De-briefing The Prisoner Part Two

    And we are all Prisoner's of something, our worst nightmare, that job you hate doing so much, in that case why don't you resign? Perhaps you hate school, well there's certainly a good deal of truancy about these days! Or maybe your stuck in a loveless marriage, gambling, drugs or prostitution, prison itself maybe, and there's no escape, well perhaps only for the lucky ones. And that canopied penny farthing, what's that all in aid of so many have asked. Well with the penny farthing McGoohan was trying to show mans progress, perhaps being the time to slow down and consolidate mans achievements. And the canopy, well that's that apparently symbolises the way in which we are looked after, motor bike riders forced to wear crash helmets and cyclists for that matter, seat belts etc, etc in the NANNY that Great Britain has become. And now our parents need government Nannies to help deal with their erratic and rebellious children, whatever next?

    Personally I think that the canopied penny farthing makes a terrific logo, and that's just about it. Because when anyone who has ever heard of the Prisoner and for that people who have but don't actually like the series, when they see the canopied penny farthing they automatically think of the Prisoner.

    And we are all numbers aren't we? from your national Insurance number, driving license number, passport number, bank account number, credit card number, pin number, telephone number are just some numbers, even that number you use to cue up in certain stores. But is not your number as individual as you? Someone else might have your same name, but not your number. And for official purposes everyone must have a number.

   And what of the villages technology for the future; Cordless telephones, well today who can live without their mobile phone, if only to tell, somewhat irritatingly for other passengers, mother that they are on the bus, the wife that your on the way home, the boss to say your on the plane to new York! Non alcoholic Gin Whisky Vodka was enjoyed in the village. For some years now there have been no-alcoholic beers and wines, how much longer before non-alcoholic Gin Whisky and Vodka? And there was surveillance in the village, cameras through which the observers watched the citizens every move, microphones to pick up every conversation. And that is what we have today, but without the microphones, oh I don't know though! And in both San Francisco and Middlesborough, here in England, loudspeakers to go with the surveillance cameras, so that the observers can tell us when we are doing something wrong, and perhaps soon the flavour of the day ice cream! Oh don't forget the villages credit card system, America had the "Diners Club" card but you had to put money on that first before you could use it, a bit like the Village credit card in fact. Here in Britain Barclay had just issued their credit card.

    And then there's this "pay as you go" a tracker planned to be placed in every car, van, lorry in the country. Okay good if you have your vehicle stolen, not so good if you are planning any kind of blag! But then they'll be able to see where you are, and where you have been via the tracker to be fitted in your vehicle. the village has arrived, or at least if it isn't its surely on its way and there's nothing you can do about it!

   And the citizens enjoyed the regular brass band concerts, this together with "piped" music through both the public address system and in cottages through speakers which you could not turn off! Piped music which played and heard long enough, can get on ones nerves, such as piped music we hear played in some Supermarkets.

    The Prisoner has been compared to Kafka’s The Trial, Orwell’s 1984 and other such works, both in literature and film. The Prisoner, The Manchurian Candidate, with influences from The Prisoner of Zenda. Yes there are some similarities with some, especially with Kafka as The Trial has Joseph K is arrested and doesn't know why, or by whom. But that is as far as it goes, certain aspects of various literature, or from film. The prisoner has ideas and concepts which coincide with facets of other works, and yet stands alone and by its own merits.

    And then there is the very growing dependence upon computers. In Arrival the Prisoner is given a medical after his encounter with the Village Guardian. The doctor checks the Prisoner's heart, but for a full diagnosis he taps in a code on a key pad and waits for a computer card to be issued from the computer "There you are, you're absolutely fit!" They'll want their own Trade Union next as No.2 prompted in It's Your Funeral when the machines refused to give an apraisal of their own efficiences! Man has an every growing dependence on technology, which might one day turn out to be his Achilles heel!

I'll be seeing you