Prisoner Appreciation

   How do fans and enthusiasts show their appreciation for ‘the Prisoner?’ Well there are many ways, the simplest way of all is it to sit and watch the series. But then what? To sit there and watch it again, or perhaps to wait and watch it again after a matter of a few months, maybe to restrict yourself to watching the series twice a year. Or perhaps to watch the occasional favourite episode during the intervening months. But what then? After all there must be more to the appreciation of such a series than to simply sit and watch it all the time and nothing else. There is. You long began asking yourself the questions, and to formulate answers in your mind, perhaps to make note of them. You begin to think about what the series means. and you form interpretations, to put meaning to ‘the Prisoner.’ And that’s all well and good, but eventually you want to make contact with like-mined fans and enthusiasts for ’the Prisoner,’ to discuss, debate, and exchange ideas. It might be that eventually you meet up with fellow fans, in a club or society, to perhaps form a local Prisoner Group and organise activities. You visit Portmeirion, follow in the footsteps of Number 6. Even to wear Village attire at Prisoner Conventions. To act the part as others have before you, in re-enactments…….Six for Two, Six for Two, Six for Two. We want Number Six, we want Number Six, Number Six, Number Six, Number Six, Number Six, he’s the one, Six is the one. We want Six is the one, we want Six Six is the one, sorry wrong series!
    You make collection, of ‘the Prisoner on video, DVD. Buying books on the subject, perhaps ‘the Prisoner’ based novels. Pens, pencils, badges, mugs, ‘T’ shirts, sweat shirts. Not to mention photographs, postcards, posters, and ‘Prisoner’ memorabilia produced years ago, like the soundtrack on LP record, cassette tape, and cd. Perhaps you allow your imagination to run away with you as you listen to a particular piece of music, recalling an associated scene in your mind. That’s easy to do as you know the series like the back of your hand. One enthusiast used to speak in ‘Prisoner.’ You would say something to him, something quite ordinary and nothing out of the ordinary, but he would always reply with an appropriate line from ‘the Prisoner.’ Was that carrying ‘the Prisoner’ too far? There were those at the time who thought it was. Then on the other hand I knew one person who had not seen the series since its British screening in 1967, apart from the odd episode, and yet his appreciation of ‘the Prisoner’ is still second to none. And that answers the question I was going to ask, can one appreciate ‘the Prisoner’ without actually watching the series more than once? Apparently you can.
    Fans crave information, information, information, and by hook or by crook they get it, simply by logging on to the Internet and typing two words in the search box ‘the Prisoner,’ and all manner of websites, domains, and forum groups come up. The fan, the enthusiast is spoilt for choice. And through the Internet, one can make friends and contacts with whom to discuss ‘the Prisoner’ to their hearts content. But what after that? Well that is entirely up to the individual. Perhaps to aspire to owning a Caterham Seven in ‘Prisoner‘ livery, or Mini-Moke in Village livery as many enthusiasts do. I know one person who replicated the interior of Number 6’s cottage in her attic. While another enthusiast built a replica of Number 6’s cottage in his garden, and fitted out the interior as near exact of the interior of the study as it is possible to do.
   We each have our own way of appreciation. For myself, it has brought me here, writing my ‘Prisoner’ inspired blog for both my own enjoyment and that of others.

Be seeing you