A: FIND MISSING LINK.
B: PUT IT TOGETHER.
C: (IF FAIL) BANG! Number Two
The Prisoner Nummer 6
The
sediments at the bottom of television: series and serials, omnipresent
and almost as infinite as the medium itself. Few only were successfull
in touching the underside of our attentiveness.
UNWAHRSCHEINLICHE GESCHICHTEN ("Improbable Stories") was one
that did, the classic TWILIGHT ZONE.
Anything associated with the expression TV-magic
applies to this.
Phantastic
television of the sixties, among other things, is one conjuring formula:
"Be
seeing you!" or
L'année dernière
au Village:
Contributing
authors:
(German knowledge required)
|
FRANK
T. BITTERHOF |
The spoken prologue of each episode mostly reveals its Number Two character: some are honest, some are conceited, domineering or arrogant.
Although it is never explored properly replacing the various Number Twos normally would be the effect of not being successful enough to break into the realm of Number Six. Here actor Colin Gordon takes on the role of Number Two twice; whether this was the solution of some casting problem isn't quite clear. But his two characters are alike at the same time as they are different enough.
Leo McKern,
on the other hand, is reactivated officially to cope with Number Six in
the "Once Upon A Time" episode. In the German version, however,
this fact is somewhat blurred: "I’ve been here once" -
McKern's first entering the scene takes place quite early in "The
Chimes Of Big Ben", German episode 11, creating continuity where
there is none at all.
McKern’s and Number Six’ duels of conversation are staged brilliantly.
He is the most profiled actor in this role. McGoohan wanted McKern to
play another episode (which was "Once Upon A Time"). Eventually
he even performed in the very last one, months after having shaved his
beard and cut his hair. And the script was adjusted consequently for Number
Two to return from amongst the dead...
Right after the first batch of PRISONER episodes had been shot McGoohan went to Hollywood to film ICE STATION ZEBRA directed by John Sturges. There isn't much of this Cold War submarine tale that stays in mind. During McGoohan's absence, however, it was decided to conclude THE PRISONER with the unusual number of only 17 episodes. Costs had been high and the audience's response wasn't as had been imagined. Time was running short. And some episodes hadn't even been written yet. So, a story was created where the star of the of the whole series wouldn't be shown at all: "Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling" was the result. The mind of Number Six, in this story, is transferred into the body of another man. McGoohan is seen only at the end, shot after he had returned from America.
The position
of Number Two is held by women three times. Although women are treated
ambivalently to the extreme by the series - and so by McGoohan. "Never
trust a woman, even a four-legged one", he says about Morris’/Number
Two’s cat. Suppose, not just a dialogue line. On the other hand,
Number Six surely is always ready to help women in distress. Mary Morris
does have the strongest part in "Dance Of The Dead". A stronghold
to have a woman in that position but this is of relative value only since
Trevor Howard was to get the role.
There isn’t anything like tenderness or sexuality within THE PRISONER.
A fact resulting from McGoohan’s imagination of some puritanical,
clean-cut family entertainment and his attitude towards women as well.
Even John Drake never kissed the girl. Many of those involved in
the shooting have reported this.
A chambermaid
wearing a green wig of "Dance Of The Dead" seems lascivius in
this perspective, young and innocent is a watchmaker’s daughter ("It’s
Your Funeral"). For centuries German audiences never got to see the
most pleasant females: Alison of "The Schizoid Man" believes
she’s connected to Number Six more than telepathically. As people
are often, she is misused by the Village authorities against Number Six.
McGoohan is said to have the episode’s basically unambigous script
altered: after exercising with her for a mindreading contest he awkwardly
walks her out of his home, "it’s getting late."
Kathy of "Living In Harmony" is a saloon girl. She develops
something like passion for him. When Number Six finds out what really
happend Kathy is all in tears because she definitely loathes the machinations.
This is the only episode to have a character express sensual, sexual desire.
Of course, not McGoohan/Number Six but a young actor, Alexis Kanner, as
The Kid/Number 48 who went on to play the revolting juvenile in the last
episode of "Fall Out".
Eventually, its twilight status between the audience and the ambition rating implied the end of the commercial television show THE PRISONER - fortunately, in a way. A fragment that leaves many questions unanswered. All those questions,
they are mere McGuffins, the device to propell the audience’s interest. Number Six himself does in fact give an answer to the question of his resignation: "For peace of mind." But, could this be the answer audiences, let alone Number Two had eagerly been waiting for? More on the resignation subject... (German & English language portions)
