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The Prisoner <span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>
The Prisoner was a 1967 United Kingdom fantasy-drama television series, starring Patrick McGoohan. It was devised by McGoohan and George Markstein, and produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment for broadcast on ITV and overseas. McGoohan also wrote and directed several episodes, often under a pseudonym.
BackgroundThe leading character, Number Six, is a former agent of the British government during the Cold War. He is never identified by name. After resigning his position, he is kidnapped and held prisoner in a small, isolated, eccentric seaside resort town known only as the Village. The authorities there attempt to determine — "by hook or by crook" — why Number 6 resigned. Throughout the series Number 6 tries to escape while defying all attempts to break his will. He also sets out to discover the identity of the mysterious "Number 1", who presumably runs the Village. Towards the end of its run, the show deviated quite considerably from this template. Although sold as a spy thriller in the mould of McGoohan's previous series, Danger Man, the show's combination of 1960s countercultural themes and its surreal setting had a far-reaching effect upon science-fiction-fantasy-genre television, and also popular culture in general. In 2002, the series won the Prometheus Hall of Fame Award. In 2005, readers of SFX magazine awarded the series fifth place in a poll of fantasy television programmes. In 2006, a survey of leading rock and film stars by Uncut magazine on films, books, music or TV shows that changed the world, The Prisoner was ranked #10, which was the highest for a TV show. Later the same year, it was revealed that Granada Productions was planning a remake for the Sky One channel, which will take "liberties" with the original.[1] Format and settingThe series features striking and often surreal storylines, and themes include hypnosis, hallucinogenic drug experiences, identity theft, mind control and dream manipulation.  Though 17 episodes were made, McGoohan originally intended to shoot just seven. The channel wanted a full series of 26 episodes, and 17 was decided upon as a compromise. There is debate as to whether the series ended by mutual agreement or cancellation. According to The Prisoner: The Official Companion to the Classic TV Series by Robert Fairclough, the series was indeed cancelled, forcing McGoohan to write the concluding episode "Fall Out" in only a few days. As in Twin Peaks, the viewer sees much of the story from the point of view of a protagonist who often does not comprehend what is going on. In their attempts to understand, people started watching it compulsively. The final episode caused so much confusion that the television network was besieged by phone calls and McGoohan was even hounded at home by baffled viewers demanding explanations. The opening and closing sequenceIntroThe trademark intro title sequence (not seen in all episodes) begins with a visual of a cloudless blue sky and the incongruous sound of thunder. As the theme begins, the view pans down to reveal the future Number 6 driving in his Lotus Seven to arrive at the office of a superior, before whom he mounts a fierce (but inaudible) argument, apparently ending in his resignation. The hero then drives home. Returning to his flat, he quickly packs his possessions, including photographs of a tropical white sand beach (a clue to his intended destination?). A hearse pulls up and a tall pallbearer approaches the front door. A white gas then floods the room through the keyhole, which renders Number 6 unconscious. The hero awakens in the Village, whose decor and people are of peculiar nautical style and bright colours. The following dialogue exchange runs over the opening titles of most episodes. The questioner is Number 6 and the respondent is Number 2, the Village chairman (a role occupied by a different man or woman in almost every episode — some actors played the role multiple times — as the reference to the "new Number 2" indicates):
In some cases, the voice of Number 2 in the above exchange is provided by the actor playing the character in that particular episode. However, in several episodes a different voice is used although the image of the actor playing the role is still shown. In a couple of instances, an image of the Rover is shown instead of No. 2 in order to maintain the element of surprise as to the true identity of the character (most notably in the episode "Many Happy Returns"). A couple of intros also differ in that No. 2 says simply, "I am Number Two" — this was used on "A, B & C", which featured Colin Gordon as No. 2 (which was originally intended to be screened after "The General") for the second time — therefore, he was not the new No. 2. OutroAt the close of each instalment, an image of Number 6's face rapidly approaches from the Village, growing quickly in size, but is stopped at the last second by clanging bars that slam shut, serving as the episode's outro. (According to The Prisoner: The Complete Scripts Volume 1, this sequence is all that remains of a rejected, early realization of the series opening credits.) Closing creditsThe closing credits appear over a slowly assembling drawing of the penny-farthing bicycle logo of the Village. After the bicycle is fully assembled, footage of Rover rising through water and bursting above the surface is shown, and Rover then bounces into the distance. In the originally planned version of the closing credits, seen in the alternate version of "Chimes of Big Ben," Rover is not shown. Instead, the image of the bicycle frame fades out to leave only the wheels. The wheels then begin to spin faster and faster transforming into the Earth (little wheel) and the Universe (big wheel). The camera then zooms in towards the Earth which explodes into the word "POP". (This is an acronym for "Protect Other People" which is referenced in the episode "Once Upon a Time", and also in the show's occasional use of the song "Pop Goes the Weasel" in the soundtrack.) The Village
 The location of the Village is unknown. In "Many Happy Returns", its location is estimated to be somewhere near "coast of Morocco, southwest of Portugal and Spain" — No. 6 works this out with old colleagues using navigation notes and maps after briefly escaping, and when searching this area is tricked and dropped back there — suggesting this estimate is right, though there could have been subterfuge used by his old colleagues. In another, Lithuania, on the Baltic coast "30 miles from the Polish border" although this may be a deception. In the unbroadcast version of the episode "The Chimes of Big Ben", Number 6 constructs a device that allows him to work out the Village's location; this scene was presumably cut to remove this deus ex machina and is not considered "canon" with the rest of the series. The final episode, "Fall Out", while it never reveals the Village's exact location, strongly suggests that it is within driving distance of London. It also gives no suggestion of ferry travel and the Channel Tunnel from France was still decades away from completion. The Village has a daily newspaper called the Tally Ho and a logo in the form of a canopied penny-farthing bicycle. The place is under the control of Number 2 (see below). "Work units" or "credits" serve as currency in its shops, and are kept track of with a hole-punched credit card. Throughout the Village, music plays in the background, nearly all of it alternating between rousing marching band music and lullabies, periodically interrupted by public announcements. The media and signage consistently incorporate sailing and resort themes. The exact size of the Village is never established on screen. Besides the townsite, it is known to include a hospital building some distance away, as well as forested, mountainous, and coastal areas. The Village is large enough that one episode ("Living in Harmony") established that an entire Old West town was built somewhere in the vicinity. In "Arrival" (and other episodes) Number 6 views the Village from the air, yet is apparently unable to spot any surrounding towns or cities. In other episodes (depending upon the camera angle), buildings can clearly be seen on the far side of the bay. Nevertheless, all maps of the village seen in the series display only the central townsite. Scenes of the Village were filmed at Portmeirion, a resort village near Penrhyndeudraeth in Wales, and at MGM Borehamwood Studios in England. By utilizing MGM's backlot, the production was able to add whole areas to the Village that were not represented in real life at Portmeirion. Security and surveillance in the VillageAn underground control centre monitors closed-circuit television cameras located throughout the Village. Regular observers continually spy on Villagers and foil Number 6's escape attempts with the aid of Rover, a large white balloon-like device that chases and pacifies or kills would-be escapees. Rover was originally intended to be a robotic machine, rather like a Dalek [2] (See Doctor Who), but when the prototype failed to work during the first episode's shoot, the crew noticed a weather balloon in the sky and used this out of inspiration. Citizens use the phrase "Be seeing you" as a farewell, accompanied by a waving gesture consisting of thumb and forefinger forming a circle over the right eye, then tipped forward in a salute. Number 6Number 6 typically wears a very deep brown (often mistaken for black, and usually appearing in the episodes as such) jacket with white trim, a blue or black T-shirt, tan slacks, and forsakes his "6" ID badge. There were at least two jackets, with slight differences in the piping. Little is known about Number 6's background other than that he fought in a war and was born on March 19, 1928 (which is also McGoohan's birthday). The flashback setup in "Once Upon a Time" suggests that Number 6 was a bomber crewman, most likely with RAF Bomber Command. His seated position relative to the pilot (portrayed in illusion by Number 2) indicates that he was a bombardier-navigator in DeHavilland Mosquito penetration fighter-bombers. As the Mosquito was operational with the Royal Air Force as late as 1952, and used in training for over a decade afterward, it is highly possible that the Prisoner might have trained in "Mossies". He refuses to reveal the reason behind his resignation, despite constant efforts by Number 2 to get this information from him. Number 6 initially spends his energy seeking ways to escape, and later in the series turns his attention to finding out more about the Village and its unseen rulers. His attempts are easily rebuffed by Village authorities. However, their efforts to extract information necessitate increasingly drastic measures through the course of the series.
EpisodesThis is the original order in which the episodes were broadcast in Britain, not the production order or chronological story order. Note however even the broadcast order is not that originally intended by McGoohan. For instance, it is very likely from the story details and opening sequences that "The General" precedes "A. B. and C." in sequence. It should be noted that extensive debate has taken place among dedicated fans trying to determine a "correct" order for the episodes. Many have analyzed the series line-by-line for time references which in many cases provide different, sometimes radically different, episode orders compared to the broadcast order.
Spin-offs and continuationsNovelsIn 1969, Ace Books in the United States published three novels based upon the series. These books, which take place after the events of "Fall Out," are notable for stating explicitly that Number 6 is John Drake from Danger Man. The three books are not considered canonical.
Some sources erroneously list Disch as the creator of the TV series as he is the writer of the first novel based upon the show. All three novels have been reprinted numerous times over the years; most recently the Disch and Stine books were republished in 2002. Additionally, all three books were republished in omnibus form. The reference work The Whole Story: 3000 Years of Sequels & Sequences 2nd edition by John E. Simkin erronously lists an additional volume by McDaniel entitled Prisoner 3 being released in 1981, but no such book was ever published. In the 1980s, Roger Langley of the Prisoner Appreciation Society wrote three novellas based upon the series:
These books were made available through the fan club, and at the Prisoner Shop in Portmeirion and are long out of print. The return of The PrisonerA movie version of The Prisoner has been in development limbo for many years at Universal Pictures. At one point Simon West was attached as director with Patrick McGoohan on board as an executive producer and script consultant. Many A-list actors have been rumoured to play Number 6, with Russell Crowe believed to be the favourite. As of early 2006, there is no word on the current status of the film project or whether it will even go into production, but in late 2005, it was announced that Granada will be reviving the series for Sky One, beginning in Spring 2007. In May 2006 it was reported that Christopher Eccleston was in the running to play Number Six. The series is expected to air on Sky One opposite the third series of Doctor Who, which Eccleston himself relaunched in 2005.[3] According to the 3-9 June issue of "Radio Times", the new series re-make will be entitled "Number Six" and not "The Prisoner". Popular Culture
External linksWikipedia's article on The Prisoner], upon which this current article is based General overviews
Theories and interpretationsEpisode guides and fan sites
Reviews
Frequently asked questionsInterviews
Fandom
Web experiencesSpin-offs
DirectoriesCategories: Episode Guides | TV series | Spy fi TV series | Patrick McGoohan TV series | George Markstein TV series
2008, SCI FI. All rights reserved.
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