Is That Me Standing Over There - Or You?

     In the episode of The Schizoid Man No.6 is taken from his home, and put through a series of conditioning treatments over several weeks, so that one morning he wakes up to find he's a different man. He's grown a moustache, he's now left handed instead of right. His favourite dish is flapjacks, and he smokes black Russian cigarettes, and has been given the No.12, and spends the episode trying to prove that he is not No.12, but No.6, when there is already another No.6 in the village!
                                           
    As the episode progresses No.6 tries desperately to hold on to his identity, as No.2 tries to prove to No.6 that he is not No.6, but No.12. No.6 does this in the gymnasium through a shooting contest, and fencing. But although No.6's fencing is "good agricultural stuff" it doesn't prove No.6 is No.6, but furthers No.12's cause that he is No.6! Even a fingerprint test fails to be conclusive!
   Finally, in a last desperate attempt to prove who he is, No.6 turns to No.24-Alison, with whom he has a genuine mental link. And so using a deck of Zenae ESP cards, but only a run of five, he hopes to prove once and for all that he is No.6, and that No.12 is the "economy pack." But 1 out of 5 only goes to prove that this No.6 has no such mental link with No.24-Alison. However the other No.6 gets 5 out of 5, and so proves that he is No.6. But there was a much easier way to prove which one of them is No.6, because he has a mole on his left wrist. Ah, but one of them doesn't, and so he cannot possibly be No.6! But that wasn't the easiest way to tell the 6's apart, and it involves the next picture.

This picture shows No.6 wearing a black piped blazer with off-white piping. But this photograph is produced by No.6 who is wearing a cream blazer with black piping, as in the following photograph.

This No.6 takes a Polaroid photograph from the breast pocket of his blazer as a final demonstration that he is No.6. The Polaroid picture was taken by No.24-Alison one evening after she and No.6 had been practising with the ESP cards, as Alsion was entering the photographic competion at the forthcoming 'Village Festival.'                                                          

   However, I feel that this polaroid does nothing to prove that No.6, in the cream blazer, is No.6. After all, No.6 in the picture is actually wearing a black blazer with off-white piping, and is proof that he is No.6.
   Actually this polaroid picture would have worked, if the original script had been followed, with both No.6's wearing a balck blazer. But it was thought that to have both No.6's wearing identical piped blazers would make it too confusing for the television viewer at the time. So the change was made to have one No.6 wearing a cream blazer. And that's why the Polaroid picture doesn't work in the way it was originally planned. But in the episode simply proves that No.6.....is well No.6. Simple and fool proof.................I think!
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Pictorial Prisoner

BCNU

Patrick McGoohan

This is Movie Card No.18 of Partick McGoohan, which was produced in 1948 by A B & C, and printed in England.

BCNU

Pictorial PRISONER

Curious is it not, that in this image taken from the 2009 production of THEPRISONER, how the hand grenade which Two is tossing in the air........projects no shadow!

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What's In A Name?

    The Prisoner has no name, he has a number, that number is Six. He must have once had a name, but for some reason everyone, even his closest ex-colleagues, and his fiancee Janet Portland are reluctant to actually use his name!
   We know that the Prisoner used code names, in France Duval, in Germany Schmitt. In the episode Many Happy Returns the Prisoner used the name Peter Smith, although I fancy that was made up on the spur of the moment. In Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling the Prisoner was also know as ZM73. When the Prisoner, in the guise of the Colonel was asked what his name is, the Prisoner asked real or code? "Code" was the reply. And after the Prisoner had given his fiancee Janet Portland a message only he could give, and having asked Janet who else could have given her that message, she replied "Only you." I mean how difficult could it have been to say "Only you John." That's right, John as in John Drake of Danger Man, for that is who I believe the Prisoner to be, the former John Drake. Only it was impossible to say on screen for the fear of having to pay the creator of Danger Man, Ralph Smart, copyright payments. That is why you never hear the Prisoner's name uttered in the series. Why the Colonel says to his ex-colleague "You're a stubborn man Number Six, instead of John."
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The Prisoner: The Ultimate Box Set

The 40th anniversary Prisoner DVD box-set used to be the ultimate box-set, which was produced by Network DVD. But no longer, because the above is now the ultimate DVD box-set, which is produced by the same company. Not only does it contain the Prisoner series of the 1960's, but also the 2009 reinterpretation, and reinvention of THEPRISONER. The box-set also contains the three cd set of the soundtrack of the original series, the book by Andrew Pixley, and all the previous film footage and documentary Don't Knock Yourself Out of the 40th anniversary box-set. The price is £99.99, but Network DVD have it for sale at £62.99. But I will not be buying this, as I already have all its contents in other formats. But I did forsee this box-set, as it was the only possible next step in such Prisoner box-sets. I forget how many times Network DVD have released the Prisoner, it must be three or four times now. But they simply seem to be squeezing all that they can out of the Prisoner, and trying to squeeze money out of gullable fans of the series, in making this a 'must have' item. I wonder what Network DVD will produce for the 50th anniversary of the Prisoner, as the 'ultimate' box-set has already been produced!

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THEPRISONER

This is 1955, a school teacher who appears in the episode Anvil.' There is something about this man, the look of him. The moment I saw 1955 I could see the similarity between him and this man.

John Drake, but in the guise of Robert Fuller, a clerk who is recruited to a school for spies, Colony Three, somewhere behind the Iron Curtain, in the Danger Man episode Colony Three.
I don't know if the resemblance between the two characters is deliberate, or whether it's simply a coincidence, but there is is for what it is worth, and cannot be denied.
Be seeing you.