McGoohan: "Initially, I proposed only seven episodes, not a series
but as a serial. I only wanted to do seven. Out of all the scripts
there are seven that I would pick up and put in line and Id
just keep those and throw the rest away."
CONTENTS
1.
The UK Standard Screening Order
2.
Various Episode Orders At Large
3.
The PRISONER Production: 7 - 13 - 26 - 17
4.
The Criteria for an Episode Order
5.
A 2-Phases development - Society and torture
6.
The Basic Subject
7.
The 2-Phases PRISONER Episode Order
8.
Close-up: Episodes 1 - 17
Summary / Interpretation

DRAWING
BY MAX HORA VILLAGE WORLD, 1987
1.
THE UK STANDARD SCREENING ORDER
a.
TV broadcast and DVD editions
In October 2006 NUMMER 6 (German title of the THE PRISONER)
was eventually released in Germany on DVD. The box, very successfully
produced by the Koch-Media company, uses the same episode order
as the one issued by Carlton in the year 2000 and Granada Ventures
in 2005 which, in turn, is identical to the first UK TV broadcast
in 1967/68, which is regarded and quoted by many publications as
the classic standard screening order. Delays in production were
among the reasons for this particular running order.
TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN TEXT
BY ARNO BAUMGÄRTEL
"AUF DIE REIH' GEBRACHT" - DIESER TEXT AUF DEUTSCH
Standard
UK-TV screening order - German title - abbreviations used here:
01 Arrival - Die Ankunft - ARRIVAL
02 The Chimes of Big Ben - Die Glocken von Big Ben
- CHIMES
03 A. B. and C. - A, B und C - ABC
04 Free For All - Freie Wahl-
FREE
05 The Schizoid Man - Der Doppelgänger
- SCHIZOID
06 The General - Der General - GENERAL
07 Many Happy Returns - Herzlichen Glückwunsch
- RETURNS
08 Dance of the Dead - Die Anklage -
DANCE
09 Checkmate - Schachmatt - CHECKMATE
10 Hammer into Anvil - Hammer oder Amboss - HAMMER
11 Its Your Funeral - Das Amtssiegel - FUNERAL
12 A Change of Mind - Sinneswandel
- CHANGE
13 Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling - 2:2=2 - FORSAKE
14 Living in Harmony - Harmony
- HARMONY
15 The Girl who was Death - ---3-2-10 -
GIRL
16 Once upon a Time - Pas des deux - ONCE
17 Fall Out - Demaskierung - FALL
German
titles written in blue were created
before the repeat screening of NUMMER 6 and first-time dubbing of
these four episodes by German-French TV station Arte in 2010 (more
on this...).
b.
Inconsistencies
Anyone
who has seen THE PRISONER has come to know the programme
in one or the other specific order. In dealing with the series sooner
or later questions and inconsistencies as to the correct running
order will be encountered. As a matter of fact ARRIVAL is the beginning
and ONCE UPON A TIME & FALL OUT constitute the double-feature
finale with the remaining 14 episodes in between not having been
located in terms of any running order. So, it is up to the viewer
to create one by him/herself. It's merely that a closer look will,
in any episode, reveal information, statements or story unfoldings
on how to arrange those episodes.
c.
Never-ending Story
For
over 20 years there have been efforts, British and Stateside, to
set up a harmonious and significant PRISONER order by means of using
the production order, specifications of time and place, recurring
characters, covert or clear references in content or statements
to accomplish this. It was Max Hora who in his three books "The
Prisoner of Portmeirion" 1985, "Portmeirion Prisoner Production"
1985 and "Village World" 1987 kicked off this debate which
since then has never ended (more...).
And for the 2006 convention Roger Langley summarized the results
in a film.
All this shows us how difficult a task it is arranging the 17 PRISONER
episodes along logical and convincing arguments. It may be a "mission
impossible", too, for anyone to achieve a coherent order.

2. VARIOUS EPISODE ORDERS AT LARGE
First,
let's take a look at running orders in other countries. The so-called
US-order is widely in use. The series' first half, until episode
9, is very much the same as in the British order.
a. USA episode order
ARRIVAL - CHIMES - ABC - FREE - SCHIZOID - GENERAL - RETURNS - DANCE
- FORSAKE - FUNERAL - CHECKMATE - HARMONY - MIND - HAMMER - GIRL
- ONCE - FALL.
It
is said that this was the intended running order. In the "ITC
PRISONER Story Information Book" of 1967, known also as the
"Warehouse Order", however, a different and somewhat confusing
arrangement is employed.
b.
ITC Warehouse episode order
ARRIVAL - RETURNS - ABC - SCHIZOID - FREE - CHECKMATE - CHIMES -
GENERAL -FUNERAL -HAMMER -MIND -DANCE - GIRL - HARMONY - FORSAKE
- ONCE - FALL.
The
German TV order of 1969/72, which is the same in Austria, is different
from all the others. Besides, 4 episodes weren't dubbed and are
missing:
c.
German episode order
ARRIVAL - RETURNS - ABC - GENERAL - CHECKMATE - FUNERAL - DANCE
- FORSAKE - GIRL - HAMMER - CHIMES - ONCE - FALL.
By
comparison of the above running orders, all one can say is that
there isn't a conclusive or even proposed episode order. So, next
we'll regard the production of the series itself and its respective
episode order.
3.
THE PRISONER PRODUCTION: 7 - 13 - 26 - 17
Patrick
McGoohan's central idea was Man as an individual in the anonymous
society and his struggle against authorities (whoever they may be).
The series was initially conceived of as a miniseries of 7 parts.
Lew Grade wanted 26 episodes in order to be able to sell the show
to the USA. It was agreed to make 2 seasons of 13 episodes each.
But production costs turned out be very high and after 13 episodes
the early end of it was looming. Eventually 17 episodes were produced
under immense pressure of time and the series thus came to an end.
Principal
outdoor shooting of the first 4 episodes to be made started in September
1966 in Portmeirion. By October shooting was continued at the Borehamwood
Studio where a further 9 episodes were made. In September 1967 production
of the last 4 episodes began, episodes that were completely different
from the familiar conception. In GB THE PRISONER was first
aired in September 1967 (but not simultaneously in all TV-regions).
Post-production of FALL OUT, the ultimate episode, was finished
only 2 weeks prior to broadcasting in February 1968. This production
information is essential to evaluating all 17 episodes and putting
the puzzle of their proper order together.
a.
Episode arrangement
According to the production order, 3 PHASES - A, B, and C
- are now established:
A
- Introduction: 01.ARRIVAL 02.FREE 03.CHECKMATE 04.DANCE
05.CHIMES (06.ONCE*)
B - Probation: 07.SCHIZOID 08.FUNERAL 09.MIND 10.ABC
11.GENERAL 12.HAMMER 13.RETURNS
C - Finish: 14.FORSAKE 15.HARMONY 16.GIRL 17.FALL
Given
this order and shifting ONCE, which was originally produced
as 6th, to position 16 - one gets a reliable framework of the episode
puzzle:
b.
Episode order according to production:
A
01. Arrival - Die Ankunft
A 02. Free For All - Frei für Alle
A 03. Checkmate - Schachmatt
A 04. Dance of the Dead - Die Anklage
A 05. The Chimes of Big Ben - Die Glocken von Big Ben
B
06. The Schizoid Man - Der Doppelgänger
B 07. Its Your Funeral - Das Amtssiegel
B 08. A Change of Mind - Nicht gesellschaftsfähig
B 09. A. B. and C. - A, B und C
B 10. The General - Der General
B 11. Hammer into Anvil - Hammer oder Amboss
B 12. Many Happy Returns - Herzlichen Glückwunsch
C
13. Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling - 2:2=2
C 14. Living in Harmony - Leben in Harmonie
C 15. The Girl Who Was Death - ---3-2-1-0
C 16. Once Upon A Time - Pas des deux
C 17. Fall Out - Demaskierung
A.
The end of those 5 "introduction episodes" has
Number Six successfully escape - apparently - to London (CHIMES).
B. The end of the "probation" batch again
sees an escape by Number Six. This time his odyssey leads him back
to the real London and to his own home (RETURNS).
C. The final 5 climactic episodes have Number Six
leave the Village and again return to London (FALL).
This
approach, however, is a quite formal one with the emphasis on the
production chronology and on escape. Any further content and detail
is thereby more or less neglected. Moreover, this episode arrangement
has an additional disadvantage. Almost all the Portmeirion-based
episodes are included in the "A" section. In the "B"
section we find those made in the studio, and in "C" it's
those episodes outside of the Village. What is missing is a good
mixture and a little variation in terms of location and of shooting
and action.
This
production order is very popular with fans, as well as being an
alternative to the British standard running order. It kind of seems
sensible, too, to get acquainted with the series this way. And everyone
watching THE PRISONER on DVD is free to choose his or her
personal favourite watching order. The German DVD booklet includes
the production order, too.
Thus,
in search of a significant running order we need to have criteria
by which to put the puzzle together.

4.
THE CRITERIA FOR AN EPISODE ORDER
the general conception as worked out by Patrick McGoohan and George
Markstein
the contents, subjects and issues
the 2-years of production history
evolution of the number of episodes: 7 - 13 - 26 - 17
determination of the episodes according to shooting location
and place of action such as:
- Village (Portmeirion),
- studio (Borehamwood),
- outside-Village (e.g. London)
characterization of the series as an allegory
By
means of these criteria, we need to abandon the 3 phases of production
and proceed further to
5.
A 2-PHASES DEVELOPMENT - SOCIETY AND TORTURE
The
series as an allegory is our initial point. THE PRISONER
- NUMMER 6 is a symbol of Man's life in the global world
where he has to struggle and fight against manipulation and oppression.
Thus, we reach two large spheres of action: society and backlash.
Because that's the vanishing point of all 17 episodes. The series'
themes and issues are thus allocated to those two spheres and named:
Phase
S Society - Gesellschaft
Phase
T Torture - Qualen.
a.
Phase S Society:
Introduction into the manipulated society
Following
his resignation from service and his abduction, Number Six is introduced
to his prison world and its inhuman and manipulated community (ARRIVAL).
He learns about some of its properties and mechanisms: arts and
crafts competition (CHIMES), election campaign (FREE), education
(GENERAL), carnival (DANCE), games (CHECKMATE). All means are employed
by the authorities of the Village to break his resistance: scheme
(CHIMES), brainwashing (FREE, SCHIZOID), technology (GENERAL), trial
(DANCE), psychology (CHECKMATE). He is shown that escape is impossible
(CHIMES, RETURNS). Any of his efforts to weaken the system and all
his activities against Number Two and the structures of power are
failures. At the end of each episode Number Six is defeated and
it must be just a matter of time before he discloses all his knowledge.
b.
Phase T Torture:
Torture, assault and break-out
Torment
on Number Six is increased by those in possession of power, with
means and methods getting tougher: murder plot (FUNERAL), fake brain
surgery (CHANGE), dangerous drugs (ABC, HARMONY), even his life
is risked (ABC, FORSAKE, ONCE). Number Six acts out attacks on representatives
of the system (HAMMER) and to a minor degree succeeds repeatedly.
He manages to get out of the place of his captivity - in reality
(RETURNS, FALL OUT) and in his mind and imagination (ABC, FORSAKE,
HARMONY, GIRL). If only temporarily and in different places he is
thus capable of successfully fighting against oppression. But how
long will he be able to keep on, physically and mentally?
6.
THE BASIC SUBJECT
What
we are looking for is the key to comprehension, the series' central
issue. What is the classic show of 17 episodes all about at its
very core? The programme's original (English) title gives us the
clue: The PRISONER - the CAPTIVE. To him it's all
about FREEDOM. But there's another layer, because in the German
title NUMMER 6 we are confronted with the question:
Who is he, our hero? Why doesn't he have a proper name? This leads
us to the second issue which is his IDENTITY. The two basic subjects
are therefore: FREEDOM and IDENTITY. In the spoken prologue at the
beginning of each episode this can be heard every time Number Six
shouts his cri de coeur: "I am not a number! I am a free
man!"
a.
Course of action in PHASE S - Society
During 8 episodes of this phase we see a climactic progression,
commencing with his resignation (ARRIVAL), the gradual introduction
into the new community until his death sentence (DANCE). He escapes
into a different world. The ensuing odyssey leads him back to his
home, former and current (RETURNS).
b.
Course of action in PHASE S - Torture
During 9 episodes we see an ever changing succession of places and
actions between the Village - becoming more and more harassing towards
Number Six - and the free world he dreams of. That's where he becomes
'free' for a period of time - by imagination (GIRL), brainwashing
(HARMONY), mind swap (FORSAKE). He even wins over Number Two and
beats the system: he arranges for one Village leader, having fallen
in disgrace, to escape safely (FUNERAL). He renders another "unmutual"
(CHANGE), and one paranoid Number Two is psychologically crushed
(HAMMER). The climax of the drama is reached at last in a lethal
duel (ONCE) followed by the encounter of the originator of all evil
(FALL).
c.
Struggle for IDENTITY
We are now able to pick up the pieces, allocating them to the two
spheres of action. Inconsistencies and discrepancies caused by the
production, elements that cannot be resolved, can be ignored here.
The framework is in front of us: in between ARRIVAL and ONCE UPON
A TIME/FALL OUT it's the ongoing dramatic struggle of the individual
to regain his FREEDOM and IDENTITY.

7.
THE 2-PHASES PRISONER EPISODE ORDER
Now,
this is a plea for a possible significant 2-phases episode order
(Society & Torture). Each episode receives its contents under
two different aspects with the title being:
a.
Social Life in the Village
S 01 ARRIVAL holiday resort and observation prison
S 02 FREE democracy and elections
S 03 CHIMES trust and competition
S 04 GENERAL education and creation
S 05 CHECKMATE game and psychology
S 06 SCHIZOID doubling of identity and encountering oneself
S 07 DANCE trial and death
S 08 RETURNS wandering and coming home
T 09 FUNERAL tribute and schemes
T 10 GIRL fantasy and adventure
T 11 CHANGE isolation and conversion
T 12 HARMONY moral conflict and manipulation
T 13 FORSAKE splitting of identity and searching for the
self
T 14 HAMMER paranoia and cat-and-mouse
T 15 ABC drugs and dreams
T 16 ONCE duel and self-determination
T 17 FALL OUT revolution and self-awareness
b.
Open questions and difficulties
Of course, there are still open and unsolved questions and problems
causing trouble in the process of solving the puzzle. Such as:
How long is the period of time of that drama? - From the
FORSAKE episode we know that Number Six has been in the Village
for "one year or more". Thus, for the PRISONER series
one can assume the duration of about 2 years, something which coincides
with the production process.
There are 2 opposing experiences: About his artwork creation
in CHIMES Number Six says "It means what it is." This
hints at tautology in the series in general. Mind that the village
is THE VILLAGE, the sea is THE SEA, the mountains just are THE MOUNTAINS
and so on. All this means that each episode is somewhat self-contained;
it is its"acts & facts" that create meaning. On the
other hand, quite opposite to the former, is realising that nothing
(in THE PRISONER) can be taken for granted. You cannot depend on
anyone or anything in the PRISONER-Village world (and maybe you
cannot in the free world, either?). It's all backdrop and mock-up,
illusion on the surface and no genuine reality. It's up to everyone
- everyman - in the audience to make up one's mind, to decide what's
real or fancy, right or wrong, good or bad.
c.
Graphic depiction
I chose the ellipse as a figure because it fits my purpose best
in visualizing this particular episode order. The ellipse is an
oval circle with two focal points which we determined as FREEDOM
and PERSONALITY/IDENTITY.

8.
CLOSE-UP: EPISODES 1 - 17
Following
the general considerations above we will now, in detail, take a
closer look at the episodes. These are the criteria:
* the Author and his source of inspiration
* subject and contents of the episode
* continuity of action
* methods employed by the system
* victory or defeat for Number Six
* personal remark
* climactic progression
Let's
summarize the progression in the episodes' unfolding during PHASE
S - society and PHASE T - torture:
Progression S
S 01 Arrival - Ankunft S 01 deprivation of personal
freedom
S 02 Free - Frei S 02. brainwashing
S 03 Chimes - Glocken S 03. fraudulence
S 04 General - General S 04. misuse of technology
S 05 Checkmate - Schachmatt S 05. psychology
S 06 Schizoid - Doppelgänger S 06. misuse of
technology
S 07 Dance - Anklage S 07. death sentence
S 08 Returns - Glückwunsch S 08. odyssey / wandering
Progression
T
T 09 Funeral - Amtssiegel T 09. schemes/plots
T 10 Girl - 3-2-1-0 T 10. fantasy
T 11 Change - gesellschaftsunfahig T 11. brain surgery
T 12 Harmony - Harmonie T 12. manipulation by drugs
T 13 Forsake - 2:2=2 T 13. split of identity
T 14 Hammer - Hammer T 14. paranoia
T 15 A. B. C. - ABC T 15. manipulation of thoughts
& dreams
T 16 Once Upon - Pas des deux T 16. duel
T 17 Fall Out - Demaskierung T 17. revolution
Regarding
the climatctic progression of the episodes may show the reasons
why the episode puzzle was put together the
way it is now.
INTERPRETATION
Patrick
McGoohan once said he hoped people would be able to watch the series
twice or more frequently. Thus, it would become possible for them
to realize different meanings and interpretations within the series.
This had happened to himself, too. And this had been the reason
why he created THE PRISONER as an allegory.
In my view, this creative process certainly invites viewers to set
up their own conception, their personal PRISONER. You are free to
make up your mind and create your own running order and also present
it to the public.
By no means do I wish to insinuate that this is the one and only
valid episode order. It's just one of many one can think of. But
I think it is a meaningful one. Other people have the right to do
the same thing. Anyone of you reading this text are invited to join
the debate and bring your arguments to the forth, to express contradiction
or else any other alternative.
I'll be pleased to be reading your messages and exchange thoughts.
Any entry into this discussion is one further puzzle piece in the
framework of the GESAMTKUNSTWERK (total work of art) called
THE PRISONER.
CONTENTS
1.
The UK Standard Screening Order
2.
Various Episode Orders At Large
3.
The PRISONER Production: 7 - 13 - 26 - 17
4.
The Criteria for an Episode Order
5.
A 2-Phases development - Society and torture
6.
The Basic Subject
7.
The 2-Phases PRISONER Episode Order
8.
Close-up: Episodes 1 - 17
Summary / Interpretation
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