Hammer Into Anvil

   There are two basic elements within this episode which give rise to the concern of “running or screening order.” In other words which is supposed to come first, ‘Hammer Into Anvil,’ or ‘It’s Your Funeral?’ During ‘It’s Your Funeral’ Number 6 learns about jammers and jamming from an eccentric artist Number 118, while Number 6 sits to have his portrait painted. And yet in the previous episode ‘Hammer Into Anvil,’ does not Number 6 carry out a number of his own acts of “jamming” against Number 2? The affair with the L.P records, and the circled word “Security” and question marked? That message to XO4 from D 6, the leaving blank sheets of paper in the stone boat. Making a telephone call to the head of Psychiatrics about Number 2, the sending of a coded message by pigeon, and the deception of the Cuckoo clock. Not forgetting the act of sending a message by heliograph. Some have it because of these acts, it makes Number 6 the original jammer. {A Jammer being unable to escape for whatever reason. Perhaps because escape is not possible!} But then why does he have to learn about jamming from Number 118 in the next episode? In the film library order of 'the Prisoner' {according to Tony Sloman- film librarian on the Prisoner} 'It's your Funeral' appears before 'Hammer Into Anvil.' This then would make sense. Number 6 in having learned about jamming from Number 118 in ‘It’s Your Funeral,’ then carries out such acts against Number 2 in ‘Hammer Into Anvil.’

   The library or production order of ‘the Prisoner' has ‘It’s Your Funeral' before ‘Hammer Into Anvil,’ And yet ‘It’s Your Funeral’ has the majority of the Kosho scene. However the scenes of Kosho were clearly meant for ‘Hammer Into Anvil,’ because of Number 6’s opponent Number 14 played by Basil Hoskins. Basil Hoskins does not appear in ‘It’s Your Funeral,’ although there he is as Number 6’s opponent during that bout of Kosho, which is made up of unused film footage not used in ‘Hammer Into Anvil.’ As it happens Kosho, a bizarre sport thought up by Patrick McGoohan, replaced the original idea of a Karate match between Number 6 and Number 14.

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