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Saturday 10 February 2018

The 50th Anniversary Screening of The Prisoner

    And so my 50th anniversary screening of ‘the Prisoner’ comes to an end tonight with ‘Fall Out’ and it couldn’t be happening on a more appropriate date, February 10th, this being the only date used in The Village. But for Number 6 his immediate future appears to be as his recent past, in his end is his beginning. Certainly for Number 6 he was shown his future in that crystal ball, which he let slip from his fingers and smash into a thousand splinters on the floor. Such is his refusal to accept that future.
   I have thoroughly enjoyed this screening. However back in 1968 for those living in ITV’s network Scottish region it was Feb 1st, ATV Midlands and Grampian it was Feb 2nd. While on Feb 4th it was ATV London – Southern Television – Tyne Tees – Westward, and Channel. In the Border region ‘Fall Out’ was on the 9th of February. For myself living in the
Anglia region, it was Feb 10th 1968 exact to the day today, and by chance a significant date in ‘the Prisoner.’ And yet those watching in the Granada region they had to wait until March the 1st to watch ‘Fall Out.’ So many people having watched ‘the Prisoner’ knew how the series concluded a month before others. It makes me wonder exactly when, and by whom, those ATV telephone lines were jammed by angry callers about ‘Fall Out?’ Depending on when it was, it means that the majority of viewers didn’t complain. Otherwise complaints would have lasted a whole month! For myself at the time, I thought ‘Fall Out’ would answer, if not all the questions I had, then at least some of them. But no, it was more confusing than ever. And there was no watching the episode, nay the whole series again on catch-up, I-player etc. Nor did I have a way of recording it, so there it was, ‘Fall Out’ and indeed ‘the Prisoner’ was gone, and with no way of knowing when, or if ever, I would be able to watch it again. All I was left with was what I could remember of ‘Fall Out.’ At the time the episode was over all too quickly, too quickly for me to take it all in really. In later years of course ‘Fall Out’ became easy to understand, seeing as it has all the attributes of a finale to a James Bond film, looking at it as action and adventure. The word Prisoner seen on the screen has been misinterpreted as the man still being a prisoner, when it was a credit to Patrick McGoohan, he didn’t want his name credited for some reason. But the two film editors felt he should be credited so they inserted the word “Prisoner.” But there was a mistake, the fact that the clash of thunder and sound of a jet plane has been inserted into the episode too soon, when the late Number 2 is on his way back to the Houses of Parliament in fact. Then of course there’s the last few moments of ‘Fall Out,’ the long deserted runway, a green yellow nosed Lotus 7 looming out of the distance, and the man’s face set in an expression of determination suggests ‘the Prisoner’ is about to begin………. Just a minute, I’ve just had a thought about another way to watch ‘the Prisoner’ but I’ve some calculations to make regarding the screening order first before next October!


Be seeing you

5 comments:

  1. Hi, David. I just thought I should let you know that I left three messages today on your post from four years ago, "Public Enemy Number 6". I just thought I should let you know in case you don't notice them with it been such an old post of yours. Read it at your leisure. I just talk a little about myself and my relationship with the show and Number 6, as well as giving my thoughts on Fall Out and my preferred episode order for the series.

    All the best.
    Be seeing you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello,
      Panic ye not, I read your three comments earlier today, and I am in the process of replying to them at the moment and will be posted in a few minutes time.
      If you wish to talk more, you can always email me at stimpyfor6@msn.com. However if you prefer to protect your anonymity then I perfectly understand.
      I shall be in touch again soon.

      Best wishes
      David
      Be seeing you

      Delete
  2. Hello, David.

    Yes, of course I don't mind emailing you. I would like to read your comments on the other article, though, but I can't seem to find it. It seems to have disappeared. I've tried browsing for it but nothing's coming up. If you could reply to this message with a thread to that post then I'd be glad to respond to what you've said via email.

    All the best.
    Christopher.
    Be seeing you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Christopher,
      My comments are there, I have just checked. But here is a link http://david-stimpson.blogspot.com/2014/04/public-enemy-number-6.html?showComment=1518286229367#c7413834362730395251

      I hope that helps.
      Best regards
      David

      Delete
  3. Thank you for the link, David. I'll be sure to read your comments later tonight and will send you an email sometime tomorrow to discuss things a little more.

    All the best.
    Be seeing you.

    ReplyDelete