The Therapy Zone

An Eccentric!

   Is that what you would call our friend No.6, an exocentric? Well what else would you call a man who daily climbs the Bell Tower, who satisfies another eccentrics eccentricities, by sitting to have his portrait painted in ‘It's Your Funeral.’

   In the case of the latter, No.6 only sits to have his portrait painted so as to learn from No.18 about Jammers, so you see there is always a reason why No.6 does something. As for the former, well I'm not so sure No.6 likes the view that much to warrant him climbing the Bell Tower on a daily basis. It could be that he's still looking for a sign from his world, a light, a boat, or a plane, in much the same way as he did that night of the ‘Dance of the Dead.’

Arrival

    In the conversation between the new No.2 and the Prisoner he says "We do here what has to be done. It's the law of survival. It's either them or us." Imprison people, steal their minds, destroy them! "Depends on whose side you're on, doesn't it?" To which the Prisoner replies "I'm on our side." What the side of the Village? If his own people put him here, there cannot be any question of which side runs the Village. And if the Village is set up to gather information, as suggested in ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling,’ it's not just the reason behind the Prisoner's resignation that they want - but all the information inside his head! The Prisoner has been put in the village for the protection of National security, and to be thoroughly debriefed at their leisure! And it might have worked, had they offered him something in return. Oh but of course they did, or at least No.2 did. It was during the aerial tour of the village when No.2 suggested to the Prisoner "You might even be given a position of authority." Well they did actually offer that position of authority, in ‘Fall Out,’ they offered No.6, or Sir as he became to be addressed as, the offer of ultimate power!

     When No.6 woke up on the morning of Many Happy Returns he must have felt an echo of the morning he woke up in the village on the morning of his arrival. There didn't seem to be anyone about then!

The Therapy Zone

    What follows are two extracts from Still Dancing - My Story by Sir Lew Grade published in 1987.

    I had lunch with William Paley and his second in-command, Dr Frank Stanton. During the lunch they asked me if I had any fresh series ideas. I told him I had a project called 'The Prisoner' with Patrick McGoohan, and showed them a portfolio of pictures of the village of Portmeirion, which was the location we intended to use. 'At the moment though, Patrick only wants 17 episodes,' I said. 'How much money do you want?' they asked. I told them the terms, and they said we had a deal.

    After four or five episodes of 'The Prisoner' had been made, Michael Dann visited London, looked at them and said to me, 'I really can't understand what it's all about.' So I said 'Why don't I fix up a meeting with Patrick McGoohan. He'll explain everything to you.' I arranged the meeting. Michael Dann came back the next day and said he still didn't understand the series. Furthermore, he added, 'I have no problem with him,' I said. 'He's very easy to get along with. I just agree to all his requests.'

   'The Prisoner,' which was first shown in 1967, is still highly popular and continues to fascinate audiences all over the world.

   And that is still true of today.

    The Colonel was sent to the village by the highest authority. That high authority may or may not have been Sir Charles Portland, although somehow I don't think it was. The reason being, that when the Colonel meets with Sir Charles, Sir Charles Portland fails to recognise the Colonel! But if it was Sir Charles, then that means he has been lying all the time to his daughter Janet concerning the whereabouts of her fiancé

Be seeing you.