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The Prisoner

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For other uses, see The Prisoner (disambiguation)}}}.
 The Prisoner
200px
The Prisoner logo
Format Science fiction
Run time 50 minutes
Creator Patrick McGoohan
George Markstein
Starring Patrick McGoohan
Country UK
Network ITV
Original run October 1, 1967 – February 4, 1968
No. of episodes 17

The Prisoner was a 1967 UK 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.

Contents

Background

The leading character, Number Six, is a former secret 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.[link]

Patrick McGoohan as Number 6, in a scene from the episode "Free for All", appears on the cover of the first continuation novel based upon the series (see Spin-offs and continuations, below).
Enlarge
Patrick McGoohan as Number 6, in a scene from the episode "Free for All", appears on the cover of the first continuation novel based upon the series (see Spin-offs and continuations, below).

Format and setting

The 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 sequence

Intro

The 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):

"Where am I?"
"In the Village."
"What do you want?"
"Information."
"Whose side are you on?"
"That would be telling."
"We want information. Information. Information!"
"You won't get it."
"By hook or by crook, we will."
"Who are you?"
"The new Number 2." (This may vary)
"Who is Number 1?"
"You are Number 6."
"I am not a number — I am a free man!"
(Laughter from Number 2.)
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.

Outro

At 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 credits

The 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

Main article: The Village (The Prisoner)

[Spoiler warningSpoiler warning]: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The Village's penny-farthing logo
The Village's penny-farthing logo
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 Village

An 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 [link] (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 6

Number 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.

The later episodes feature less escape bids and more psychological themes such as the nature of power and authority, and their relationship with liberty. His cunning and defiance only increase while in captivity: in "Hammer Into Anvil" he reduces Number 2 to a mad, paranoid wreck through deception. As the Number 2s become more coercive and desperate, Number 6's behaviour becomes progressively sharp, uncompromising, and eccentric.

While the reason for choosing six as the designated number of the main character is unknown, reviewer Alden Loveshade has suggested that it may be a reference to the Christian Old Testament/Jewish scripture. At the beginning of almost every episode, the main character insists "I am not a number. I am a free man!" In Hebrew numerology, the number six represents the sixth day of creation when God created Man, and is thus recognized as "the number of man." "Number 6," then, may represent "Everyman," which is a common theme of the series. This could explain why the main character insists he is not a number, yet never reveals his name. He may represent us all.[link]

Number 2

The Village is openly administered by an official designated as "Number 2". Number 2's identity usually changes with each episode. There are two Number 2s with repeat appearances: Leo McKern appeared in three episodes, and Colin Gordon in two. With the exception of "Fall Out", this was the result of the actors performing their roles in two consecutive episodes filmed back to back. Colin Gordon was filmed in "The General" followed immediately with "A. B. and C." Leo McKern was featured in the series pilot episode, "The Chimes of Big Ben," and then featured in the first production episode to be filmed "Once Upon a Time."

The various Number 2s seem to make use of several symbols of their authority. One of the most striking is the Seal, a large golden medallion, somewhat in the style of a mayoral chain, with the penny-farthing logo and the official title "Chief Administrator". This is only seen in one episode, "It's Your Funeral". The two more visible signs are a multicoloured scarf and a colourful umbrella stick (used as a cane). Most, though not all, of the Number 2s seem to use these symbolic objects.

It seems that Number 2's main duty is to break the will of Number 6. Throughout the series, Number 2 tries to discover why Number 6 resigned. Number 6 refuses to answer, stating only that it was "a matter of conscience", and not open to inquiry. A variety of interrogation, intimidation, drugs, and mind control techniques are used by sequential Number 2s. Number 6's value prevents the Number 2s from using brutal methods — routinely employed on other prisoners — against him.

The first episode, "Arrival", established that the people holding the position of Number 2 were rotated on a regular basis. Some fans have interpreted the removal of a Number 2 exclusively as a punishment for failure, but there were only two individuals who actually fit this categorization. The episode "Free for All" suggests that Number 2s could be "democratically elected by the people." However, this was part of the attempt used by the Number 2 of that episode to break Number 6.

One of these Number 2s was recalled to the Village as the final Number 2 (as played by Leo McKern). This Number 2 appears to hold a position of some distinction. In the final episode, "Fall Out", McKern's character uses the Lord's Entrance in the Palace of Westminster, indicating that he is a member of Parliament, having either inherited a title through birth or received a title from the Crown. An alternative interpretation is that the Palace of Westminster is a symbol of democracy, in contrast to the theme of totalitarianism and the suppression of the individual.

Episodes

This 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.

Episode Title Original airdate (UK)
1-1 "Arrival" October 1, 1967
1-2 "The Chimes of Big Ben" October 8, 1967
1-3 "A. B. and C." October 15, 1967
1-4 "Free for All" October 22, 1967
1-5 "The Schizoid Man" October 29, 1967
1-6 "The General" November 5, 1967
1-7 "Many Happy Returns" November 12, 1967
1-8 "Dance of the Dead" November 26, 1967
1-9 "Checkmate" December 3, 1967
1-10 "Hammer Into Anvil" December 10, 1967
1-11 "It's Your Funeral" December 17, 1967
1-12 "A Change of Mind" December 31, 1967
1-13 "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling" January 7, 1968
1-14 "Living in Harmony" January 14, 1968
1-15 "The Girl Who Was Death" January 21, 1968
1-16 "Once Upon a Time" January 28, 1968
1-17 "Fall Out" February 4, 1968

Unproduced episodes

Several unproduced storylines and scripts for the series are known to exist, several of which were published in a two-volume collection of Prisoner scripts edited by Robert Fairclough and published by Reynolds and Hearn in 2005 and 2006.

Interpretations and rumours

-->
The theme of The Prisoner is, essentially, a libertarian one where the freedom of the individual is consistently undermined by the societal collective backed by overwhelming totalitarian force. In response, Number 6 makes this unambiguous statement: "I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered. My life is my own." While the Village tries to assimilate Number 6, he himself strives for independence — usually asserting this through his attempts to escape. Sometimes Number 6 succeeds, sometimes he fails, and occasionally he is defeated by his defiance, in that by resisting 'on their terms' he has succumbed to the greater trap — that is, playing the game the Village has put before him.

During the opening dialogue in most episodes, Number 2 says "You are Number 6". Some view this as a direct response to the previous question "Who is Number 1?" by inserting a comma into the statement ("You are, Number 6."), implying that Number 6 is in control. Similarly, Number 2's reply of "Information" to Number 6's question "What do you want?" could be interpreted as 'information' or 'in formation', the latter being a command to follow orders and conform.

The identity of Number 6 is debated: many believe he is John Drake, the spy character McGoohan played for many years on Danger Man a.k.a. Secret Agent. At least one later episode of The Prisoner ("The Girl Who Was Death") was adapted from an unused Danger Man script, and a character named Potter who appeared in the earlier series appeared on The Prisoner, played by the same actor. Another theory is that he is David Jones, portrayed by McGoohan in the film verion of Ice Station Zebra that was filmed at the same time as the series. Otherwise, McGoohan has stated for decades that No. 6 was not John Drake, while Markstein said he was. Still others find scant evidence for this view. McGoohan did not own the rights to John Drake, so it is unlikely he would have been allowed to use the character.

McGoohan always emphasised the show's power was strongest when it was viewed allegorically. Towards the end of the series, particularly in the symbolism-laden final instalment, "Fall Out", the show seems a refutation to some degree of the counterculture. Whether it includes that which had embraced McGoohan or just the misguided idealism of the hippies is up for debate. (The viewer is advised to consider the soundtrack cues used in the last episode before opposing or espousing either view.)

Spin-offs and continuations

Novels

In 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.

In 2004, [Powys Media] announced plans for a new series of novels based upon the series, with the first volume scheduled for release in the United States in March 2005. To date five novels have been announced, all to be published in trade paperback format. According to Powys Media, at least six books are planned (a seventh novel, from Robert Sheckley, was never written due to the passing of the author). Although officially licenced, it has not yet been determined whether the books are considered canonical.

Comic books

In the early 1970s, Marvel Comics considered launching a comic book based on The Prisoner, with art by Jack Kirby. A test issue was put together but never published. Original artwork from this comic still exists and occasionally turns up for auction. Some of it has been published in the comic book fanzine Jack Kirby Collector. The surviving artwork suggests that the first issue, at least, would have been an adaptation of "Arrival."

[Spoiler warningSpoiler warning]: Plot and/or ending details follow.

right
right
In the late 1980s, DC Comics published a four-issue comic book mini-series based on The Prisoner, drawn by Mister X creator Dean Motter and co-written with Mark Askwith. The comic story takes place twenty years after the events of the series. It involves a female former agent named Drake (no apparent relation to John Drake) washing ashore at the ruins of the Village, where an elderly (and seemingly insane) Number 6 now lives by himself. Drake is dubbed the new Number 6 and finds herself in the midst of a power struggle between the original Number 6 and Number 2 ("played by" Leo McKern, the last television Number 2, with the actor's approval), who had been sent to prison for violating the Official Secrets Act after writing a tell-all book about the Village. Now himself insane but again a "free man", Number 2 returns to the Village to seek revenge on Number 6. Meanwhile, two of Drake's secret agent friends investigate her disappearance and discover clues that lead them to the Village. But what do "THEY" have to say about all this?

left
left
In a nod to both the idea of "I am not a number!" and the episode, "A, B and C", the four issues were not numbered, but were rather Issue A, B, C, and D. The mini-series was reprinted in 1990 as the graphic novel, Shattered Visage. The graphic novel included a two-page text piece that rationalized away the events of the last episode as drug-enhanced psychodrama designed to break the original Number 6.

Patrick McGoohan and ITC Entertainment vetted the story and art. The likenesses of McGoohan and Leo McKern were featured for their characters’ return and it is rumored that while the notoriously critical McGoohan "didn’t hate" the series, McKern was flattered to be a "comic book villain" for the first time.

Computer games

In 1981, EduWare produced The Prisoner, a video game for the Apple II computer based upon the television series. The game was reportedly not officially licensed, so a number of changes had to be made in order to distance the game from a few of the more recognizable Prisoner elements. The game's designer, David Mullich, incorporated elements of Franz Kafka's The Castle into the game, in which the players assumed the role of a character referred to as # (the "number sign" in the United States and Canada). # wakes up on The Island, and explores the 20 homes, shops and service buildings there, trying to find clues as to how to escape.

The player is given a three-digit number, which signifies #'s reasons for resigning. The game then attempts at numerous times to trick the player into revealing the number. One of the most nefarious was a simulated game crash which included the error message "Syntax error in line ###" where the line number was the player's resignation code. The significance of this is that this was a commonly seen error message in the Apple II's BASIC programming language; out of pure habit, the next step most users would take at this point would be to investigate the erroneous line to try and correct the error, using the command "List ###" where ### once again is the line number. Typing the game's three-digit code at any time resulted in the game being lost, and that included typing the line into the BASIC command as, unknown to the player, the game was still running. Ironically, as the game was difficult to beat, being able to list the program from within the game was one way to ultimately solve and win the game by the means of reading and analyzing the program and deducing a solution.

The first game utilized several different graphic styles. The game was presented in a "top-down" view mode, with abstract representations of the different homes and businesses, while the player is represented by the # sign. Several segments of the game make use of all-text screens with limited animations (as much as the Apple was able to execute with text); other segments of the game used the Apple's low-resolution and high-resolution graphics modes.

Considered unique among games of this sort, The Prisoner was reportedly used as a training tool for Central Intelligence Agency agents. (Around this time, EduWare also released a "game" that simulated terrorist attacks — up to and including nuclear — and the player's task is to respond to these incidents.)

In 1982, EduWare released a sequel, Prisoner 2, with colour and improved graphics (all high-resolution now). Released near the end of the Apple II's dominance of home computers, it was not as widely successful as the first game.

Role-playing games

Steve Jackson Games' popular role-playing game system GURPS released a (now out of print) world book for The Prisoner. It included maps, episode synopses, details of the Village and its inhabitants, and much other material.

The first game in Broderbund's "Myst" series featured a location called "Stoneship," that resembles the Stone Boat at Portmeirion.

The return of The Prisoner

A 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.[link]

According to the 3-9 June issue of "Radio Times", the new series re-make will be entitled "Number Six" and not "The Prisoner".

References in popular culture

See: References to The Prisoner in popular culture

Trivia

Note that this episode was also shown with the drug usage edited down in the UK until a 1984 repeat run.

External links

General overviews

Theories and interpretations

Episode guides and fan sites

Reviews

Frequently asked questions

Interviews

Fandom

Web experiences

Spin-offs

Directories

 

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