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Tuesday 26 January 2016

Many Happy Returns

    The episode ‘Many Happy Returns’ written by Anthony Skene, originally Number 6, having escaped The Village on his sea-going raft, was to have been picked up by a Russian trawler. Onboard there was to have been a Russian Princess, and she was to have had a romantic liaison with Number 6. Patrick McGoohan would have soon have that written out of the script, but why? He might not have wanted to have a romantic liaison with a woman, but Number 6 would. Because do not forget Number 6 did enjoy a romantic embrace with his fiancée Janet Portland. Yes it wasn’t Patrick McGoohan it was Nigel Stock, but more importantly it was Number 6 kissing Janet. I think I read somewhere that Patrick McGoohan said Number 6 would never kiss a woman, yes he would. It’s rather like the way Terrence Feely wrote in his original script for ‘The Schizoid Man.’ Instead of Number 6 using Alison’s mind reading act to try and prove his identity, both Number 6 and Number 12 were to have kissed Alison. But because of McGoohan's refusal to kiss a girl on screen, the scene led to the change in the script, resulting in the scene we now see.
    It seems to me that McGoohan imposed his own morality upon the character of Number 6. In any case, what was a Russian Princess doing on a Russian Trawler? As for the Russian Trawler itself, we know precisely what that would have been up to in 1967, and it wasn't fishing. Well it was............ but fishing for information,
 information!

Be seeing you

2 comments:

  1. What would a Russian princess be doing on a maritime vessel, presumably on the North Sea, in the western hemisphere? What do think of this? She would have been another Russian exile in the west. E.g. there's always been a considerable Russian excalve in Monte Carlo who had fled the communist regime. And the princess was one distant relative of the late Russian tsar making her way secretly to... well, who knows. That would have added a certain political smack to the story, wouldn't it. - BCNU!

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    1. Hello Arno,
      After I had sent you this morning's email, Morag said, "What would a Russian Princess be doing escaping Communist Russia aboard a Soviet trawler?" Unless of course they were all escaping the Communist regime! That would fit into your theory well.
      Me' thinks now, that the princess would need a different smack to that of a Soviet trawler, more intent on spying than actual fishing!

      Best regards
      David
      BCNU

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