Portrait Of The Prisoner

Artwork and copyright   Philippe Cottarel of 'The Penny Farthing Project.'

Postcard From The Village

    There have been times when I've stayed at Portmeirion, in stormy weather, when it's rained so hard, for so long, that the streets have become rivers! But when the rain stops, the storm passes, the whole Village looks fresh and renewed.
   What's more I once made it over the the Island in the middle of the estuary. I was staying here in in July one year, several years ago now, and the tide hadn't turned for the whole week, which made it possible to walk out on the sand for almost as far as the eye could see, it was marvellous.

Be seeing you

It's Inexplicable!

    I can see Number 6 buying a copy of The Tally Ho newspaper everyday, and possibly feeling sorry for a particular citizen, a bag of sweets for her. But surely the daily activity of Number 6 is wrong! Does he really buy a bar of soap every day?
    The Tally Ho newspaper....it's a Village newspaper issued daily at noon. Now we know that issues have carried leader stories on No.6 speaking his mind during the elections, and when No.2 called for an increase in vigilance, and when Number 6 was posted Unmutual. But really, is there enough news created in the Village to warrant a "daily" newspaper?"

Be seeing you

Thought For The Day

    I wonder how No.60 felt the day after 'Hammer Into Anvil,' when he was demoted from Supervisor when No.28 was reinstated as such?
   Mind you there isn't the calm, self-controlled authority about the Supervisor-No.60, as there is about No.28 who never panics.
BCNU

The Therapy Zone

Not All Penny Farthings Are So Formed!

    This is the completed penny farthing of the end credits of the Prisoner, although this is not an example of all the 17 penny farthings seen at the end of each episode. For example all begin with the spinning farthing wheel, and then slowly the penny farthing is built up section by section. frame and forks, white canopy with a quarter wheel section, the canopy colouring. Two more quarter wheel sections, the handlebars, gaining the wheel hub and pedals and finally the rear canopy supports, arriving at the completed penny farthing you see in the above picture.

    However this is not the whole story, because there are certain end credits of episodes which do not enjoy the above picture, and those that go beyond! ‘Arrival’ and ‘Once Upon A Time’ for example sees the frame and canopy disappear to leave only the penny and farthing wheels. ‘The Chimes of Big Ben’ does not received the rear canopy supports, yet the remaining episodes ‘Free For All’ through to ‘Fall Out’ sees the completed canopied penny farthing as pictured above. I can only imagine the fact that with Arrival that both canopy and frame disappear has something to do with ‘the alternative Chimes of Big Ben’ where in the end credits both frame and canopy disappear, the penny and farthing wheels spin and turn into the planet earth and solar system and finally the word POP appears. Perhaps this was the intended end for all the episodes. As for the missing rear canopy supports in the end credits of ‘The Chimes of Big Ben,’ I can only suggest that there is a missing frame of film which would account for that.

    Somewhat of a trivial topic perhaps, but an interesting one when you consider the end credits of ‘the alternative Chimes of Big Ben,’ and what might have been if that episode had stood as it was originally intended.

Double Night Time, Double Night Time.

    No.2 suddenly bursts into the control room during ‘Once Upon A Time’ "Decree absolute..... you're under orders" No.2 snaps descending the steps of the gantry, down to the control room floor.

    "What period?" asks the supervisor.

    "One week!" No.2 responds

    It seems that it has to be an emergency, the supervisor wants to check.

   "You check NOTHING!" No.2 growls as he patrols the control room floor.   

   "Release all subsidiary personnel"

   "First shift, early release" the supervisor orders "Time sheets as normal. Double night time, double night time."

    What remains a puzzlement is this. Does "double night time" refer to double time as in pay together with the reference to time sheets as being normal. Mind you one doesn't think of those working in the village as actually getting paid. If its work units they get paid in, then they don't!

      Yet somehow it feels that  there is possibly another interpretation to do with "double summer time" during the wartime years. This so that farmers would have longer daylight hours to work the farms. The latter is improbable, but then anything is possible in the village.

BCNU

Cartoon Capers

Copyright Steve Matt.

Sadly this is the final installment of this particular cartoon strip. And sadly we come to the final posting of Steve's Matt's cartoon strips, which I have to say has been thoroughly enjoyable for me, and I hope you the reader. Should I discover some forgotten work by Steve in my archive, then I shall be more than happy to post it here, just as long as it has 'Prisoner' conotations of course.

Be seeing you

Thought For The Day

   

    As we discovered in Fall Out No.1 turned out to be the alter ego of No.6 all the time. A Mr Hyde to No.6's Dr. Jekyll, if you prefer. There is good and evil in all of us, and we cannot live without either, remove the evil other self and we are the weaker for it. The evil side helps us make those difficult decisions we might prefer not to have to make. And the good, to keep in check that side of us which would do evil to others, well that's the principle of the idea, it doesn't always work as history has proved, it is so easy to give into our "darker side."

    But what about those masks worn by No.1 which No.6 had to remove to reveal the face behind the mask, the mad, cackling face of No.1. The black and white mask could be representative of those faceless men, as of the members of the assembly seen during Fall Out, who are supposed to govern us so wisely! The ape mask, a form of representative regression, or was No.1 simply monkeying around?

    So if No.1 was No.6 all the time, then No.2 must surely have been aware of this. After all No.2 spoke to No.1 on the telephone often enough. And that brings us nicely to that moment during Hammer Into Anvil when the broken No.2 begs No.6, who he sees to be a "plant" sent to spy on him and the village, not to report him. "I don't intend to. You are going to report yourself." But had No.6 taken the opportunity afforded to him to actually speak with No.1, then who's voice would he hear? Presumably his own, but then the secret of who No.1 was, would be revealed, if at that time McGoohan knew who No.1 was, which I seriously doubt. Because even by the time of Fall Out no one knew who No.1 would turn out to be, least of all Patrick McGoohan. Some of the production crew thought it would turn out to be Lew Grade, Sir Lew Grade as in later years he became. And why should any of the prodution crew think Lew Grade would turn out to be No.1? Well because he controlled ATV, and no ITC television series was made without Lew's say so. He did the deals, everyone at the time wanted to work for Lew Grade....... but as we know that is not how things turned out inside the control room of that rocket. It was infact No.6 alter ego who was No.1, his alter ego, his evil side which he was trying to beat, or at least subdue!

BCNU

Village Life

   After his taxi ride, the Prisoner, on the morning of his arrival, goes into the General Store to purchase a map of the area. The Shopkeeper-No.19 is busy serving a customer, to whom he is speaking in some incomprehensible language. The moment the Shopkeeper see's his next customer, he immediately stops taking in a foreign language, and starts speaking to the woman in English "Would you help yourself to a pineapple madam," Why? Does he think his next customer will understand what he's saying, or is it for the Prisoner's benefit that he suddenly speaks English? And what language might it be? It's certainly not French, it might very well be some made up jibberish made to sound like a language.

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Caught On Camera

   The following image comes from The Times newspaper Saturday April 28th 2012.

  The sea-going raft constructed by Number 6 in 'Many happy Returns,' was described as being a Kon-Tiki type raft. The one above having set sail with six Scandinavian scientists aboard in 1947. Weighing 15-tons with a length of 50ft and 20ft width, compete with a cabin. She is much larger than that constructed by Number 6, yet I can see a similarity between the two.

  Looking at Number6's Kon-Tiki type raft, he certainly could have done with some form of shelter.
Be seeing you

The Therapy Zone

 The World Film Premier Of The Prisoner

    In 1967 The Prisoner enjoyed a premier in Canada before receiving its premier screening here in Great Britain, although it can be said of the Prisoner that is received its World Premier in Wales. To be more accurate in the Town of Portmadog in Gwynedd, North Wales, screened at the Coliseum Cinema therein.

    The 'Rushes', deveolped and untitled film of  the Prisoner shot on the previous day at Portmeirion were then screened at the Coliseum Cinema in the nearby Town of Portmadog. This allowed the production team to judge their early footage, the silent footage of which was screened by the Coliseum projectionist Bob Piercy every night, including weekends, throughout the four week period. And Bob Piercy would again be employed to screen the 'Rushes' when the film crew paid their second visit to Portmeirion.

   The film crew would sit in the front stalls, joined sometimes by local extras who had appeared in the filming. Each day's filming was usually in the region of 5 to 8 minutes long. When it was finished it was sometime run again, and members of the film crew would watch it seven or eight times, which took anywhere between 15 minutes to 2 hours. Screening of the 'Rushes' began about 10pm, which sometimes meant that the cinema would not be vacated until around midnight. Patrick McGoohan would sometimes nip out to the public house and would take little Angelo Muscat-the butler, up to the projection room and ask if he could be left there. And Angelo would sit in a high chair looking out through the projection hole at the film.

   The highlight for projectionist Bob Piercy, was when Sir Clough Williams-Ellis the architect and owner of Portmeirion, organised a preview of Arrival. Although the Coliseum only had a six day licence, and was not officially allowed to show films on a Sunday, they went ahead and did so anyway. This was without too much concern, as the Chief Constable of Caernarfon was one of the invited guests! It was a great success for Bob Piercy, and it was confirmed that this was the first showing of the Prisoner anywhere. Indeed there was a note on the film canister saying something of like "Don't scratch this print as it is the only copy." Projectionist Bob Piercy had to clean the projector first and put Vaseline on all the moving parts.

   As a footnote, many locals were employed as film extras for the Prisoner, one of whom was employed to retrieve the white balloons of the village guardian when they went astray. Projectionist Bob Piercy's son was employed as a double for Patrick McGoohan.

Be seeing you

This Week I Am Mostly Watching

THEPRIS6NER-09 'SCHIZOID'

  In the Village Store, which has everything for your needs, just so long as its a Village map you wish to buy! 37927 enjoys a cigarette with Un-Two. The cigarettes are illicit, sold from under the counter, which is curious, as many shops here in the UK now having to sell cigarettes from under the counter, and not allowed to be seen on display.
   After Un-Two has left the Village Shop 37927 telephones the Clinc to report Un-Two, just as in the original series after No.6 has left the General store in 'Hammer Into Anvil,' the shopkeeper reports No.6 in the same sneaky way to Number 2.
   'Schizoid' is all about doubles, or the alter ego of Six, being two-times-Six. Two hasn't a double, that's simply Two playing the role of Un-Two, yet Two imperosnators, are, according to Two, a danger to the Village, and in the end 37927 is accused of being a Two impersonator, and is taken off to the Clinic for treatment, plus he's wearing the old school scarf. Two never wears the old school scarf, not in this series anyway.
   Two-times-Six wants to kill Two in revenge for the death of 4-15 in the previous episode. But isn't that how Six feels, so it must be Six who wants to kill Two.
   Are there in fact two Six's in the Village? Has Two discoverd a way of splitting the human psyche? Because even though at times Six seems to be struggling with his inner-self, at other times there is the physical presence of two-times-Six, 147, 313, and Two has seen two-times-Six!
    Two has some wonderful lines in this series.

    "Impersonating Two is an act of treason. In the event of a Two impersonator arising, you must seek him out and apprehend him. This man may look like Two, but you will know that he is not Two, becasue he is not Two. He may appear in the Village in a dishevelled state, which has resemblances to Two. He may claim to be Two, but he is not, and he must be treated as who he is, which is someone who is not Two. He is a danger to the Village."

    Also when Two and his body guards go to the 'Go-Inside' bar, he pays tribute to the original series, by looking up at a Penny Farthing bicycle suspended from the ceiling, a nice touch I thought.
   Poor old 11-12, he is desperate to go to the 'other place,' but that is only possible for the people who exist there, and who are brought to the Village. For those like 11-12, born of the Village, there can never be anything other than the Village, as 11-12 does not physically exist.

Remember, Village is best for us.

"MAGIC NUMBER SIX"

    "MAGIC NUMBER SIX" is a debut stage play by Paul Gosling, which will receive its premier at the Little Theatre Studio in Leicester on Thursday November 1st 2012 and will be performed again on Saturday November 3rd 2012.

   Tickets will be available from the Theatre Box Office

   More details will follow when I receive them.

BCNU

Arts And Crafts

This is from my 'Landscape' period, and a more desolate landscape you are unlikely to find!

BcNu

Collectors Corner

  Rememebr this record, which was produced in 1986 by Bam Caruso and through Six of One: The Prisoner Appreciation Society, perhaps you have the LP, and or its predecessor with the gatefold front cover. Well I was trawling ebay yesterday afternoon, at the end of a very productive day, and I came across this item.

THE PRISONER PATRICK MCGOOHAN C.T.S STUDIOS REELS FOR "THE PRISONER" THEMES 1986
    You are bidding on two C.T.S Studios reels for "The Prisoner" TV series themes starring Patrick Mcgoohan,plus "The Prisoner" original soundtrack music LP.
    Both reels are boxed,on front of both boxes are marked 'Dolby Copy',dated 27-1-86.
   Sides 1 & 2,
    Client : Bam Caruso Records
    The Prisoner,12 inch LP
    Cat No. KIRI 066
    Mono
    (P) 1986 Bam-Caruso Records
    Both reels and LP are in excellent condition and in good working order.

    
Valued at £50 

   In years gone by, I would have placed a bid for this item, even though I have no actual machine to play the tapes on.

Be seeing you

The Therapy Zone

 Allegorically Speaking

    I never have like that word allegorical. Using it means one can get away with a multitude of things which can mean absolutely anything at all, which means that no positive conclusion can be gained.

    However in this instance I find that I have to swallow the pill, bite the bullet, and whilst taking courage actually use the word allegorical. This in the way No.1 runs the village, having got the better of his alter ego No.6 who rejects the village. Rejects the offer of ultimate power. Rejects his future as a Prisoner, as seen in the crystal ball handed to him by his alter ego, the No.1.

    So there is a violent and bloody revolution, and the Prisoner escapes with three confederates, eventually to arrive back in London. But is seems that the Prisoner cannot help himself, because as he slips behind the wheel of his Lotus Seven, he drives off and it all begins all over again PRISONER is the single word seen on the screen. It seems that you may change your name, Number Six could be considered to be a name, you can change your past, but what you cannot change is what goes on inside your head! And in that lies the Prisoner’s problem. What goes on inside your head is what helps make you what you are today, and there's no getting away from it, as the Prisoner discovered!

 The Prisoner - 17 or 26 Episodes?

    The good thing about Danger man was the quality of both its scripts and scriptwriters, the story lines and production quality. But all of that is difficult to maintain if the quality of the story lines begins to deteriorate, which it in fact was the case towards the end, and that is why Patrick McGoohan resigned! Feeling that the story quality was no longer as it had once been. Well the quality had been maintained over three seasons and some 86 episodes, both 25 and 50 minutes in length. And after such a time, a determination in script material was only to be expected sooner or later.

    And so it was with ‘the Prisoner,’ 17 episodes which began, the majority filmed as though each individual episode was a film, so much went into the first 7 or 8 episodes. With strong scripts, but which began to suffer and tail off with some of the latter episodes, with the likes of ‘A Change of Mind,’ ‘Its Your Funeral,’ and ‘The Girl Who Was Death.’ So I cannot see how the original figure of 26 episodes could have been achieved, and neither could those working on the series themselves see this, not as well as having to maintain the quality of the storylines and scripts. These were already suffering at the figure of 17.

   Yet there was a couple of Prisoner scripts which remained unused, one written by Moris Farhi entitled ‘The Outsider’ and ‘Don't Get Yourself Killed’ written by Gerald Kelsey, neither of which were thought quite good enough to make it as episodes of The Prisoner. Both these scripts we shall take a closer look at another time, for there was also two synopsis written for two further episodes both written by Eric Mival Ticket To Eternity and Friend Or Foe?

   Ticket To Eternity involved religion, and No.6 being tricked into thinking he's travelled in time with No.2, but it proved ultimately too far fetched.

    Friend Or Foe featured the adventures of "a Negro called Mike "X", a passionate militant, it's in astonishingly poor taste considering that Malcom X  had been assassinated just two years earlier. The storyline actually involves Mike "X" faking his death along with No.6. In the event it turned out that Mike X really did die, and the man trying to get secrets out of No.6 when they've both escaped is a villager. No.6 realises he's been tricked by noticing some white skin under "Mike's" rubber mask. As bizarre as such escapades seem today, one notable element is that the escapees were able to get on the main road to London from the village, which could indicate that the concept behind ‘Fall Out’ may have been planned earlier than expected.

   Also too, that to actually ask members of the production crew to put forward their own synopsis and ideas for storylines, demonstrated the level of desperation which was creeping into the production at that stage. Eric Mivel was the music editor on the Prisoner.

Be seeing you

Cartoon Capers

As it says, to be continued

Copyright Steve Matt.

BCNU

This Week I Am Mostly Listening to........

And really this also counts as a 'Collectors Corner.'

I bet this is one item you haven't got this in your collection. In fact neither had I until a few years ago when a friend sent it to me, not on long playing record, but a compact disc.

Be seeing you

Teabreak Teaser

    If Portmieiron had not been available for the filming of 'the Prisoner,' ie if Clough Williams-Ellis had refused permission to film there, where was the second choice location for the Village?

BcNu

Caught On Camera

   Here we see Number 6 getting a free ride home after being discharged from the hospital in 'Arrival,' and on his way back to the Village. "Just a minute. Shouldn't we have taken a right turn back there?" Of course you should Number Six.

   Because here we see the hospital left behind, as the taxi is driven away from the Village. But it doesn't matter, as all roads lead the the Village.....eventually. There is no chance of reaching Minffordd or Portmadog.
   Having said that, when 'the Prisoner' was being filmed in Portmeirion in September 1966, some of the Village taxis were driven by Portmeirion hotel porters, ferrying guests to and from the railway station at Minffordd. That way it looked as though citizens in the Village were being ferried around the Village, when it was actually guests staying or leaving Portmeirion, and so filming was not interupted by the everyday working of Portmeirion.

Be seeing you

A Light, A Boat, A Plane..... Someone From My World

    It appears that No.6 was expecting someone during, or a sign of some kind, people from his world. This resulting from the message he heard on that radio he was listening to on the outlook on top of the cliffs in ‘Dance of the Dead.’

    Of course No.6 gained that radio from finding that body washed up on the shore, that through spending the night on the beach. But eventually he went home, as there's no other place he can go. It seems that No.2 allows No.6 to get away with some things, I suppose that is born out of the fact that there is no escape, and that he must return home to his cottage sooner or later. Anyway they know where he is, and there was no harm he could possibly do spending a night on the beach.

    Not like that time when No.6 followed the doctor-No.14 in ‘A B & C’ to that laboratory somewhere in the woods. He actually gained entry without being observed, checked out what was happening, figured out that third and final syringe, diluted the solution therein and departed without leaving a trace of him ever being there. So was it the water which was drugged, or was No.6 feigning it? If he was, that means he wasn't unconscious at all on that third occasion when he was taken the that laboratory. And the doctor, surely she would have detected that No.6 was conscious lying on that operating table. So it was the water after which had been drugged. But due to the diluted solution of the third syringe No.6 was able to manipulate his own dream, "Its dreamy, this is a dreamy party!"

    But he really was going on holiday, those important papers being nothing more than various travel brochures. there was no indication of exactly where he was going on holiday, Italy, France or Greece were three such possibilities.

   But of course this is purely incidental to the matter in hand, in that No.6 is allowed to get away with things "Don't worry my dear" No.2 began at hearing the report that the observer-No.240 who couldn't find No,6 "Its will test our affiances."

  Is that what No.6 could have been doing in those escape attempts of his? And what about those dependable men he recruited in ‘Checkmate,’ but then they were put back on the chessboard. The Shopkeeper certainly got his back up when No.6 asked to inspect his books "They've never been inspected before!" "Always a first time, isn't here!" No,6 tells him with authority.

    So why hadn't the shopkeepers books been inspected before? Perhaps the General Store accounts didn't really  mean anything. After all everything sold there was on account, on credit if you prefer. But the strange thing is there is a till on the counter, perhaps this to keep the clippings he had taken from customers credit cards. this in the same way that 'ration cards' and coupons were clipped for their points during the war, and for a time after. Into the early to mid 1950's in fact when things were still on ration.

BCNU

The Therapy Zone

Death By Any Other Name.......

........ Would Be Only Half As Beautiful.

    The episode of ‘The Girl Who Was Death’ is thought by some to be an unused ‘Danger Man’ script, well certainly there are certain connecting entities between ‘Danger Man’ and ‘the Prisoner. The first being Patrick McGoohan as John Drake, and then there's Potter, Drake's contact man in some episodes of ‘Danger Man’ and now during the episode ‘The Girl Who Was Death.’ And there's one other defining moment, and that is when Potter sends his contact, Mr. X, to the Magnum Record Store where the Chief will speak to him there. In the ‘Danger Man’ episode Koroshi, Drake meets with his contact man, Potter, in a record shop! Not conclusive you might think, but compelling nonetheless for that, oh and there's also a connection with early episodes of Mission Impossible, in the way Drake receives his instructions from the Chief via LP record.

    ‘The Girl who's name is Death,’ is very beautiful and extremely deadly, well for Colonel Hawke-Englishe she is. Death by exploding cricket ball, and just one run short of his century! However she soon meets her match in Mr. X, who thwarts her murder attempts at every turn, exploding cricket ball and all. Even when taking a Turkish bath Mr. X is not safe, with or without his clothes on. Oh and that scene where Mr. X is trapped in a steam box by the girl, using the handle of a brush..... now where do you think you have seen that particular scene before?.... Could it possibly have been in a James Bond film?

   Then the girl tries to poison Mr. X, but to be fair she does give him warning via the etched message on the bottom of his glass, and that trick's been used once before;

     You

     Have

      Just

     Been

   Poisoned

    Very sporting of the girl, don't you think? But not satisfied in trying to kill Mr. X herself, the girl tries to get someone to do it for her, none other than the Polish Giant Killer Kaminski! then in the Tunnel of Love the planted bomb in the transistor radio fails, and in the car chase the girl could have finished Mr. X on the road, but she lets him off. why, because the girl is going to do him the honour of letting him die superbly, he'll make a beautiful corpse!

    Then comes the Butchers, the Bakers and the Candlestick makers, death by machine gun trap - electrified spikes hidden under the floor - Mines - and finally poisoned candles, a cyanide derivative mixed with the wax. as the candle burns it gives off cyanide gas, and the room's completely air tight! Ah, but there is also an explosive element to the candles, snuffed out.... they explode, which is lucky for Mr. X, otherwise it would really have been curtains for him.

    But this is an absurd story, too silly to be given credence. A girl who is trying to kill an adversary and failing at every opportunity. then there's her father Professor Schnipps, he's built a rocket, a rocket concealed inside a lighthouse no less, which will wipe London off the face of the earth. Then as a reward he offers his daughter, who's mother was Josephine, and her father who thinks he's Napoleon, well don't all mad people think they are Napoleon? Well he offers his daughter Bond Street, and his men, all French military Marshals, Chelsea Barracks, and Wembley football stadium. this after the rocket has impacted on London, wiping it off the face of the earth, he's as mad as a hatter. And his men as equally incompetent and inept has Schnipp's is!

    So there is really everything in the Prisoner, and that includes humour with ‘The Girl Who Was Death,’ and humour as we know is the very essence of a democratic society. I mean what terrorist would worry about not having turned the gas off, when the countdown is counting down the final seconds to launching the rocket-lighthouse on its way to obliterate London! Its all absurdly stupid, and at the same time great fun and terrific entertainment. And if you think about it a story line worthy of The Avengers, wouldn't you say?

   And with regard to episodes, you might recall the ITC series ‘Man In A Suitcase’ starring Richard Bradford, as I understand it many of those episodes are actually unused Danger Man scripts. But back to ‘The Girl Who Was Death,’ of course it all ends well in the end, with rifles that backfire, and reversed German hand grenades. The rocket-lighthouse explodes before it gets the chance to lift off. Death and her father, with all his men go up with the explosion, as Mr. X speeds away aboard the boat. And in any case it's all been simply a fairy story told to the children in the nursery by No.6, and to No.2 and No.10 in his office of the Green Dome, but a fairy story from a previous experience, well that could be, as they say, another story.

    As a foot note, you will no doubt have seen in the credits of ‘The Girl Who Was Death’ episode the name of Sonia, a name not actually used in the episode itself!

Be seeing you next time.

A Favourite Moment in The Prisoner

    "Ah you react!" {Number 2 Hammer Into Anvil} Well I ask you, who wouldn't? It would take superhuman willpower to have a negative reaction to pain. Just a minute, isn't that what the doctor-Number22 said in her report on Number 6 'Checkmate?' It would seem that that diagnosis of Number 6 has gone by the board by the time of 'Hammer Into Anvil.'
   Number 2, Patrick Cargill, sticks the point of the blade of his sword to the forehead of Number 6, in fact the point of the blade leaves an indentation. You can see in the Prisoner's eyes that there is going to be payback for this.
   I have often wondered why Number 2 felt the need to have such a weapon as a swordstick, or in this case a shootingstick sword, and how he actually smuggled it into the Village undetected?
   Footnote: I wonder how Pat McGoohan felt about Patrick Cargill prodding him so hard?

Be seeing you

The Prisoner Question Time

The Prisoner "What's the name of this place?"
Man in the Bell Tower "What, the Village?"
    "Yes."
    "The Village."
   "That's right."
   "The Village."
   "Yes where is this place?"
   "The Village?"
   "Yes, look why don't you come down?"
   "Oh I couldn't do that."
   "What are you doing up there?"
   "I think that's my business. Who are you to go about asking questions?"
   "Look, can you tell me where I am?"
   "In the Village."
   "The Village?"
   "Yes, that's right."
   "Where is this place?"
   "The Village."
   "Yes that's right, oh don't lets start that all over again. Look I'll come up to you."
   "Why would you want to be doing that?"
   "Because I'm getting a kink in my neck looking up to you."
   "Well it's certainly more fun looking down on you me old matey!"
   "Look why are you up there Quasimodo?"
   "No need to call me names. I happen to like the view, besides I'm the Village lookout."
   "Lookout?"
   "Yes, I looks out for planes, ships, lights."
   "Why?"
   "Because I'm the Village lookout."
   "Look, stay there, I'll come up to you. Where's the door?"
   "Round the other side, just follow the path."

    "So who are you, Lot's wife?"

BCNU

Arts And Crafts

    What a pretty Picture it all makes, such is my 'Negative' effect on 'the Prisoner.'

BcNu

Your Move Young Man!

    Chess figures largely within the village, from chess matches with the Admiral in ‘Arrival,’ to mate in seven moves against the General during ‘The Chimes of Big Ben,’ and an eleven move checkmate win for No.6 in Its Your Funeral, to the human chess match during the episode of ‘Checkmate.’

    A chess champion-No.14, rumour has it that he's an ex-count, whose ancestors played chess using their retainers, who were beheaded as they were wiped off the board! But don't worry that sort of thing isn't likely to happen in the village. But have you bothered to follow the moves of that chess match in which No.6 was invited to play the white Queens pawn, upon your own chessboard?

WHITE                                      BLACK

P-K4                                          P-K4

KT-QB3                                    KT-KTB3

KT-KT5                                    B-KT4

KT-KB3                                    B-B4

KT-KT5                                    KT-KTB3

P-Q4                                         B-Q3

Q-K3                                        B-B4

KT-Q3                                      B-Q3

KT-B4                                      B-K4

R-K3                                        O-O

CHECK!

White Queen's Rook substituted and taken to hospital.

                                                B-B5

B-B4                                       B-KT4

Q-K3 Checkmate.

    As you will observe there are certain moves which make no sense, indeed as you watch the human chess match after the champions move Q-K3, you will note how few chess pieces are actually on the board. In the next long shot you will observe that not only have pieces been replaced upon the board, but that the white Queen is standing back on her own square soon after P-Q4 has been played, its all in the editing you see. However the Butler, who is standing on top of the Bandstand, has been following all the precise moves made in the human chessboard, upon a chessboard of his own. What's more the pieces on the Butler's chessboard are exact to that of the human chessboard. Not so remarkable you might think, to replicate the moves of one chess match upon a board of your own, when the moves are made in front of you. Perhaps more remarkable might be the fact that Angelo Muscat, who played the role of the Butler, was able to do the very same thing during the actual filming of the human chess match. which may have made sense at one point, before the film hit the editing room. Because I'm sure the editing together of all the filming of the human chess match was responsible for messing it all up the way it is.

    Mind you its the small screen effect isn't .I mean the fact that the Butler's pieces on his chessboard, as he followed the match, was so precise to the human pieces on the chessboard below on the lawn. Watched on the small screen such detail goes by without seeing. Yet on the big screen in a cinema such detail would not go unmissed!

    The human chess matches are the only way to satisfy one's desire for power in the village. And perhaps the human chess match is a representation of how peoples lives are controlled in the village, as like the pieces on the chessboard, unable to make a move without first being told. Look what happened to the No.53 when on the board as the Rook, he makes a move without orders. This is not allowed "Cult of the individual. He'll be well looked after, they'll get the best specialists to treat him." Yes, treated like that of Pavlov's dogs, or was it rats, no dogs.

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The Therapy Zone

All Our Prisoner Days - Part Three

    Spring 1988 saw the reopening of the main hotel which was burned down back in 1981, and to its previous specifications. One would hadly have known! Autumn of the same year saw the first Prisoner comic by P. Cotterel & J.M. Philbert. And the first Prisoner LP issued on CD by an unauthorised source. This together with The Prisoner graphic novel, the first of four part by D.C.Comics. Later the four comics would be published in one volume under the title of Shattered Visage.  The sad death of actress Mary Morris, who played No.2 in Dance of the Dead was announced.

    1989 saw the French magazine Le Rodeur started by Jean-Michel Philbert, as was the Miscellany magazine here in Great Britain, and another Prisoner actor died, George Colouris, who played the chess champion in Checkmate. Silva Screen redid the Prisoner LP plus on CD-Cassette in the Autumn.

    Patrick McGoohan returned to Great Britain in 1990, this to attend the Motor Show at the NEC in order to take delivery of a Caterham Super 7. At the same time Simon Bates of BBC Radio 2 managed to interview McGoohan, this was transmitted in the 7th of October 1990. And the sad news of the death of film director Don Chaffey who directed several episodes of the Prisoner.

    Spring 1991 was the time that Silva Screen released the second Prisoner album on CD-Cassette. And in the Autumn of 1992 Silva Screen released the third and final Prisoner CD-Cassette. Which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Prisoner's first screening on British television.

    Writer of the script for Hammer Into Anvil Roger Waddis died the Summer of 1993. And in October of the same year the last issue of Number Six came out after a total of 37 issues, to be replaced in January 1994 by In The Village. June 13th actress Nadia Gray, who played Nadia-No.8 in The Chimes of Big Ben sadly died.

    January 10th 1995 saw Polygram Television International acquire ITC, and thereby own the rights to the Prisoner which Granada Ventures owns today after Carlton had acquired Polygram, and the merger of Carlton and Granada.

    November 4th 1995 saw the death of actor Paul Eddington, who played the role of Cobb in Arrival.

    30th of January 1996 actor Guy Doleman, No.2 in Arrival died. And later that year actor Patrick Cargill, No.2 of Hammer Into Anvil died. And on the 10th of July of this same year BBC World Service interviewed Patrick McGoohan.

And the Autumn of 1997 saw the 30th anniversary of the first screening of the Prisoner on British television.

   1998 saw the production of Village day, the most ambitious amateur film since the Prisoner series itself!

    This of course does not bring matters up to date, not by any means, and does not include all the Prisoner connected trivialities. Yet I hope it does give you an idea of some of what has taken place in the past years of prisoner appreciation. Perhaps one day I'll get round to cataloguing the years from 1998 to date. Yet it could be argued by seasoned fans of the Prisoner that we have seen the best years of active Prisoner Appreciation. Certainly the best years of Six of One: the prisoner appreciation society are long behind them.

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Cartoon Capers

    Continuing the first part of 'Once Upon A Change of Mind' featuring The Jailbird and Dangerbird, followed by 'Once Upon A Change of Mind {Part 2}.

   Copyright Steve Matt
On Friday you will be introduced to 'Danger Bird' John Drake.
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Thought For The Day

The Prisoner is most fortunate to enjoy a personal maid, one of his privilages perhaps? What's more there are several of them, and in 'Dance of the Dead' he has two such maids. One brings him his breakfast, and later flicks a feather duster about the cottage. And then at night time another maid comes to make him his night cap. Thinking about it, it's a wonder Number Six didn't encounter Martha as one of his personal maids, doesn't bare thinking about does it?

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The Prisoner And Me - Me And The Prisoner

    A strange occurance yesterday morning when I was in town. I had gone out to buy some compost from Wilkinsons, and I had occasion to wait at a pedestrian crossing, waiting for the lights to change. The light changed, the traffic stopped, and I crossed the road along with other members of the public.
   Upon reaching the far side of the road, there stood a tall white haired gentleman, with a small white beard, he could have been the ghost of McGoohan, but he wasn't. The gentleman looked at me as though he knew me, I had not seen him in all my life, and then he spoke.
    "Hello, how are you?" "Fine I replied" as we passed. "It's been a long time since you were on East Midlands Today, twice wasn't it?" I said it was, he said "Be seeing you," and we went on our separate ways.
   I have to say that East Midlands Today is a regional news programme for the BBC, and I did appear on the programme twice, one about people who collect things, in my case memorabilia and merchandise connected to 'the Prisoner.' The second occasion was for people's passions, my passion for 'the Priosner,' but that was nine years ago, strange how the gentleman remembered me after all that time.

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Caught On Camera

In this picture taken from routine surveillance film footage , and in the frame of film you can see a citizen walking along minding his own business. It is said that this gentleman is none other Clough Williams-Ellis architect and owner of Portmeirion at the time of 'the Prisoner.' But I have to say I have my doubts. And in the background outside Angel cottage is a parambulator, seen better in the picture below. So what about it? Well it shouldn't be there, the pram is a sign of the outside world, which is not wanted in the Village, but is a reminder that guests were actually staying in the Village at the time of the filming of 'the Prisoner' in Portmeirion, perhaps the true citizens of the Village, for a week or two. Just a thought, but that child in the pram will be Fourty-seven this year.

BcNu

"Report to the General..... That's a new one!"

    Is it by accident or intention that the episode ‘The Schizoid Man’ is followed by that of ‘The General, because in ‘The Schizoid Man’ there is mention of the General in the conversation between No.6 and No.2 during their taxi ride to the helicopter outside the Recreation Hall.

    No.6 {in the guise of Curtis} "We won't know until I've reported to the General, will we?"

    No.2 "Report to the General.... that's a new one."

    No.6 "I don't mean report to him personally....."

   So is the General mentioned in that conversation between No.'s 2 and 6, that of the General in the next episode of the same name? It would surely be difficult to say, but the remark made by No2 "Report to the General......that’s a new one." So agents don't report to the General direct, this could be an indication that the General is that of the computer 'the General' of the following episode.

    However, the title of 'the General' is also a rank, after all we are faced with not two Colonels, but three in the time of Prisoner, in ‘The Chimes of Big Ben,’ ‘Many Happy Returns’ and ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling,’ all of which are of a very different character. So where would we have come across the General before, save for the Prisoner? Well obviously in certain episodes of ‘Danger Man,’ two of which I can instantly recall, ‘The Black Book’ - General Carteret, who tries to use John Drake for his own ends, by involving him with his brother in-law Sir Noel Blanchard who is being blackmailed.  And in ‘Such Men Are Dangerous’ - the General who is dedicated to discipline, and for the moral authority that derives from that discipline. And sees that most people are honest and simple, but they are by nature incapable of deciding their own destiny{incidentally both General's are played by the same actor}.

    So I suppose you pays your money and you takes your choice. For me, I first thought that both the General mentioned in that conversation between No.2 and No.6 was the same General of the episode ‘The General.’ But that would be too coincidental wouldn't it, and certainly there was no other continuity between the episodes other than the General, because the two episodes were written by two different writers, Terrence Feeley and Joshua Adam respectively.

    And besides the man who No.2 first took to be Curtis was leaving the village, surely by this time, the computer-the General, was being shipped to the village. With the Professor and his wife already having decided to volunteer themselves to the village, would soon be arriving in the village, depending of course on how much time there is to lapse between ‘The Schizoid Man’ and ‘The General.’

BCNU

The Therapy Zone

All Our Prisoner Days - Part Two

    The summer of 1983 saw the crash of the Alouette helicopter employed by the village killing the pilot John Crewsdon. The Prisoner magazine was launched. Precision Video released the last pair of Prisoner tapes ‘Checkmate-Free for All,’   The ‘General-The Chimes of Big Ben,’ strangest choice of pairing, but it is seems that the order of the episodes didn't matter, or no thought was given to the episodes on the four released video and Beta-Max tapes. The reason only four taps were released was because Precision video, which was part of ITC Entertainment, went bankrupt. Ed Ball and The Times filmed their video of their song "I helped Patrick McGoohan escape" at Portmeirion with the aid of members from Six of One: the prisoner appreciation society.

    On the 16th of January 1984 Six Into One: The Prisoner File was transmitted on Channel four. It was the first documentary programme which was supposed to explain the Prisoner once and for all. Sadly it was an opportunity missed, and turned out to be a complete waste of everyone’s time, both that of the documentary producers and those, like me, who were foolish to sit up late and watch the programme in the first place! In the Spring of 1984 was the first Episode guide written, and in the autumn of that year was the first issue of both magazines Number Six and Danger Man. Also the first Prisoner merchandise catalogue was issued from the then independently run Prisoner shop at Portmeirion.

    On the 6th of June 1985 actor Clifford Evens, who played No.2 in ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling’ died’ And in the Autumn the newspaper cutting supplement Village Observer was issued from the then independently run  Prisoner shop at Portmeirion. 4th of September 1985 ITC told Six of One: the prisoner appreciation society to stop all activities by the 1st of November 1985. By the 26th of November ITC confirmed that they were happy to continue their support towards the society.

    In the Spring of 1986 Ban-Caruso issued the first Prisoner LP record. There were two versions, the first a gate fold LP containing a black and white map of your village, the making of the Prisoner and one or two other items. The second issue of the record had no gatefold effect, nor extra contents. The Summer of 1986 saw the death of actor Nigel Stock who played the Colonel in the episode ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling.’ And in the November Channel 5 released the first four videos of the complete Prisoner series, and this time the order of the episodes was compatible with those contained within the television transmissions of the Prisoner series. And incidentally on December 12th I first subscribed to Six of One: the prisoner appreciation society, a membership which I was to enjoy for 15 years before disillusionment set in!

    Geroge Markstein, writer and script editor on the Prisoner died on the 15th of January 1987, and that Spring saw the issue of a flexi disc of different Prisoner themes, and in the Summer was the U.S. video release of what has been termed at "the alternative version" of ‘The Chimes of Big Ben.’ This is something Patrick McGoohan himself tried to stop. He did not want this first edited version of The Chimes of Big Ben to be released. But not owning any part of the Prisoner, which was owned at the time by ITC, there was no way that McGoohan could stop this release. On the 3rd of April 1987 saw an act of resignation which was witnessed by thousands on the television screen, the act of resignation by jazz musician Jools Holland, he had resigned, from his position of presenter on the BBC 2 television series The Tube, this resulted in the Prisoneresque ‘The Laughing Prisoner.’

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