It was good... and then it got cancelled

The Prisoner Tv Series Trivia:
The village captors will not refer to Patrick McGoohan's character by his real name. They will only call him "Prisoner number 6".

The scenes from the tv series that were filmed indoors were done at Borehamwood studio, the same place that the classic movie, "2001: A Space Odyssey", was filmed.

Due to the suspected hidden meanings in the tv series scripts, Universities have held courses about the show. Some Doctorial candidates even wrote their thesis on the subject. Patrick McGoohan has stated that there were no hidden meanings and that if anyone has figured out the meaning of the series, he would appreciate their explaining it to him!

The scenes of the exterior of the Village were actually the Hotel Portmeirion, an unusual resort in North Wales.

The Prisoner's sports car was a Lotus Seven Series II.

Patrick McGoohan wrote and directed several of the episodes himself. In fact, he wrote the final episode, "Fall Out", over one weekend!

The White Balloons that apprehended prisoners trying to escape were only mentioned by name once in episode #5 "The Schizoid Man". They were called "Rovers".

The Prisoner's address that is seen in the opening credits and in a few episodes was: 1 Buckingham Place.

Patrick McGoohan was the first choice to play "James Bond" in the movies. He turned down the role because he thought it was too demeaning to women.

 

Welcome to The Prisoner guide at TV Tome.


'The Prisoner' is about a man who is kidnapped from his London home, and wakes up in a strange Village, where he is known only by the name Number Six.

Various Village Officers-in-Charge, always referred to as Number Two, set about trying to find out why Number Six resigned his job as a secret agent. Number Six is interrogated, brainwashed, and manipulated by the strange powers behind the mysterious Village.

This intriguing series first went to air in 1968. It was ahead of its time then, and continues to intrigue today. It was very much the brain-child of Patrick McGoohan, who not only starred as Number Six, but was also instrumental in bringing the series to fruition.

 

When I saw the first episode of this series, my jaw dropped in amazement. Here was a TV series that was entertaining and actually made you think. Nothing was ever what it appeared, no one had a real name, you never knew who was the good guy or the bad guy (or if they were one in the same!). The "final" episode was what could only be described as PSYCHEDELIC.

This TV series was, and still is, way ahead of its time.

As a side note, there is a "lost" first episode that is wildly different than the first one generally aired that explains some of the symbolism used in the series.

I hope the movie remake is made and distributed.

 

1After handing in his resignation, the Prisoner heads off to his London home to pack for a holiday. He begins to feel faint and ends up unconscious.

He awakes not in his house but in a strange village. He starts to explore but soon realises that in "The Village" all things such as 'phone calls, maps and taxis are "only local".

He is shown around the Village by Number Two who explains that the information in his head is priceless and that he wants to know why he resigned.

Welcome to your new home, Number Six.

Number Six has a new next-door neighbour, Nadia. She befriends Number Six and tells him that the Village is situated on the Baltic.

To cover their plans of escape Number Six enters the Village arts and crafts exhibition competition.

His entry entitled "Escape" is the inspiration for their plan to get back to London.

bThe new Number Two uses a new wonder drug to tap into Number Six's subconscious to try to discover why he resigned. Over a period of three nights he encounters A, B and C in separate circumstances, at Madame Engadine's party. Unknown to Number Two, Number Six has realised what has happened and uses his dreams to prove that he was not selling out.

It's election time in the Village. A new Number Two needs to be elected and Number Six is persuaded to stand. While attending a meeting of the outgoing council meeting, Number Six angers Number Two who decides that Number Six must undergo "The Test". Number Six sets out on his election campaign with many promises to his voters but his aim is to discover who Number One is.

Number Six awakes one morning in a different Village apartment and discovers things have changed. He has a new appearance, has become left-handed and has a different taste in foods. He is no longer Number Six but now Number Twelve. A double of Number Six has been brought to the Village in an attempt to crack him. A bruised fingernail is the only clue that can help the real Number Six.

'Speedlearn' is a subliminal process for educating the population of the Village, developed by a Professor with the aid of an unseen 'General'. However, the Professor realises that his creation has the ability to be abused by Number Two and with the help of Number Six intends to destroy the 'General'. After their attempt fails Number Two takes Number Six to meet the 'General'.

Number Six awakes to a deserted Village. He realises that he has the perfect opportunity to escape his captors. He builds a raft and sets sail away from the Village. During his voyage he comes across some gunrunners who steal his remaining supplies and leave him to drown. He is eventually washed up on the south coast of England. He manages to get back to London to find a 'Mrs Butterworth' living in his house. The next day is Number Six's birthday and Mrs Butterworth has a surprise planned for him.

Number Six discovers a dead man washed up on the Village beach. He finds a wallet and a radio set in the dead man's jacket. He hides the body in a cave and later tries the radio. Number Six later returns to the body with a life-belt and sets it afloat with a rescue note, although he is watched by a former colleague, Dutton. Number Two has been using Dutton to obtain information on Number Six but soon thinks Dutton is expendable. Number Six receives an invitation to the Village carnival where he meets Peter Pan and Little Bo-Peep.

Number Six takes the position of Queen's Pawn in a human game of chess. An illegal move by the Rook leads to his withdrawal and he is taken to the Village hospital. Number Two brainwashes the Queen to fall in love with Number Six who discovers the locket the Queen wears around her neck is in fact a radio transmitter to track him. The transmitter is useful to Number Six and he manages to borrow the locket which he intends to use with the Rook in his latest escape bid.

When a young woman is driven to her death by Number Two, Number Six swears his revenge. Number Two tells Number Six that he is going to hammer him (using a quote from Goethe about hammers and anvils) so Number Six decides to turn the tables. He plans to make Number Two think that he is an agent called D6 and that he reports to a superior X.O.4. Number Six sets out on a campaign to break Number Two.

The Prisoner is tricked into discovering an assassination plot - but who is going to be killed? Number Two knows that Number Six is the only man in the Village capable of stopping a murder so he attempts to discredit him. After Number Six finds out about the plot he goes to warn Number Two who records the warning and doctors the tape. After a new Number Two arrives in the Village, Number Six realises that the intended target is not who he first thought.

After becoming involved in a fight with two thugs, Number Six is declared 'unmutual' by the Village committee who recommend that he undergo 'instant social treatment'. However, due to Number Six's importance he is not administered the treatment, only tricked into thinking he has had it. Number Six later realises this and manages to get the Village doctor on his side. With her help he has plans for Number Two.

Number Six is not himself. The Prisoner's mind is transformed in another man's body by the Village authorities in an attempt to track down a scientist, Professor Seltzman.

When he awakes in his London home he has a tough task convincing people of his true identity, so he sets off for Austria to find Professor Seltzman - the only man who can help him.

The Prisoner finds himself a stranger in a Western town called 'Harmony'. He reluctantly takes on the job of the Sheriff in order to release a young saloon woman. As Sheriff he refuses to carry a gun until a killing spree forces him to take one up. After a gun fight with the Kid, The Prisoner wants to resign from his post but The Judge refuses to let him.

The Prisoner is back in his old job as he tries to track down the murderer of Colonel Hawke-Englishe, who was looking for a crazy scientist called Schnipps. The scientist's daughter Sonia, who calls herself Death, protects her father and sets many deadly traps for Number Six. Sonia eventually leads him to her father who has plans to destroy London with his super-rocket.

After all previous attempts to break Number Six have failed, Number Two decides the only way to obtain the information wanted is by using a system known as 'Degree Absolute'. A battle that will leave one of them dead. If Number Six wins, he will have survived the ultimate test and meet Number One.

The Prisoner is presented to the President of the Assembly. He watches the trials of Number Forty Eight and the resuscitated Number Two. It is now his chance to finally meet Number One. As chaos breaks out, The Prisoner leaves the Village and heads for London.

 

"The Prisoner" Summary

TV Series Background

"The Prisoner" TV series was conceived by Patrick McGoohan as a one-time 6 part TV series. McGoohan is better know to US viewers the spy in the TV series "Secret Agent". Overseas the series was known as "Danger Man." The premise was that a Cold War era spy resigns. His bosses do not believe the reasons he gave in his resignation letter and so have him kidnapped and taken to "The Village." This village is not run by any one government — it works for any government — and all sorts of people are there to have their secrets extracted or kept there until they die so that no other government can know their secrets. McGoohan's character is assigned a number - - Number 6 - - upon his arrival. No one is to use names in the village.

He immediately takes offense at being Shanghaied and sets about escaping. To do so he is always battling in a game of wits against the people who run the village.

The initial 6 episodes as envisioned by McGoohan were expanded into 17. The series ran on TV in 1966 and 1967 in various countries. A lot of the ideas expressed in this short run has cropped up in many other TV series as of late. "Nowhere Man" that was on in the States particularly borrowed a lot of ideas — and in some cases a few plots — from The Prisoner TV series.

You can purchase the tapes - - and now DVDs - in many stores. It is also shown on TV once in a while mainly on PBS and the Sci-Fi channel are the most likely places to see it. The San Jose PBS station (KQED showed the series back in 1990/1991 in a different order than the original airing (see below). In some people's opinion this re-sequencing of the episodes is better than the original sequence. You can follow his transformation of just trying to escape to understanding the system and then defeating it —maybe. You have to watch all 17 to find out.

There has been substantial movement toward filming a feature length movie lately. This is due to the recent rash of the 1960 TV series that were made feature movies that made money.

My Intrepertation of What The Show Means

Each episode is a reflection of both the current (and foreseen) operation of society as well as a profile of both No 6, and the people he deals with.

Sometimes it is an allegory of the village - society - trampling down on the individual for the greater "good" of society; most of the time it is "good vs. evil" with some shades of gray thrown in to make you think about what is on the surface is good but when overused or mis-used turns into evil.

It also is a warning that if people act differently from how they are expected to act then they are singled out to be watched over as a perceived threat to the society.

"The Prisoner" Production Credits

ITC/Everyman Films (ITV) Colour 1967-68

17 episodes (50 minutes)

Created by Patrick McGoohan and David Tomblin (with George Markstein).

Written by David Tomblin, George Markstein, Terence Feely, Patrick McGoohan, Anthony Skene, Lewis Greifer, Michael Cramoy, Roger Parkes, Vincent Tilsley, Gerald Kelsey, Roger Woodis, Ian L. Rakoff.

Directed by Don Chaffey, Pat Jackson, Robert Asher, Roy Rossotti, Peter Graham Scott, David Tomblin, Patrick McGoohan.

Produced by David Tomblin.

Executive Producer: Patrick McGoohan.

Starring: Patrick McGoohan (The Prisoner), Guy Doleman/George Baker/Leo McKern/Colin Gordon/Eric Portman/Anton Rodgers/Mary Morris/Peter Wyngarde/Patrick Cargill/Derren Nesbitt/John Sharp/Clifford Evans/David Bauer/Georgina Cookson/Andre Van Gysegham/Kenneth Griffith (Number Two), Alexis Kanner (The Kid/Number 48), Angelo Muscat (The Butler), Peter Swanwick (The Supervisor), Denis Show (Shopkeeper).

The above info came from: Keith Topping The original broadcast sequence

29 Sep. 67 - 2 Feb. 68

1. Arrival
2. The Chimes of Big Ben
3. A, B and C
4. Free for All
5. The Schizoid Man
6. The General
7. Many Happy Returns
8. Dance of the Dead
9. Checkmate
10. Hammer into Anvil
11. It's Your Funeral
12. A Change of Mind
13. Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling
14. Living in Harmony
15. The Girl Who Was Death
16. Once Upon a Time
17. Fall Out

Alternate Viewing Sequence

There is also different sequence to view the episodes that was put forth by Max Hora. I Personally like the alternate viewing sequence. Scott Apel hosted a rebroadcast of the series using this sequence, along with an introduction and a summation after each episode, on KTEH of San Jose in 1991.

1. Arrival
2. Dance of the Dead
3. Checkmate
4. The Chimes of Big Ben
5. Free For All
6. Many Happy Returns
7. The Schizoid Man
8. The General
9. A, B and C
10. Living In Harmony
11. It's Your Funeral
12. Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling
13. A Change of Mind
14. Hammer Into Anvil
15. The Girl Who Was Death
16. Once Upon A Time
17. Fallout

 

Dead Like Me and Carnivale were two shows I really got into that were cancelled after only two seasons.

 

Freaks and Geeks and now Carnivale that was on HBO \\I was on extra of Freaks and Geeks once, but they didn't ever show the episode

 

I wish they'd made another season of Dark Angel.... mmmm Jessica Alba was actually good in that role

 

Wonderfalls. Think it lasted all of 4 episodes, but it was funny as hell. Arrested Development is back for another season.

 

Yes...fo sho...

 

3 SOUTH by far was the best show ive ever seen,

Now my favorite show is Entourage on HBO

 

I love Entourage too...just watched it and luckily-not cancelled, although I loved Carnivale and those bastards at HBO chopped it while creating a horrible new show with Pheobe from Friends

 

The new Entourage that was on last night was fuckin great.

then so are all the episodes

 

all i have to say is, home movies, futurama, and fast lane

 

^Your dog is sooooooo cute

Greg the bunny

freeks and geeks (loved that show!)

and Grounded for life, that show was so freakin funny I guess it got cancelled haven't seen it in awhile but I'd like to buy the seasons on dvd. I know it was on for quite a few years, its to bad its gone now *cries*

 

That 80s show...

 

anybody know what happened to 'Tru Calling'? was that cancelled? i know i caught like 3 episodes this season then it just disappeared...

 

"FOX canceled Tru Calling in favor of the new supernatural thriller Point Pleasant"
I read that somewhere online (I think tvtome)

 

Joan of Arcadia and Tru Calling were both good shows... but then in their second seasons they started slacking in creativity and kinda went in the same direction with the plot. Kinda glad they were canceled, for that reason.
Wonderfalls was an awesome show - should've been on longer!

 

i definitely agree with freaks and geeks, but does anyone remember undeclared on fox? i think it was by the same guys and had some of the same people in it, with the english roomate, about freshman year of college? that show was hilarious!


but the all time best show that was cut short (and i can't believe no one mentioned this!) has to be my so-called-life, i recently wacthed it on DVD and each episode is absolutely brilliant...i mean cinematography and everything, it was fantastic...

but hey, at least they brought family guy back though...someone finally got a clue!