Friday, 29 July 2011
Thought For The Day
Why is it that books written on the subject of the Prisoner contain so many blatent errors? I suppose it all boils down to research, and the amount of research carried out. Here's a prime example. Here in the United Kingdom in 2004 there appeared a part-work publication for the Prisoner produced by De Agostini, you may have heard of it, you may have spent a great deal of money in collecting the part-work. In the part-work section for Free For All there is a piece regarding the phrase used by No.6 Playing it according to Hoyle? And No.2 states All cards on the table, you may rely on that. The two Prisoner consultants, Hearne and Fairclough, who helped on the part-work attributed the phrase used by No.6 to Fred Hoyle, and that was their mistake. Because using the phrase Playing it according to Hoyle No.6 is referring to Edmond Hoyle {1672-1769} an English writer who codified the rules of whist in his book 'A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist' {1742] and in successive editions of the book, he added new material, rules on other card games, and games in general including Backgammon. Hoyle wrote several other books, and According to Hoyle, has come to mean 'by the highest authority.' Fred Hoyle, a British Astronomer, has nothing to do with it! BcNu
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That's an arcane error, but there are far more serious ones. Fairclough's much-vaunted later books make the claim that 'The Prisoner' production was *cancelled* suddenly, but this is patently untrue because there are newspaper items from as early as July of 1966 stating that McGoohan was only going to make four more episodes. Fall Out wasn't produced until December or so of that year.
ReplyDelete"one of the first published prisoner books was this French one and the authors were even able to obtain interview time with Patrick McGoohan, which is more than any of the English-language book ever managed to obtain. In 1977, Patrick McGoohan had made it very clear (in his TV interview with Warner Troyer) that he had intended to make and did make 17 episodes of his show. By 1989 however, the Prisoner fans had re-written this history to suit their own version of the past.............. The main contention of prisoner fan books concerns the reasons for number of episodes being 17 and the quote from the French book is typical of them. They have derived a notion that because a block of 13 episodes formed the first part of the production process that there was an intention to have a further 13 and perhaps even another 13 after that. McGoohan, in 1977, had told them his truth, but as was typical of the cult fans, they simply did not believe him."
http://numbersixwasinnocent.blogspot.com/2009/09/mcgoohan-on-my-mind-number-of-beast-or.html
There's my over-excitement again.. :-D... I meant July of 1967 of course. Errors so easily slip in huh?... :-D
ReplyDeleteHello Moor Larkin,
ReplyDeleteI don't know about any sudden cancellation of 'the Prisoner,' but surely the writing must have been on the wall at some point. As I understand it, Lew Grade originally wanted 26 or even 36 episodes for 'the Prisoner' series, this in order to help sell the series to American television networks. But of course what Grade got in the end was a mere 17 episodes.
I don't for one moment think that the production of 'the Prisoner' would have stretched anyhwere close to 26 episosdes let alone 36, it is clear to me that they were pushing it with 17 episodes. The production was running out of money. Lew Grade was not prepared to put any more funds into the series. The Production crew were putting their own wages into the final few episodes, and Patrick put his earnings from his work on 'Ice Station Zebra' into the production of the final few episodes, this from interviews with people who worked on the production. What's more ideas for episodes were thin on the ground towards the end. Besides all that, McGoohan was driving himself into the ground - drinking and smoking more and more. And by the time of 'Fall Out' McGoohan had worn himself out. It doesn't matter what Lew Grade wanted originally from 'the Prisoner, ' I personally think they were lucky to squeeze 17 episodes out of it, and even then might have been 3 or 4 episodes too many! Lew Grade might not have pulled the plug on the production of 'the Prisoner' prematurely, but he certainly stopped the flow of funds for the project, which would be tantermount to the same thing!
As for the French book on 'the Prisoner' published in the 1980's, it has to be said that the French fan base had a very good relationship with Patrick McGoohan, especially Patrick Ducher, editor of a 'Prisoner' based magazine 'Le Rodeur,' who was in regular contact with Patrick McGoohan during the 1980's into the 90's.
Regards
David
BCNU
@ it has to be said that the French fan base had a very good relationship with Patrick McGoohan @
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you're right, but perhaps he was always too trusting. La Fraternité seem to have been just as viperish as le rosbeefs..... :-D
This passage, from the 1989 French book is fairly typical of the cult-fan version of the events:
“A year after going into production only 13 episodes had been made (whereas Man in a Suitcase had completed 30 episodes in an equivalent period). Moreover rumours about McGoohan’s erratic attitude were beginning to circulate. Four more episodes were ordered in a desperate attempt to make the series saleable”
http://numbersixwasinnocent.blogspot.com/2009/09/mcgoohan-on-my-mind-number-of-beast-or.html
Given that series was long sold to the USA before it even entered production, what they write is hogwash as well.
Hello Moor Larkin,
ReplyDeleteYes indeed, I am perfectly right about the relationship between the French fan base for 'The Prisoner' and Patrick McGoohan, having had a little contact with some of them myself, although not being directly involved with. In fact there were times when the french fans met on a social level with Patrick McGoohan.
I'm sure McGoohan was not that trusting. For example, even though being the Honorary President for Six of One: The Prisoner Appreciation Society for many years, he never once attended their annual 'Prisoner' convention held at Portmeirion, despite being invited each year and a room booked in the hotel in his name, and I don't blame him for not doing so. I had never met Patrick McGoohan, but I know some fans who have, and those who would have loved to have done, and 'they' would have been all over the man. Me - I would have kept my distance, which I'm sure McGoohan would have appreciated.
Regarding the French book on 'the Prisoner' by Alain Carraze and Helene Oswald has a section missing from page 221? This obviously happened during the editing and printing stages. When I first purchased a copy of the book, I thoroughly enjoyed it, because at the time I had so little information/material about 'the Prisoner.'
Regards
David
BCNU