The Prisoner
As
well as the world famous pottery, Portmeirion is also known worldwide
for the 1960's cult television series The Prisoner
which was filmed on location in Clough Williams-Ellis' fantasy village
A Brief Synopsys of the Prisoner
The Prisoner was a controversial 1967 UK television series, starring Patrick McGoohan and created by McGoohan and George Markstein. McGoohan's leading character, Number 6, a former secret agent of the British government, is a prisoner of an isolated Village. His captors are intent to discover why he has resigned from the service but throughout the series Number 6 cunningly resists his captor's efforts to break his will, and meanwhile investigates the identity of Number 1 and executes various plans for escape.The series begins with McGoohans resignation
from the secret service and his return to his London flat. While
there, the flat is visited by a mysterious man in black and McGoohan
is gassed with white gas which enters his flat through the keyhole.
When he wakes he finds that he is now in The Village.
He is pursued for information by Number 2 who is played by different actors and the following dialogue runs over the opening credits of each episode
He is pursued for information by Number 2 who is played by different actors and the following dialogue runs over the opening credits of each episode
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.
Who is Number 1?
You are Number 6.
I am not a number — I am a free man!
An underground control center 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 but when the
prototype failed to work during the first episode's shoot,
the crew used a weather balloon out of desperation.)
The Village has a daily newspaper called
the Tally Ho and the logo of The Village is a penny farthing
bicycle. 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.
The 17 episodes culminating in the final episode,
Fall Out, continue to intrigue and confuse. There
still isn’t a definitive explanation for the series but it
is perhaps because of this that the series has remained popular
and avidly discussed over the years. There are many websites, conventions
and societies dedicated to the cult TV show and if you would like
to learn more about The Prisoner we have included
some links below which may be of interested.
If any more evidence of the importance of
this sureal TV series was needed it has recently reached the heady
hieghts of parody in another, but this time 21st century, cult
tv show The Simpsons.
The Simpsons' spoofed 'The Prisoner' in a December 2000 episode called 'The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes'
The Simpsons' spoofed 'The Prisoner' in a December 2000 episode called 'The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes'
Links to web sites about The Prisoner
The Unmutual Website - Specialist site dedicated to the TV series "The Prisoner" and Portmeirion Village This must visit site includes: information, reviews, interviews, events, and much more.
Highly Recommended