The Therapy Zone

He Really Was Going On Holiday!

   Was he? Was the Prisoner going on holiday, the moment he resigned his job? I suppose he could have been, after all that's what he told Engadine at her party that time during ‘A B and C.’ Somewhere different, somewhere quite where he can think. Sounds like Portmeirion! But then there are those two travel brochures the Prisoner packs into a suitcase suggest somewhere more tropical. With white beaches and palm trees. Is that his eventual destination, somewhere tropical and exotic?

Early Memories of The Prisoner

    Well it was so long ago now, it's difficult to remember. But as there was no colour televisions at the time, I did wonder why the series was actually filmed in colour.

   So as a 12 year old boy I watched the ‘Prisoner’ in black and white, and for me the series was a new series - a continuation of ‘Danger Man,’ and the only questions I had at the time during that original British screening were;

Would the Prisoner escape?

Where was the village?

Why did he resign?

What was that white thing - the village guardian?

Which side runs the Village?

   When it came to ‘The Chimes of Big Ben,’ I thought No.6 had actually escaped with Nadia. And was very disappointed to learn he hadn't. And of course those feelings, of both elation and disappointment, were repeated for the episode ‘Many Happy Returns,’ only more so. As No.6 had returned to London, I thought that was it, and we were going to discover the location of the village.

   And then back in 1984 when the Prisoner enjoyed a re-screening on Channel 4, I was able to watch the series in colour for the first time. I was blown away by the impact of colour being introduced into ‘the Prisoner’ series for the first time. It was brilliant, as colour seemed to add a new dimension to the series, and realised why the Prisoner had been filmed in colour and not black and white!

If No.6 was put to the test in the Prisoner - did he pass, or could he have simply done better?

If The Prisoner Resigned From The Village

    Then that would explain why he was trying to get away in the opening sequence of ‘Arrival.’ He knew that they would be coming for him! But it was already too late, they came for him before he could escape!

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