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

The Prisoner
The Prisoner logo
Genre	Science fiction, Allegory
Creator(s)	Patrick McGoohan George Markstein
Starring	Patrick McGoohan
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of episodes	17
Production
Producer(s)	David Tomblin
Executive producer(s)	Patrick McGoohan
Running time	50 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	ITV
Original run	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 his mother's maiden name being Fitzgerald), 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 Portmeirion, Wales. 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.[1]

Contents 1 Premise 2 Format and setting 2.1 The opening and closing sequence 2.1.1 Intro 2.1.2 Outro 2.1.3 Closing credits 2.2 The Village 2.3 Security and surveillance in the Village (Rover) 2.4 Number 6 2.5 Number 1 2.6 Number 2 3 Cast 4 Episodes 4.1 Unproduced episodes 5 Spin-offs and continuations 5.1 Novels 5.2 Comic books 5.3 Computer games 5.4 Role-playing games 5.5 The return of The Prisoner 5.6 Music 6 References in popular culture 7 Awards 8 Trivia 9 References 10 External links

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 (despite the fact that this is already known to them^[1]). Throughout the series, Number 6 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 1", who presumably runs the Village. Towards the end of its run, the show deviated quite considerably from this template.

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. 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 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 6, 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, breaking a teacup saucer. 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 it 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 6 and the respondent is Number 2, 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 2"):

"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 2." (This occasionally varies — see below.)

"Who is Number 1?"

"You are Number 6."(May be an answer - You are, Number Six)

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

(Laughter from Number 2.)

In most cases, the voice of Number 2 in the above exchange is provided by the actor playing the character in that particular episode. In a few episodes, Number 2 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 2 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 2. It is worth noting that in one episode, the opening response from Number 2 has an odd pause in his delivery. The Prisoner questions, "Who is Number One?" Number 2 replies with an inset pause, "You are...Number Six."

At the close of each episode, an image of Number 6's face rapidly approaches the viewer, rising up over a birds-eye view of 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 realisation of the series' opening 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 "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.)

Main article: The Village (The Prisoner)

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, but given its masters' capabilities demonstrated in other episodes, even this is not necessarily accurate. 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 6 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 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 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 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 little beyond the central townsite.

Scenes of The Village were filmed on the grounds of the Hotel Portmeirion, a resort near the village of Penrhyndeudraeth in North Wales, and at MGM Borehamwood Studios in England. By utilizing MGM's sound stages and backlot, as well as an unidentified location relatively close to that facility (seen in "The Chimes of Big Ben", "The Schizoid Man", "Living in Harmony", and "The Girl Who Was Death"), the production company was able to save a great deal of money that further principal photography at Portmeirion would have cost.

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 [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 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 6 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 usually forsakes his "6" ID badge. There were at least two dark jackets, with slight differences in the white 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.

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 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 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, and even though he tells the woman living in his former home, that his name is Peter Smith, in "Many Happy Returns", we are never sure that he is giving his true name as later, even his friend calls him only number 6 in jest. Thus, nameless, he may represent us all.[3]

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."[4] 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. In the final episode, Number 1 appears as a masked, hooded figure. When unmasked, he has the face of a chimpanzee, but when this mask is removed, it is revealed that he is Number 6. He then climbs up a ladder and seals a hatch behind him, laughing madly.

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 their official functions, Number Two and the Village operations staff have never referred to him by title (In "Free For All", Number Two refers to Number Six's desire to meet Number One, but not that he actually exists). 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 2, because in several episodes, Number 2 appears intimidated by telephone calls from a person addressed only as "Sir".

The Village is openly administered by an official designated as "Number 2". The person assigned to the position is changed on a regular basis.^[2] 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." 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 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.

Throughout the series, Number 2 tries to break Number 6 th their will. A variety of interrogation, intimidation, drugs, and mind control techniques are used by sequential Number 2s. Number 6's importance usually prevents the use of brutal methods — routinely employed on other prisoners — against him (this policy was ignored by the female Number 2 at the end of "Free for All").

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 are "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 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.

• 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 played single roles 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, Patrick Cargill, and Kenneth Griffith 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.

Main article: List of The Prisoner 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)

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, which take place after the events of "Fall Out," are notable for stating explicitly that Number 6 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. As of March 2005 only the first volume, The Prisoner's Dilemma, has been released. Six 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 licensed, it has not yet been determined whether the books are considered canonical.

• 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)

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." [5]

In the late 1980s, DC Comics published Shattered Visage, a four-issue comic book mini-series based on The Prisoner, drawn by Mister X creator Dean Motter and co-written with Mark Askwith. It was later collected as a graphic novel in trade paperback format, with the addition of a new prologue.

The story follows several different plot threads. In London, travel book writer and former secret agent Alice Drake embarks upon a round-the-world sailing expedition, leaving her daughter Meagan in a boarding school for the time being. Meanwhile, her estranged husband, Thomas Drake, is an intelligence officer concerned with various situations, primarily the release of a man known only as Number Two (as played by Leo McKern in the TV series). Number Two wrote a book about the Village, the retirement home for spies, which Thomas heavily censored and rewrote to keep classified information secret. Number Two himself was jailed for violating the Official Secrets Act, but he has served his twenty years and is being released. Thomas fears that Number Two will return to the evacuated, now abandoned Village, and that what he does there will break open the secrecy of British covert operations.

As Alice's sea voyage continues, she runs into a storm which overcomes her ship and washes it onto the shores of an island which appears to be an abandoned resort. Seeking help, Alice comes across a giant domed room. In the oval-shaped center chair sits a bearded man in a black suit jacket with white lining, who informs her that she is in the Village, and that she is Number Six. The man is the original Number Six (Patrick McGoohan). Alice spends the night in the number six living quarters in the Village, and in the morning, Number Six takes Alice on a tour. He is a docile, gentle man who lives a solitary life as the single inhabitant of the village. He says that the other Villagers were "free to go" while he was "free to stay" and describes his fear of societal conditioning and conformity. Plainly mentally scarred and fragile, Alice nevertheless finds him kind as he catches fish and makes them dinner. But when Alice wanders away at night, a giant white sphere smothers her and bears her back to the Village control room for a meeting with newly-returned Number Two.

Alice recognizes Number Two as the writer of his book. He asks if she's seen Number Six. Alice doesn't understand what Two wants with Six. Two replies that he wishes to help Six escape, and then provides a history of the man. Number Two describes Number Six as a valuable and powerful man, unjustly punished as an individual for actions he performed on behalf of all his countrymen. "The system imprisoned him, interrogated him, broke him, drove him mad," says Two in recounting the events of the TV series. "The man that would not bend, simply broke. Shattered and alone, he chose a number and christened himself -- Number One." (Fall Out) Alice asks who Number One was, and Number Two responds that she has missed the point. Playing archived footage of Six declaring that he is not a number, Two explains: "Here's a man who raged against numbering of any kind. To choose any number, even the number one, was a contradiction. He was caught between belief systems. He had accepted. His days were numbered. He was ours, body and soul. We had won!" Alice is appalled at Two's glee and refuses to be a part of his intentions against Six, angrily leaving the control room.

Back in London, Thomas Drake and an associate, an American agent named Lee, prepare to venture to the Village to deal with the threat Number Two may pose. Despite the lack of official resources that Thomas' superiors are willing to commit, Thomas and Lee are convinced that the Village is at the center of someone's manipulations. There have been a series of recent assassinations of Marconi Electrics scientists -- Marconi Electrics was the office building of Number Six's superiors (Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling). Later, Thomas' mentor, a Mrs. Butterworth (Many Happy Returns), is smothered in her sleep. People who facilitated the operation of the Village are being eliminated.

As Number Six and Alice walk through the silent streets of the Village, they are accosted by Number Two. Number Six claims he knew all along that Number Two sent Alice as a scout, pointing out Alice's warder's attitude (Checkmate) and her digital watch as being the advanced technology of the Village. Alice protests, but is ignored as Numbers Two and Six engage in a fistfight. Disgusted, Alice leaves them to it. As a storm rains down, Two and Six battle, while Two calls Six a coward, saying that Six lost twenty years ago and won't return to the outside world because then he'd have to face defeat. Two adds that Six's secrets are out of date and that Six is nothing. Their fight takes them inside an old mill as a pumelled Number Six declares that he is a free man and his life is his own. Two, choking Six around the neck with both hands, answers, "Then take it!" Both fall out the window of the mill, into the water below.

Shortly afterwards, the door to the number six residence in the Village opens. Number Six enters and begins to cut his beard.

Two separate forces enter the Village. First there's Thomas and Lee. Then there's a group of soldiers sent by Thomas Drake's superior, Director Ross of Operations, who has finally been spurred into action by the assassinations. Lee and Thomas along with a detail of troopers are ahead, however, and have entered the Village control room, also seeking the secrets of the Village. Lee triggers the lift below the center chair, lowering them into the underground chambers below the Village. Past the jukebox and the Well Come sign is an ornate chair (as seen in Fall Out). Sitting in the chair is a figure who speaks of how he will escape and return to destroy the Village, and how he is a free man. He rises from the shadows. It is Number Two. He says that Number Six is dead. Long live Number Six. Lee and Thomas step past him, climbing lower into vertical tunnels ahead. They descend into clear tubes with the word ORBIT printed on them. Lee and Thomas are now in the heart of the Village. Housed there are several nuclear missiles, still as usable and deadly as ever. "Power. Control," Lee explains. "That's what the Village is all about." But then the launch sequence for the missiles are triggered. Thomas re-emerges into the upper level to find Number Two setting off the missiles without opening the silo doors. The Village is destroyed in a massive explosion. Beyond the reach of the flames, however, a single boat sails away.

Director Ross, back in London, receives a report that all the assassinations had one man in common, a mysterious, top-hatted man with a mustache. But when he takes the report to his superior, the Colonel, Ross finds that the Colonel has been replaced in the position with that mustached man. Ross' report is burnt, a resignation is demanded of him, and later that night, Ross is gassed unconscious in his home and loaded into a hearse by two black-suited men.

Number Six and Alice Drake sit on a park bench. Six is clean-shaven and tidily dressed. Alice asks Six who Number One was. Six asks in response, "Does the presence of Number Two require the existence of Number One?" He assures her that the secrets the Village sought from him are safe. "None of us would be here if they weren't," he declares with a confident smile. Alice, accepting this, informs him that her digital watch is quite commonplace these days. Six responds with a second smile and the Village salute, saying, "Be seeing you." He leaves as Meagan, Alice's daughter, enters the park and embraces her mother.

This happy reunion is displayed on a video monitor, which is shown to be one screen on a domed ceiling of screens in a new version of the Village control room. On the final page, the control room is shown to be housed in London's Houses of Parliament.

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, Fall Out as drug-enhanced psychodrama designed to break the Number Six. However, the episode is not discarded by this comic series. The imagery and statements of Fall Out are crucial to the characterization of Number Six and both he and Number Two have differing opinions regarding the events of Fall Out.

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.

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.

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.

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 6, 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 entitled 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]

The Prisoner has inspired many musicians and in the UK, The Sledge Dogs recorded a track in 2007 called "Six of One" and most famously "the prisoner" by Iron Maiden who got personal permission from Patrick McGoohan. during a phone call.

[8]and Dave Dark and The Sharks have a track called "I've Resigned" [9].

See: References to The Prisoner in popular culture

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.

• 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.

• "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 6'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.

• The Prisoner at the Internet Movie Database
• 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