The Therapy Zone

    A curious headline seen on Ceefax this made for mild entertainment, and not produced here for mild entertainment or to be laughed at, but as a curiosity which might be applied to that of ‘Fall Out’ "Blast kills 1 and injures 6".

    What did Mrs. Butterworth do to find herself in the Village, and in the position of No.2, Chairwoman of the village in the first place? Was she recruited from the Civil Service, and if so, what position did she hold, interrogator, or simply an administrator? What lies behind that charming exterior, and that warm and friendly smile of hers, that became so smarmy at the end?

       If the episode ‘Once Upon A Time’ is the ultimate test, which No.6 passed by the way. I wonder just how many citizens had previously made it to the point of that ultimate test, and survived it? I don't think No.2-Leo McKern did, because he resisted for so short a time. But then there's No.48. He turned up in Fall Out as Sir had done, wearing his own clothes, and that suggests that there is more than one kind of ultimate test. So I wonder what "ultimate test" No.48 was put through so as to be able to appear at his final trial? Yet it would seem that No.48 wasn't up to that final trial, not as Sir was at that time.

In The Office of The Tally Ho

 The Piet Hein Column

    One question, and you could chalk it up to mere trivia, but why does the ex-Admiral-No.66 hide his naval cap badge?

   True enough we can see the gold braid on the peak of his cap, but the actual naval cap badge is hidden by the penny farthing badge. So what's to hide? Perhaps there is no cap badge, or simply an "anchor" entwined with rope, as in the style of naval caps you buy when on holiday. Observe if you will the General, who wears his military cap badge with pride.

   And I should think the General was a hard task master, I shouldn't fancy being in his regiment. But then that's probably what the British army wanted, a hard task master.

   One last thing. Please to observe the ex-Admirals cap, and the penny farthing badge pinned upon it......... the number 66 is mirrored!

I'm Piet Hein

Johnny Prisoner

 

    That Piet Hein, I thought we don't use names in the Village? {voice from the back of the newsroom "Yes, on occasion"}. Oh okay. {Voice "You have a name"} What? {voice "You have a name."} Yes, but then I'm Johnny Prisoner. {Voice "so?"}. Well I'm like Everyman. {Voice "Explain!"}. Like the Prisoner is to everyman, I'm Johnny Prisoner, like to every Prisoner fan. {voice from the back of the newsroom "Oh!"}.

    That Piet Hien, what’s he written for this issue? {voice from the back of the newsroom “he’s reviewed a booklet about who’s who in the Prisoner} We know who’s who don’t we? {Voice “yes, but the author had numbered them. What have you written about?} Prisoner Conventions {voice “oh! There’s a package arrived in the morning post} Oh good, that will be my PRIS6NER mug and ‘T’ shirt. {voice “what from that two thousand and nine series?} Yeah, you have to collect everything if you are a full blooded fan of ‘the Prisoner’ like I am. That's why I come to work in my piped blazer every morning. Oh not the same blazer, I have two. One with the continuous piping around the lapel, and another with broken piping round around the lapel. Well it wouldn't be right otherwise, would it?

I'm Johnny Prisoner

    Why the number 6? That's a question I have often heard being asked within the field of Prisoner appreciation. Well how I respond to that is, what's in a number? After all if Pat McGoohan had used any other number for the Prisoner, say 3, 8, 245, would we really have been so bothered? Would we really be so concerned, and want to know why, or have treated the Prisoner any differently whatever his number might have been? No, of course we wouldn't. It's not the number that matters, it's the man, the individual, behind the badge that counts.

    There is no actual number 7 in the Village, Number 7 doesn't exist. Well except when I take on other forms, like a seven move checkmate win for No.6. Or the digit 7 of No.73. Or in the Lotus 7, then there were the original 7 episodes of ‘the Prisoner’ mini-series, well you get the general idea. What’s more 1 and 6 equals me! Mind you it's just as well the Prisoner wasn’t No.7, because then where would he have been?  And then where would the Prisoner have been, well not in the Village that's for sure! Hey, that's cool! "I'm No.7, I am not a number, I am a free man - because I don't exist!

I'm Not a Number, I'm me!