl who would love him to death if given the chance! But what exactly did Number 2 expect to gain from Number 6 telling three children a fairytale? He did expect Number 6 to at least drop his guard with children, but that still doesn’t explain what it was he hoped to hear Number 6 tell the children. Yes the idea was to set Number 6 up as a child minder, and all children like to be told a story at bed time. But Number 2 couldn’t have known what format Number 6’s story would take, what story he would tell. It could have been Goldilocks and the three bears for all Number 2 knew. So was it simply a case of wait and see in the hope that Number 6 would reveal something about himself to the children which he wouldn’t reveal to adults? And yet he did, he revealed a part of his former life, not only to those three children, but to everyone who was watching, the kind of work he carried out during his previous employment while working for British Military Intelligence, or depending on how you look at it, Lew Grade and ITC Entertainment!
    As it is Number 6 told his fairytale to the three children without duress, or the influence of any form of drug. In fact as he spun his yarn Number 6 was in complete control. He knew what he was doing, who was watching and listening, so was he just clowning around with them, or is there more to it than that? He did look into the camera and say “Goodnight Children…everywhere.” Which gives the indication that it wasn’t only Number 2 and Number 10 he was treating as children, but also the television viewer in general! 

“Well Number Two, it was worth a try!”
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Saturday 29 August 2015

Living In Harmony

    Living in Harmony has a simple meaning, being a town in the American Wild West in the 1800’s. Then again there’s the living in harmony of being in harmony with the community as a whole. Number 6 was never that! And on a more deeper-level living in harmony with ones self, being at ease with ones conscience.

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Bureau of Visual Records


    Kosho, is that one of the hazardous sports Number 6 talks about in one of his electoral speeches in ‘Free For All? It looks pretty hazardous, no wonder the two opponents are wearing crash helmets!
    I did read somewhere that originally in ‘Hammer Into Anvil’ when Number 14 threw out the challenge of Kosho to Number 6, it was to have been Judo. However Kosho is visually more pleasing on the eye, and there is a good more action to it.
   Number 6 had Number 14 at his mercy. When I first watched ‘Hammer Into Anvil’ way back in 1967, I was waiting for him to dunk 14 into the tank of water. But he didn’t. Instead when two other Kosho athletes appear Number 6 pulls 14 up. I have never understood why he did that. Unless the other two men are Guardians, but even so, Kosho is a sport, and to the victor the spoils, in this case the joy of giving Number 14 a right good dunking!
   It’s inexplicable that the greater percentage of Kosho appears in ‘It’s Your Funeral’ rather than ‘Hammer Into Anvil.’ One could say that the filming of Kosho was for ‘It’s Your Funeral,’ that what is seen in ‘Hammer Into Anvil’ is stock film footage, or unused film from ‘It’s Your Funeral.’ And that could be right, except……except that in a number of close ups Basil Hoskins can be seen as Number 6’s opponent. Basil Hoskins wasn’t in ‘It’s Your Funeral,’ well except for during the Kosho sequence!

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Second Only To 2!

    How effective is any assistant to Number 2? If the maid Number 66 is anything to go by {for it maybe supposed that the maid-Number 66 might be classified as such} seeing as she attempted to gain information from the Prisoner failed, not effective at all! It’s unknown whether or not Number 9 is a direct assistant to Number 2, however it is he who assigns her to Number 6. And she did carry out her assignment, although it was hardly surprising really when all she had to do was spin him a tale, then hand him the Electro Pass.
    During ‘The Chimes of Big Ben’ Number 2 started out with an assistant, whose only contribution was to suggest that there are methods they haven’t used yet. After that Number 11 is reduced to carrying out duties in the Control Room, perhaps as assistant to the Supervisor-Number 26. However there is little enough for this more than capable Number 2 to warrant any kind of assistant. Although it could be argued that Number 8 comes within the realm of such a classification.

   The doctor-Number 14 assists Number 2 in an experiment to not only get into Number 6’s dreams, but to manipulate them, in an attempt to extract the reason behind the Prisoner’s resignation. Although describing Number 14 as an assistant to Number 2, if it were not for her having developed a new drug, there would not be the means of such an opportunity as in ‘A B and C.’ However the doctor and her drug are only effective up to a point, up to the moment Number 6 opens his eyes and sees her in fact. This combined with her having not informed Number 2 of what had happened, sows the seeds of his eventual downfall, and perhaps her own. Because Number 14 seemed pleased by Number 6’s success against Number 2!
   It is unknown whether or not every Number 2 has an assistant assigned to him or her, but during the election if Number 2 has any such assistant it surely has to be Number 58, assigned to Number 6 as his personal driver, she is perfectly placed to keep close tabs on Number 6. After all it is 58 who drives Number 6 to the cave known as the Therapy Zone. Where Number 6 is given a dose of a drug to carry him right through the election.
    It can be argued that The Schizoid Man is an assistant to Number 2, as Number 6 is assigned to impersonate himself! Although it’s clearly Curtis who has been seconded to The Village, in order to assist Number 2 with the problem of Number 6.
    Certainly it is clear that Number 2 has been helped by a number of people who have assisted him in his machinations against Number 6. However in ‘The General’ there is Number 12 of administration who as an assistant to Number 2, aids him during the educational experiment of Speedlearn. And for the first time there is no direct involvement with Number 6, at least not until Number 6 involves himself having heard the Professor’s message on the tape recorder. Number 12 was an activist in The Village, who died a terrible death in either attempting to save the Professor’s life, or in an act of suicide, having become suspect of being a traitor. Depending on how you look at it.
    ‘Dance of the Dead,’ and Number 2 appears to have two assistants. One being an over enthusiastic doctor who thoroughly enjoys his work, carry out experiments on certain citizens. Then there’s Number 240, who although she is nothing more than an Observer who works in the Control Room appears to be very close to Number 2. At one point instead of reporting the fact that she cannot find Number 6 to her supervisor, she reports directly to Number 2. And for that receives a reprimand from her Supervisor for having cut her out of the loop! And because Number 240 protested at the sentence passed over the Prisoner, she was no longer his Observer.
    Number 2 of ‘Checkmate’ appears to be a much able and competent administrator who doesn’t appear to require an assistant. Although like Number 2 during ‘The Chimes of Big Ben’ may well have had an assistant, but who reduced him to working in the Control Room as assistant to the Supervisor-Number 28. Who in the next episode of ‘Hammer Into Anvil’ appears to have the assistance of Number 60, who after the removal of Number 26 is duly promoted to Supervisor by Number 2.
    Although it can be argued that the majority of Number 2’s have enjoyed the help of indirect assistants, Number 2 of ‘Hammer Into Anvil’ is only the second direct assistant. Number 14, whose only desire is to help Number 2 in any way he can. However Number 2 doesn’t trust Number 14, and in important matters manages to keep his assistant at arms length. However despite this, when it comes to Number 6, 14 is willing to go that extra mile when it comes to Number 6 undermining  Number 2’ authority. All he wants is for Number 2 to give him the word. Then he would organise a fatal accident for Number 6, and make sure Number 2 cannot be connected with it. But 14 came to a bad end having been ejected from Number 6’s cottage through the French window!
    ‘It’s Your Funeral’ and Number 2 has arrived back at The Village after having been away on leave, just in time for his retirement. He probably has the most ineffective assistant in Number 22 it is possible to have. 22 might not like the fact that the assassination/execution of Number 2 has been organised through ‘Plan Division Q,’ but he appears unable, or unwilling to even try and help Number 2. Even when asked by Number 2 to go to the Department of Visual records, there being a tape he wants to review. However as soon as Number 22 realises the subject of the tape, warning of an assassination plot he tells Number 2 that such a tape doesn’t exists, despite having no duties within the Department of Visual Records. Persons Number 6 and 2’s successor, he is either unable or unwilling to assist Number 2! However the “interim” Number 2 has better help from his assistant Number 100, who is helping to overseeing ‘Plan Division Q.’ He has been responsible in Number 51’s indoctrination, in his belief that he has met no-one in The Village who has committed a crime. That he will protest in a manner they cannot ignore, that of assassination! And yet this “interim” Number 2 also has to call on the unwitting help of not only Number 51-Monique, but also that of Number 6. Without whom the plan would lack credibility! But Number 100 came to a bad end, which might have been worse had the Village Guardian become involved as originally intended!
    “A Change of Mind,’ and yet another doctor, Number 86, is enrolled to assist Number 2. It is her job to fool Number 6 into thinking he has undergone the operation known as Instant Social Conversion, a leucotomy, to isolate the aggressive frontal lobes of the brain. And after that to keep close to Number 6 in order to keep him heavily sedated. But the stupid woman allows Number 6 to turn the tables on her, and subsequently on Number 2!
    If Nadia Rakovsky was the first agent seconded to The Village in order to assist Number 2, then Curtis was the second, the third being the Colonel in ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling.’ But sadly only Nadia survived the experience. Curtis in having been suffocated to death, and the Colonel in having undergone a change of mind!
    ‘Living In Harmony’ saw Number 2 with two assistants. Number 8 who had developed a process of getting into a subject’s subconscious by the use of hallucinatory drugs. While Number 22 is there simply to provide the romantic element to the plan. She is to get close to The Man With No Name, and introduce love into his life. Love! But it all went wrong because they themselves had become too involved. Number 8 because of the Judge’s treatment of him as the Kid, and Number 10 was strangled to death through jealousy, whilst Number 8 commits suicide! The next of Number 2’s assistants, Number 10, plays a deadly game with Number 6, who as The Girl could easily love Number 6 to death! But as assistant to Number 2 all Number 10 could offer was that it was worth a try!
   And finally there is the Butler, who assisted Number 2 in all ways during his deliberations with Number 6 during that week long period locked in the Embryo Room. He acted as cook and bottle washer. While providing special effects, and changes in wardrobe when called upon, as well as dealing in crime and punishment!
   Number 2’s assistants have been many and varied. Some have been effective, others less so. In one case had Number 2 placed his trust in Number 14, then perhaps the outcome of ‘Hammer Into anvil’ might have been different. While 14’s look-a-like Number 22, was impotent and seemingly powerless to help Number 2 defy Plan Division Q. If 2 can be described as being second only to 1, then anyone found to be in the position of being second only to 2 must be up to the mark, or fall by the wayside, which incidentally is an apt description of Number 2!

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A Change of Mind

   Number 6 is found to be disharmonious, and eventually the Committee posts him as being unmutual. Warning him that should there be any further complaints lodged against him, it will be necessary to propose him for the treatment known as Instant Social Conversion. The isolation of the aggressive frontal lobes of the brain, in other words a leucotomy. And it is through such an operation that Number 6 would have had a change of mind, but instead he is merely kept sedated.
   And yet when it comes to a change of mind, eventually Number 6 is able to turn the tables on Number 2, who with the help of Number 86 is able to change the citizens’ minds about Number 2!

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Friday 28 August 2015

More Village!


    Why the ships drift anchor as a folly in the middle of the desert? Follies are rarely explained, if it were otherwise they would cease to be follies. Personally I think it would have been a nice tribute to the original series to have had a canopied penny farthing bicycle discovered by Six, half buried in the sand. But as it is the ships anchor for Six represents escape!
   So when Michael took over as the boss of Summakor in ‘Checkmate,’ he went up to the Purpose floor, and went and sat in the chair in the Control Room like a Supervisor amongst so many observers sat at their monitors. But the Control Room is not in The Village, but in the Summakor building in
New York. So the Control Room has no power in The Village, but is used to select people to be sent to The Village, and then those people are monitored by Observers in the Control Room. But not those sent to The Village in their subconscious, but who still live their day to day lives in New York!
   As for The Village, it does appear to resemble Portmeirion by the decoration of some of some of the buildings.
   THEPRIS6
NER is set in modern times, yet Helen has given The Village a fifties/sixties atmosphere, the vehicles, the interior of the Solar Café resembles an American 1950’s Diner. Even 313 rides a sixties style bicycle!
    Despite what fans of the original series might think, basically the two series are not that dissimilar, THEPRIS6
NER being reinterpreted and is a revisualisation. Okay you haven't got the quirkiness of the original, there are no huge painted backdrops as used in the original, no studio sets purposely built, and in it's way there is less style of the original series in the reinterpretation, with Two the stronger of the characters, Six being the weaker. If you take away the "filler" episodes of the original series, episodes like ‘Living In Harmony,’ ‘The Girl Who Was Death,’ ‘It's Your Funeral,’ ‘A Change of Mind,’ ‘Hammer Into Anvil,’ ‘A B & C,’ you end up with what originally McGoohan envisaged, for ‘the Prisoner,’ a 7 episode mini-series. Which is only one episode longer than that of THEPRIS6NER, which I think would not have weakened the original series, but in fact would have made it stronger. And moreover, making it no less forgettable for that.
   The Village has a postman, he delivers Six's Clinic appointment card. But there is no sign of a newspaper, although it must have one, because in ‘Checkmate’ Two is photographed and interviewed by two people who look like newspaper men.
   And to get on the bus in The Village, and to get off the bus to arrive in the Village is just the “wildest thing!”
    If a Village death isn't an actual death, in the way Two died having blown himself up with a hand grenade, and by which he returns to that "other place," as others have who have died in The Village, then that means that no-one is actually buried in The Village cemetery, not even anyone who was born in The Village. However the cemeteries seen in ‘Arrival’ in both series do have something physical in common…………..sand!


Village is best for us!
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Exhibition of Arts And Crafts

                            “Big Brotheresque!”


BSEENU

You Brought Me Back Here!

    It has often been remarked upon, the fact that two Number 2's were brought back to The Village for second terms of office. Those of Leo McKern and Colin Gordon. And yet there is really only evidence that one of those particular Number 2’s was allowed to leave and to be brought back to The Village for Decree Absolute, and he was none too happy about. In fact he was bloody annoyed! He told Number 1 on the telephone, that he can say what he likes, but it was he who brought him back to The Village. As for the other one, there is no evidence for him having left The Village. Indeed had ‘A B and C’ and ‘The General run consecutively, either one before the other, then there would have been no need for this Number 2 to have left The Village only to be brought back, as he was already there! There is however a third Number 2 to be put into the mix, he of ‘The Girl Who Was Death, brought back in order to take his place as a High Court Judge presiding over the trials of ’Fall Out.’ This as part of the final manipulation of the Prisoner-Number 6!
   It's strange that such Number Two's who have failed, although that is questionable in the one case, in their attempts to gain the reason behind Number 6's resignation, were given a second bite of the cherry so to speak. And yet in another case, he wasn’t, kept at arms length from Number 6, until he involved himself in the Speedlearn education experiment. Personally I would have thought that it would have been better to keep faith with the more successful Number 2. Sometimes, when considering the choice of person chosen as Number 2, it’s almost as though Number 1 wants them to fail. Especially Number 2 of ‘Hammer Into Anvil,’ who as a weak link in the chain of command was hung out to dry by Number 1, who must have known what was happening, yet lifted not a finger to help him. Assistance which when offered was thrown back in Number 1’s face. How could he have helped a man like that? ‘Hammer Into Anvil’ probably turned out to be a good exercise in the eyes of Number 1. To see how Number 6 would act when confronted by a professional sadist! Number 6 made it personal, the suicide of Number 73, and took out a long and calculated vengeance against Number 2. It may be supposed that Number 1 could have had Number 2 removed at any stage of ‘Hammer Into Anvil,’ but why do that when one had Nemesis to do it for him. And no doubt get enormous fun out of seeing Number 6 play on Number 2’s paranoia into the bargain.


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Quote For The Day

    “Sign your number here Number Six”
                           {The Postman - Dance of the Dead}

    Number 6 never signed for anything, well except that time when he signed that I.O.U for 964 Credit Units on the counter in the General Stores in the previous episode, but even then he questioned it! I wonder if the shopkeeper debited Number 6’s credit card for that amount? Ah but no, the shopkeeper couldn’t have done that, the Village credit card system isn’t an electronic system. The credit card has to be physically clipped, like they used to do when rationing was taking place in Great Britain during the war, and well into the 1950’s. People’s ration cards had to be physically clipped. And like my ticket recently while travelling on the Great Central Railway a week or so ago. 964 work Units, was Number 6’s credit card valid for that amount I wonder? It would depend on the amount of weekly allowance placed on the credit card in the first place. In ‘It’s Your Funeral’ Number 36 has been told by the man at the kiosk that all her weekly credit allowance had been used up, I wonder how much that was? And that was only Thursday, with two days left of the week!

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Thursday 27 August 2015

Village Life!


   Having won the election, you would expect Number Six to be revelling in his landslide victory, but not one bit of it! Number Six was caught on camera trying to hitch a ride out of The Village by helicopter. But much to Number Six's disappointment, the former Number Two not only had to obtain air clearance for take off, but had to report that he's being hassled by the new Number Two2!
    Number 6 “Go on, no-one will know."
    Departing Number Two "He won't take no for an answer....……...yes I realise that........."
    “You don't have to take me far, just drop me off along the way, somewhere over the mountains.”
    “..........Yes that was Number Six.........Yes I know, you had better send security."
    Number 6 “There's a word for people like you, you know!"

    Number Six didn't give himself up to security quietly, there was a struggle, and as the helicopter lifted off the ground Number Six made a grab for one of the floats and hung on for grim death as the helicopter flew out across he estuary gaining height all the time. Then suddenly Number Six's hold on the float slipped, and he fell into the water below. An Orange alert was issued by Number 2 in the Green Dome, who had been watching developments on the wall screen. A few moments later three Guardians of varying sizes broke through the surface of the sea, and headed straight towards a floundering figure in the sea. Together they ushered the swimming Number Six to the shore where security stood waiting.
   As for the out-going Number 2, he hovered the helicopter above the water just long enough to see Number 6 brought securely to the shore. Then turning the helicopter towards the hills on the far side of the estuary, piloted the helicopter to the landing stage where a boat was waiting for him to take him to the homeland.


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An Overweening Sense of Self-Importance!

    It's hardly surprising is it, that Number 6 had an overweening sense of self-importance, seeing as the whole Village, its works, and machinations are there simply for the benefit of Number 6 alone, and everyone in it is there for his convenience. It seems to some minds this idea works perfectly well. If that is the case, then some organisation has gone to a great deal of trouble just for one man. Is he really so important? It would appear that the Prisoner thinks he is, in fact in his mind….he’s the boss, he’s Number 1! It would seem that the man’s egomania knows no bounds, and if anything…. has increased!
    It has been discussed before, that The Village is all in the mind of Number 6, that he created it there. In ‘Once Upon A Time’ for example Number 6 shouts at Number 2, through the bars of the cage, "In my mind, in my mind you're smart!" That's perhaps because if one follows this "all in the mind" theory, Number 6 created Number 2 in his mind, and made him smart! And if it's all in Number 6's mind he should always be one step ahead, not out manoeuvred by Number 1. Number 6 may play a fine game, but with Number 1 knowing his every move, and vice versa, the game can only end in stalemate!


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The Therapy Zone

    ‘Hammer Into Anvil’ - In the original script Number Six visits the grave of Number Seventy-Three at the end of the episode. This was omitted from the final version. It may have put too much emphasis on Number Six's sympathies {but it would have been a nice touch} but even with no final grave visit, it is becoming apparent the Number Six is taking on a role within the community. He is protecting the people from the abuses of society or at least enacting revenge against wrongs. This is most evident in episodes as ‘the General’ and ‘It's Your Funeral,’ in which he saves The Village from cruel and inevitable punishment. Why does Number 6 care?  Perhaps he sees himself as a buffer against the machinations of Number 1. Perhaps seeing as Number 6 is the alter ego of Number 1, he’s set himself up as a protector of the people against himself!

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Thought For The Day

    Zm73 had a roll of film which he took to the World Camera shop in order to have the film made up into transparencies, slides if you prefer. The receipt he left with his fiancée Janet Portland, for times of trouble he said. I wonder why he did that, when he could just have easily left the receipt in the safe secreted behind the television set in his study? After all he took those American dollar bills from the safe, the rats having been nowhere near the safe, so the dollar bills were as fresh as ever. Certainly the receipt wasn’t so safe having been left in the safe keeping of Janet Portland. It must have been obtained from her, perhaps through her father Sir Charles. As “Mr. Carmichael” would need the receipt which would have been needed for identification of the roll of film, at the very least. And then the receipt given back to Janet, and the transparencies returned to the camera shop. Sir Charles Portland and his code breakers having been unable break the code in the slides because perhaps there isn’t one. Apparently breaking a code or cipher is a finite problem, and as far as the slides are concerned they don’t know there is a problem. And if there is, what level of reasoning it is set. But Sir Charles doesn’t believe that, it’s just that they haven’t thought of it yet, and doesn’t think it impossible for them to do so. So much for Sir Charles code breakers! That’s why they needed the unwitting services of ZM73, seeing as he was the last person to see Professor Jacob Seltzman, and therefore would know the meaning of the transparencies. ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling’ so much for those words, because it would appear that unwittingly, Janet Portland betrayed her fiancé by handing over the receipt for the roll of film, and by that, placing the transparent slides into the hands of her father, who then put the transparencies into the hands of his code breakers, who couldn’t break the code because they didn’t know on what principle the code was based! If they had managed to break the code hidden in the slides, perhaps the services of ZM73 would not have been required!

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Tuesday 25 August 2015

A Right Pair Of Sixes!


  “So, what’s your game then?”
    “Game?”
    “What are you doing in my Cottage?”
    Your cottage, I like that!”
    “I’m not interested in your opinion. What are you doing here?”
    “Well this is my cottage!”
    “How do you make that out?”
    “Well this is Six Private isn’t it?”
    “Yeeeesssssss.”
    “Well I’m Number Six!”
    “You’ve got a nerve I’ll give you that.”
    “I’m not looking for compliments.”
    “Good, then you won’t be disappointed. But I have to admit they’ve done a good job. I didn’t know I’d a freckle on the right side of my nose. Fall off did it?”
    “Fall off?”
    “Your numbered badge, fall off did it?”
    “I don’t wear a numbered badge, because I don’t need one to tell me that I am Number Six.”
    “Well at least they could have got the colour of your blazer right.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “It’s as plain as the freckle on my nose. Look, if you are supposed to be me, then you should be wearing a cream blazer. I’d have thought Number Two would have at least got that right!”
    “You can talk!”
    “What do you mean?”
    “When Number Two briefed you he should have told you that Number 6 doesn’t wear a numbered badge!”
    “I expect you threw yours away.”
    “Something like that.”
    “Well why don’t you toddle off and come back when you’re wearing the right coloured blazer.”
    “Won’t that be confusing for those who are watching?”
    “How do you mean?”
    “Well if we’re both wearing the same coloured cream blazer. At least this way we all know whose who and what’s what.”
    “Well they would even if we were wearing the same coloured blazer, after all it’s hardly rocket science.”
    “How do you mean?”
    “If we wore the same coloured blazer, we could be as we are now. My blazer is unbuttoned, and yours is buttoned up.”
    “And if by chance we forget?”
    “Then I’m the one wearing the badge!”
    “I could pin a badge onto the lapel like you.”
    “Ah but Number Six doesn’t wear a badge!”
    “You said it!”
    “Damn!”

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Exhibition of Arts And Crafts

                       “KAR 120C Times Two!”

BSEENU

Segregation!

    During his de-briefing in ‘Many Happy Returns,’ Number 6 makes mention that The Village even has its own graveyard. Number 73, having committed suicide by jumping to her death out of a hospital window in ‘Hammer Into Anvil,’ is buried next to Number 113 in a graveyard. 113 isn’t the photographer seen in ‘Free For All,’ but an old woman who died a month ago. However Cobb, supposedly having committed suicide by jumping out of a hospital window, his body is buried in a different graveyard altogether, the one down on the beach at the foot of the cliffs. It would appear that in death the men and women are segregated in death. The one under the sod, the other a watery grave. And yet even in life there is segregation in The Village. One example is how men and women are segregated while queuing up outside the Labour Exchange in ‘Arrival!’

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Monday 24 August 2015

Bureau of Visual Records


   What might the significance be of that number 16 on the wall behind ZM73/THE Colonel’s shoulder? I once thought it might be the date of the week, but there’s no day, month, or year indication! However another explanation would be, that it’s a numbers board, each of the barber’s waiting customers takes a number to indicate when their turn is due. Although it might be wondered if the barber would get so many customers in his shop at the one time to need such a numbers system. Well it’s always possible, Kandersfeld is a large enough place to provide a large customer base.
   What’s more ZM73 has changed his suit of clothes, from charcoal grey suit and black polo neck shirt. To a single breasted blazer, white shirt, and tie. I know ZM73 would have to have had a change of clothes, but perhaps it was a case of Nigel Stock being happier as himself, rather than as Patrick McGoohan!

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Caught On Camera!


   The above image and the enlarged mirrored section, is taken from ‘The Girl Who Was Death,’ just after the tunnel of love scene. Two words can be made out chalked on the ground “This way.” There is a third word which in all probability is “Whoopee.” It was once suggested that perhaps these words might be something to do with the production of ‘the Prisoner,’ instructions chalked on the ground by one of the production crew. Or perhaps because McGoohan wasn’t there, that they were let off the leash and had some fun! Or simply something to do with the fairground, or a game played by children having fun “Whoopee – this way” perhaps an indication towards more fun.

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Watching The Prisoner!

   I used to watch ‘the Prisoner’ once a year, with the occasional screening of particular favourite episodes such as ‘Arrival’ and ‘Checkmate’ now and again. However the fact that I no longer feel the need to watch ‘the Prisoner,’ is probably because it’s how Number 12 described Speedlearn. The series has been imposed directly onto the cortex of my brain, and with the occasional boost, has long since become virtually indelible!

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Sunday 23 August 2015

News: Porthmadog Coliseum Cinema



   “An art deco cinema in Gwynedd is facing demolition after concerns bats might be roosting inside proved unfounded.
    The Coliseum in Porthmadog closed in 2011 because of falling
attendances after 80 years of entertaining crowds. An application to flatten the site in 2014 was put on hold to check for protected bats.
    The findings and a new application to demolish the cinema have now been submitted to Gwynedd Council.”

        As read on the BBC television text service this morning, and also on the BBC website.


BCNU

Atmospheric Change!

    When one evening Number 6 encountered two guardians who asked him “What’s the password?” he told them “The atmosphere is very different here from what it was elsewhere.” What might he have meant by that? It sounds like a coded recognition that requires a response, but it isn’t.  It might be an in-joke, but then Patrick McGoohan didn’t want “in-jokes” putting into ‘the Prisoner,’ not unless it was he who was putting them in. It might be that “The atmosphere is very different here from what it was elsewhere,” because the scene in question, when one evening in ‘The Schizoid Man’ Number 6 encounters two Guardians who ask him “What’s the password?” was filmed on a set at MGM film Studios contrary to the location of Portmeirion. In other words a mocked up Village against the real thing!

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Exhibition of Arts And Crafts

    “From A Dusting Down – To A Dunking!”

BcNu

The Schizoid Man

    Every citizen and citizeness in The Village are known by their numbers, unless a number is sub-divided as in 113, 113b, and 113c. On occasion names are used. In The Village numbers are more individual than names, seeing as there can only be one of any number used at any one time. Unless of course a number is sub-divided as in 113, 113b, and 113c, or a number ceases to exist because the person has died, as with Number 113 who was an old lady who died a month ago. So really it’s no wonder Number 6 was so determined not only to prove his identity, but to maintain it!

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Interior Design


    This is the office which Number 6 said he knows very well in London. It is a very busy office, by that I mean there’s a lot going on in it on a materialistic level. For a working office it’s very cluttered with ornamental things, what’s more the office has a very strong maritime look to it, for the office of man whose rank is Colonel. Such a decorated office would be more suited to that of an Admiral, as in Admiral Hobbs John Drake’s one time superior in ‘Danger Man.
   There is a small outer office which rather like the foyer of the Green Dome has paintings of sailing ships hung on the walls to the left of the pair of frosted glass doors. One could almost imagine the bureaucrat to whom ZM73 handed his resignation sitting in this office.  The Colonel’s office lies through a further pair of frosted glass doors.
    There are two sets of shelves inset into the wall either side of a large black and white image of sea battle, in all probability Trafalgar. Set upon the shelves are a number of box files, books, coloured bottles, a bust, a pair of ceramic lions, and three ships mounted in glass boxes. There are a number of naval instruments, a pair of brass cannons, and a number of modern pictures and modern paintings adorn the office walls.
   Two windows are covered by Venetian blinds, and under each window a pair of black leather couches. Between those, a brown furniture cabinet with a number of coloured glass bottles, and a drinks tray complete with ice bucket and soda siphon set upon it.
   The writing desk is of modern 1960’s Danish design by Roxy Klassik of Denmark. In fact the desk might be said to be far too modern for the Colonel’s tastes. Upon the desk an ornate table lamp, an intercom, a miniature World globe, of the same design as seen in Number 6’s cottage. A red telephone, cigarette box, a trophy of some kind, a desk blotter, and roller blotter, a large glass ashtray, an inkstand with pen tray. Behind the desk is a black leather chair. There is also a black leather recliner, and suspended from the ceiling a pair of modern lights. The office complete with blue carpet and off-white rug.
    The Colonel must have been extremely high ranking within the Civil Service, to have such a plush office. At that time there were strict guidelines within the Civil Service as to how an office should be furnished. For example, someone would have to be of managerial status before they were even allowed a rug for the floor!

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Saturday 22 August 2015

For Sale!


    The Gloster Meteor Jet T7 W1591 is to be auctioned at Bonham’s Goodwood in West Sussex in September 2015, amongst a number of other classic aircraft. The Gloster Meteor is expected to sell for £500,000.
   It is of course a Gloster Meteor jet which features in ‘the Prisoner’ episode ‘Many Happy Returns.’

  Click on the link below and scroll down.

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Thought For The Day

   In ‘The Schizoid Man,’ Curtis has ensconced himself in The Village effectively as Number 6, having made himself at home in ‘6 Private,’ having settled down to living in The Village. As for Number 6 he has undergone mind conditioning and a change in his appearance, so that now he’s Curtis. Later, because of his remarkable resemblance to Number 6, he undergoes a make-over in order to give him the actual appearance of Number 6, so that now he would hardly know who he was. The idea being that Number 6 {as Curtis} will now impersonate himself! However having gone to all the trouble they have, and seeing that Number 6 has now taken to wearing a different coloured blazer, wouldn’t it have been prudent for Number 2 to see that Number 6 was wearing the correct cream coloured blazer?!

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Arrival

    If Number 6 thought that the only piece of information they wanted was the reason, or reasons behind his resignation, why not tell them and presumably go free?! As it is Number 6 is not a man for “selling out,” nor will he compromise his principles when pressure is brought to bear. He pronounces that he will not make any deals with them, that his life is his own, he’s resigned! And yet clearly the knowledge behind the Prisoner’s resignation is but the tip of the information they want. In an interview with Number 20 the manager of the Labour Exchange he asks Number 6 to fill in a questionnaire about his race, religion, hobbies, what he likes to read, what he likes to eat. What he was, what he wants to be, any possible family illnesses, and what his politics are. To which the Prisoner’s answer is to smash the manger’s Tinker-toy in a fit of anger and storm out of his office! And yet it would seem, that for the manager of the Labour Exchange to get the Prisoner to fill in the questionnaire about himself would be a wasted exercise, seeing as his successor in ‘Free For All’ tells Number 6 that they know everything about him already. But perhaps this is a follow up to when Number 2 tried to get the Prisoner to answer one simple question in the hope that all the rest of the information inside his head would quickly follow, it didn’t. And neither did it when the Prisoner showed his contempt for the questionnaire.
   Number 6 would never give anything away, it’s not in the man’s nature. But he did give up the time of his birth, having realised that they must have known that any way, and so saw no harm in giving up that piece of information. While at the same time realising the interrogation technique for want it was, and demonstrating that he is able to resist such a technique.

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Driving Number 6!


    In ‘A B and C’ Engadine and ZM73 set out on a journey from her house in Paris, she is taking him to meet a man of mystery. A man whom Engadine says she has never seen, that no-one has ever seen, a man who hides behind a cloak of anonymity. The journey might well have commenced from Paris, however they end up arriving in The Village, driving through a pair of arches {resembling a tunnel} which is located opposite the Recreation Hall. And it is through the large double door of the Recreation Hall that Number 6 must go, in order to meet with ‘C.’ Which could be interpreted as a metaphor for when Number 6 enters the laboratory through the double steel door in order to give Number 2-“C” his envelope!
   It would appear that even in his dreams Number 6 finds returning to The Village unavoidable, especially when he himself is manipulating the third dream in this episode. So metaphorically speaking, although it was Engadine driving the car, it turns out that it was Number 6 who brought Engadine to The Village, because it was his dream!

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