You may have read in a recent blog, my writing about the Prisoner episode Living In Harmony having been censored in America for the series first screening there between 1968-69, because of it's subversive message of not carrying a gun, and refusing to kill, this at the time of the Vietman war. Well this was a belief which was rife at the time with the fan club for the Prisoner, and indeed documented in The Official Prisoner Companion book by Matthew White & Jaffer Ali in 1988.
The reason for my belief, and that of my contemporaries of the day was because we had no reason to question it, and there was no Internet at the time. Indeed one of the fan clubs co-ordinators held the belief most strongly, as being the truth of the matter. What's more, there was no contradiction by American members of the fan club at the time. No-one to say 'That's wrong. Of course Living In Harmony was screened as part of the series. The censorship story is a myth.'
The question of the censorship of Living In Harmony was commented upon a day or so ago, by someone who wishes to remain anonymous, but who states, and I quote from his comment: 'The Prisoner was shown in the Fall of 1969 and including 'Living In Harmony' {uncut} in November of that year in syndication on many of the CBS affiliates just 60 days after the CBS network broadcast. 'The Prisoner' and 'Living In Harmony' was broadcast thoughout the entire Vietnam period and all through the 1970's in the US.'
I am obliged to Mister Anonymous for laying to rest a long-time ghost, and apparently proven myth of the 1980's. You see it's not just a matter of questions being a burden to others, for me, answers make a prison for onself! I'll be seeing you
@one of the fan clubs co-ordinators held the belief most strongly, as being the truth of the matter@
ReplyDeletePeople do like to follow a leader.
The myth is also popularised on an American-produced video-tape, which seems really bizarre. It was that video that prompted McGoohan to say: "We were talking about the seven episodes which form the true basis of The Prisoner. Well, they picked their seven, but they're not my seven. They claim they're mine, but they're not. Everything they claimed that I said, apart from two things, is inaccurate"
which comment rather begs that you question one or two more things that hold you dearly in your prison cell. Good Luck.
Hello Moor Larkin,
ReplyDelete'People do like to follow a leader'
Well perhaps that was the case for me in the past, but I resigned, no, I walked out on that particular fan club, so to breathe the air of freedom. I hadn't realised how styfling 6of1 had become!
There are many popular myths about 'the Prisoner, but isn't that half the fun? It is very odd indeed that someone should go to all the trouble to make up such a myth noted in my original post. It might very well be a myth reagrding McG's seven episodes, that he would have seven episodes and throw the rest away, and if he had I wouldn't blame him. 'Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling,' 'Living In Harmont,' 'The Girl Who Was Death' could be ousted from the series. Then perhaps some of the lesser episodes, those which are made on the cheap, with the use of large painted back-drops of Portmeirion, and sets made to have the look and feel of the Village,not to mention the much used stock footage from earlier episodes in 'A Change of Mind, It's Your Funeral,' which according to legend, are but filler episodes. Certainly more time, effort and money was put into the earlier episodes than those featured later in the series. I don't know about Patrick McGoohan, whether or not the story of him keeping seven epsiodes and throwing the rest away, is true or not. But my list of seven would look like this;
Arrival
The Chimes of Big Ben
Free For All
Dance of the dead
Checkmate
Once Upon A Time
Fall Out, but only on the grounds that it's supposed to be the conclusion to 'the Prisoner,' but rather could have been why the Prisoner resigned in the first place!
Regards
David
BCNU
Hello David
ReplyDeleteYou might find this amusing. If you take the Canadian broadcast order, of 13 episodes, which ended (climaxed) with The Chimes of Big Ben you might have a very nice little version of 'The Prisoner'. That would look like this:
Arrival
A.B.& C.
Free For All
Dance of the dead
Checkmate
Once Upon A Time
The Chimes of Big Ben
All that would be needed was to edit in the scenes of Leo McKern's No.2 restored to life and use some of the dialog from Do Not Forsake Me about the ability of The Village to erase memories and neither No.6 or No.2 would know they were both doomed to some eternal struggle with each other and even death was no release.
There is a Canadian TV critic who felt the series should have stopped with The Chimes of Big Ben in order to have created a classic.
Sincerely
Mr. Anonymous
P.S. I am glad you feel liberated from the Harmony myth ... enjoy the freedom.
Hello Mister Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI did indeed find the content of your recent comment most amusing, and intriguing. Certainly with the above Canadian screening list seeing 'Once Upon A Time' having been placed before 'The Chimes of Big Ben,' with No.2 having died in the one and then seen alive and well in the other, must have been completely puzzling if viewed for the first time.
I liked your idea of having to edit the scenes of No.2 {Leo McKern} having been restored to life, along with some dialogue from 'Do Not Forsake Me.......' most imaginative I have to say. Along with both No.6 and No.2 doomed to some eternal struggle with each other....there's got to be a short story based on that thought...isn't there?
Finishing the series with 'The Chimes of Big Ben' - quite radical thinking from a Canadian TV critic.....this is new to me.
Regards
Dave
BCNU
I watched 17 episodes in the 60's and, for me, Fall Out was a perfect climax to this extraordinary television series!With repeated viewings I've come to feel that there were no fillers. All episodes played their part, had their 'mood'and contributed to the overall arc of the story that left this viewer more and more haunted by No 6's plight (both exoterically and esoterically)and satisfied with the whole body of work! You either get it or you won't get it!
ReplyDeleteHello Yaremus,
ReplyDeleteI have thought 'Fall Out' to be to most logical ending to the series. I have also come to think that 'Fall Out' could be where the series actually commences. And because of the events of 'Fall Out' the Prisoner goes off to hand in his letter of resignation. The end of 'Fall Out' being the start of 'Arrival.'
'The Prisoner' nothing more than a vicious circle from which there is no escape for No.6, who is doomed to play out the act of his resignation, and subsequent abduction to the Village over and over again.
No fillers eh? Well you have to admit that the later episodes of 'the Prisoner' were not made to the high standard as the earlier episodes, the exotic location of Portmeirion itself does not feature in the later episodes, except via the use of huge painted back-drops, sets, and stock-film footage. But they are what they are, no matter what has been said about them. They do play their part in the series, why should they not? In setting the mood, contributing to the plight of No.6, holding both No.6 and the viewer Prisoner.
Regards
David
BCNU