Pictorial Prisoner

In the desert Six finds a ships drift anchor. To Six the anchor is a symbol of escape. Because where there is an anchor there's a ship, and where there's a ship there's a Sea or Ocean, and that means escape!

Well there's not a ship in the desert, but there is a boat, a ships lifeboat perhaps? So Six, escape in that if you can!

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The Colonel

 

    I find that the things we don't see in the Prisoner are often more intriguing than what we do see. Take the Colonel here of Many Happy Returns. I sometimes think what his reaction might have been when the aircraft with his ex-colleague didn't return? Did he order a search to be made for the lost aircraft? After all he knew the search area for the village. Or it might have been that some higher authority put a stop on the Colonel from instigating a search. I think the Colonel was genuine enough in his approach to his ex-colleague No.6, and the story he weaved about his abduction and the village. And I'm sure that inwardly at least, the Colonel would have wondered about his ex-colleagues second disappearence, which might very well have gone to confirm the Prisoner's story in the mind of the Colonel. But whether or not he was powerless to do anything about it, to help No.6, well the Prisoner's continued confinement is proof that the Colonel did nothing!
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Convention Times

   It will soon be time for that annual event, the Prisoner Convention held at Portmeirion, this year, April 8th to 11th. Special guest, and although I'm no longer a member of 6of1 I have to say it's a real coup for the society, is the girl who was death herself, Justine Lord. Justine fell off the radar for years, because soon after the Prisoner, she gave up her acting career to become a school teacher. I always thought, that as the girl who was death, they over did Justines make-up, when many of the actresses in the Prisoner, their make-up was so under done!
   Also at the 'Con'  the video of a film called Resolution will be screened. A film in which Jane Merrow reprises her former role of Alison-No.24 of The Schizoid Man, Alison who is returned to the village some 40 years later. I know nothing more aboutt his film, whether it's a proper professional production, or an amateur film.
   2011 is Six of One's 30th Convention, although I suspect that might not be the case, as I have it in my mind that the 2002 Convention was cancelled due to Portmeirion's double booking for that year. Which would make it the 29th 'Con,' although I could be wrong.
   I'm no longer go to Prisoner Conventions, you have to be a member of 6of1 to do that, but I like to keep my finger on the pulse so to speak, just out of interest.
    2011 also sees Portmeirion's 85th anniversary, so congratulations to them, although I've not been back to Portmeirion since 2003, nor have I felt the need to return there, strange when you couldn't once keep me away from the Italianate village. When I used to stay there every year, it was always like going home, even when stays in Portmeirion would perhaps be a year apart. But to actually stay in Portmeirion......well that's a very expensive thing to do these days.
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It's Inexplicable

    How the village guardian is in No.2's chair. How it got in is easy, it must have started out smaller, got into the chair, and then simply enlarged itself to fit!
    But really it's inexplicable why the village guardian is in No.2's chair in the first place!
   No.2 may state to No.1 on the telephone, that he's not an inmate, but he is. In fact No.2 here started out as a Prisoner like No.6, abducted to the village. But unlike No.6, No.2 resisted for so short a time, before he gave in.
   Perhaps the village guardian has delusions of grandeur!
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Cartoon Corner

Circa early 1990's.

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It's Inexplicable!

    In the General No.6 takes a walking stick and brings it down hard on the head of the Professor as he slumbers in bed..........How did No.6 know that it was actually a modelled clay head of the Professor?
   And another thing......"He's made a mess of your masterpiece," No.2 said to Madam Professor. That indicates that it was Madam Professor who actually made the modelled clay head of the Professor. So why did she scream out? Madam Professor must have known that it was not her husband lying in the bed.......ah, perhaps it was not the harm to her husband which made her scream out, but because of the damage No.6 was about to do to her masterpiece!
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The Daily Prognosis On No.6

     During It's Your Funeral No.2 orders a daily prognosis report to be carried out on No.6. Part of that daily prognosis has No.6 at a kiosk, buying a bar of soap, and a copy of the newspaper. Does No.6 buy a bar of soap everyday? And The Tally Ho newspaper - it's issued daily at noon, yet the prognosis report has No.6 buying a copy of the newspaper at 10am........................No.2 was right when he said "It's all wrong," that "It doesn't work!"
   One other point, No.6 feels sorry for No.36, when her credit allowance had been all used up, and so couldn't buy her sweets. So No.6 buys No.36 a bag of sweets, when the original script has him buying the woman a packet of cigarettes. It's cigarettes No.36 couldn't go all day without.....not sweets!
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Caught On Camera

This is a shot from the episode A Change of Mind, with No.6 walking along the path back to his cottage after his encounter with the committee in the Town Hall. But that's not what really concerns us here. What does concern us are the two cars at the top of the picture. One is in the top left hand corner, parked by Battery Square. And the second is just driving past the top of the steps at the top of the picture. Here is an enlarged section of the picture, to make it more clear.

Of course there are no cars in the village, well at least there shouldn't be. But of course there are, because they are the cars of the guests who were staying at Portmeirion during the filming of the Prisoner in September 1966. Other cars can be seen in the village scenes of the Prisoner, both ground level, and in aerial shots. They did try and hide the cars belonging to guests with the aid of red and white striped screens. So when you see a long red and white screen in the village, you know it's hiding something....in all probability a  motor car, or cars. Be seeing you.                                                                                                         

Collectors Corner

What's In A Number?

    This is a black and white image of the original limited edition colour print, produced in 1993.
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Arts And Crafts

    If there's one hobby I enjoy, it's manipulating pictures and photographs, like this.

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Many Happy Returns

    No.6 was looking for a way out of the village. He took a Mini-Moke ride, and came to what seems to be the end of the road, as he is confronted by a range of high mountains, which seemed to be completely impassable! But just a minute! Before No.6 was confronted by the range of mountians, there was complete open countryside, No.6 could have driven off in the village taxi that way, and thereby saving himself the ordeal of a lengthy and dangeous sea voyage!
   Originally in the script for Many Happy Returns, No.6 was to have tried to escape the village by helicopter. Taking a battery from the taxi and replacing it for the flat battery of the helicopter. No.6 then tried to fire up the engine of the helicopter, having got the rotor rotating, the engine then coughs and dies......apparently the fuel needle was stuck on full, when in fact the fuel tanks were empty!
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Thought For The Day

     The Prisoner is a single man, a bachelor. So why does a single man need such a large house? For example, in 1988 No.3 Buckingham Place went up for sale. It had 4 Bedrooms - 2 Bathrooms - a Shower Room - Entance Hall - Drawing Room - Dining Room - Sitting Room - Study/Bedroom5 - Patio, and was up for sale at £725,000 . No.1 Bcukingham Place is a much larger house, than it's next door neighbour. So how on earth did the Prisoner afford to live there, and why?
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Cartoon Corner

   Circa late 1980's.
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Caught On Camera

"Look, I can't stand here all day! Who's got the damned foot pump?"

Unmutualism

  In the episode A Change of Mind you will recall that No.48 was posted as being unmutual because she ignored No.10's greeting. Her claim was, that she was composing poetry at the time, and failed to notice No.10's greeting.
   Well here is No.6, after leaving the Town Hall, having been brought before the Committee. He greets No.64, the woman in the picture "Lovely day Number sixty-four." The woman ignores No.6's greeting, so will No.64 be brought before the Committee for being unmutual? If not, she should be!
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Escape!

    The cage containing the body of the late No.2 is sealed and then lowered down below into the the cavern, and little to the television viewers knowledge, onto a trailer of a lorry, a Scammell Highwayman Transporter in fact. But why? Why was it placed onto the trailer of a lorry? Why, for convenience. But the Butler knew that the lorry was there, knew that the cage had been lowered onto that trailer. Because the Butler walked round the lorry and climbed into the cab of the tractor unit, and drove it away, along the tunnel, and crashing through the closed gates at the end, with No.6, 2 and 48 in the cage.
   It all had to have been set up previously, but by the Butler? Because if you think about it, the foot pedals, brake, accelerator, and clutch would have to have been adjusted to suit the Butler, otherwise he feet would never have reached the pedals!
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Arts And Crafts

    My Umbrella period.

It Must Have Come As A Terrible Shock

    This is the moment No.6 came face to face with himself during the Fall Out. Mind you it's not the first time, and it's not unusual for the village to have twins residing in it. There was the Gardener and the Electrician in Arrival. Then the photographer-No.113b and the man who dispensed The Tally Ho outside the Town Hall in Free For All.
    They say that each of us have a double somewhere, but for No.6 to have a pair of doubles would seem a bit too much to believe.
   The use of the ape mask is said to demonstrate evolution of man, something like that of the film 2001, now there's a film ending I have never been able to understand. No, don't tell me, I'd rather live in ignorance!!!!!!! By the way, did you know that the shot of the Universe seen in The Alternative Chimes of Big Ben, was taken from the film 2001? The film was being shot at MGM Studios at the same time as the Prisoner.
   But back to doubles for a moment. I've been to Prisoner conventions, portrayed No.6 to the point that I've become the Prisoner, and have been taken for Patrick McGoohan on many, many occasions. But if anyone said to me today "Are you Patrick McGoohan?" I'd say "God I hope not, he's dead!" No offence Pat.

 

This is me, Mister X at a Prisoner Convention. The first time that the boxing scene from The Girl Who Was Death was re-enacted.  Be seeing you

Swimming With Balloons!

 

I often wondered how it was done, bringing the unconscious No.8 back to shore using three village guardians. Yet looking closely at the film, one can see that Nadia is actually swimming.

Here is one still from the piece of film, and you can see Nadia's feet. 

And here, a splash of water as Nadia swims with the balloons.

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The Schizoid Man

     If Curtis really was suffocated to death by the membrane of the village guardian during that episode of The Schizoid Man, then it could have been Curtis who had died in an accident at sea as pronounced by No.2 at the Dance of the Dead! It would have saved time amending the dead body of No.34 to look like No.6. I mean there would be the tell-tale scars of plastic surgery for one thing, so why take the chance, when there was the dead body of a man who was No.6's exact double, Curtis. After all No.2's favourite saying is Waste not, want not.
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Pictorial Prisoner

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Caught On Camera

No matter what you think of the Prisoner, no matter your opinion, theories, ideas, and interpretations. This is the reality of having resigned ones job...........queuing up outside the Labour Exchange, or Job Centre Plus as they are called today!  Be seeing you.

A Favourite Character

    No.20, the Labour Exchange Manager in Free For All, his predecessor became assistant to No.2 during The Chimes of Big Ben. Although the man has changed, the uniform he wears has not, that of a grey morning suit.
   No.2 keeps citizens personal details in plastic pocketed files, but not No.20. He keeps citizens personal details the old fashion way, in large ledgers. Yet he is efficient, and easily adapts to modern day interrogation techniques. No.20 knows why No.6 is running for electoral office, in that if No.6 wins the election, that he'll organise a mass breakout, all he has to do is get No.6 to admit it!
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Thought For The Day

    An early morning village announcement begins "Congratulations on another day......................" Which I presume means that, if you are awake, you are alive, and have so survived the night. They come for you in the night you see, like they did on three separate occasions in A B & C, and during The Schizoid Man, when they moved him from his cottage to that of '12 Private' when he was drugged and asleep. That's when they come for you, well your guards down you see!
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Cartoon Corner

The Jailbird by Steve Matt 1991.

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Number Six - A Special Kind Of Animal

    That's why No.6 was treated with so much leniency, he has to be treated very differently, that they have many ways and means, but do not wish to damage him permanently. There are other ways, as they must not spoil him! They musn't damage the tissue, because No.6 is far too important. In fact 'they' see No.6 as having a future with 'them.'
   Not so poor Chambers, a nice guy and so he talked. Roland Walter Dutton, well you know what happened to him. He talked, but the doctor-No.40 didn't believe him, and went too far in his experiments, leaving Dutton a brainwashed imbicile! Which I feel is a worse fate than that originally intended for him, a termination order!
    No.6 was put through a series of trials, or ordeals, which were designed to make No.6 talk, to give away the reason behind his resignation, or to break him. He was put in dangerous situations, at times his very life put at risk. But No.6 plays a fine game, and often gives as good as he gets. Yet, why I wonder, did the village administration go to all that trouble with No.6? Oh I'm sure they were putting No.6 to the test. In fact No.6 survived the final test of Once Upon A Time, and had earned the right not to be No.6 or indeed any number at all. He vindicated the right of the individual to be individual. No.6 was seen to be the new leader of the village, and the offer of ultimate power was made to him by the President.
   But I suspect that Fall Out is nothing more than another manipulation of the Prisoner-No.6. and in being given the chance to meet with No.1, was merely a final throw of the dice to break No.6, by facing him with his other self. But No.6 was having none of it, and I suspect that had No.6 been able to lay hands on No.1, he would easily, and without feeling, have broken his neck!
   I have often wondered why it is, that the doctor-No.40, or any doctor, didn't use a truth drug like Scapolomine. In that way they would have gotten all the information No.6 had, including why he resigned, which seemed so important to them, and whats more, no tissue would have been damaged in the process!
Be seeing you

Arts And Crafts

  A quick sketch, with the emphasis on "quick" as the Lotus 7 speeds passed across Westminster Bridge.

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Pictorial Portmeirion

Those who have stayed at Portmeirion, as a guest for any length of time, will know that Portmeirion takes on a completely different atmosphere at night time. It's almost magical. And there have been times in the past, when I have not wished to leave Portmeirion. I have not been back there since 2003, nor do I miss the Italianate village. However, I do retain many happy memories of my many stays there.

Be seeing you

Thought For The Day

    When is No.6 not Patrick McGoohan?............................When he's Frank Maher!
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Janet Portland

    For Janet Portland to lose her fiance once, was unfortunate. To lose him twice seems like gross carelessness, and a lucky escape for the Prisoner!
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Running To Escape!

     On an evening during Dance of the Dead, No.2 allows No.6 to be out and about the village after Curfew. She told the Observer that it will test their efficiencies. But No.6 is seen testing himself against the village guardian!
   No.6 is down on the beach, a segment of the village guadian is released from the containment area somewhere on the sea bed. It does not attack No.6, who remember is out after curfew. No.6 begins to run, but you cannot simply run away from the village. As No.6 jogs along, the village guardian keeps pace. No.6 then steps up the pace, as does the village guardian - No.6 is testing himself against 'Rover' which runs No.6 into the sand, and eventually leaves him on his knees. It would seem that the test is complete, and No.6 is found to be wanting!
    It would seem that you cannot fight the village guardian, as it offers no reistance. Now it seems that you cannot out run it either!
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It's Surreal!

   That moment in Free For All, when in the office of the Green Dome, the inner wall revolves, and discloses a single steel door which opens into a cave beyond. I mean forget what those four chaps are doing sitting around a pulsating village guardian for a minute, if that's not surreal enough. But just where is that cave situated outside the Green Dome? There isn't one! There are buildings all around the Green Dome, with an annexe round the back, for the Butler's quarters and Kitchen area, but no cave! as for what those chaps are doing, sat round the pulsating village guardian, wearing dark safety glases - well I have to say, your guess is as good as mine. Unless it's the village guardian holding some kind of induction period!
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Caught On Camera

   I guess we've all seen it, this first 'Rover'. What a contraption. A dome fitted with a blue light, seated on a Go-Kart. The driver sat inside and looked out through a slit cut in the dome, through which the driver could see nothing. And the noise - the engine of the Go-Kart was so loud, that it interfered with the filming. The idea behind the Village Guardian, was that it was all terrain. It could run on land, in water, on sand, it would even be able to climb steps, and even up walls. But the truth of the matter is, that this thing could only run on tarmac! So the story goes, it was taken down on the beach, and it sank in the water, and was never seen again. Well surely if this infernal contraption had sunk without trace in the water in the estuary, then presumably it would have still been there, when the tide went out!      Be seeing you                               

The Individual In Society

   Can an individual survive in society, in a community such as that of The Village, to maintain one's individuality? One might think not. But is not society, even such a community as The Village, made up of hundreds, thousands, even millions of individuals? So perhaps more to the point, could society, the community of The Village survive without the individual? The community must live, and so too the individuals, which must exist together, but not always to live in harmony!
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Cartoon Corner

By Steve Matt 1992.

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Every Picture Tells A Story

"How's things going Pat?"

Don't ask Mickey!"

"Surely things can't be that bad Pat!"

"Maybe not Micky. But then you're not the one going about with a damned balloon tied to your trousers!"

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Loyalty And Individuality

     There are two things which are certain regarding the Prisoner-No.6. His individuality, and unquestioning loyalty. There is no-one else in the village like our friend No.6, well save for No.12-Curtis and the possibilty of No.1. As for the Prisoner's loyalty, look at the way he always goes running back to those ex-colleagues of his, even after his experience during The Chimes of Big Ben. I don't know how the Prisoner could have placed his trust in them again, after being betrayed by the Colonel and Fortheringay as he was. I wonder what would have happened if there had not been a change of Colonel for Many Happy Returns?
    There is someone else in the village, someone as individual as No.6, and whose loyalty is unquestioning, that of the Butler. He like No.6 does not wear a numbered badge. And because we know less about the Butler than we do No.6, perhaps the Butler is the real man of mystery as far as the Prisoner is concerned.
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Arts And Crafts

    From my "Cycledelic" period.

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Frank Maher

  Three more desperate desperados you would not wish to meet! Frank's the one in the middle by the way.
     When you think about it, seeing as how Frank Maher was Patrick McGoohan's stunt-double on the Prisoner, he actually played the role of No.6 almost as much as Patrick McGoohan, especially during the episode of The Schizoid Man. Yet Frank Maher never received a credit, except for in Living In Harmony
   I was fortunate enough to meet Frank at a Prisoner convention at Portmeirion, a nice guy Frank.
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What Was Number Six Listening For?

     I'm referring to No.6 in the General Store, as he listens to the first few bars of Bizet's L'arlesienne, the Davier recoding. And in that action, along with the qiestion of 'Security' made on the front page of The Tally Ho, No.6 was beginning to lay a flase trail for No.2 to follow. Which No.2 did so, by actually listening to all those six recordings of the Davier recordings. We know that, because we join No.2 in his office, just as he is coming to the end of the sixth record played. It would have taken him most of the morning! As well as the Shopkeeper being present for the duriation of that task. And that must have meant the General Store bing closed, and No.2 would have wasted all that time, and learned nothing. Hence the title of this piece, what was Number Six listening for? Well nothing, but No.6 did acheive his aim!
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Thought For The Day

    



   During the filming of part of the opening sequence, when Patrick McGoohan was running across the beach, he actually twisted his ankle. So it is Frank Maher, McGoohan's stunt-double you see in that opening sequence running along the beach.
   Could this be the moment McGoohan twisted his ankle?
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Observers Report

     During Checkmate, as No.6 together with the Rook approach No.42 who is busy painting the wall of an arch, you can hear, quite distinctly someone shout out "You alright there Fred?" "Yes"  Fred repiles. So whose voices are they? Extras involved with the production? Production members? Or guests staying at Portmeirion in September 1966 when the Prisoner was being filmed? Whoever it was, they certainly put their own individual mark on that particular episode!
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You're Not Allowed Animals - It's A Rule!

    Well No.2 was allowed an animal, well at least No.2 of Dance of the Dead laid claim to the black cat. So does that mean No.2-Mary Morris of Dance of the Dead was in office during Many Happy Returns, as No.6 was preparing to leave the village, because that's when No.6 first sees the black cat. With Mrs Butterworth brought to the village as the new No.2 in that episode, but then No.2-Mary Morris, brought back for Dance of the Dead? Or perhaps the black cat belongs to the 'female' No.2, seeing as the cat is feline, and not seen about the village when there is a male No.2. And no, I had not forgotten the once No.58-the new No.2 of Free For All.
    The black cat is seen as a harbinger of good luck, yet it is also said to bring bad luck if a black cat crosses your path! No.6 had a black cat cross his path in Many Happy Returns, just as he was casting off on his epic sea voyage. I cannot believe for one moment that it was the black cat which smashed that cup and saucer on the table. Someone must have been there to put the scare into No.6 at that moment. For you can observe the expression of No.6's face. He had gone to all that trouble in building his Kon-Tiki style sea-going raft, and 'they' had simply sat back and let No.6 get on with it. And now, his hopes were to be dashed at the last minute! Or so No.6 thought................
Be seeing you

Collectors Corner

"Music makes for a quiet mind."

LP vinyl 'Gatefold' record of the early 1980's, which would have originally contained a black and white map of the village, together with an ordinance survey map of Portmeirion. A booklet about the production of the Prisoner, and a subscription leaflet to Six of One; The Prisoner Appreciation Society.

"Music says all."                                                                                                                                            

        A cd vol 1 from Silva Screen 1989

Vinyl LP record produced by Silva Screen in 1986.

"Music begins where words leave off."                                                                                                       

                                  Ron Grainer - 7" vinyl Fan Club record produced in 1979

Produced by Network DVD in 2008

                                                               cd produced by AMCtv in 2009
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Pictorial Prisoner

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Arts And Crafts

        From my "cycledelic" period you might say!

Thought For The Day

    "You're not allowed animals, it's a rule!"
                                {The maid-No.56 Dance of the Dead}

   So why no animals? Is the possibility of any form of companionship so alien to the administration behind the village?

Be seeing you

It's Inexplicable!

    An impression of mine is, that the village is run by one possible element of the government, MI something or other within British Military Intelligence. And if that is the case, why in The Chimes of Big Ben should No.2 be bothered about any embarassing questions being asked, if Fotheringay were away too long? And also, why in Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling, is the Prisoner competing against a fellow agent in Potter? And is Potter played by actor Frederick Abbott in Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling, the same Potter as played by Christopher Benjamin in the Girl Who Was Death, and likewise Potter in Danger Man's Koroshi? If so, then perhaps that's Potter the Labour Exchange Manager in Arrival, and possibly No.2's assistant during The Chimes of Big Ben. although as I understand it, when asked about this, actor Christopher Benjamin said that he was not aware that the Potter character in the Prisoner was the same as Potter in Danger Man. If he was, he said, then he would have made Potter more like the character in Danger Man. If the two Potters were not the same, then it's too much of a coincidence for me. The same actor being given the same character name!

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Caught On Camera

    This is the reality of the situation, caused by the act of the Prisoner's resignation - queuing up outside the Labour Exchange! Or at least that's what might very well have happened sooner or later, had the Prisoner not been abducted to the village. Ah, but then life in the village isn't so very different to the rest of the world, this is the Labour Exchange. And that is the Prisoner queuing up outside!
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