The Prisoner

For other uses, see The Prisoner (disambiguation) and Prisoner.

The Prisoner
The Prisoner logo
Created by	Patrick McGoohan George Markstein
Starring	Patrick McGoohan
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of episodes	17
Production
Executive producer	Patrick McGoohan
Producer	David Tomblin
Running time	50 minutes
Original release
Network	ITV
Release	1 October 1967 – 4 February 1968

The Prisoner is a 1967 UK allegorical science fiction television series, starring Patrick McGoohan. It was a combination of two concepts. One was devised by McGoohan years earlier, in reaction to the surreal appearance of the Welsh resort Hotel Portmeirion where location filming for three episodes of the first Danger Man TV series was done. He felt that something Kafkaesque and meaningful should be done with the place. The other came from George Markstein when the actor began complaining that the revival of that programme, on which the other was script editor, was becoming stale and uninteresting to him.

Markstein remembered that during World War II some people were incarcerated in a resort-like prison and suggested that the lead character John Drake could suddenly resign, and find himself kidnapped to such a locale, having to identify his captors without giving them any information and escape. McGoohan grafted this onto the material he had developed in the intervening years, and pitched it to Lew Grade of ITC Entertainment (McGoohan invariably denies that The Prisoner and John Drake are the same character, and the latter's creator, Ralph Smart, has never received credit or payments).

Grade bought the show, and it was produced for broadcast on ITV and overseas. McGoohan wrote and directed several episodes, often under a pseudonym. Specifically, he wrote "Free For All" as Paddy Fitz (Paddy being Irish shorthand for Patrick and Fitzgerald being his mother's maiden name), and directed "Many Happy Returns" and "A Change of Mind" as Joseph Serf.

As the above indicates, the series deals with the predicament of a top-level government agent who resigns his job and is kidnapped and imprisoned in a mysterious place called "The Village", the exteriors for which were filmed in the grounds of the aforementioned Welsh resort. His captors attempt to break him, while he resists and tries to escape.

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 2006, Granada Productions revealed plans for a remake for the Sky One channel, which will take "liberties" with the original.

Premise

The protagonist, played by McGoohan, is apparently a former secret agent of the British government during the Cold War. He is never identified by name and the exact nature of his job is never explicitly indicated, though numerous episodes provide clues. 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 in control of the Village (whose identity and allegiance are never made clear) call him Number Six and attempt to find out, "by hook or by crook", why he resigned (even though they may already know at least part of the answer). Throughout the series, Number Six attempts to escape while defying all attempts to break his will. He also tries to discover "which side" his captors work for, and the identity of the mysterious "Number One", who presumably runs the Village. Towards the end of its run, the show deviated quite considerably from this template.

Format and setting

File:PrisonerPaperback.jpg

Patrick McGoohan as Number Six, 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).

The series features striking and often surreal storylines, and themes include hypnosis, hallucinogenic drug experiences, identity theft, mind control, dream manipulation, and various forms of societal indoctrination.

McGoohan originally intended to shoot just seven episodes. The channel wanted a full series of 26, and they compromised on 17. 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.

Like 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, some people started watching it compulsively. In the original U.K. run, 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. He later claimed to have gone into hiding.

The opening and closing sequence

Intro

The opening main series title sequence (seen in all but 2 episodes, but it has several extra shots scattered throughout in the opener "Arrival") begins with a visual of a clouded sky and the sound of thunder, the latter incongruously becoming that of a jet plane engine. As the theme music begins, the view pans down to reveal an angry man, the future Number Six, driving in his Lotus Seven, registration number KAR 120C, past the Houses of Parliament in London, into an underground car park. He is then seen striding forcefully down a corridor which seems to end in the office of a superior. The man mounts a fierce (but inaudible) argument before this superior, delivers a letter (presumably his resignation), and smashes his fist onto the desk, knocking a teacup out of its saucer and spilling its contents (coffee or tea) onto the desk. He then drives home. A hearse follows him. Returning to his flat, he quickly packs his possessions, including photographs of a tropical white sand beach (possibly a clue to his intended destination). The hearse pulls up and a tall pallbearer approaches the front door. A white gas then floods the room through the keyhole, which renders our hero unconscious. He awakens in what appears to be his apartment, but is in fact a recreation of his home in the Village, where the decor and the residents' clothes are of brightly coloured and peculiarly nautical style.

The following dialogue exchange runs over the opening titles (that is, the title of the episode, guest star lists, and credits for line producer, writer, and director) of most episodes. It is not heard in "Arrival", as it is a condensation of much of what that first episode establishes, "Living In Harmony" or "Fall Out" as none of the standard opening is present, or "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling", for no known reason. The questioner is Number Six and the respondent is Number Two, the Village chairman, a role occupied by a different man or woman in almost every episode (as indicated by the reference to the "new Number Two"):

"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!" (Some fans hear "In Formation!")

"You won't get it."

"By hook or by crook, we will."

"Who are you?"

"The new Number Two." (This occasionally varies — see below.)

"Who is Number One?"

"You are Number Six."(May be an answer - You are, Number Six)

"I am not a number — I am a free man!"

(Laughter from Number Two.)

In most cases, the voice of Number Two in the above exchange is provided by the actor playing the character in that particular episode. In a few episodes, Number Two is not shown at all in order to not spoil the surprise as to the true identity of the character (such as the episodes "Many Happy Returns" and "The Girl Who Was Death") -- in these episodes a different voice (specifically that of Robert Rietty) is used without the image of the actor playing the role being shown. In "Checkmate", while Peter Wyngarde plays Number Two and is seen here, his first several lines of this are actually spoken by Colin Gordon, presumably lifted from one of his two episodes in the role. In a couple of intros, Number Two says simply, "I am Number Two". This was used on "A. B. and C.", originally intended to be screened after "The General", which featured Colin Gordon as the character for the second time — therefore, he was not the new Number Two. It is worth noting that in one episode, the opening response from Number Two has an odd pause in his delivery. The Prisoner questions, "Who is Number One?" Number Two replies with an inset pause, "You are...Number Six."

Outro

At the close of each episode (except, arguably significantly, for the finale), the face of The Prisoner rises up from a birds-eye view of The Village (both clearly still photographs), advancing toward the camera until it all but fills the screen, 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 realisation 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, the large white balloon-like device that chases and pacifies or kills would-be escapees (see below), 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 "The 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.) In the tramsmission prints, there is no consistency as to when the cut to replace these graphics with the clip of Rover occurs. In a couple of episodes, the last piece of the bicycle has yet to appear, and in another, its entire framework has faded away from the wheels. The finale is even more different, as neither is seen, but the completed bicycle simply maintains its presence during the closing strains of the theme.

The Village

Main article: The Village (The Prisoner)

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 the "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 from an airplane, finds it — suggesting this estimate is right, though there was definitely subterfuge by his captors, including a substitution of the airplane's pilot, eliminating credibility of anything beyond the placement of The Village on a small island within the craft's range from Gibraltar, but given its masters' capabilities demonstrated in other episodes, even this is not necessarily accurate (The Prisoner might have been placed in an enforced sleep and carried to an exact duplicate). In another, "The Chimes of Big Ben," Lithuania, on the Baltic coast "30 miles from the Polish border" is stated, although again the denouement leaves this a deception. In the unbroadcast version of the episode "The Chimes of Big Ben", Number Six constructs a device that allows him to work out the Village's location; this scene was cut presumably to remove the reference to navigation by the stars which would allow an estimation of what part of the world The Village was in, at the least, 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 a single tank of fuel's 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 logo in the form of a canopied penny-farthing bicycle which appears on almost everything, including the daily newspaper called the Tally Ho. The place is under the control of Number Two (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 environs of The Village is never established on screen. Besides the townsite, which is known to include a hospital building, there are 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 Six 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 little beyond the central townsite.

Scenes of The Village were filmed in the grounds of Clough Williams-Ellis' Italianate Hotel Portmeirion, a resort near Penrhyndeudraeth in North Wales. Principal location shooting took place over four weeks in September 1966, with a return visit for additional, second unit-style shots for later episodes in March 1967. Sections of the resort (such as No. 6's residence interior with exterior) were replicated at MGM Borehamwood Studios in England. Later episodes were shot almost entirely on the sets on MGM's sound stages and backlot and locations within easy reach of the studio at Borehamwood, (for example, in "It's Your Funeral", "A Change of Mind", "Living in Harmony", and "The Girl Who Was Death"), and by reusing Portmeirion footage from earlier episodes the production company was able to save a great deal of money that further principal photography at Portmeirion would have cost.

Security and surveillance in the Village (Rover)

File:Unmutual moke3.jpg

Two Mini Mokes painted to look like the taxis in the The Prisoner

An underground control centre monitors closed-circuit television cameras located throughout the Village. Regular observers continually spy on Villagers and foil Number Six'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 [3] (see Doctor Who), but when the prototype failed to work during the first episode's shoot (supposedly entering a body of water but failing to reemerge), the crew (this is usually attributed to Patrick McGoohan himself) noticed a weather balloon in the sky and used this out of inspiration.

One book on the series, The Official Prisoner Companion by Matthew White and Jaffer Ali (Warner Books, 1988), reported that research had cast some doubt on this story. It had been proven, they wrote, that there had never been an appropriate installation located anywhere that could have launched weather balloons to be seen over Portmeirion (official production history having filming beginning with the big location shoot there, although some London-based scenes for the opening credit sequence had been filmed the week before). The authors further stated that at the time of their writing--twenty years after the event (1966)--no direct evidence proving that the original Rover had ever been built was known to exist.

However, in the mid 1990s, TV historian Steven Ricks located home-movie footage taken in 1966 which showed that the original version of Rover had existed, and had been taken to Portmeirion; the device seen there did broadly fit the descriptions, being a domed shell (with a flashing blue light on top) fitted over a go-kart chassis and completely hiding the driver. This footage has been included as an extra in the 2001 Australian DVD release of the series by Umbrella Entertainment. This original Rover is shown in front of the Portmeirion Hotel, apparently being prepared for use in the scenes following Number Six and Number Two's helicopter ride in "Arrival", which were originally scripted to be filmed in this part of the village. Its failure - a combination of the driver being unable to see, fumes from the engine, and the inability of the small-diameter wheels to cope with the rough terrain of Portmeirion's steep cobbled streets, led to the filming of this scene being re-scheduled for a later date, by which time Guy Doleman had left Portmeirion and his part as Number Two (in the scene as finally shot in Portmeirion's Piazza) was played by an extra, his face concealed by a megaphone, with close-ups of Doleman filmed in the studios at Borehamwood.

Despite White and Ali's claims, at the time of filming RAF Llanbedr, about six miles south west of Portmeirion, was still active and used weather balloons for meteorological monitoring.

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 eye, then tipped forward in a salute. This may be a reminder that in the Village you are under constant surveillance; anyone may be a Warder, a stooge working for Number Two.

Most (but not all) guards wear the same style of resort clothing and numbered badges as the prisoners, and mingle seamlessly among the general population. Thus, it's nearly impossible for prisoners to determine which Villagers can be trusted and which ones can't.

Number Six

Number Six typically wears a very deep brown (often mistaken for black, and usually appearing in the episodes as such) jacket with white piping trim, a dark blue or black mock-turtleneck shirt, tan slacks, black boating shoes with white soles, and forsakes his "6" ID badge. There were at least two dark jackets, with slight differences in the white piping. Little is known about Number Six'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 Six was a bomber crewman, most likely with RAF Bomber Command. His seated position relative to the pilot (portrayed in illusion by Number Two) indicates that he was a bombardier/navigator.

He refuses to cooperate, despite constant efforts by Number Two to get information from him.

Number Six 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; however, their efforts to extract information necessitate increasingly drastic measures through the course of the series.

The later episodes feature fewer 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 Two to a mad, paranoid wreck through deception. As the Number Twos become more coercive and desperate, Number Six's behaviour becomes progressively sharp, uncompromising, and eccentric.

While the reason for choosing six as the designated number of the main character is unknown (although Patrick McGoohan himself has been quoted as saying he chose it because it is the only number that becomes another number when turned upside down), 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 Six," then, may represent "Everyman," which is a common theme of the series and the name of McGoohan's production company. This could explain why the main character insists he is not a number, and even though in "Many Happy Returns he tells the woman living in his former home, that his name is Peter Smith, we are never sure that he is giving his true name as later, even his friend calls him only Number Six, in jest. Thus, nameless, he may represent us all.[4]

Number One

Number Six always assumed that someone designated "Number One" was in charge of the Village, but only twice do any of the Village's visible authorities directly acknowledge the existence of such a person. In the final scene of "Once Upon A Time", Number Six, having trounced Number Two, is asked by the Supervisor, "What do you desire?" When Six answers, "Number One," the Supervisor responds, "I'll take you." At the end of "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling," the character of the Colonel implores of Number Two, "You must contact Number One and tell him I did my duty."[5] It is unclear if the Colonel is simply assuming that Number Two's superior is Number One or if he has actually met Number One. The Colonel is certainly not part of the Village's usual operating staff and does not have a number himself (Perhaps significantly, The Prisoner does not appear to hear his statement, but this is open to interpretation). In the final episode, Number One appears as a masked, hooded figure. When unmasked, he is wearing a mask of an ape, but when this mask is removed, the face of Number Six is revealed. He then climbs up a ladder and seals a hatch behind him, laughing madly all the while.

A clear, direct statement regarding Number One is never forthcoming even when it is the subject of discussion in the series, with Number Two in "The Chimes of Big Ben" declaring, "It doesn't matter who Number One is." In "Free For All", when The Prisoner and Number Two are discussing the consequences of being elected Number Two, the older man states, "Number One will no longer be a mystery to you, if you know what I mean." Both statements may be conceding the existence of an actual Number One, or may simply refer to Number Six's desire to meet Number One. It is also possible that Number One is, like The General, not a human being. In their official functions, Number Two and the Village operations staff even avoid referring to Number One by title. Some have interpreted this as indicating that there actually is no "Number One" in the personal sense, much like the non-existent Big Brother in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. It is evident, however, that there is someone who certainly seems to give direct orders to Number Two, because in several episodes, Number Two appears intimidated by telephone calls from a person addressed only as "Sir".

Number Two

The Village is openly administered by an official designated as "Number Two". The person assigned to the position is changed on a regular basis. There are two Number Twos 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." McKern was featured in the series' second transmitted episode, "The Chimes of Big Ben," and then featured in the next production episode to be filmed "Once Upon a Time."

The various Number Twos 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 Twos seem to use these symbolic objects.

Throughout the series, the various Number Twos try to break Number Six with their will. A variety of interrogation, intimidation, drugs, and mind control techniques are used by sequential Number Twos. Number Six's importance usually prevents the use of brutal methods — routinely employed on other prisoners — against him (this policy was ignored by the female Number Two at the end of "Free For All").

The first episode, "Arrival", established that the people holding the position of Number Two were rotated on a regular basis. Some fans have interpreted the removal of a Number Two exclusively as a punishment for failure, but there were only two individuals who actually fit this categorization. The episode "Free for All" initially suggests that Number Twos are "democratically elected by the people." However, this was ultimately revealed to have been part of the attempt used by the Number Two(s) of that episode to break Number Six.

One of these Number Twos was recalled to the Village as the final Number Two (as played by McKern). This Number Two 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.

Cast

• Patrick McGoohan ... Number Six (17 episodes)
• Angelo Muscat ... The Butler (14 episodes)
• Peter Swanwick ... Supervisor (8 episodes)
• Leo McKern ... Number Two (3 episodes)
• Colin Gordon ... Number Two (2 episodes)

The above list includes only actors who each played the same role in more than one episode. A number of other actors played Number Two in one-off appearances, while several actors including Alexis Kanner, Christopher Benjamin, Georgina Cookson, and Patrick Cargill, and appeared in more than one episode, playing different characters each time. McGoohan was the only actor credited in the opening sequence, with Muscat the only actor considered a "co-star" of the series. Kenneth Griffith appeared in The Girl Who Was Death and Fall Out. While Griffith played Number Two in The Girl Who Was Death, his character in Fall Out may be the same character after the assignment of Number Two was passed to someone else. There is also the theory that Cargill played the same character in his two episodes; the Number Two that Cargill plays in Hammer Into Anvil may or may not be the same character of Thorpe, the aide to Number Six's superior, from Many Happy Returns.

See also: List of The Prisoner cast members

Episodes

Main article: List of The Prisoner episodes

Unproduced episodes

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.

• "The Outsider" by Moris Farhi (complete script included in Volume 1)
• "Ticket to Eternity" by Eric Mival (synopsis included in Volume 1)
• "Friend or Foe" by Mival (synopsis included in Volume 1)
• "Don't Get Yourself Killed" by Gerald Kelsey (complete script included in Volume 2)

Spin-offs and continuations

Novels

Ace Books in the United States published three novels based upon the television series.

The first of these, titled initially The Prisoner by Thomas M. Disch (later republished as I Am Not a Number!), was issued in 1969 (some editions carry a 1967 copyright date but this refers to the series, not the book). Considered non-canonical, it details the recapture of the Prisoner after he had been been brainwashed to forget his original experience in The Village, and his struggles to remember what was taken from him and to escape again from The Village (or another Village). 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.

Also in 1969-70 Ace published two additional original novels based upon the series. These books, believed by some to be set after the events of "Fall Out," are notable for stating explicitly that Number Six is John Drake from Danger Man. The two books are also not considered canonical.

• The Prisoner: Number Two by David McDaniel (also published as Who is Number Two?)
• The Prisoner: A Day in the Life by Hank Stine

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 erroneously 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:

• Charmed Life
• Think Tank
• When in Rome

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. In March 2005, the first volume, The Prisoner's Dilemma, was released. Poor distribution led to poor sales; no further volumes have been released, no updates to the Powys website have been made, and it is unknown if the other five books will ever be released. The canonicity of the only published Powys novel has yet to be determined.

The originally announced volumes were:

• The Prisoner's Dilemma by Jonathan Blum and Rupert Booth; introduction by J. Michael Straczynski (March 2005)
• The Other by Lance Parkin (Spring 2006) (late)
• Miss Freedom by Andrew Cartmel (Fall 2006) (late)
• The Last Waltz by John Kenneth Muir (2007)
• Number Two Is Missing by Ben Aaronovitch (2007)
• Endgame by William Latham (2007)

Comic books

The premise of the television series fascinated comic book artist Jack Kirby, who created a four-issue homage in 1969 in Fantastic Four #82-85, in which the superhero team finds itself in Doctor Doom's Latveria, a city like the Village in many respects. In the early 1970s, Marvel Comics considered launching a comic book based on The Prisoner, to be written by Steve Englehart and drawn by Gil Kane. When Jack Kirby returned to Marvel in the mid-70s after a run at DC Comics, the property was transferred to him. A test issue was put together but never completed (all 17 pages were scripted and pencilled by Kirby, but only parts were lettered and inked, by Mike Royer). 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."

Shattered Visage

Motter's Number One

Shattered Visage is a four-issue comic book mini-series based on The Prisoner. Illustrated by Mister X creator Dean Motter and co-written with Mark Askwith, this sequel series was later collected as a 208 page graphic novel in trade paperback format, with the addition of a new prologue. The trade paperback remains in print and available.

Set twenty years after the final episode of the television series, Shattered Visage begins with a woman named Alice Drake being shipwrecked on the shores of the Village and encountering an aged, psychologically scarred Number Six. While the decades-old conflict unfolds between Six and the apparently last Number Two (as played by Leo McKern in the TV series), secret agents in London have their own plans regarding the intelligence mine that is the Village as well as the secret lying at its very core.

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 lettered, Issues A, B, C, and D. The trade paperback included a five-page prologue, a text piece (with many illustrations, mostly publicity photos/stills from the programme) in the form of an intelligence communique, penned by British secret service agent Thomas Drake, the estranged husband of Alice Drake. This text piece rationalizes the events of the last episode, "Fall Out" as a drug-enhanced psychodrama designed as a last-ditch attempt to break Number Six. With the author of this message being in British intelligence and the message being signed with, "In Her Majesty's Service," it is strongly indicated that Number Six's captors were his own side. Despite the rationalization this prologue provides, however, "Fall Out" is still a pivotal point of characterization for this comic.

While the story leaves most of the mysteries of the Village as unexplained as ever, many views and suggestions as to the nature of the Village are implied and theorized. Most notably, the comic presents, as previously indicated, a number of implied explanations for "Fall Out," claiming it contains psychological relevance for the character of Number Six. The actual locales of the final episode are revisited in the climax of the comic, and the true purpose of the facility uncovered by Number Six is explained. These explanations do not significantly contradict "Fall Out" but do offer the aforementioned more literal, rational view.

The references to the TV show are also quite prominent in the comic, with reiterated lines of memorable dialogue and scenes reminiscent of the title sequences and recreations of images (even some apparently traced stills) from the episodes. Many guest-characters from the TV series make cameo appearances. Number Six and Alice pass through a hall with portraits of former Number Twos, including Mary Morris and Derren Nesbitt. The character of Mrs. Butterworth (Many Happy Returns) also makes an appearance. In two scenes, someone functions as The Butler but is unidentifiable, perhaps due to a lack of clearance from Angelo Muscat's estate. In addition to this, a funeral scene in the third chapter includes appearances by many other spy/secret agent characters from 60s pop-culture sources, including John Steed and Emma Peel, and Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin.

Patrick McGoohan and ITC Entertainment subjected the story and art to a thorough evaluation. 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

Main article: The Prisoner (computer game)

In the early 1980s, Edu-Ware produced two computer games based upon the series for the Apple II computer. The first, titled simply, The Prisoner, was released in 1980, followed by a remake, Prisoner 2 in 1982.

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

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. For instance, it has suggestions for game scenarios with the premise interpretation for outer space, heroic fantasy, horror and even complete inversion into something akin to Hogan's Heroes.

The return of The Prisoner

A movie version of The Prisoner has been in development hell for many years at Universal Pictures. At one point Simon West was attached as director with Patrick McGoohan on board as an executive producer, script consultant, and possible cameo appearance. Many A-list actors have been rumoured to play Number Six, with Russell Crowe believed to be the favourite. Patrick McGoohan also mentioned in a 1997 interview with French TV that he would like to see Mel Gibson play the lead role.

It was announced in late 2005 that Granada will be reviving the series for Sky One, beginning in Spring 2007.[6] Christopher Eccleston has been linked with the role, but these rumours were strongly denied by Eccleston's agent in the 30 May 2006 issue of Radio Times, and Eccleston has since joined the cast of NBC Drama Heroes. According to the 3 June - 9 June issue of the magazine, the new series re-make will be titled Number Six and not The Prisoner. American cable network AMC is co-producing.

As of August 2006, Universal Pictures is near a deal for Christopher Nolan to direct a feature version of TV series. Janet and David Peoples are set to write the script. Scott Stuber, Mary Parent, Barry Mendel and Emma Thomas will produce.

In December 2006, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the American cable TV channel AMC is co-producing The Prisoner with Sky One, and that it will run at least six to eight episodes, beginning in January 2008 (both in the UK and USA). AMC plans to re-air the original series at about the same time. [7]

Music

The Prisoner has inspired many musicians, most famously "The Prisoner" by Iron Maiden who got personal permission from Patrick McGoohan during a phone call, and later recorded a more ambigious sequel-of-sorts 'Back in the Village'.

References in popular culture

Main article: References to The Prisoner in popular culture

Awards

The final episode, "Fall Out" received a Hugo Award nomination for Best Dramatic Presentation in 1969, but lost out to 2001: A Space Odyssey.

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.

A 2006 survey of leading rock and film stars by Uncut magazine ranking films, books, music or TV shows that changed the world, placed The Prisoner at #10, the highest for a TV show.

Trivia

• The episode "Living in Harmony" was not aired in the United States for the series' initial network run. The 'pulling' of this episode has been explained in more than one way: some reports implicate the story's supposedly strong pacifist message (at a time when the Vietnam War was at its height) -- while others have alleged that the episode's re-shot opening sequence was considered 'too confusing' for American viewers. The network, CBS, stated that their refusal was due to the episode's depiction of drug abuse, which many fans claimed was also seen in other episodes. However, this scheme to break Number Six involved disorienting him with hallucinatory drugs, with neither any other, more specific, effect indicated, nor any hint of potential harm from them suggested, making this pharmaceutical usage unique on the series. It may also be relevant that the climactic showdown between "The Sheriff" and "The Kid" was staged, filmed and edited in a manner in direct violation of US television censorship regulations of the time (one man firing his gun and the other being shot & killed are on the screen simultaneously, rather than cutting from one to the other; it must be remembered that this was the summer of 1968, and earlier that year were the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., which resulted in a crackdown against violence on TV).

• "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling" was produced while McGoohan was in America filming Ice Station Zebra. As a workaround to McGoohan's absence the writers contrived to have Number Six's mind implanted in the body of another man (Nigel Stock), who is then sent out of the Village to help capture a scientist. As a result, McGoohan appears in the episode for only a couple of minutes.

• The small Jeep-like vehicles used as taxis in The Village are Mini Mokes. Much of the success of the Moke as a 'cult' vehicle can be attributed to its appearances in The Prisoner.

• The Village's ubiquitous font is a modified Albertus.

• The voice of the announcer in the village was supplied by actress Fenella Fielding.

• The British heavy metal band Iron Maiden have written two songs based on The Prisoner: "The Prisoner" from The Number Of The Beast and "Back In The Village" from Powerslave.

• In The Simpsons episode The Joy of Sect, Marge flees the "Movementarians" by avoiding various traps. One of these traps is Rover. In another episode, The Computer Wore Menace Shoes, Homer is kidnapped after accidentally finding out about a vast conspiracy and placed on "The Island". In this episode, Patrick McGoohan provides the voice of a caricature of himself as Number Six, and the reason given as to why he is on "The Island" is because he invented the bottomless peanut bag.

External links

• The Prisoner at IMDb
• The Prisoner and Portmeirion news and articles
• The Prisoner in the Encyclopedia of Television
• The Prisoner article at British Film Institute Screen Online
• In depth analysis of the series, The Prisoner’s Dilemma Of Ambiguity
• Theories: The Prisoner U.S. Home Page
• The Anorak's Guide to The Prisoner
• Covering the original TV series, the Sky remake and The Prisoner movie news + Prisoner wallpapers and ringtones