{The accident report suggests the Prisoner ran himself over with the Mini-Moke!}
BcNu
BcNu
Friday, 3 July 2015
Thought For The Day
Poor old
Potter, if only he’d kept his eye on the Colonel instead of the Girl! The
Colonel would still be alive, and perhaps having completed his century at the
wicket, and Potter, Potter wouldn’t have been put out in the cold as it were.
Working as a shoeshine boy….ridiculous! Almost as ridiculous as a man with a
pair of muddy boots on a dry day on a high street!! And then there’s Mr. X, is
he working out in the cold as well? Certainly he’s a field agent, but it might
have been more prudent for him to have gone to the office to get his
instructions from the Chief first hand, wouldn’t it, rather than by record in
booth seven of the Magnum Record shop. A touch of the Mission: Impossible about that!
It may be wondered why the Colonel had turned field agent. Mind you he wouldn’t be the first, there was the Colonel who was seconded to The Village, who under went a mind transference which eventually cost him his life! And the one before him, again brought to The Village during ‘The Chimes of Big Ben’ in order to interrogate Number 6. We didn’t see him again, or Fotheringay for that matter. Perhaps they didn’t return soon enough to avoid those embarrassing questions Number 2 suggested might be asked. Because when Number 6 goes running back to his ex-colleagues a second time, but for real on this occasion, the previous Colonel has been replaced, and so has Fotheringay, by Thorpe! Whatever one might think of Fotheringay he’s a likable chap, who was probably only following orders. After all Number 6 was an ex-colleague, not longer working for the department, so that probably made him fair game in Fotheringay’s eyes. So is Fotheringay a traitor? The order by Number 2 to return to London before any embarrassing questions are asked would suggest yes. As for the Colonel, did he ultimately pay the price for the failure of the plan? Because Number 2 never appeared to be that much involved with the plan, that seemed to be down to Nadia Rakovsky. All Number 2 seemed to do was oversee that nothing went wrong with Number 6’s plan of escape. And who could have possibly guessed that Number 6’s wrist watch would become waterlogged, and thereby demanding Post 5’s wrist watch. Which if it had been set at Polish time, well there would have been no problem, and the plan may well have succeeded. As for the Colonel, who is to say he actually returned to London? He looked a worried and anxious man as Number 6 left his office. The Colonel may well have been retained in the Village…….as a prisoner. Well someone would have to pay for this latest failure. It wasn’t Number 2 because he was later brought back to The Village for ‘Degree Absolute.’ It’s unlikely to have been Nadia Rakovsky, as she played her part to perfection. It might have been Post 5 who carried the can, after all if it was not for the fact Number 6 had his wristwatch……no. If anyone’s ripe for taking the blame for the failure, it’s the Colonel. No-one deserves it more!
Be seeing you
It may be wondered why the Colonel had turned field agent. Mind you he wouldn’t be the first, there was the Colonel who was seconded to The Village, who under went a mind transference which eventually cost him his life! And the one before him, again brought to The Village during ‘The Chimes of Big Ben’ in order to interrogate Number 6. We didn’t see him again, or Fotheringay for that matter. Perhaps they didn’t return soon enough to avoid those embarrassing questions Number 2 suggested might be asked. Because when Number 6 goes running back to his ex-colleagues a second time, but for real on this occasion, the previous Colonel has been replaced, and so has Fotheringay, by Thorpe! Whatever one might think of Fotheringay he’s a likable chap, who was probably only following orders. After all Number 6 was an ex-colleague, not longer working for the department, so that probably made him fair game in Fotheringay’s eyes. So is Fotheringay a traitor? The order by Number 2 to return to London before any embarrassing questions are asked would suggest yes. As for the Colonel, did he ultimately pay the price for the failure of the plan? Because Number 2 never appeared to be that much involved with the plan, that seemed to be down to Nadia Rakovsky. All Number 2 seemed to do was oversee that nothing went wrong with Number 6’s plan of escape. And who could have possibly guessed that Number 6’s wrist watch would become waterlogged, and thereby demanding Post 5’s wrist watch. Which if it had been set at Polish time, well there would have been no problem, and the plan may well have succeeded. As for the Colonel, who is to say he actually returned to London? He looked a worried and anxious man as Number 6 left his office. The Colonel may well have been retained in the Village…….as a prisoner. Well someone would have to pay for this latest failure. It wasn’t Number 2 because he was later brought back to The Village for ‘Degree Absolute.’ It’s unlikely to have been Nadia Rakovsky, as she played her part to perfection. It might have been Post 5 who carried the can, after all if it was not for the fact Number 6 had his wristwatch……no. If anyone’s ripe for taking the blame for the failure, it’s the Colonel. No-one deserves it more!
Be seeing you
The Therapy Zone
It can play
the devil with your mind, ‘the Prisoner,’ it can mean the one thing one day and
something completely different the next. It can bend the mind when it should
actually be the other way round, one’s mind should bend ‘the Prisoner’ to
whatever you want it to be. Yes ‘the Prisoner’ can be a real mind-bender when
it wants to be and that’s more often than not.
The deeper one delves into ‘the Prisoner’ the less it becomes clear, and just when you think you’re on the right path of an understanding, something comes along and takes you along another path that can twist and turn so much, that you either end up dealing with a completely different topic that takes you away from what you were originally thinking about. Or it ends up back where you started, or completely lost and unable to find your way back! Something within ‘the Prisoner’ can mean one thing, and yet something else entirely, depending on interpretation. I suppose ‘the Prisoner is rather like peeling an onion, it’s made up of so many layers.
There are times when ‘the Prisoner’ allows the mind to wander, and at other times one has to be single-minded if one is to arrive at the right conclusion about something. There are times when aspects of ‘the Prisoner’ are black and white, and yet there are equally as many grey areas. And at other times a simple answer may suffice when a more complicated interpretation only clouds the water even more. ‘The Prisoner’ is about a man who resigns his job and is abducted to The Village, although not necessarily for that reason. There has to be more to it than that, otherwise it would be a pretty poor look-out for anyone who chucks their job up! For the viewer, the fan, the enthusiast ‘the Prisoner’ is about belief. It’s what you believe that matters. Oh I’ve been ridiculed in the past for what I believe to be right in ‘the Prisoner.’ But I’ve never allowed coercion to change my mind. Isn’t that what the Prisoner teaches us, to resist, to be an individual, to stand up for what we believe in, and not to give in to others? That’s one side of ‘the Prisoner’ which gets rarely discussed between enthusiasts. I know of some fans of the series who would love to lead their lives in the way of the Prisoner, or so they would have others believe. But to do that it takes strength, conviction, and belief in yourself. And yet who really wants to live their life like the Prisoner? Everyday for Number 6 was a struggle against an authority that held him captive against his will. People who say they want to live their lives like the Prisoner, they are not captives, merely prisoner’s of themselves. Perhaps it’s merely escape from themselves they seek. After all we all want to escape at some point in our lives.
As for ‘the Prisoner,’ there are not many television series dating as far back as the 1960’s, if any, which can still manage to stir the mind, as well as retain many secrets, with questions that still remain unanswered today!
Be seeing you
The deeper one delves into ‘the Prisoner’ the less it becomes clear, and just when you think you’re on the right path of an understanding, something comes along and takes you along another path that can twist and turn so much, that you either end up dealing with a completely different topic that takes you away from what you were originally thinking about. Or it ends up back where you started, or completely lost and unable to find your way back! Something within ‘the Prisoner’ can mean one thing, and yet something else entirely, depending on interpretation. I suppose ‘the Prisoner is rather like peeling an onion, it’s made up of so many layers.
There are times when ‘the Prisoner’ allows the mind to wander, and at other times one has to be single-minded if one is to arrive at the right conclusion about something. There are times when aspects of ‘the Prisoner’ are black and white, and yet there are equally as many grey areas. And at other times a simple answer may suffice when a more complicated interpretation only clouds the water even more. ‘The Prisoner’ is about a man who resigns his job and is abducted to The Village, although not necessarily for that reason. There has to be more to it than that, otherwise it would be a pretty poor look-out for anyone who chucks their job up! For the viewer, the fan, the enthusiast ‘the Prisoner’ is about belief. It’s what you believe that matters. Oh I’ve been ridiculed in the past for what I believe to be right in ‘the Prisoner.’ But I’ve never allowed coercion to change my mind. Isn’t that what the Prisoner teaches us, to resist, to be an individual, to stand up for what we believe in, and not to give in to others? That’s one side of ‘the Prisoner’ which gets rarely discussed between enthusiasts. I know of some fans of the series who would love to lead their lives in the way of the Prisoner, or so they would have others believe. But to do that it takes strength, conviction, and belief in yourself. And yet who really wants to live their life like the Prisoner? Everyday for Number 6 was a struggle against an authority that held him captive against his will. People who say they want to live their lives like the Prisoner, they are not captives, merely prisoner’s of themselves. Perhaps it’s merely escape from themselves they seek. After all we all want to escape at some point in our lives.
As for ‘the Prisoner,’ there are not many television series dating as far back as the 1960’s, if any, which can still manage to stir the mind, as well as retain many secrets, with questions that still remain unanswered today!
Be seeing you
Thursday, 2 July 2015
Do you Play Chess?
Number 6
does, and his first game is against Number 66-the ex-Admiral in ‘Arrival.’ The
game ends in a checkmate win for the ex-Admiral, who offered to give 6 another
chance. But his opponent wasn’t on form that day. The next chess match Number 6
takes part in, not a player, merely a pawn in the game.
During that episode of ‘It’s Your Funeral’ Number 6 finds another opponent on the lawn of the Old People’s Home, the game ends in an eleven move checkmate win for Number 6.
Number 6 must be losing his grip, it was once mate in seven moves when he played the General during ‘The Chimes of Big Ben.’ But perhaps the elderly gentleman in the light blue blazer put up more resistance. But then that is not Number 6. Well it is, but in the guise of McGoohan’s stunt double Frank Maher. And yet at the moment of checkmate, the film cuts, the next image which has been edited into the film. It would have been better if McGoohan was facing the right way even.
The frame of film taken from ‘Arrival’ when Number 6 is playing chess with the ex-Admiral, and then the film cuts back to this next shot.
Soon after which Number 6 {Frank Maher} gets up out of his seat and walks away.
It is clear enough, even without the re-mastering of the 35mm film, and subsequent High-definition and Blu-ray DVD’s, to see that its Frank Maher acting the role of Number 6, even with his back to the camera. So perhaps the insertion of the single fame of film of Patrick McGoohan was to emphasise the point that he is Number 6, and not Frank Maher! Otherwise I see no reason for inserting that one frame of film.
Be seeing you
During that episode of ‘It’s Your Funeral’ Number 6 finds another opponent on the lawn of the Old People’s Home, the game ends in an eleven move checkmate win for Number 6.
Number 6 must be losing his grip, it was once mate in seven moves when he played the General during ‘The Chimes of Big Ben.’ But perhaps the elderly gentleman in the light blue blazer put up more resistance. But then that is not Number 6. Well it is, but in the guise of McGoohan’s stunt double Frank Maher. And yet at the moment of checkmate, the film cuts, the next image which has been edited into the film. It would have been better if McGoohan was facing the right way even.
The frame of film taken from ‘Arrival’ when Number 6 is playing chess with the ex-Admiral, and then the film cuts back to this next shot.
Soon after which Number 6 {Frank Maher} gets up out of his seat and walks away.
It is clear enough, even without the re-mastering of the 35mm film, and subsequent High-definition and Blu-ray DVD’s, to see that its Frank Maher acting the role of Number 6, even with his back to the camera. So perhaps the insertion of the single fame of film of Patrick McGoohan was to emphasise the point that he is Number 6, and not Frank Maher! Otherwise I see no reason for inserting that one frame of film.
Be seeing you
It's Inexplicable!
[Betty McDowell] [Peter Howell]
Two actors and one actress, all three well known, having worked in numerous television series and in films, who all have one thing in common - they all appeared in the Prisoner episode The General. However, Peter Howell and Betty McDowell never worked in the episode together. Betty McDowell appeared on screen together with Conrad Phillips, and vice versa. Conrad Phillips appeared on screen with Peter Howell, and vice versa, but Betty McDowell never once appeared on screen with Peter Howell, and she as Madam Professor, was supposed to have been the Professor’s wife!
BCNU
Ringing The Chimes Of Big Ben!
Another change to the script comes when Number 6 is sitting at a table atop of the cliffs over looking Nadia down on the beach, when Number 2 comes to join Number 6 at his table, and the conversation is as follows.
The Prisoner “What do you want?”
Number 2 “To ask you a question.”
The Prisoner “I resigned as a matter of conscience.”
Number 2 “Oh, that! No, no, no! There are people who talk and people who don't. Which means that there are people who leave here and people who stay. You're obviously staying.”
Prisoner “Has it ever occurred to you, you're just as much a prisoner as I am?”
Number 2 “But my dear chap of course! I know too much! If I wasn't in The Village, they'd have to send me here! We're both lifers! That's why I'm so anxious we get along. You're doing very well, I must say. Beginning to make reality judgments.”
The Prisoner “What question?”
Number 2 “What do you think of Nationalism?”
The Prisoner “Depends on whose side you're on.”
Number 2 “Laughs.”
{If this dialogue had been retained as it was, then Number 6 would have talked "I resigned as a matter on conscience" he said. If Number 2 had had to accept that, then it would have meant end of episode, and the Prisoner would have been free to leave The Village, having talked!}
Be seeing you
Prognosis Report On No.6
Daily the subject
climbs the Bell Tower, well we only have the daily prognosis
as evidence of that. In much the same way as it is predicted that daily Number
6 buys a bar of soap along with the daily issue of The Tally Ho! Really is
there any need for Number 6 to buy a bar of soap each day?
Number 6 is described as being eccentric. He certainly is if he buys a bar of soap every day! And he engages with another eccentric, the artist Number 118 who paints 6’s portrait.
Number 6 is certainly watching, waiting, constantly aggressive. Although it is possible the subject likes the view from the Bell Tower. So what is Number 6 watching and waiting for? A light, boat, a plane, someone from his world, something of an idea left in the mind from ‘Dance of the Dead’ perhaps!
Be seeing you
Number 6 is described as being eccentric. He certainly is if he buys a bar of soap every day! And he engages with another eccentric, the artist Number 118 who paints 6’s portrait.
Number 6 is certainly watching, waiting, constantly aggressive. Although it is possible the subject likes the view from the Bell Tower. So what is Number 6 watching and waiting for? A light, boat, a plane, someone from his world, something of an idea left in the mind from ‘Dance of the Dead’ perhaps!
Be seeing you
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