Well
Come to The Unmutual Website - dedicated to the 1960s TV series "The
Prisoner", starring Patrick McGoohan, and the village of Portmeirion
in North Wales where the series was filmed.
STOP
PRESS: 29/3/2020 -
link to a new essay about The Prisoner as decoded in the context of The Tibetan Book of the Dead HERE... 25/03/2020 - New Prisoner Podcast for 2020 HERE, guide to Prisoner podcasts HERE... The Guardian piece on Coronavirus lockdown references The Prisoner HERE... 15/3/20 - Rolling Stone magazine places The Prisoner at position 6 in 'Greatest Sci Fi Series of all time' list HERE... 13/3/20 - Den of Geek westerns article mentions 'Living in Harmony' HERE... 25/2/20 - McGoohan in 'Columbo Ashes to Ashes' article HERE... 13/2/20 - Portmeirion event celebrating The Beatles HERE, covered by S4C TV show 'Heno' on 21/2/20... 'The Prisoner Illustrated History' book reduced in Network book sale HERE... 10/2/20 - Economist mentions The Prisoner HERE...
LATEST
NEWS.....
COVID-19 EVENTS UPDATE
In response to advice from Public Health England and the UK Government regarding social and public activities, social distancing, and the use of public transport during the COVID-19 pandemic, locations tours organiser Dave Lally has wisely announced that the 'walkabout' events planned for April 2020 have been postponed.
A new date will be announced (in addition to the planned October tours, which as of March 2020 are still going ahead) as soon as the pandemic/crisis eases. In addition, due to regulations regarding the closure of pubs in the UK, all local group meetings are also cancelled.
The Unmutual Website hopes that all readers, and their families and friends, remain safe during these worrying times. Please stay at home whenever possible, keeping in contact with vulnerable people via online methods or telephone. Keep social interaction to a minimum, don't panic buy items, and respect and value our invaluable NHS and NHS workers.
#StayHomeSaveLives
PORTMEIRION CLOSED
Following regulation and advice from the UK Government, the village of Portmeirion is now closed, to both day visitors and guests, probably until at least the beginning of July, in response to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.
The jobs of all staff members are safe. Click HERE to read Portmeirion's statement in full.
PYLONS TO FINALLY GO
In 2014, Gwynedd County Council agreed that the pylons (left) which can be seen across the Dwyryd estuary from Portmeirion (near to the Harlech toll road) would be removed, to improve the beauty of the landscape.
TUW is delighted to confirm, via news on the BBC website HERE, that the go-ahead has been given for tunnelling work to begin, so that the electricity cables concerned can be placed underground, and for the pylons to be removed.
With thanks to Andrew Frith for this news item. Image (c) Google.
SAUL OUT
'Better Call Saul' is a Netflix TV drama series, now in its fifth season. Eagle-eyed viewers are noticing that episode five of this fifth season had a rather familiar feel, with the character Mike waking up in a mysterious (Mexican) village in an apparent nod to 'Arrival' (where strange taxi cabs are present and phone calls can only be local ones).
Creator Peter Gould has confirmed that this was indeed inspired by 'The Prisoner' in an interview HERE.
With thanks to Kevin Ryerson and Michael Brown for this news item.
WHO'S THAT?
'The Faceless Ones' is a 1960s 'Doctor Who' story, in which not all of the episodes survive in the BBC archive. Recently, the story, with newly animated episodes using the surviving soundtrack, has been released on BluRay.
The newly animated episodes contain a sneaky but deliberate 'Prisoner' reference, with a plane passenger seen wearing a Number Six blazer! In the on-screen notes regarding such 'Easter Eggs', the animation team reference this as a nod to 'The Prisoner'. The story features 'Prisoner' actors Colin Gordon and Wanda Ventham in prominent roles.
With thanks to Jamie Hartley Cowan for this news item and screenshot ((c) BBC Enterprises) . Additional info: Andrew Frith.
THE JOY OF SECHS
Exciting news for German fans of 'The Prisoner' (re-named 'Nummer Sechs' ('Number Six') in that country) is that the series is about to be re-released on DVD!
All 17 episodes (re-dubbed into German, of course) are to be included in Pidax Films new release, which appears to contain the same extras as the previous release by Koch Media, although at this time it is unclear if the booklet included in that release will again feature, or if there is also to be a BluRay edition.
The DVD set will form part of Pidax's 'Classic Series' collection.
Readers will recall (see below) the news that the first official biography of 'The Prisoner' Number Two actor (possibly best remembered for his role as Jason King, and movies such as 'Night of the Eagle' and 'Flash Gordon') has been written, by Tina Wyngarde-Hopkins.
TUW is delighted to confirm that pre-orders are now being taken for the book, which will be published on February 28th 2020. A 30% discount is available when ordering direct from the publishers HERE.
The book is available in both hardback and Kindle forms, and features a foreword by 'Flash Gordon' himself, Sam L Jones, and an afterword by actor Steven Berkoff (who writes that it is "a most remarkable biography"). Contributors include Melody Anderson, Annette André , Steven Berkoff, Brian Blessed OBE, Carol Cleveland, Joel Fabiani, Caron Gardner, Hannah Gordon, Freddie Jones, Sam J. Jones and many more!
TUW is excited to announce that the company Vice Press, who have in the past produced a number of very attractive and sought after limited edition prints of artwork based on 'The Prisoner', have not one but TWO fantastic releases for January 2020.
At left is their latest print, by artist Dan Orgill. The print measures 50x70cm and has been printed in a limited edition of just 175. These offset lithograph prints have been produced on archival paper and will cost £40 each.
Below is a beautiful set of enamel badges from Vice, based on various imagery seen in the series.
Measuring approximately 1 inch in diameter and made from hard enamel, these pins come with a rubber butterfly clutch and full colour backing card. Available individually for £8, or as a set for £25.
Click HERE to visit the Vice Press website for more details, and to order items from January 30th 2020.
With thanks to James Henshaw of Vice Press.
MODEL MOKE
Motobitz are a resin model production company who specialise in vehicles, and so it will be of great interest to 'Prisoner' fans that they have a resin Moke kit (left) now available!
The kit is based upon Phil Caunt's oroiginal 'Prisoner' Mini Moke HLT 709C and is available from HERE.
Truly a limited edition, run of 25 1:24 scale models is planned, of which at this time only 16 remain. Much more complicated than a standard Airfix-type kit, this kit is for experienced modellers.
With thanks to Phil Caunt for this news item.
GOING COMMANDO
Fans of the 1960s Patrick McGoohan TV series 'Danger Man' may be interested in the latest issue of the popular UK war comic 'Commando'.
Entitled 'Fog of War', the comic (issue 5297, January 2020) is centred around the Maunsell Sea Forts (AKA Red Sands Forts), which featured in the 1966 episode 'Not So Jolly Roger' of the series, where McGoohan's John Drake character masquerades as a pirate radio DJ, based on one of the forts.
The comic is priced at only £2.25 and is available from WH Smiths and other emporia. The cover artwork is by popular comic artist Keith Burns.
SPRING TOURS CONFIRMED
Sunday April 5th 2020 has been confirmed as the date for the next set of 'The Prisoner' and 'Danger Man' locations walking tour days.
Hosted by Dave Lally for over 35 years, the morning tour consists of 'Danger Man' locations and the afternoon tour over 20 locations from 'The Prisoner' opening title sequence, and the episodes 'Many Happy Returns', 'Do Not Forsake', and 'Fall Out'.
Free to attend, and always hugely popular and enjoyable, more details can be found on TUW's event page HERE.
IRON MASK COMING TO BLU-RAY
One of the most highly-regarded and best-loved movies to have starred Patrick McGoohan was the classic film 'The Man in the Iron Mask'.
The movie co-starred Richard Chamberlain and Jenny Agutter and was released on DVD by Network in the 2000s.
Network and TUW are excited to announce that the film is coming to BluRay in 2020! Click HERE to pre-order. If you can't wait that long, or don't have a BluRay player, you can get 10% off the £6.99 DVD at The Village Shop by quoting the code TALLYHO10 at checkout HERE.
With thanks to Geoff Dodd for this news item.
VILLAGE SHOP SPONSORS B&N
The Unmutual Website is proud to announce that 'The Village Shop' is currently the sponsor of 'The Benji and Nick Show', a popular Cult TV podcast hosted by Nicholas Briggs and Benji Clifford.
Each week they cover a popular cult TV show from the past or present, and have covered 'The Prisoner' in the past, and regularly discuss other ITC shows and the work of Patrick McGoohan. Each episode is released on Sundays, and also features listeners emails and regular chats with Jamie 'son of Gerry' Anderson.
Click HERE for more info, and to listen to the podcast for exclusive discount codes on 'Prisoner', 'Danger Man' and Patrick McGoohan merchandise at the shop, only available to podcast listeners!
DONALD TOSH R.I.P.
TUW is sad to confirm that writer Donald Tosh passed away on 3rd December 2019.
Although best known for his work writing and scrpt-editing for 'Doctor Who', Donald also submitted an unused storyline/script for 'The Prisoner' series, and was interviewed about this for the Steven Ricks documentary 'The Prisoner Inspired' in the early 1990s.
Donald was the last surviving 'script writer by profession', with only Ian Rakoff, Tony Sloman, and Eric Mival still alive who submitted storylines for the series (all of them being crew members on the series, with Ian's submission becoming 'Living in Harmony'). TUW would like to extend its sincere sympathies to Donald's family and friends.
With thanks to Steven P for this news item. Image (c) BBC.
IN THE VORTEX
The latest issue of Vortex Magazine, the free mag given out to subscribers and orderers of physical media from the company Big Finish's website, features a special feature on their 'The Prisoner' audio series re-imagining, starring Mark Elstob as Number Six.
Series three, the final series from the company, was released in November 2019 and a review of the series can be found HERE.
The magazine features behind the scenes details, photographs, and interviews with cast and crew, including Mark Elstob, Lucy Briggs-Owen, Genevieve Gaunt, Iain Meadows, and writer, director, and executive producer Nicholas Briggs.
All three series of the Big Finish re-imagining can be purchased from The Village Shop HERE. Click HERE for more details of the various series.
FLIRTY TELLY
The early part of December 2019 saw Portmeirion appear on two popular programmes on British TV.
'Flirty Dancing', the show in which two people who have never met are trained to do a classical dance and only get to perform it together for the first time on their first date, debuted this year on Channel 4. A recent episode featured a couple dancing and meeting on the piazza (left).
Meanwhile, over on S4C, the Welsh language channel, the popular nightly show 'Heno' fetaured Portmeirion's annual food and craft fair.
ORIGINAL MOKE FOR SALE
Several years ago, TUW reported that an original Mini Moke (seen on screen in several episodes in Portmeirion, and also (with its regular number plate) in 'Living in Harmony' on the MGM backlot set, had been found in a barn in Holland (see news item HERE).
After being bought at auction by fan Phil Caunt (info HERE), and after tens of thousands of pounds of restoration work, the vehicle now looks as good as new (left) and has been present at several events, including A Celebration of ITC and Fall In.
Sadly, owner Phil Caunt has decided to now put the Moke up for sale, going under the hammer at auction in late 2020, unless a better offer comes to him beforehand. He told TUW: "It is with a heavy heart that, that I have now, after 5 years of ownership decided to sell 'The Prisoner' Mini Moke HLT 709C.
I would very much prefer the car stays in the UK, and that the new owner is a Prisoner fan, however this is ultimately out of my control."
You can make enquiries by contacting TUW HERE, or by contacting Phil via his facebook page HERE.
BIGGEST FINISH
Exciting, but yet sad, news for fans of Big Finish's audio re-imagning of 'The Prisoner' is that the third, and final, series is now available to buy or download.
Again starring Mark Elstob as Number Six, and Lucy Briggs-Owen as Kate Butterworth, the set comprises of four episodes loosely based on the original series, written, directed, and produced by Nicholas Briggs .
Click HERE for The Unmutual Website's full review of the set, which comes highly recommended, and HERE for further details on the set itself.
SMOKELESS MOKE
One of the iconic images from 'The Prisoner' is the Mini Moke Taxi vehicles, ferrying inmates around the Village.
Now in 2020 these amazing vehicles have had a re-launched as electric vehicles for carrying tourists around hotels and resorts, as well as being a stylish road car. The electric Moke has a range of 90 miles and a potential top speed of 75mph.
With thanks to Phil Coomes for this news item.
ETERNAL VILLAGE UPDATE
For several years, the city of Seattle has been a hub of 'The Prisoner' activity, thanks to 'The Eternal Village'.
Two successful events have taken place, a short documentary film produced, and no less than 25 podcasts created for the benefit of fans worldwide.
And the good news is... there's going to be more! Organiser Karl Frunz writes; "
The Eternal Village will be creating new programs that explore the role, merits and limits of individualism in modern society. For those interested in knowing about, contributing to or participating in our forthcoming programs . . . please "follow" our Facebook page: HERE".
These wonderful audio programmes include discussion about the episodes, and special guest interviews with actors, writers, fans, and creators and are highly recommended. Click HERE to listen to the podcasts, and HERE to watch the short film about the 2017 event.
ONE IN THE VILLAGE
Each year, Children in Need and BBC's flagship nightly programme 'The One Show' team up for a very special fundraising challenge.
The Rickshaw Challenge sees a team of six young people, each with inspirational stories to tell, along with 'The One Show''s Matt Baker (pictured left and below with one young rider, Josh, as they passed through Meifod in mid-Wales), complete a 400-mile trip around Britain.
On Friday 8th November 2019, the challenge passed through Portmeirion ('The One Show' had been live in Portmeirion, but as the rickshaw was travelling behind schedule, the arrival in the village will be shown on Monday 11th at 7.00pm on BBC1).
Click HERE for more details, and for details of how to donate.
It's an intresting side note that 'The Prisoner' began filming at Portmeirion, and was completed at a studio complex in Borehamwood, whilst the Rickshaw Challenge finished its first day in Portmeirion, and will be completed at a studio complex at Borehamwood.
Images (c) Tori Davy and Libby Davy.
RESTORING THE CLASSICS
One of the highlights of the recent 'A Celebration of ITC 2' event organised by TUW and Quoit Media at Elstree was the presentation by MD Tim Beddows, and Restoration Colourist Jonathan Wood, of the company Network.
Network have been responsible, of course, for not only releasing the great ITC series (and much more), including 'The Prisoner' and 'Danger Man', but also painstakingly restoring many of these series from the original film elements to enable us to enjoy them in glorious HD BluRay.
At the event, Jonathan presented a short step-by-step guide to the types and amounts of film used in such a process, and a fascinating look at the evolution of Video, to DVD, to BluRay.
As well as ITC series, Network have restored many other classics, and this week several folk including Rick Davy of TUW were invited to witness a special presentation of the superb restoration which has taken place for 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' for their new deluxe box set (pictured left). The restoration is astonishing, click HERE to see some comparison before-and-after shots, and more information on the set.
TUW would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Tim, Jonathan, and everyone at Network for the wonderful work they do restoring these classic series.
'The Prisoner' in beautifully restored HD can be purchased on DVD and BluRay HERE, with a proportion of your spend donated to Ty Gobaith Hospice.
VILLAGE SHOP WELCOME OFFER
For many years The Unmutual Website has operated a Village Shop online, offering 'Prisoner' and Patrick McGoohan books, DVDs, CDs, and merchandise, and TUW is delighted to annoce that the shop has had a revamp, dozens of new items, and a new home!
https://www.theprisonershop.co.uk is the new address for the shop, which serves as the ultimate resource for 'Prisoner', 'Danger Man', and Patrick McGoohan merchandise (see photo, left).
Use the code WELCOME10 at checkout to get 10% off your first order!
FAREWELL ANGELA
The Unmutual Website is sad to report that the eldest of the Candy Sisters (pictured left), Angela, has passed away.
The then Blackpool-based cabaret act were performing at Butlin's in Pwllheli in North Wales in September 1966 when Patrick McGoohan asked them to be part of the 'Dance of the Dead' episode.
TUW extends its sincerest sympathies to Angela's family and friends.
With thanks to Sam Denham for this news item. Image (c) ITV Global, thanks to Anthony Rooney for the screengrab.
ITC 2 SUCCESS
On Saturday 19th October 2019 a sell out crowd of 240 people attended 'A Celebration of ITC 2' at Elstree Studios, organised by Quoit Media Limited and The Unmutual Website, and the event was a great success!
14 guests from ITC series, including 'Danger Man' and 'The Prisoner', of course, took part in on-stage Q&As with event host Rick Davy (left, with Jamie Anderson, Matt Zimmerman, and Laraine Humphrys), all in aid of Ty Gobaith Children's Hospice.
A full photo report of the event will be online soon. A number of event programmes remain from the event, on sale for only £2.99 from The Village Shop HERE!
PRISONER CONCEPT ALBUM RELEASED
Over the years, several musicians have used 'The Prisoner' as inspiration for songs, albums, and music videos (both professional and amateur). The latest is Ian Beddow, who has released the album 'The Chimes of Big Ben (left).
The album consists of nine songs in total, four directly about 'The Prisoner' (or an individual episode), with the others exploring the concept.
Writes Ian: "The Chimes of Big Ben' has been in production for around 5 years. It started as a series of late night chats in the car with the singer from the band I was playing in at the time, lots of long distance gigs spark some great conversations. Realising we had a mutual love for 'The Prisoner' we originally planned to write a short album about it."
Click HERE to visit the Ian Beddows Music website for more details on how to listen to or download the music, which TUW recommends as being highly interesting and enjoyable.
NOT A PLAIN JANE
Jane Merrow is no stranger to fans of 'Danger Man' and 'The Prisoner', having appeared in both series (and been a special guest at events organised by The Unmutual Website). A truly great actor, who Patrick McGoohan loved working with, Jane was Golden Globe nominated for her role in the film 'The Lion in Winter', so it is with much interest that TUW can announce that Jane has written a book!
'Being an Actor' is described as 'A little guidebook for those in the acting business, or who want to be in the acting business, from a professional actor with over 50 years in the business'. With a foreword by the great Julian Glover CBE, the book spans 70 pages and is highly recommended.
Priced at only £5.68 for the paperback, with the Kindle version free with Kindle Unlimited, click HERE to read more about the book on Amazon, who are also the publisher of the tome.
With thanks to Jane Merrow and Tina Wyngarde-Hopkins for this news item.
THREE FOR ALL
Exciting news has reached The Unmutual Website that Big Finish's long-awaited third series of 'The Prisoner' audio drama re-imaginings, is now fully recorded and an enthralling trailer is now online to whet fans' appetites below)!
The new (and final?) set comprises four episodes: 'Free For All', 'The Girl Who Was Death', 'The Seltzman Connection' and 'No One Will Know'.
Mark Elstob reprises his role as Number Six, and there's a welcome return for Lucy Briggs-Owen, Jim Barclay, and Barnaby Edwards (as Kate Butterworth, Control, and Danvers respectively), as well as new characters played by Genevieve Gaunt, Jennifer Healy and Lorelei King.
The new set is available from the Big Finish Website HERE from only £19.99. Click HERE for TUW's dedicated 'Big Finish The Prisoner' page where you can find out more about this new set, the previous two series, and read exclusive interviews with cast and crew. A review of the new episodes will soon follow - watch this space!
EVENT ROUND-UP
Saturday 11th October 2019 saw not one, but two wonderful events celebrating 'The Prisoner' for fans to enjoy, and it's great to be able to report that both were a success.
The first event was a well attended affair in Giessen, Germany, where fans of the series joined series music editor Eric Mival for a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the series, renamed 'Nummer Sechs', in Germany. Click HERE for a photo report of the event.
On the same day in London, the second of 2019's two London 'The Prisoner' and 'Danger Man' location tour days also took place, despite the inclement weather this event was also very well attended, and a brief photo report can be found HERE.
Keep an eye on the events page for more events coming soon!
ITC EVENT NEARS
'A Celebration of ITC 2 - Incorporating Randall and Hopkirk and Strange Report at Fifty' is a special event organised by The Unmutual Website and Quoit Media Limited at Elstree Studios on Saturday October 19th, celebrating all the great ITC shows, including of course 'The Prisoner' and 'Danger Man'.
There are still a handful of tickets available for the event, which will see guest Q&As on stage, screenings, signings, and attractions. Guests include Annette Andre, Jennie Linden, Anneke Wills, Aimi Macdonald, Derek Fowlds, Matt Zimmerman, Valerie Leon, Carol Cleveland, Paul Weston (left), Caron Gardner, Laraine Humphrys, and Jamie Anderson.
Click HERE to order tickets and for more information.
GERMAN VOICE DIES
Sad news for fans of 'The Prisoner' in Germany has been announced, that Bernd Rumpf, one of two men who provided the voice of Patrick McGoohan for 'Nummer Sechs' (the dubbed German 'Prisoner' series) has passed away at a hospice in Berlin.
The timing is particularly poignant, as his passing comes only a few days before the German 50th anniversary celebrations in Giessen (more details HERE), in which German fans of the series will come together with series music editor Eric Mival (and, it was hoped, Bernd) to celebrate this important landmark, the organisers having been in touch with Bernd for many years.
On its initial run, only 13 episodes of the series were dubbed into German, with the last four not dubbed until 2010. It is these four episodes on which Bernd worked and provided the voice of the lead actor.
The Unmutual would like to offer its sincerest condolences to Bernd's family and friends. He was, by all accounts, a much-loved man and a very talented actor.
LESLIE'S TWO ON TWO
Listeners to OJ Borg's popular Radio 2 show during September would have been in for a pleasant surprise, when none other than Leslie Glen (author of 'The Prisoner Interrogations' and 'The Prisoner Interrogations 2' (left) quiz books) called in for a chat with the host.
Leslie posed OJ some Prisoner-related questions, and chatted about the books and his love of the series.
Leslie also took part in a book launch event at Irvine Library during the month, click HERE for a news article and photo from the Irvine Herald.
Click HERE to purchase either of the books, and HERE to watch the segment on the OJ Borg Show.
CLASSIC STILLS AVAILABLE
Classic stills is a Los Angeles based company specialising in fine art prints of classic photographic images from TV shows and movies, and TUW is excited to announce that a new official set of fine art prints of classic 'The Prisoner' behind-the-scenes photographs is now available.
The prints are from several episodes and will be available in 4 sizes, with 100 limited numbered prints of each image available (one such example from 'Checkmate' is pictured left). The prints are fully authorised by copyright holders ITV.
CEO of Classic Stills, Rene Freling, writes; "The Prisoner is one of the most unique and memorable shows of the 60s, so far ahead of its time that its influence can still be seen in movies and TV to this day. It was also totally unique visually, with both Patrick McGoohan's character and the unique setting for The Village providing some fantastic images that remain instantly recognizable and extremely stylish."
Click HERE (or HERE if you're in the US) for more details on the images and to purchase, with prices starting at £125 per image. The website features a competition to win a print, and by subscribing you'll be sent a 30% off voucher!
DATE CHANGE FOR WALKABOUT
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!
Due to unforseen family circumstances, organiser Dave Lally has changed the date of the forthcoming 'The Prisoner' and 'Danger Man' location tours from Sunday 13th October to Saturday 12th October.
The popular event, free to attend, sees visits to several locations from both series, culminating in Number Six's London home (left).
The 50th anniversary event for German viewers of 'The Prisoner', which first aired in 1969 as 'Nummer Sechs' fast approaches with the news that Eric Mival (left), music editor on the series, is confirmed as the main special guest.
The event is taking place in Giessen, north of Frankfurt, on Saturday 12th October 2019 and will see a generous mix of guests, discussions, screenings and activities.
Translators will be on hand for both English and German speakers, and the cost of attendance is purely voluntary via donations and raffle entries.
For more details, please email Arno at
village-post@nummer6-theprisoner.de
to let the organisers know that you plan to attend, and to get answers to any queries you have regarding the event. Some video trailers for the event can be found HERE.
MORE GUESTS FOR ELSTREE
'A Celebration of ITC 2 - incorporating Randall and Hopkirk at 50' is an exciting event being organised by The Unmutual Website and Quoit Media Limited, celebrating all the great ITC shows of the 60s and 70s, being held at Elstree Studios on Saturday October 19th.
Several guests (with more to follow) have been announced, all with connections to ITC series, including some related to 'The Prisoner' and 'Danger Man' of course, and more guests have been announced in the past few days.
Joining the already announced Annette Andre, Jennie Linden, and Derek Fowlds are the wonderful Matt Zimmerman (left, voice of Alan Tracy in 'Thunderbirds'), and actors Aimi Macdonald (below), Carol Cleveland, and Valerie Leon.
Tickets are still available for the event, which will see on-stage Q&A panels with guests and signing sessions, and more guests will be announced soon. Click HERE to visit the QML website for more details and to purchase tickets.
ROVER IS OUT
Over the years there have been several music songs/videos inspired by 'The Prisoner', and readers will be excited by the latest track and video by electro-rock singer Jenn Vixx (left).
'Rover' was directly inspired by the series. Writes Jenn: "Number 6's struggle completely reminds me of my struggle of being an outsider who does not blindly accept mediocrity and mind control."
The video is full of 'Prisoner' imagery and is highly recommended. Click HERE for the full press release, which includes a link to watch the video in full.
With thanks to Jenn Vixx for this news item.
CONTROL ROOM MODEL ON SALE
For several years The Unmutual Website has been proud to stock replica model kits of props and sets from 'The Prisoner, produced by Si's Soldiers and Pigeon Guard Games. Previous sets have included the telephone kiosk, Portmeirion's Gloriette, the Control area of the Dome, and the Infomat.
Readers will no doubt be excited by their latest model kit (left), the interior of the Green Dome, AKA Number Two's 'Living Space'! Complete with walls , floor, working door, and viewing screen, the kit is priced at only £34.99.
Click HERE to buy the new model, either as a standalone or in a bundle (below) with the control room equipment and Infomat models!
CONSTRUCTING COLONY THREE
Fans of the Patrick McGoohan series 'Danger Man' (the hour episodes of which were shown under the title 'Secret Agent Man' in North America) will be familiar with the episode 'Colony Three', which is arguably the most Prisoneresque episode of the series, in which Drake and other secret agents are imprisoned .
The locations for this village, called 'New Hampden' in the episode, are located at South Hatfield (and, click HERE, soon to be demolished) in Hertfordshire, and thanks to reader Geoff Dodd, a video has come to light of the locations (including the large church building, left as it is today) being built in the early 1960s.
'A Celebration of ITC 2' is a special event taking place at the iconic Elstree Studios on Saturday 19th October 2019.
Co-organised by The Unmutual and Quoit Media Limited, the event will see on-stage Q&As, signing sessions, and other attractions, and tickets are still available by clicking .
TUW is delighted to announce that the first four guests have been confirmed: Annette Andre ('The Prisoner', 'The Saint', 'Randall and Hopkirk'), Jennie Linden in a very rare signing appearance ('The Persuaders', 'Doctor Who and The Daleks'), Valerie Leon ('The Persuaders', Bond, 'Carry Ons'), and Derek Fowlds ('Gideon's Way', 'Yes Minister', 'Heartbeat') will all be attending, in addition to many more guests who are yet to be announced.
HE THAT IS WITHOUT SYN AMONGST YOU
Fans of the classic Patrick McGoohan Walt Disney Film / mini-series 'Dr Syn - Alias the Scarecrow' (AKA 'The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh') will be excited to learn that a new soundtrack CD has become available.
'The Film Music of Gerard Schurman' is a CD compilation where the first 8 tracks are from the 'Dr Syn' soundtrack, the first time on CD that this music has become available.
UK buyers may find eBay to be the best source for this new release, with US buyers advised to click HERE for the disc, priced at $16.99.
With thanks to SP for this news item.
'TOBY TREE' CUT DOWN
News has reached The Unmutual Website from reader Ray Warren that sadly, the tree which famously stood in the car park of The Toby Carvery in Borehamwood, which stands on the former site of MGM studios, has been cut down and removed.
The tree is thought to have been the last one still standing from the Harmony set from the 'Prisoner' episode 'Living in Harmony', which could be seen standing behind the Blacksmith's in the episode (click HERE for more 'Harmony Tree' details).
With thanks to Ray Warren for this news item and photo.
A DAY AT THE BEACHY
More event news for 2019, is the confirmation of the London and South East Prisoner Group's annual picnic, which this year takes place on Saturday August 3rd.
This year, the location from 'The Prisoner' chosen to be visited is Beachy Head Lighthouse, which of course features in two episodes: 'Many Happy Returns' and 'The Girl Who Was Death'.
The day will start at Victoria in London with a visit to Number Six's house, before attendees will depart by train (and then bus from Eastbourne) to the location.
The event, organised and guided by Dave Lally, is free to attend (other than your train and bus fare, and picnic lunch). Click HERE for more details.
With thanks to Dave Lally for this news item.
ITC CELEBRATION 2
The Unmutual Website is again teaming up with Quoit Media Limited to bring fans of ITC shows, including 'The Prisoner' and 'Danger Man', a special star studded event at the iconic Elstree Studios.
'A Celebration of ITC 2 - incorporating Randall and Hopkirk at 50' will take place during the evening of Saturday 19th October 2019.
As with the 'A Celebration of ITC' event held in 2018, the event will see an array of special guest Q&As, attractions, and signings (guests to be announced between now and October). 2018 event special guest Madeline Smith described the event, which also included interviews with the likes of Jenny Hanley and Ian Ogilvy (left), as '100% perfection' and this year's offering promises to live up to that billing.
Click HERE to buy tickets, which are strictly limited in number (the 2018 event sold out, so book now to avoid delay), and HERE to read a photo review of last year's event.
MOKE ON SHOW
The Prisoner Mini Moke HLT 709C (pictured left) will be attending the U.K's premier Mini show 'Mini in the Park ' at Mallory Park in Leicestershire on the 18th of August 2019. It will be attending, by arrangement with 'MiniWorld' magazine.
Owner Phil Caunt writes: "You are all welcome to come along and see the car, take photos and have a chat. I will have some of the original roof displays on sale on the day. This will be the first time on public display in 2019 after the organisational debacle at the London EXCEL in February, and I look forward to meeting you, should you be attending the show."
In addition, the Moke will also be on show at the 60th anniversary of the Mini celebration, taking place at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon, Warwickshire, on the 4th August.
With thanks to Phil Caunt for this news item.
PAT GORMAN R.I.P.
Sad news has reached TUW that several months ago the actor Pat Gorman (left), who appeared in an uncredited role as a hospital orderly in 'The Prisoner' episode 'Hammer into Anvil', passed away on 9th October 2018.
Pat was a British actor who, despite never appearing in a starring role, appeared in minor roles in a large number of films and television productions, including 'The Elephant Man', 'Z-Cars', 'Fawlty Towers' , 'I, Claudius' and 'Blake's 7'. He also played the killer in the television series 'The Nightmare Man'. He appeared in minor roles in 83 episodes of the science fiction series 'Doctor Who' between 1964 and 1985: only six other actors appeared in more in the show's original run.
TUW would like to extend its sympathies to Pat's family and friends.
With thanks to David Stimpson for this news item.
FENELLA'S FAREWELL
On 28th May 2019 the memorial service for actress Fenella Fielding, who of course readers will know provided the 'Village Voice' in 'The Prisoner', and also appeared alongside Patrick McGoohan in an episode 'Danger Man', took place.
The service, organised by her best friend Simon McKay, took place at the Actor's Church in Covent Garden, and was attended by dozens of famous names from stage and screen (including William Gaunt, Myriam Margoyles, Liza Goddard, Valerie Leon, and many others) with 'Prisoner' crew member Tony Sloman and Rick Davy of The Unmutual representing the world of 'The Prisoner'.
Readings were performed by Barry Cryer, Giles Brandreth, Mark Kermode and others, and there were musical and variety performances from the likes of Anita Harris, Dame Cleo Laine, Andy Bell, Wang Chung, and David McAlmont and others.
All of these joyous and respectful tributes were interspersed by performances from the students of LAMDA and the Sylvia Young Theatre School, and exerpts from Fenella's unmistakable voiceover work, including many of her 'The Prisoner' announcements. A plaque at the church was also unveiled in Fenella's honour.
Fenella was a wonderful actress and a remarkable woman, and the memorial was a fitting tribute to her. May she Rest in Peace.
Photo, left, (c) Bruce Frumerman.
GERMAN 50TH APPROACHES
50 years ago this Autumn, Germany saw 'The Prisoner' (or 'Nummer Sechs' as it was re-named) for the first time, and a group of fans in Giessen are holding a very special event to celebrate this milestone.
12th October 2019 is the date for the event, which will be held at a small municipal
building, Nordstadtzentrum, in Giessen, near to Frankfurt in Germany.
Special guests include Bernd Rumpf, who voiced Patrick McGoohan for four episdoes of the German DVD box set, and the event will also see discussions and screenings. It is planned that no entrance fee will be charged, but it is hoped that attendees will donate towards the event costs, and there will be competition and raffle prize fundraising opportunities on the day itself.
Click HERE for more details and HERE to watch a video trailer for the event.
WONDROUS WALK
Sunday 14th April 2019 saw the first of this years' two London Location Tours for 'The Prisoner' and 'Danger Man'. Organised by Dave Lally, who has been conducting these tours for over 30 years free of charge for fans, several dozen fans from around the World, including the USA, visited over 20 locations from the series.
Click HERE for a photo report of the event. The next tours are taking place in October, click HERE for more details.
'THE
VILLAGE' AIRDATE NEARS
As
announced at The Unmutual Website recently (see below), a new
TV series about a year in the life of Portmeirion is soon to air
on ITV Wales.
Monday
15th April will see the first episode of 'The Village', at 8.00pm.
Viewers not in Wales who have SKY can also see the series, with
a national ITV showing expected later in 2019.
The
series has been produced by Slam Media, who have been responsible
for some excellent programming on ITV Wales previously. Online
services for ITV Wales programmes can be found HERE, where the episodes screened can be be viewed online.
Also
airing currently, on the Welsh language channel S4C, is the 2001
'fly on the wall' series 'Portmeirion', viewable on the S4C hub
website if you're outside Wales or don't have SKY.
ED
FORDHAM R.I.P.
The
Unmutual Website is sad to confirm that much-loved 'Prisoner'
fan and book editor Ed Fordham has passed away.
Ed
was a popular figure on social media and it was through these
connections that he gathered together a number of article writers
and contributors to create two books about 'The Prisoner': 'It
Means What It Says' and 'One Likes to Know Everything'.
Writing
a number of insightful pieces himself for the volumes, he nevertheless
insisted that all profits from both books, which are available
on Amazon and Blurb.com, be donated to charity. The Unmutual Website
is proud to have been associated with Ed and these projects, and
in return Ed was a big supporter of TUW.
Rick
Davy of TUW writes: "One of the last things Ed did before
he passed away was to set up a messaging group to help people
suffering from depression and mental illness. This says much about
his generous nature and the thoughts he always had for others.
We only met in person on one occasion sadly, but he was a very
nice man who kindly invited me to be a part of his book projects
and I enjoyed communicating with him over the years. I hope he
is now at peace".
Geoff Lake was also a contributor: "He was a sweet guy who
I took to immediately. I was working on a piece for Volume Three
of his books. A very sad loss."
TUW's
thoughts are with his partner, family, and friends at this very
sad time.
HOME
FROM HOME
Have
you ever wanted to have a piece of Portmeirion, and a piece of
'The Prisoner', in your own back yard? Well, 'Prisoner' fan Bill
Lonnen has done just that, and created a replica of Portmeirion's
Roundhouse, which was Number Six's house in the Village in the
series - not only the exterior, but the interior too!
In
an astonishing design and build project, Bill has even found fixtures
and fittings to match and his replication
of both the interior and exterior is superb, and The Unmutual
Website is delighted that Bill has shared the story of its creation,
with a plethora of photographs. Click HERE
to read the full story and see the cottage in all its splendour.
BE
SEEING YOU IN APRIL?
Sunday
April 14th is a date for your diaries, as the date marks the latest
of Dave Lally's 'The Prisoner' and 'Danger Man' location tours
days.
The
morning tour sees a visit to several 'Danger Man' locations (including
John Drake's home and London office), and the afternoon tour visits
over 20 London locations seen in the opening sequence of 'The
Prisoner' as well as episodes 'Many Happy Returns', 'Do Not Forsake
Me', and 'Fall Out', including Number Six's house, the underground
car parks, and the resignation tunnel.
The
tours are FREE to attend (oyster card or bus fare required for
the morning tour), and all are welcome. Click HERE
for more details.
MORIS
FARHI R.I.P.
TUW
is sad to bring more upsetting news to readers, with the announcement
from his publisher that Moris Farhi, the writer who penned the
unmade 'The Prisoner' story 'The Outsider', passed away at the
age of 84 on March 5th 2019.
Originally
from Turkey, Farhi moved to Europe and made a living from acting
(including uncredited roles in two James Bond films), before becoming
a writer. It was in 1966 that he was approached by 'Prisoner'
script editor George Markstein, and commissioned to write an episode
for the series. 'The Outsider', which would later be printed as
part of 'The Prisoner: The Original Scripts' hardback books, like
two stories he had written for 'Doctor Who' three years earlier
(later made by Big Finish), was rejected.
When
interviewed by Steven Ricks for 'The Prisoner Investigated' documentary
in the early 1990s, Farhi revealed that McGoohan had rejected
the script because of a birdwatching scene, and a torture scene,
because 'heroes don't sweat' and 'heroes don't birdwatch'.
He
later became a successful novelist, and was a tireless campaigner
for several good causes. The Unmutual Website would like to extend
its sincere sympaties to Mr Farhi's family and friends.
With
thanks to Alan Hayes for this news item.
PETER
THE GREAT
Fans
of the unique talent and man that was Peter Wyngarde, who fans
of 'The Prisoner' will recognise as Number Two in the episode
'Checkmate' but is probably best remembered for his role as Jason
King on TV, will be delighted to know that 'A Life Amongst Strangers',
a biography of his life by Tina Wyngarde-Hopkins, is soon to hit
the shelves.
The
book, which has been meticulously researched by the author, who
knew Wyngarde for several decades and was present almost daily
through the last few years of his life, covers his career in detail
through the first half of the book, and covers the time shared
between the author and subject, in memoir form, during the second
half of the book.
Click
HERE for a review of the book,
which comes highly recommended by The Unmutual Website.
Details
on how to order the book will be announced here shortly.
DANGER
MAN REPACKAGED
Fans
of 'Danger Man', the series which pre-ceded 'The Prisoner' and
starring Patrick McGoohan as John Drake, the secret agent with
no guns and no girls, will be pleased to hear that Network are
repackaging the three series (the half hour episodes, the hour
episodes, and the two-part colour season) into one handy DVD box
set!
Due
for release in April 2019, Network are able to take pre-orders
now for the set, which marks the first time ever that all episodes
have been included in one set.
Special
features include pdf documents, extensive image galleries, and
the 'Koroshi' movie with extra scene.
TUW
is sad to announce that actress Sheena Marshe, who played the
part of Doris, the barmaid at Number Six's local pub in the episode
'The Girl Who Was Death' has passed away, at the Kent care home
where she had lived for several years.
Although
she always shunned invitations to chat about her career, she has
a long list of credits to her name in a career which started in
the 1950s, Sheena was equally at home in comedy series, appearing
alongside the likes of Sid James, Dick Emery, and Benny Hill,
as she was drama, with appearances in series such as 'No Hiding
Place' and 'Armchair Theatre' She also appeared in the William
Hartnell 'Doctor Who' story 'The Gunfighters', as Kate.
But
for 'Prisoner' fans, it will be as Doris, in one of the entire
series' most memorable scenes, that she will be most fondly remembered.
The
Unmutual Website would like to extend its sincerest sympathies
to all who knew her.
With
thanks to Al Samujh for this news item.
ETERNALLY
PODCASTING
In
recent years, as readers of TUW will know, there has been an increase
in the number of podcasts available in which 'The Prisoner' series
is discussed. Podcasts such as 'Back to the Village', 'The Prisoner
Introcast', and 'The Village People Podcast' have come and gone,
but two which are still going strong are 'The Tally Ho Podcast'
(see news items, below) and 'The Eternal Village Podcast'.
The
latter comes from the folk behind the recent US conventions in
Seattle, and the latest two episodes are now online. Special guest
for both is writer and 'Prisoner' fan David Stimpson (left). In
episode 8 he discusses his new book 'The Prisoner Dusted Down'
(available HERE), a new 496-page
analysis of the series, and in episodee 9 the 2009 'Prisoner'
remake TV series, about which both David and host Karl Frunz wax
lyrical.
Click
HERE
to visit The Eternal Village website and listen or download.
Click
HERE to read a new guide to all the
available podcasts relating to 'The Prisoner' including a new
one for 2019: The Village Fashion Centre.
BE
ITV-ING YOU
It
has been announced that a new six-part TV series on a year in
the life of Portmeirion will be screened by ITV Wales this Spring.
Filmed throughout 2018, the show will include coverage of a number
of different events, including Festival Number Six.
The
show, produced by company Slam Media, who were responsible for
a well-received series about the Menai Straits, the series will
air from 15th April 2019 on ITV Wales, with national ITV screening
the series later in the year.
Other
sightings of Portmeirion are forthcoming on Welsh language channel
S4C, and recent sightings included the 1990s sitcom '2 Point 4
Children', on 12/2/19 on UK station GOLD where the 1996 episode
'Seven Dials' featured Portmeirion in a 'Prisoner' spoof was shown.
BIG
FINISH SERIES 3 DELAYED
'The
Prisoner' in recent years has been excellently re-imagined by
Big Finish as an audio drama, starring Mark Elstob as Number Six,
with two series completed so far (reviews HERE).
In
an update via the Big Finish Facebook page, writer and producer
Nicholas Briggs has announced that series three has been delayed
until later in 2019; "I’m very sorry to say that pressures
of work on other projects at Big Finish have meant that my work
on The Prisoner Volume 3 has been delayed. The good news is that
I’ve returned to writing it and with this extra time in
the schedule, I’m looking forward to getting into studio
with something that sounds spookily like a finale? Or is it?"
Click
HERE for TUW's Big Finish page, for
all the news, details, reviews, and photos regarduing Big Finish's
'The Prisoner' series.
COMPLETELY
SHATTERED
In
the late 1980s, DC Comics produced a four-part graphic novel by
Dean Motter and Mark Asquith set after 'The Prisoner' episode
'Fall Out', set 20 years on. These were then compiled into a single
tome entitiled 'Shattered Visage' and, as per previous announcements,
Titan have confirmed that they are publishing a new edition in
March 2019.
Writes
Titan, who also produced their own original four part 'Prisoner'
comic in 2018 (see news items below, and reviews HERE),
"Set twenty years after the final episode of the television
series, Shattered Visage follows former secret agent Alice Drake
as she is shipwrecked on the shores of the Village and encounters
an aged Number Six, who is still locked into a decades-old conflict
with his old nemesis Number Two for the future of the deserted
spy village."
Titan's
new version can be pre-ordered through Amazon
and also from Forbidden Planet HERE.
Click HERE to see a couple of
interior artwork pages, and HERE to
read a review of the original publication from 1989 (a review
of this re-published version will appear soon).
With
thanks to Titan Comics for this news item.
TEAMNESS
IN SEATTLE
For
the past two years, the beautiful city of Seattle, WA has played
host to the first ever official North American 'Prisoner' conventions
(reviews HERE).
A
community of fans of 'The Prisoner' is growing in the area, and
across the whole of North America, but it's important that this
community grows and flourishes, so that further wonderful events
akin to 'Prisoner Con 2017' and 'The Eternal Village 2018' can
be put together for the benefit of fans.
AS
SUCH, SEATTLE AND THE UNMUTUAL WEBSITE WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU!
DO
YOU LIVE IN CANADA OR THE USA? If so, the organisers of the Seattle
events would love to hear your thoughts on what would make you
attend the events, and if you wish to help organise such things.
Click HERE to read/answer a few
short questions.
WHERE
THERE'S A WHEEL
Followers
of The Unmutual Website will have noticed that bicycle racks with
a penny farthing theme seem to be popular in the UK, and it seems
that Glasgow is no exception.
The
Secret Scotland website has been running something of an investigation
into how they came to be at Glasgow Green, after something of
a mystery came to light.
Click
HERE
to visit the website (which is also a great resource for anything
related to SOE establishments which part-inspired 'The Prisoner').
With
thanks to Apollo on SeSco for the news item.
McGOOHAN
SISTER DIES
It
is with much sadness that The Unmutual Website can confirm that
Catherine Jones, sister of Patrick McGoohan, has passed away at
the age of 87, surrounded by her loved ones in Maryland, USA.
Born in County Leitrim, Ireland, and raised in Sheffield, where
she gained a history degree in 1952, she met her husband-to-be
in the city, with whom she later moved to Baltimore in the 1950s.
She
was a highly-regarded special education teacher and after retiring
a volunteer with the Kent Hospice Foundation, Maryland, and was
a member of its Ethics Committee.
The
Unmutual Website would like to extend its sincerest sympathies
to the Jones and McGoohan families at this sad time. Contributions
may be made in the memory of Catherine M. Jones to Compass Regional
Hospice, 160 Coursevall Drive, Centreville, MD 21617 , USA.
With
thanks to Ed Sawyer for this news item and photo.
VILLAGE
CAPERS
In
1982, one David Hegarty entered a numerical Prisoner-related competition
in the fanzine 'The Tally Ho' to win an original Villager cape,
as worn during 'Prisoner' filming, after Pamela Barnes had secured
the cape to use as a prize.
Now,
over 50 years later, the cape (left) is back at Portmeirion, now
on a permanent basis, after Dave decided he would like to donate
the item to Portmeirion to display.
From
November 2018 onwards the cape can now be seen in the Hercules
Hall by the spiral staircase, at the end of the terrace restaurant
(below), thanks to Dave's generosity.
With
thanks to David Hegarty for the photos.
FRENCH
FOURSOME
Readers
in France will be excited to learn that no less than three Prisoner-related
publications, all in the French language, have been published
in late 2018.
'Je
Ne Suis Pas Un Numero' (left) by Patrick Ducher is a paperback
collection of Patrick McGoohan quotes/citations, one per page,
and comes highly recommended - facebook page fpr the book at:
@jenesuispasunnumero6, as does Jean-Michel Philibert's extensive
examination of the series 'Le Prisonnier - Une Mythologie Moderne'
(below) - facebook page for the book at
@LePrisonnierunemythologiemoderne.
Also
available is a new Patrick McGoohan biography by Michael Senna,
reviewed HERE,
and a 100-page essay by academic Bernard Godeaux entitled 'Le
Prisonnier. Regards cinématographiques sur une série
culte'.
More
details on all three publications can be found HERE.
A
full list of every book ever published about the series can be
found HERE.
With
thanks to Pat Ducher and Jean-Michel Philibert for this news item.
RADIO
VILLAGE
Radio
4 Extra in the UK are currently (December 2018) running, on Sunday
evenings, the first series of Big Finish's audio drama re-imagibning
of 'The Prisoner' series.
Written,
directed, and produced by Nicholas Briggs, the series stars Mark
Elstob as Number Six, and stars such as John Standing and Celia
Imrie as Number Two, and comes highly recommended by The Unmutual
Website.
Click
HERE for all the details on Big Finish's
'The Prisoner' series including news, reviews, and more.
TALLY
HO HO HO
The
Unmutual Website has teamed up once again with Quoit Media Limited
to bring readers some very special Christmas offers on Prisoner-related
merchandise!
No
less than three special 'bundle deals' of books and DVDs have
been announced. Firstly, 'The Essential Prisoner' deal features
'The Prisoner - The Essential Guide' and 'The Prisoner Essential
Interviews Vol 1' for £8.99 (RRP £10.98), the 'Celebrating
ITC' deal (below) features 'Playboys Spies and Private Eyes' and
Annette Andre's 'Where Have I Been All My Life?' for £22.99
(RRP £29.98), and lastly the 'Marvellous Mival' deal sees
Eric Mival's memoirs and 'Red Reflections' DVD for £9.99
(RRP £25.98).
Click
HERE
to take advantage of these offers, which will stop on 24/12/18.
NEW
ARTICLES BOOK OUT
The
latest volume of the trilogy of books compiled by Ed Fordham is
now available to buy.
'One
Likes to Know Everything', the sequel to 'It Means What It Says',
is a compilation of new and archive articles written about 'The
Prisoner' over the years, interspersed with photos, reviews, and
artwork. With forewords by Rick Davy and David Barrie, the book
is in aid of BBC Children in Need and Mind: The Mental Health
Charity.
The
book is available as a full cover softcover for £24.99 (plus
P&P) HERE,
or as a b&w softcover for £14.99 (plus P&P) HERE,
with a pdf option also available via the links. The third volume
is currently being compiled and is due out in 2019. If you have
any articles, photos, or artwork to submit to the volume, contact
TUW and your contact will be passed to Mr Fordham.
IMMORTAL
COMBAT
In
the late 1980s and early 1990s the much-loved 'Transformers' comic
included a regular strip called 'Combat Colin', drawn by professional
comic artist Lew Stringer (still full time in the industry 30
years on in publications such as The Beano, Dandy, and Doctor
Who Magazine), who of course later devised and founded The Unmutual
Website.
In
recent times, Lew (via his excellent comic blog 'Blimey!') has
been producing compilations of the strips, and Volume 3 will be
of particular interest to fans of 'The Prisoner' as it features
the six-part strip 'The Prisoners of the Place of no Return' which
sees Colin, his accomplice Semi-Automatic Steve, and The Giggly
Sisters imprisoned in a familar Village for comic characters who
can't be left around!
'Combat
Colin Volume 3' can be ordered from Lew's website HERE
for only £3.50, for more details regarding all of Lew's
work, and to keep up-to-date with the world of comics, visit Lew's
blog page HERE.
MONSTER
MASH
The
recent October weekend of events related to The Prisoner was a
huge success, with Leslie Glen's Mind Mash, and David Lally's
location tours, well attended and enjoyed.
'Prisoner'
crew members Ian Rakoff and Eric Mival (left) were amongst the
guests at the Mind Mash event in Kensington and were interviewed
in stage, as was Leslie Glen regarding his new book 'The Prisoner
Interrogations 2' (see news item, below). The event raised over
£200 for Ty Gobaith Children's Hospice.
The
Sunday 'Danger Man' and 'The Prisoner' tours, which take place
twice each year, are always fun and interesting events (as well
as being free), and this year was no exception.
A
full report of the weekend's events can be found HERE.
SWEET
SEVENTEEN
Over
many months (see news item, below) Becks and Eeson of 'Time For
Cakes And Ale' have been keeping 'Prisoner' fans, newbies and
long-standing fans alike, enthralled and entertained with their
'Tally Ho' podcast.
November
2018 has seen the culmination of months of discussion, analysis,
and special guest interviews with not one, but two, editions regarding
the series finale 'Fall Out'.
The
first is an extended regular edition of the show, the second sees
a number of retruning special guests giving their thoughts on
the final episode and what it means to them.
Click
HERE
to download or listen. It is hoped that the Tally Ho podcast will
continue on, in one form or another.
SAINTLY
SATURDAY
The
Unmutual Website and Quoit Media Limited are delighted to announce
the final guests for the 'A Celebration of ITC' event, taking
place at Elstree Studios on 17th November 2018.
Ian
Ogilvy, best remembered for his role as Simon Templar in 'Return
of the Saint', will be attending the event and taking part in
an on stage Q&A.
Also
confirmed, is legendary stunt performer Paul Weston, who appeared
in countless ITC series (including 'The Prisoner' and 'Danger
Man').
Other
confirmed guests include actors Madeline Smith, Jenny Hanley,
Annette Andre, Shane Rimmer, Prentis Hancock, and Georgina Moon,
Jamie Anderson, director John Hough, and crew members Derek Wells
and Tony Sloman.
Tickets
for the event are now sold out. A DVD of the event will be available
at a later date.
DUSTING
DOWN THE PRISONER
The
Prisoner Dusted Down is a new book, by well-regarded Prisoner
aficionado David Stimpson (author of the 2003 book 'The Prisoner
Variations'), out in time for Christmas 2018.
The
book runs to 496 pages and is David's own personal examination
of the 17 episodes, unearthing some fascinating new details regarding
the story behind what we see on screen. during the series. The
book also includes several previously unpublished photographs,
an analysis of the ordering of the episodes, revelations regarding
Patrick McGoohan's childhood, and much more.
The
book is now available to pre-order from Quoit Media Limited at
a price of £14.99 (plus P&P if outside of the UK), a
£3 discount on the cover price, with books shipped at the
start of December. Click HERE
to pre-order.
PETER
BRACE R.I.P.
The
Unmutual Website is sad to say that stuntman Peter Brace, who
appeared in several episodes of The Prisoner, passed away on 29th
October 2018 at the age of 94.
Peter
was one of the world's most respected stunt performers, having
appeared in countless films and TV series, including 'Doctor Who'
and the James Bond film franchaise, and may be best recognised
by 'Prisoner' fans as one of the heavies in the episode 'Free
for All', who appears in the speedboat sequence, and at the end
of the episode, and as Zeke in 'Living in Harmony'.
'TARDIS
Wiki' had previously reported that Peter had passed away in 2008,
but both the James Bond and StuntMan online forums have now reported
the sad news, along with the Daily Telegraph HERE.
Peter
was one of the last surviving stunt workers on the series, and
TUW sends its sincerest sympathies to Peter's family and friends.
VIVE
LA FRANCE
2018
marks another 50th anniversary milestone for 'The Prisoner', as
it's now fifty years since the series was first shown in France,
where there remains today a strong fanbase for the series.
To
celebrate, a weekend of events are being held at Saint-Symphorien
/ Coise, near Lyon (16th-18th November) including talks by renowned
French 'Prisoner' authors Jean-Michel Philibert, Patrick Ducher,
and Michel Senna, along with participation from other guests,
such as McGoohan sculpurist Tiziano.
Raffles/compeitions
will also take place at the event, along with interactive discussions,
and other events.
For
more details, visit the facebook page for the event HERE.
Below is a timetable for the events.
With
thanks to Patrick Ducher for this news item.
MOKE'S
COMING HOME
As
well as the human guests (see below) booked for the 'A Celebration
of ITC' event, TUW are also delighted to announce that there will
be several original ITC vehicles present at the studios for the
event.
The
first of these is HLT 709C, the recently restored original
Mini Moke from The Prisoner, which owner Phil Caunt is delighted
is 'coming home to Elstree' after over 50 years since the Moke
completed filming at the studios.
Also
exciting is the news that sections of the unusable original vinyl
roof of the Moke will be on sale at the event, with a percentage
of monies raised donated to the event charity fund, in the form
of a beautiful display (see below).
The
displays cost £39.95 plus P&P (£4 UK, £12
worldwide) and to order, contact philscollectables@yahoo.co.uk
to order or to find out more. 10% of orders pre and at the ITC
event will be donated to the event's charity fund. Tickets, and
more details, for the event on November 17th are still available
HERE.
JENNY
FOR ITC
More
guests have been announced for the forthcoming 'A Celebration
of ITC' event, taking place at Elstree Studios on November 17th.
TUW
and QML are delighted to announce that actress JENNY HANLEY (left,
who appeared in several ITC shows, including 'Return of the Saint',
'The Adventurer', and 'Shirley's World') is the latest star to
be confirmed for the event. As well as the on-screen stars booked
for event (including WILLIAM GAUNT, ANNETTE ANDRE, MADELINE SMITH,
SHANE RIMMER, and others, see below), the event will also welcome
behind the scenes crew from ITC series, including TONY SLOMAN
(The Prisoner, Strange Report), and DEREK WELLS (MGM art department).
Tickets,
and more details, are still available HERE.
PORTMEIRION
TO OPEN NEW STORE
Great
news for the town of Porthmadog, near Portmeirion, and the local
economy, is that it has been announced that Portmeirion have purchased
the recently closed Kerfoots department store building in the
town.
In
a move which will create dozens of new jobs, Portmeirion wil re-open
the store as a shop plus first floor cafe, whilst in the process
also stating that their existing shop and cafe in the town will
also stay open.
Click
HERE
for a more detailed article from the Daily Post.
With
thanks to Nicola Jones for this news item.
ANNIVERSARY
EVENT COMES TO DVD
In
January 2018, TUW and Quoit Media Limited held 'Fifty Years of
The Prisoner - A Special Celebration' at Elstree Studios, to celebrate
the 50th anniversary of the series (photo report HERE).
The
event was filmed by a professional three-camera film crew, and
the DVD of the event is now available to order.
Highlights
from all the Q&A sessions with the special guests (series
crew members Ian Rakoff, John S Smith, Tony Sloman, directors
Alex Cox, John Hough, Chris Rodley, Big Finish's Nick Briggs,
studio savious Paul Welsh, actor Brian Gorman, and others) are
included on the DVD, which runs to 120 minutes.
Bob
Fischer is a renowned writer and broadcaster (who hosts a popular
Tees-based BBC radio show), who will be familiar to fans of 'The
Prisoner' and TUW for his 2007 book 'Wiffle Lever To Full'.
The
book was the story of one man's (Bob's) intention to write about
his experiences of several film and TV fan conventions, and the
result is 'Wiffle Lever to Full'.
Good
news for fans who may have missed this magnificent book the first
time around is that publisher Hodder and Stoughton have re-published
the book for 2018, with an all new introduction by Bob.
TUW's
PM2006 charity 'The Prisoner' and 'Danger
Man' event in Portmeirion is one of the included conventions,
as are various for 'Dr Who', 'Red Dwarf', and many other shows
and films.
UNCERTAINTY
COLLECTION
Regular
TUW readers will be aware that recently, a four-part official
'The Prisoner' comic called 'The Uncertainty Machine' (see news
items below, and reviews HERE) was produced
by Titan Comics, based on the original series but featuring all
new characters. Following these releases, Titan are now launching
a collection of all four parts in one volume.
To
celebrate the collection, Forbidden Planet are holding a special
signing session at their London superstore, near to Tottenham
Court Road, on 14th November 2018, from 6pm until 7pm.
Writer
Peter Milligan, editor David Leach, and cover artist for the exclusive
FP special edition Rian Hughes will be on hand to personally sign
copies of the collection. Click HERE
to visit the FP website for more details.
With
thanks to Tim Hardman for this news item.
OCTOBER
MAGS
October
2018 sees a couple of magazines on the shelves of your local stockists
of interest to 'Prisoner' fans.
Firstly
issue 13 of the always-enjoyable retro film and TV magazine 'Infinity'
(left) includes an interview with 'It's Your Funeral' actress
Annette Andre about her time on various series and films, including
'The Prisoner', and also discusses her new book (see below).
Also
on sale is issue 3 of 'Absolute Lotus', which includes an article
on cars in film and TV (below), during which, of course, 'The
Prisoner' is mentioned.
With
thanks to Paul White for the Lotus item and images.
JUST
MY E-TYPE
Over
the years, Portmeiron has often played host to car clubs (especially
Lotus and Mini Moke clubs), and 2018 has been no exception, with
September seeing several 'events' taking place.
Pictured
left, by Marian Linford, is 'The Round Britain Coastal Drive',
who visited in September.
An event for Jaguar E-type sports cars. A circumferential coastal
route of mainland Britain. Approximately 180-mile stages and driven
sequentially by groups of E-types, akin to a relay. The event
has been raising money for Prostate Cancer UK since it began in
2016.
Also
in September, a Wales Rally GB promotion at Portmeirion featured
a Toyota GT86 wrapped in the winning design from a competition
for school children.
With
thanks to Marian Linford and Al Jones for this news item. Photo
(c) Marian Linford.
MIND
MASH EVENT CONFIRMED
For
many years, 'Prisoner' fan Leslie Glen has been arranging Mind
Mash events in London, and October 13th 2018 will see the latest.
The
events, a mixture of special guest interviews, screenings, and
discussions about 'The Prisoner', and always incredibly enjoyable
(reviews HERE), and the latest will
take place from 12.00mid-day on Saturday October 13th at The Hoop
and Toy pub (private room) in South Kensignton.
Guests
include 'Living in Harmony' writer Ian Rakoff, and (subject to
commitments) music editor Eric Mival, and the event will also
include the launch of 'The Prisoner Interrogations 2', a new 'Prisoner'
quiz book.
Tickets
are £10 on the door (contact TUW for advanced payment options
if you prefer).
The
following day will see the second of this year's 'The Prisoner'
and 'Danger Man' location tours in London, free to attend. For
details on all these exciting events, click HERE.
TALES
FROM ANNETTE
'Where
Have I Been All My Life? - A Memoir' is the new autobiography
from actress Annette Andre and is now available on general sale.
Annette
of course appeared as the Watchmaker's Daughter in 'The Prisoner'
episode 'It's Your Funeral' but also in countless other TV shows,
films, and on the stage, including a starring role in 'Randall
and Hopkirk (Deceased)', 'The Saint', 'The Persuaders!', 'The
Avengers', and many more.
Annette
talks at length about her time on those shows and the rest of
her career, as well as her fascinating and turbulent private life,
in the book, which comes highly recommended by The Unmutual Website.
The
book also includes a foreword by Sir Roger Moore, and an appreciation
by Kenneth Cope.
Copies
can be purchased HERE, or direct
from the publishers HERE,
and from all good book stores.
TV
PM
Portmeirion
have recently had another good run of appearing on several TV
programmes during late Summer 2018.
BBC1's
antique-hunting daytime show 'Bargain Hunt' shown on 17th September
came from Anglesey but also featured Portmeirion. Although it
was primarily focused on Portmeirion pottery, there were also
'Prisoner' references, including a homage to the show with a Rover
chasing presenter Anita Manning around the Village. The show can
be seen on iPlayer for a limited time HERE.
Also,
'Britain by Bike' on Channel 5 showed actor Larry Lamb being given
a tour of the Village, and engaging with some fans playing Human
Chess on the new permanent chessboard at the village (left).
Coming
soon is even a Bollywood film (below), which was filming in Portmeirion
during August, as reported by eagle-eyed TUW reader David Austin.
With
thanks to David Austin, David Stimpson, and Eeson and Becks of
the Tally Ho Podcast for this news item. Images (c) Rick Davy
and David Austin.
MORE
GUESTS FOR ITC EVENT
Many
more guests have been confirmed for 'A Celebtarion of ITC', a
special event from TUW and Quoit Media Limited, taking place at
Elstree Studios on Saturday 17th November 2018.
In
addition to the previously announced ANNETTE ANDRE, GEORGINA MOON,
JOHN HOUGH, and SHANE RIMMER, the event will now also include
live on-stage Q&A sessions, and signing opportunities, with
WILLIAM GAUNT (star of 'The Champions'), ANGELA DOUGLAS (who appeared
in SIX shows for ITC), MADELINE SMITH, and PRENTIS HANCOCK!
Tickets
are still available for this one-off event HERE,
with all profits donated to Ty Gobaith Children's Hospice.
FAREWELL
FENELLA
It
is with great sadness that TUW can confirm that Fenella Fielding,
who so memorably gave the Village its voice in 'The Prisoner'
has passed away, following a stroke she suffered a couple of weeks
ago.
With
an unmistakable voice and incredible acting talent, Fenella had
a long career in a variety of roles, but will probably be remembered
for her 'Carry On' roles including the classic 'Carry on Screaming'.
She
worked twice with Patrick McGoohan, firstly on 'Danger Man' and
then, of course, 'The Prisoner' and played a large part at the
50th anniversary celebrations
in Portmeirion in 2018, and also contributed exclusive audio announcements
for both the Seattle and Elstree
events of recent years.
TUW's
thoughts go to Fenella's family and friends, especially her best
friend Simon McKay. Click HERE
for a full obituary from the BBC.
With
thanks to Andrew Frith, David Stimpson, and Simon McKay for this
news item.
FIRST
GUESTS FOR ITC EVENT
November
17th 2018 is the date for 'A Celebration of ITC', a special event
from TUW and Quoit Media Limited taking place at the iconic Elstree
Studios in Borehamwood.
Guests
so far confirmed include ANNETTE ANDRE (Randall and Hopkirk, The
Saint, The Prisoner, The Persuaders), SHANE RIMMER (The Saint,
Thunderbirds), GEORGINA MOON (left, UFO), and director JOHN HOUGH
(The Saint, The Baron), with many more guests to be announced
very soon.
Tickets
for the event are £30, with profits donated to Ty Gobaith
Children's Hospice. Click HERE
for more info and for tickets.
TECH
OF THE TALLY HO
The
Unmutual Website's good friends at Jeppstones have another treat
for fans of 'The Prisoner', with a fascinating new technical article
online, written by Peter Horgan.
The
latest article is a look at how the wonderful Tally Ho Podcast,
which TUW readers will be familiar with, is put together, following
an interview conducted by Peter with the lovely Eeson and Becks
of the podcast.
Click
HERE
to read the article, and HERE
to visit the podcast's main website, where the current, and all
previous podcasts, can be found.
TITAN
CONCLUSION
The
four-issue run of Titan Comics' 'The Prisoner' comic, entitled
'The Prisoner - The Uncertainty Machine', as come to a close,
as the fourth and final issue (left, cover variant B) is now available.
The
series got off with a bumpy start (reviews HERE),
but the final two issues have been well constructed and enigmatic,
and TUW would like to congratulate David Leach and Peter Milligan
on managing to find a new way of telling the 'Prisoner' story,
in an interesting and dramatic way. Praise for artist Colin Lorimer
is particularly well deserved.
Next
up for Titan is a re-release of 'Shattered Visage', the Dean Motter
and Mark Asquith comic from the late 1980s (review HERE),
and TUW will of course bring you all the news of the release when
details become available.
MOKING
ZONE
Fans
of 'The Prisoner', especially fans of the Mini Moke taxis seen
in the series, will want to check out the latest issue of 'Mini
World' magazine.
The
magazine (September 2018 issue) includes a superb EIGHT page feature
on the newly restored original Moke, HLT 709C, used in the series,
which is owned by Phil Caunt.
The
feature includes some lovely new shots of the vehicle in Portmeirion,
as well as archive photos of the vehicle, in several guises, in
the 1960s.
The
piece includes a fascinating interview with Phil about the finding
and restoration of the Moke, as well as some interesting technical
details.
With
thanks to Phil Caunt for this news item.
VAPORS
VILLAGE RETURN
On November 10th 2018, the much-loved rock band The Vapors will
return to Portmeirion's Hercules Hall for a special gig, following
on from a very successful similar concert last year.
The band will once again be playing 2 sets, with support from
DJ Jacqui Carroll, who will be playing tunes until late, with
an aftershow party where the band will be joining everyone for
drinks and every ticket holder is invited.
Two
thirds of tickets have already sold so don't delay. Grab
your tickets now from HERE.
Accommodation packages are also available from Portmeirion directly
for this one-off for 2018 event.
With
thanks to Shaun Modern for this news item.
NEW
VICE PRESS PRINT
Readers
of The Unmutual will no doubt recall the excellent (see news below,
or HERE) 50th anniversary 'The
Prisoner' print they produced, by artist Chris Weston, in 2017,
and therefore will be most excited by Vice Press's latest print.
Featuring
Patrick McGoohan, Leo McKern, Angelo Muscat, and Annette Andre,
the beautifully drawn print is this time by accomplished artist
Paul Mann.
The
print is sized 50cm x 70cm, is available in a hand numbered edition
of 150 and will cost £40, roughly $50. This print is a fine
art print produced using the classic offset lithograph print method
and printed on 324gsm Mohawk Eggshell Superfine Ultra white paper.
With
thanks to James Henshaw of Vice Press for this news item.
TITAN
TRIUMPH
As
well as their four-part comic book series (more details HERE),
Titan Comics can boast another release for 2018.
'The
Prisoner - The Original Art Edition' is a massive and beautiful
hard back book, which features the original and unfinished 'The
Prisoner' comic strip art from Jack Kirby, and Gil Kane, from
the late 1970s.
Also
included are biographies of both men, as well as a piece by Steve
Engelhart (who wrote for the Gil Kane comic), an article on the
series' production by Rick Davy, and a facsimile of the original
promotional ITC booklet.
The
book is priced at £71.99, however Amazon users can purchase
at 40% off of that RRP.
Click
HERE for a review
of the book by Sci-Fi bulletin's Nick Joy.
FAREWELL
FESTIVAL
For
the past seven years, Portmeirion has played host to a large music
and arts festival, Festival Number 6, which takes place each September.
2018's
event (details HERE), it has been announced,
will be the last for some time, as the organisers have decided
to take a break, citing that the event has got too large for the
location.
To
see the Festival's official message on the subject, click HERE.
With
thanks to Mici Plwm, Al Jones, and Peter Preston.
NEW
STOCK FOR VILLAGE SHOP
For
some years, TUW has operated an online shop, to help raise funds
for the website's event fund for the nominated charity of Ty Gobaith
Hospice, which does tremendous work for the terminaly-ill children
of North Wales.
The
shop has recently been updated with all manner of books, DVDs,
CDs, models, and other items.
New
items added include a selection of special autograph and promo
cards from Unstoppable Cards (such as the exclusive 'Not a Number'
event card, pictured left), Prisoner models from Pigeon Guard
Games, and a range of books from Quoit Media Limited.
Click
HERE to visit The Village Shop,
which will very soon be given a makeover!
'NOT
A NUMBER' REPORT ONLINE
As
outlined below, the recent 'Not a Number - A Patrick McGoohan
Retrospective' event was a huge success.
Guests
including Alvin Rakoff, Jane Merrow, Vera Day, John Hough, Alex
Cox, Tony Sloman, and Ian L Rakoff were accompanied by specially
recorded content from Catherine McGoohan, Susan Hampshire, and
Fenella Fielding.
Attendees
were also treated to a range of special screenings, and a display
of original props, costumes, and memorabilia, and a full photo
report from the event is now online HERE.
A
number of event programmes (left) and specially created 'Not a
Number Event' Mini Moke trading cards from Unstoppable Cards,
are left over from the event, and are on sale HERE.
ROY'S
BLUES MARKS FIFTY
Readers of TUW may be interested to read
that Roy Harper is touring during 2019 to celebrate the fiftieth
anniversary of his music, including the classic song 'McGoohan's
Blues'.
Writes
Roy; "Partly because many of the things I wrote about in
McGoohan’s Blues are still very relevant 50 years later,
and partly because my third record was a watershed moment in my
recording life, it’s been long in my mind that I should
dust it off and bring it on tour again."
Addendum
April 2019: Roy Harper’s 1969 album “Folkjokeopus”
which contains the seventeen minute song “McGoohan’s
Blues” inspired by “The Prisoner”, to be re-released
19th April 2019. See:
http://www.royharper.co.uk/folkjokeopus-285.html
With thanks to Roger Goodman and Tim Hardman for
this news item.
BUFFALO
HOSTS 50TH EVENT
2018
marks the 50th anniversary of the USA's first televised screenings
of 'The Prisoner' series, so it's with great pleasure that TUW
has learned of a very special 'double bill' screening being held
in Buffalo, to celebrate this landmark.
The
beautiful North Park Theatre in the city is the venue for an officially
sanctioned double-bill of the episodes 'Arrival' and 'The Chimes
of Big Ben', being held over the weekend of July 7th/8th (same
programme on both days).
With
thanks to Chris Dearing for this news item and photo.
TITAN
COMIC ISSUE THREE OUT
Following
on from earlier news items below, Titan Comics' 'The Prisoner
- The Uncertainty Machine' is pushing forward with its issues,
with the 3rd edition.
The
story, based on a storyline by David Leach, is written by Peter
Milligan, with artwork by Colin Lorimer, and follows the fortunes
of Breen (Number Six), who finds himself, of course, trapped in
a mysterious village.
After
an interesting start with issue one (reviews HERE),
issue two was met with some criticism online, so it is with much
relief that issue 3 has been met with a lot of positivity, as
the Village 'workings' scenes are quite brilliantly executed by
both writer and artist.
Click
HERE to read TUW's review
of issue 3. The comics are on sale in all good comic shops, and
also available online through some stockists (The Unmutual recommends
the service provided by Forbidden Planet).
BIG
FINISH CALLAN RELEASED
One
series which has rightly been compared 'The Prisoner', for several
reasons, is the 60s thriller series 'Callan', which starred Edward
Woodward and Russell Hunter.
The
series featured Woodward as David Callan, a government hitman,
but also a loner, fighting against bureaucracy and 'the system'.
The series had input from George Markstein, and is now available
on DVD.
Another
similarity, is that both series have now been adapted for audio,
with 'Callan' now available to pre-order, starring Ben Miles,
Frank Skinner, and Nicholas Briggs.
Click
HERE to read TUW's review
of the excellent set, and for ordering details.
ITC
CELEBRATION ANNOUNCED
The
Unmutual Website and Quoit Media Limited are delighted to announce
'A Celebration of ITC', an event dedicated to all the shows from
Lew Grade's production company, which is taking place at the iconic
Elstree Studios (left) on Saturday November 17th 2018 (at 6.30pm).
Recent
events held by TUW and Quoit (such as 'Fifty
Years of The Prisoner' and 'Not a Number - A Patrick McGoohan
Retrospective') have been tremendously successful and popular,
and so the format of special guests, on-stage Q&As, screenings,
and attractions, is once again revived - this time for ITC shows.
Elstree
Studios was of course the venue for the making of many of these
shows, such as 'Department S', 'The Champions', 'The Saint', and
'Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)', and these will be celebrated
alongside, of course, 'The Prisoner' and 'Danger Man'.
Tickets
cost £30 each, with all profits donated to Ty Gobaith Children's
Hospice. Order tickets before July 14th and get an early
bird price of £26. Click HERE
to visit the Quoit Media Ltd website to purchase tickets.
McGOOHAN
EVENT A SUCCESS
The
Unmutual Website and Quoit Media Limited would like to say a massive
thank you to everyone who attended or supported the 'Not a Number'
event at Elstree Studios, celebrating the life and career of Patrick
McGoohan, which took place on Saturday 23rd June 2018.
The guests (Jane Merrow (pictured left, interviewed on stage by
event host Rick Davy), Vera Day, John Hough, Alvin Rakoff, Tony
Sloman, Ian Rakoff, Alex Cox) were fascinating, the contribution
from Catherine McGoohan heartfelt, and the screenings, displays,
and other attractions very well received from all who attended.
A photo report of the event, which was held in aid of Ty Gobaith
(Hope House) Hospice, will be online very soon and a DVD of the
event will be available in the future.
More events are planned for the future - keep an eye on the websites
and future e-updates for more details very soon!
Photo
(c) Steven Paul Davies
SEATTLE
TICKETS ON SALE
Exciting
news for fans of 'The Prisoner' contemplating attending the wonderful
'The Eternal Village' event, taking place in Seattle, USA, on
9th September 2018.
Early
bird ticket pricing has been arranged for event, meaning that
if you buy your tickets sooner, rather than later, it will cost
you less money.
Special
guests at the event will be actress Annette Andre (left), Prof.
Valarie Ziegler, and Rick Davy of The Unmutual Website, and the
event will be taking place in the most beautiful surroundings.
Click
HERE
for more details on the event, and to register to attend. Prices
are outlined below.
To
support the event, the organisers have also been recording a series
of podcasts with guests and other Prisoner-related people, with
the amazing Sophia and Michael from 'Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling'
the special guests for the latest episode. Click HERE
to listen or download.
'THE
END' FOR BIG FINISH?
As
previously announced (below), Big Finish are producing a third
series of their 'The Prisoner' audio re-imagining, and June 2018
brings some tantalising news, with the annoucnement that the final
episode of series 3 is titled 'The End'.
Writer,
director, and executive producer Nick Briggs says: "it's
called The End. Our plan is for this to be the final box set so
if you haven't yet followed the story so far, now's your chance.
Will The Prisoner ever return to Big Finish after that? That would
be telling…!”
Click
HERE for more details on the Big Finish
'The Prisoner' series. The third series is available to pre-order
from the Big Finish website HERE.
With
thanks to Geoff Lake and Anthony Rooney.
SCREENINGS
FOR 'NOT A NUMBER'
The
Unmutual Website and Quoit Media Limited are delighted to announce
a series of screenings which have now been confirmed for 'Not
a Number - A Patrick McGoohan Retrospective', taking place at
Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, on Saturday June 23rd 2018 at 6.30pm.
First
up, and officially sanctioned by the copyright holders, is a very
rare chance to see 'A Gift of Heaven', a 1955 episode of 'THE
VISE' TV series, unreleased on video or DVD, and only screened
twice since 1955. The episode co-stars Patrick McGoohan (left)
in one of his earliest roles.
Also
confirmed are three very special screenings of recorded interviews,
two of which have been specially recorded for the event. SUSAN
HAMPSHIRE, who appeared alongside McGoohan in two episodes of
'Danger Man', as well as the Disney film 'The Three Lives of Thomasina',
has conducted an exclusive video interview, FENELLA FIELDING has
recorded her remembrances of working with him, again exclusively,
for the event, and parts of an archive interview with PETER SALLIS,
who appeared alongside McGoohan in 'Brand' will also be shown.
Add
to this the growing list of special guests (see below), a display
of original props, costumes, and memorabilia, books signings,
merchandise, and other attractions, this is an event not to be
missed!
Any
profits from the event are donated to Ty Gobaith Children's Hospice,
and tickets are just £20 each. Click HERE
to buy your tickets from the Quoit Media website.
TACKLING
THE TECH
The
Unmutual Website is indebted to Peter Horgan of Jeppstones for
a fantastic article which has appeared online, written by Peter.
The
article, which looks at how the series, and Patrick McGoohan,
predicted much of today's technology (proving again that the series
was well ahead of its time) makes for utterly fascinating reading,
especially where a 'Prisoner' poster being photographed has some
unexpected consequences (left).
TUW
readers will recall Peter created an excellent tribute theme
for 'The Prisoner's' 50th anniversary in 2017 (click HERE),
and also contributed greatly to TUW's Ty Gobaith charity fund,
by buying at auction the limited edition Vice Press Pri50ner poster
(click HERE).
MORE
GUESTS FOR McGOOHAN EVENT
More
guests have been announced for the forthcoming Patrick McGoohan
tribute evening, taking place at Elstree Studios on June 23rd
2018 (see below).
Joining
actress JANE MERROW and director JOHN HOUGH are two more movie
directors. Emmy award winner ALVIN RAKOFF (left) directed McGoohan
for the TV movie 'The Best of Friends', as well as classic films
such as 'Crossplot', and wil take part in a special on-stage Q&A
at the event. ALEX COX is author of 'I am Not a Number' and is
himself an award winning director.
VERA
DAY is one of Britain's best loved actresses of the 1950s and
1960s, who appeared in the McGoohan movie 'Hell Drivers', and
last but not least, as more guests are set to be announced, TONY
SLOMAN, who worked with McGoohan for over a year as Film Librarian
on 'The Prisoner' series.
Any
profits from the event are donated to Ty Gobaith Children's Hospice,
and tickets are just £20 each. Click HERE
to buy your tickets from the Quoit Media website.
SEATTLE
EVENT UPDATE
Sunday
9th September 2018 will see a fantastic convention dedicated to
'The Prisoner' series in Seattle, USA entitled 'The Eternal Village',
following on from their successful 50th anniversary event in September
2017.
Guests
are now confirmed as actress Annette Andre, academic Valarie Ziegler,
and Rick Davy of The Unmutual Website.
To
coincide with the event, a series of fascinatibg podcasts are
being recorded by the organisers of the event, and the second
(update: third, as of 12/6/18) of these is now
online, click HERE
to listen, and for more details about what promises to be a very
special event.
FOY
INTERVIEW TO BE RELEASED
In
1990, Patrick McGoohan met with journalist Howard Foy at Birmingham's
NEC to record an interview for issue one of 'The Box' magazine.
It would turn out to be McGoohan's last in-depth interview regarding
'The Prisoner'.
In
June 2018, Quoit Media Limited are releasing a CD of the interview,
which is now available for pre-order at a bargain discounted price
of £6.99.
The
interview, which has been restored by legendary 'Doctor Who' sound
man Mark Ayres, lasts for 45 minutes and includes many revelations
and insights.
Click
HERE
to order (with some proceeds donated to Ty Gobaith Hospice).
UNSTOPPABLE
OFFER
Following
on from their launch of the new official 'The Prisoner' trading
card set (see news item below), TUW is delighted to announce an
exclusive special offer for site readers!
Purchase
any 'Prisoner' product from the Unstoppable Cards website and
use the checkout code unmutual18 and you'll get
a massive 15% off of your spend!
In
addition, all purchasers using that code will receive an exclusive
and highly limited edition 'Unmutual Website' promo card (front
left, rear below), not available by any other means than using
the unmutual18 offer code.
Click
HERE
to visit the Unstoppable website and order. The sets are beautifully
produced, see below for more details.
GETTING
YOUR CARDS
Released
officially today (Thursday 3rd May) from Unstoppable Cards is
The Prisoner Official Trading Card Set.
Consisting
of a 36 card basic set, a selection of various autograph cards
and randomly inserted sketch cards. The new set comes in factory
boxes which contain a basic set and 3 additional 'hit' chase cards,
either three autographs or two autographs and a sketch. There
are 24 pre-signed cards with 5 of these, including three designs
for Peter Wyngarde, being extra limited exclusives. In addition
a number of cut signature cards have been randomly inserted including
ones from Patrick McGoohan, Leo McKern, Eric Portman, Mary Morris
amongst others.
A
more detailed review will follow after release, the cards can
be ordered from HERE.
With
thanks to Stephen Pasqua for this news item.
CORONET
BLUE IN DEPTH
Regular
visitors to TUW will be aware of the fantastic research work undertaken
by Tom Mayer regarding the life and career of Patrick McGoohan,
so will be pleased to know that Tom's latest work is now online,
and his latest piece, which is in 'The Projection Room' section
of the website, also has 'Prisoner' connections.
Coronet
Blue is a rarely-seen TV show with lots of 'Prisoner' parallels,
and Tom has conducted research into the making of the show, and
also provides a review and episode guide to the series.
Also
added to the Projection Room this week is the latest comparison
piece by Andrew K Shenton, author of 'Unique But Similar - The
Prisoner Compared', who is looking at the TV series 'An Englishman's
Castle'. Click HERE to read the articles.
FIRST
GUESTS FOR 'NOT A NUMBER'
'Not
a Number - A Patrick McGoohan Retrospective' is the latest event
from The Unmutual and Quoit Media Limited, taking place on the
evening of Saturday 23rd June 2018 at the iconic Elstree Studios
in Borehamwood.
Similar
in style to the 'Fifty Years of The Prisoner' event (review HERE),
the evening will see a mix of special guests, on-stage Q&As,
screenings, attractions, and much more.
Both
parties are delighted to announce that the first two guests, of
many, are confirmed as actress Jane Merrow (left),
who appeared in 3 episodes of 'Danger Man' with McGoohan before
appearing as Alison in 'The Schizoid Man' episode of 'The Prisoner'.
The
second confirmed guest is director John Hough,
who directed Patrick in the 1978 film 'Brass Target' and has a
string of successful blockbusters to his name. Other guests will
be announced shortly, including an Emmy award winning movie director,
and an actress who appeared in one of Patrick's best-loved films.
Click
HERE
for tickets, which are only £20 each and in aid of Ty Gobaith
Children's Hospice.
THIRD
SERIES TITLES FOR BIG FINISH
As
announced at January's 'Fifty Years of The Prisoner' event at
Elstree (review HERE), Big
Finish are embarking on a third series on their audio re-imagining
of 'The Prisoner' series.
Writer
and director Nicholas Briggs has now announced the episode titles
that will make up three quarters of the series!
Nicholas
will be tackling re-imagined versions of the TV episodes 'Free
for All', 'The Girl Who Was Death', and 'Do Not Forsake Me', as
well as an unyet untitled fourth episode, which will not be based
on an original series episode.
Click
HERE to
pre-order the set, which will be released in May 2019, those who
pre-order quickly will receive a special cover variant edition
of the new 'The Prisoner - The Uncertainty Machine' comic from
Titan, left (see news item below), with Big Finish's Number Six
Mark Elstob on the cover!
With
thanks to Anthony Rooney for this news item.
TITAN
COMIC REVIEWED
As
reported below in several news items, Titan comics have embarked
on a much-anticipated re-imagining of 'The Prisoner', in comic
book form, with a new four-part comic.
'The
Prisoner - The Uncertainty Machine' is a monthly comic written
by Peter Milligan (from a plot by Titan's main editor David Leach),
illustrated by Colin Lorimer (colours: Joana Lafluente), and is
now on sale from all good stockists (from April 25th), with several
cover variants available by different artists.
Click
HERE to read TWO reviews
of issue 1 of the comic at TUW (one from Rick Davy, and the other
from Anthony Rooney), and HERE
to read a review by all-round comics guru Lew Stringer.
Coming
later in 2018 is a large Titan book, featuring Jack Kirby's original
unfinished 'The Prisoner' comic.
With
thanks to Titan Comics, Lew Stringer, and Anthony Rooney.
McGOOHAN
TRIBUTE EVENT CONFIRMED
'Not
a Number - A Patrick McGoohan Retrospective' is an exciting event
for 2018, taking place on the evening of Saturday 23rd June.
Following
on from the success of the 'Fifty Years of The Prisoner' event
in January (review HERE),
The Unmutual Website has again teamed up with Quoit Media Limited
to present an exciting event with special guests, screenings,
and other attractions.
The
event will be a tribute to Patrick McGoohan (left) and his work,
and again take place at The Studio Suite at Elstree Studios, in
aid of Ty Gobaith Hospice, approved by the McGoohan family.
Special
guests will be announced in the coming weeks, ranging from people
who appeared on screen with Patrick and knew him personally, to
people who worked behind the scenes on his films and series, and
people who have been inspired by him and his work.
Tickets
are priced at only £20 per person (with a free book for
buying 3 or more tickets) and available from the Quoit Media Limited
website HERE.
Photo (left) (c) Roger Goodman.
MORE
MODELS FROM PIGEON GUARD
Exciting
news has arrived at TUW that Pigeon Guard Games, who are responsible
for the fantastic small scale models of Portmeirion buildings
and iconic items from the world of 'The Prisoner' in recent years,
that TWO new models have been added to their range.
The
control room area (left) and the telephone kiosk (below) are blessed
with fantastic craftmanship and detail, and both are 1:28 scale.
All PGG's models are now available
from TUW's shop area HERE, with
20% donated to the website's event fund for Ty Gobaith Hospice.
VICE
PRESS VARIANTS
To
coincide with the release of Titan's 'The Prisoner' comic diamond
edition (see news item below), Vice Press, who originally released
the cover as a limited edition poster (details HERE),
have dug through their archives and have the final few copies
of Chris Weston’s variant print up for grabs, including
Numbers 6 and 2 in the series. Click HERE
for more details from the VP website.
They
are also soon to announce the second print of the series - watch
this space for more details!
With
thanks to James Henshaw of Vice Press for this news item.
THIRD
SERIES FOR BIG FINISH
At
the recent 'Fifty Years of The Prisoner' event (review HERE),
one of the special guests interviewed on stage was Nicholas Briggs
of Big Finish, writer and producer of 'The Prisoner' audio re-imagining
(click HERE for more details and reviews).
During
Nick's on-stage interview he exclusively announced that series
THREE of his well-received audio series WOULD be going ahead (although
no date has been fixed).
The
Unmutual Website will of course be first to bring you the news
of what might be contained in the third series as soon as it is
announced.
BE
STREAMING YOU
'In
My Mind' is a 2017 documentary from Network and Chris Rodley (see
below), detailing the events of 1983 when Rodley interviewed Patrick
McGoohan for the Channel 4 documentary 'Six Into One: The Prisoner
File'.
Utilising
archive interviews, and also new content (including a new interview
with Catherine McGoohan, previously unseen 8mm footage of the
filming of 'Arrival', and drone footage of Portmeirion), the film
was released on blu-ray and DVD in 2017.
Readers
in Europe and the USA will be pleased that it was announced in
the Spring of 2018 that the film can now be viewed in certain
territories online! Click HERE
for the Network website, or HERE
for the link to Amazon's streaming service.
With
thanks to Al Jones for this news item.
MORE
TITAN COMIC NEWS
Further
to announcements regarding Titan's new 'The Prisoner' comic, subscriptions
to the comic are now available, as well as pre-ordering the various
cover variants for the issues via Forbidden Planet HERE.
To subscribe to the entire series, click HERE.
Also
recently posted online by Titan was a video trailer for the new
comics (click HERE),
which utilises the Big Finish audio series 'The Prisoner' theme.
Also
announced is a 'Diamond Edition' cover, utilising the artwork
from the 50th Anniversary poster produced by Vice Press (details
HERE) produced in 2017.
See
below for further news items regarding the new comic series.
With
thanks to Titan and Andrew Frith for this news item.
JACK
LOWIN R.I.P.
The
Unmutual Website is sad to announce that Jack Lowin, camera operator
on many episodes of 'The Prisoner' and responsible for much of
the visual look of the series, passed away on February 25th 2018
at the age of 93.
Jack
began his career working in feature films as a focus puller, before
ITV gave him opportunities on the small screen.
He
worked on many of the early ITC dramas, including 'William Tell'
and 'The Invisible Man', before he was given a camera operating
role on Patrick McGoohan's 'Danger Man' series, where he struck
up a great working relationship, and also a long-standing friendship,
with the lead actor.
As
well as working on 'The Prisoner', he also worked in the late
60s on other ITC series such as 'Man in a Suitcase', 'Department
S', 'Randall and Hopkirk', and 'UFO' before returning to the film
industry to work on greats such as 'Watcher in the Woods', 'Return
of the Jedi' and several James Bond films.
TUW
would like to express its sincerest sympathies to the family and
friends of a uniquely talented man, whose contribution to 'The
Prisoner' should never be underestimated.
Click
HERE for a more detailed biography
and obituary.
With
thanks to Nick Lowin for this news item. Image (c) David Healey.
BOOK
CONTRIBUTIONS NEEDED
'It
Means What It Says' is a three-volume collection of 'The Prisoner'
analysis and opinion, edited by Ed Fordham, printed in aid of
Ty Gobaith Hospice.
Ed
is now seeking contributions to Volume 2 (sub-titled 'It's insoluble,
for man or machine', from Number Six's line in the episode 'The
General'). Writes Ed; 'I am looking for... photos, artwork, articles
and essays about ‘The Prisoner’ and Patrick McGoohan.
I am particularly looking for tributes to Peter Wyngarde, favourite
episode orders (preferably with some discussion of why the order
has been chosen), favourite episodes and actors.'
If
you would like to contribute to the new book, email Ed at itmeans50@outlook.com.
Volume One (pictured left) is still available through Amazon
Publishing.
FIFTIETH
EVENT REPORT ONLINE
Once
again, The Unmutual Website would like to say a massive thank
you to everyone who attended and supported the recent 'Fifty Years
of The Prisoner' event at Elstree Studios, which saw a heady mix
of special guests (pictured left), screenings, prop and costume
displays, book signings, and much more, all in aid of Ty Gobaith
Hospice.
A
full photo report of the event is now online HERE.
A DVD of the event will be available later in 2018. Excess event
programme booklets are on sale for only £2.99 (free UK P&P)
HERE.
TALLY
HO PODCAST RETURNS
TUW
readers may recall the excellent 'Tally Ho Podcast', an offshoot
of the popular 'Time for Cakes and Ale' podcast, running during
2017, so we are delighted to announce that the podcast has returned
in 2018!
Eeson
and Becks are your hosts, joined regularly by special guests from
'The Prisoner', and its legacy (check out the forthcoming spcial
with 'In My Mind' director Chris Rodley), for a 17-part fortnightly
podcast, with each segment covering each episode of 'The Prisoner'.
'Arrival'
is now online for you to listen to or download, and due to the
hosts' easy-going yet informative style, it's a fascinating and
enjoyable 100 minutes.
Two
more magazines of interest to readers have been published, on
sale as of early-mid February 2018 in most stockists.
Firstly,
the latest issue (issue 8) of 'Infinity' magazine includes a feature
on 'Danger Man', written by Robert Fairclough. Secondly, 'Classic
and Sportscar' magazine,. March 2018 issue, sees a four-oage feature
on the recently restored Mini Moke from 'The Prisoner', which
includes interviews with co-owner and restorer Phil Caunt, and
Number Two actors Peter Wyngarde and Derren Nesbitt.
With
thanks to Phil Caunt, Phil Coomes, and Robert Fairclough.
SEPTEMBER
2018 FOR SEATTLE
TUW
is excited to announce that Seattle will again host, as it did
in 2017, an event dedicated to 'The Prisoner' in 2018, with special
guests and exclusive content.
'The
Eternal Village' is organised by the same team that brought the
very successful 'PrisonerCon2017' to fans (review HERE)
and will take place at the Broadway Performance Hall in Seattle,
WA, on Sunday 9th September 2018.
The
event will include special guest interviews and meet-and-greets,
screenings, signing sessions, and much more! Guests include 'The
Prisoner' and 'Danger Man' actress Jane Merrow (pictured),
academic Valarie Ziegler, and Rick Davy of The Unmutual Website,
who will have with him some rare archive materials to show attendees.
Click
HERE
to visit 'The Eternal Village' website for more details regarding
this fantastic event, to register your interest in attending,
and put 9.9.18 in your diary!
APRIL
LOCATION TOURS CONFIRMED
Sunday
April 15th 2018 will see the first of the years location tour
days for 'The Prisoner' and 'Danger Man', organised as ever by
Dave Lally.
The
morning tour takes in locations from 'Danger Man', the afternoon
tour starts at 2.00pm at Marble Arch and sees over 20 locations
from 'The Prisoner' visited, including those from the opening
sequence, and the episodes 'Many happy Returns', 'Do Not Forsake
Me', and 'Fall Out'.
Tours
are free to attend (other than your own travel and food/drink
costs), and more details can be read on the events page HERE.
EXCEPTIONAL
ELSTREE
'Fifty
Years of The Prisoner', held at Elstree Studios on Sunday 21st
January 2018, was a magnificent success.
The
largest 'The Prisoner' event to be held since 1998 saw guests
from the making of the series, and those influenced by their work,
and over 160 attendees, enjoy on-stage guest panels, screenings,
displays, and more, in aid of Ty Gobaith Children's Hospice.
A
full photo report will appear here shortly.
TITAN
COMICS UPDATE
TUW
is excited to have been presented with further details, and images
(left, and below) regarding the various 'The Prisoner' comics
which are being released by Titan Comics in 2018.
First
up, an oversized artist edition of a lost comic book classic by
comic book legends Jack Kirby and Gil Kane, and secondly a brand-new
comic series set in the world of 'The Prisoner' by celebrated
writer Peter Milligan (X-Statix, The Mummy) and artist Colin Lorimer
(The Hunt, Harvest).
In
July, Titan Comics will publish an art-sized, hardcover collection
of Jack Kirby, Gil Kane and Steve Englehart’s long-lost,
previously unpublished The Prisoner comic strips based on the
cult classic.
This
special oversized collectors edition will contain the entire 17
page Jack Kirby strip, the first six pages of which were inked
and lettered by Mike Royer, as well as 18 pages of pencils drawn
by legendary comic artist Gil Kane.
The
new 'The Prisoner' series issue 1 will be released with different
cover variants, later in 2018. More news will of course be posted
on The Unmutual Website nearer the time of release.
With
thanks to Titan Comics, Nick Joy, and Tom Mayer for this news
item.
PETER
WYNGARDE R.I.P.
TUW
is sad to announce that legendary actor Peter Wyngarde, who played
Number Two in the episode 'Checkmate' has passed away at Chelsea
and Westminster Hospital in London, following a short illness.
Probably
best remembered for his portrayal of Jason King in the ITC series
'Department S' (and the spin off 'Jason King' series), Peter had
a long and varied career, making his mark in TV, Film, Theatre,
and Radio.
Appearances
in shows such as 'The Avengers', 'The Champions', and of course
'The Prisoner' are fondly remembered, as are movie roles such
as an unforgettable and menacing appearance in 'Flash Gordon',
and Peter was a regular at memorabilia conventions, where he was
always a likeable and pleasant contributor. Most recently, in
September 2017, he appeared at the 'Fall In' 50th anniversary
event, hosted by Network in Portmeiron.
His
agent Thomas Bowington, and best friend Tina Hopkins, were with
him throughout his hospital stay, and he passed peacefully in
his sleep. TUW's thoughts and sympathies are with all Peter's
family, friends, and many fans at this sad time.
An
appreciative obituary (contrary to the distasteful one originally
printed by The Guardian) in the Guardian by Toby Hadoke can be
read HERE.
With
thanks to Paul White, Andrew Frith, Simon Mackay for this news
item.
GUESTS
ANNOUNCED FOR JAN EVENT
Arrangements
for the 'Fifty Years of The Prisoner' anniversary event, taking
place at Elstree Studios on Sunday January 21st at 7pm, are gathering
pace, with the announcement (as of 12th January) that 7 guests,
plus many more to come, are confirmed as attending the event.
Original
'The Prisoner' crew members Tony Sloman, David Shillingford, and
Ian Rakoff, directors John Hough (who directed McGoohan in 'Brass
Target') and Alex Cox, Nick Briggs (left) of Big Finish, 'In My
Mind' and 'Six into One' director Chris Rodley, and actor Brian
Gorman will take part in exclusive Q&As at the event.
Along with screenings, other special guests, and other attractions,
the event promises to be a very special celebration of our favourite
TV series, at an iconic TV and Film location.
Tickets
for the event are £20 each and can be purchased from HERE.
50TH
ANNIVERSARY EVENT FOR JANUARY
Sunday
21st January 2018 will see the latest exciting event to celebrate
'The Prisoner' 50th anniversary.
The
iconic Elstree Studios, across the road from the former site of
MGM where the series was filmed, will play host to an event organised
by The Unmutual Website and Quoit Media Limited.
The
event will include several special guests, on-stage Q&A sessions,
screenings, attractions, and is only £20 per person to attend.
The
event starts at 7.00pm and profits will be donated to Ty Gobaith
Children's Hospice in North Wales.
With
not long to go until the event, and with tickets in very limited
number, it is advisable to purchase your tickets as soon as possible,
direct from the Quoit Media website HERE.
Guests will be announced shortly.
Earlier
that afternoon, Dave Lally will conduct a walking tour of film,
TV, and 'The Prisoner' locations in the area, starting at 2.00pm
at Elstree and Borehamwood station (details HERE).
BE
ITC-ING YOU
'Playboys,
Spies and Private Eyes - Inspired by ITC' is a new anthology book
edited by Alan Hayes, and Rick Davy, celebrating the action-adventure
shows produced by ITC and how they have touched the lives of so
many.
'The
Prisoner' and 'Danger Man' are of course both included, with no
less than four chapters dedicated to each show.
With
35 different chapters by nearly 30 different writers (including
writers such as Robert Fairclough, Mike Kenwood, and Jaz Wiseman),
a foreword by actress Annette Andre, afterword by Elaine Spooner
(daughter of Dennis), the book is now available for pre-order
at a discount (cover price is £12.99 plus P&P, pre-order
price £11.99 with free UK P&P), with the scheduled release
date 12th December 2017.
Click
HERE
to read more about this book, and to order your copy.
TO
INFINITY AND BEYOND
'Infinity'
is a science fiction, film, television, and retro magazine, always
packed with features and reviews concerning films, books, and
television of interest, available from many branches of WH Smith's
in the UK, and online at the Infinity website HERE.
Issue
6, out on November 23rd 2017, is a 'The Prisoner' special! Featuring
an in-depth article by Brian J Robb, a series production history
by Rick Davy, and a review of the recent 'Fall In' 50th anniversary
event by Robert Fairclough, plus artwork and a poster by Mark
Maddox, the issue has plenty for fans of 'The Prisoner', so you're
advised to order your copy as soon as possible.
Also
included in this issue are features on 'The Time Tunnel', and
'Robocop'. Future issues will be focussing on series such as 'UFO'
and 'Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'.
FENELLA'S
MEMOIRS PUBLISHED
The
Village Voice for the Village in 'The Prisoner' was famously provided
by actress Fenella Fielding (who had previously also appeared
in the series 'Danger Man' (alongside Patrick McGoohan), so it
is with exciment that it has been announced that Fenella's memoirs,
written by her and Simon McKay, are now published and available
in book form.
A
printed (and expanded with new content and photographs) version
of her earlier audio memoirs,
'Do You Mind if I Smoke?' (the title comes from Fenella's iconic
line from the film 'Carry on Screaming') is a fascinating read,
covering her long life and career (Fenella will turn 90 in November
2017), including her time on the series. Coverage of her 90th
can be found HERE.
A
series of reading events and signings have occurred, and are planned
for the future. Click HERE
for all the details on the book, events, and to order your signed
copies!
In
researching for the book, Fenella and Simon came accross Fenella's
diary entry for her 'The Prisoner' recordings, and TUW is very
grateful for them sharing this with readers (below). It appears
that her voiceover session took place on 21st December 1966.
With
thanks to Simon McKay for this news item.
JANE'S
JOURNAL
Ask
any fan of 'The Prisoner' for a list of their favourite guest
stars from the series, and Jane Merrow, who played Alison in 'The
Schizoid Man' and also appeared with Patrick McGoohan in several
episodes of 'Danger Man', will be on it.
An
enthralling guest at the recent 50th
Anniversary event, and 11 years previously at PM2006,
Jane has in recent years been writing a very entertaining and
interesting online blog on her website, which comes highly recommended.
A
Golden Globe nominated actress for 'A Lion in Winter', and one
of the few British actresses to have also had a successful career
in Hollywood, Jane's career is a great story and her blog is a
great read. From stories of her many appearances on TV, Film,
and theatre, to her views on current affairs, her views and experiences
make for fascinating reading.
Click
HERE to
visit Jane's website and read her blog.
BOX
OF DELIGHTS
To
celebrate 'The Prisoner' 50th anniversary, NETWORK have created
a fantastic series of new and exciting products, in various packages.
Firstly,
there is a new DVD/Blu-ray limited edition set, which includes
all 17 episodes in stunning high definition, now with optional
text commentaries for every episode detailing the scene by scene
production story of the series.
The
set also includes a wealth of NEW special features including the
new documentary 'In My Mind', new 8mm behind the scenes production
footage, out-takes/trims, previously unseen stills, rare Patrick
McGoohan interview material, two 'Danger Man' episodes, and much
more.
Also
available is a new soundtrack set. Comprising 6 CDs of both the
incidental and theme music composed for the series and also the
Chappell Library Music used in the series, making it the most
complete soundtrack collection released to date.
Last
but not least, a colour hardback book by Andrew Pixley 'The Prisoner
- An Illustrated History', containing a wealth of previously unpublished
photographs.
If
all of those individual elements take your fancy, you can have
them all in a highly limited edition collection, with Village
packaging, in one package (below).
Click
HERE for the full specification
details of all the new 50th anniversary items from Network, and
ordering details.
ORIGINAL
MOKE RESTORED
One
of the highlights of the recent 'Fall In - The Prisoner at Fifty'
50th anniversary event was the unveiling of the newly restored
original Moke from the series.
Discovered
in a barn in 2011, the Moke was purchased by fans Phil Caunt and
Jeremy Guy for over £13000 at auction in 2015, and Phil
has since undertaken a complete restoration of the vehicle, which
was on show at the Portmeirion event and now looks as good as
new!
The
Moke featured in several sequences in 'Arrival', and perhaps most
famously bearing its original numberplate in 'Living in Harmony'.
Many of the original elements, including the engine, were retained
by Phil, with even the original Penny Farthing bonnet decal still
intact.
Click
HERE
to read a fascintating Telegraph article about the restoration,
and HERE
at a Mini blog. Click HERE for more
information regarding Mokes from TUW.
With
thanks to Phil Caunt for this news item. Photos (c) Mandy Brookes.
DOCUMENTARY
ON PRE-ORDER
'In
My Mind' is a new feature length documentary from Network, by
Chris Rodley, which premiered at the recent 50th anniversary event
(review HERE).
Telling
the story of Rodley's 1983 documentary 'Six into One', and presenting
'The Prisoner' from the McGoohan point of view, the documentary
includes previously unseen McGoohan interview footage, archive
footage such as the Warner Troyer interview, previously unreleased
8mm behind the scenes footage of 'Arrival', plus new footage including
an exclusive Catherine McGoohan interview conducted in 2017, and
some wonderful new drone footage of Portmeirion.
Click
HERE to read The Unmutual's
review of the film, described as 'an astonishing piece of work'.
The
BFI are screening the film as part of a 'spy day' on Saturday
November 25th, details HERE. Click HERE
to pre-order the film from Network.
ROBBED!
The
Unmutual Website has been enthralled recently by the work of writer
Brian J Robb, who will be familiar to readers of sci-fi, film,
and other genre magazines.
The
latest issue of Fortean Times (left) includes an article by Robb
regarding the 'Occult World of Patrick McGoohan', which looks
at the series and its Gnostic themes.
Robb
has also been active online, and is currently presenting a weekly
blog to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the series, looking
at each episode in turn, presenting a synopsis, but also a look
at the hidden meanings, and some fun trivia too!
Brian's
work and blog comes highly recommended by The Unmutual Website,
and the blog can be found HERE.
MORE
COMICS FROM TITAN
Following
on from the news (below, and HERE)
that Titan Comics are printing the Jack Kirby 1970s 'The Prisoner'
comic in book form in 2018, exciting news has reached TUW that
Titan are announcing further Prisoner-related products next year.
Firstly,
there will be an all-new comic book series written by Peter Milligan,
drawn by Colin Lorimer, which appears to be a series sequel. Peter
says: "What an honour it is now, thanks to Titan Comics,
to be writing Number 6’s successor into that enigmatic and
beguiling world."
More information on this series is available at Down The Tubes
HERE.
Secondly,
the Dean Motter / Mark Asquith comic 'Shattered
Visage' is also getting the Titan treatment and will be reprinted
in 2018.
With
thanks to Lew Stringer, Tom Mayer, Nick Joy, and Paul for this
news item.
FANTASTIC
FIFTIETH!
'The
Prisoner' 50th anniversary of the first UK screening of 'Arrival'
took place on 29th September 2017, and to celebrate, courtesy
of the company Network, an unforgettable celebratory event took
place in Portmeirion.
For
all who purchased tickets, the cost of which included a limited
edition bluray set (RRP £70) and goodie bag, it was an unrivalled
event in terms of content and quality, and will live long in the
memory of all those who attended.
Guest
stars from the series (including Peter Wyngarde, Derren Nesbitt,
Norma West (left), Jane Merrow, Fenella Fielding, and Annette
Andre), series crew (Seamus Byrne), and Patrick McGoohan's daughter
Catherine (below) were interviewed on stage, interspersed with
35mm film screenings of episodes, a live episode performance in
the Dome from Big Finish, the premiere of Chris Rodley's new documentary,
vehicle displays, and much MUCH more.
The
Unmutual Website is proud to have been involved in such a landmark
and unforgettable event, and sends its heartiest congratulations
to Network, Portmeirion, and everyone involved.
Click
HERE to read an in-depth photo
report on the event.
TALLY
HO!
Exciting
news has reached TUW that 'Time For Cakes and Ale', a fantastic
online podcast in which Eeson and Becks chat all things geek,
now has a spin-off podcast called 'The Tally Ho', dedicated to
'The Prisoner'.
Running
daily throughout the 50th anniversary period, each episode has
a special guest, including Nicholas Briggs of 'Big Finish', writers
Fiona Moore and Robert Fairclough, and Rick Davy of The Unmutual
Website. All the episodes make fascinating listening, and come
highly recommended by The Unmutual Website.
Click
HERE
for the list of episodes and to listen/download.
In
early 2018, the podcast will produce new episodes, one for each
episode of 'The Prisoner', with again special guests for each
episode.
ALEX
COX INTERVIEWED
Several
weeks ago, The Unmutual Website announced the exciting news that
film director and 'The Prisoner' aficionado Alex Cox (left) had
written a new book about the series: 'I am (Not) a Number - Decoding
The Prisoner', so it is with more excitement that Alex agreed
to conduct an interview with TUW regarding the book.
Click
HERE to read the interview,
in which Alex talks about his love of the series, and discusses
the book in detail.
The
book is available from Amazon HERE
and all good bookshops in paperback and kindle versions.
UPDATE:
A review of the book can be read at Pop Matters HERE.
With
thanks to Alex Cox and Steven Paul Davies.
CHAPPELL
SET REDUCED
In
2010 producer Derek Lawton announced and produced a limited edition
run of 1000 of The Chappell Library music from The Prisoner (all
the music not specially composed for the series), to great acclaim
from experts and fans.
As
stocks are nearly out, The Unmutual Website has been provided
with a few sets for sale in aid of TUW's event fund for Ty Gobaith
Hospice, which are reduced from £30 to £10 (plus shipping).
The
Unmutual also, thanks to Dan Kreeger, now hosts an extensive look
at all the soundtrack album releases including a full tracklisting
for each. Click HERE for this invaluable
piece of research.
WORKING
WITH PATRICK
Insights
into working with Patrick McGoohan away from 'The Prisoner' are
few and far between, so it is with much excitement that a new
book, which details such an experience, is now available.
'Surviving
Hollywood North - Crew Confessions from an Insider' is available
in both paperback and kindle forms, and tells the story of Ellie
Presner's ten years as a script coordinator/reviser in the TV
and Film industry.
Her
account includes several chapters detailing the several months
she spent working with McGoohan on a script, and is also illustrated
with several photos of Patrick and family in his home (taken with
permission, of course).
Click
HERE
to buy from Amazon, with a percentage of your spend donated to
Ty Gobaith Hospice at no extra cost to yourself or the author.
With
thanks to Ellie Presner for this news item.
MISS
FREEDOM RE-PRINTED
In
the early 200s, Powys Media obtained the rights to produce a series
of novels based on 'The Prisoner'.
The
first, 'The Prisoner's Dilemma' by Jon Blum and Rupert Booth,
was well received and sold, but the second book in the series,
'Miss Freedom' by Andrew Cartmel, was only produced in very limited
quantities (with a 100-copy print run with a cover variant for
the PM2008 event in Portmeirion) and is therefore much sought
after by collectors.
The
good news is that September 2017 is seeing a special reprint of
the book. Available from Lulu , the reprinted version is priced
at £19 HERE.
The
book is a 'cracking spy story' according to the review HERE.
With
thanks to Mateo Latosa for this news item.
MAG
FRENZY
The
50th anniversary of 'The Prisoner' is, as one would expect, attracting
a fair amount of media attention during September 2017.
The
latest is a spate of magazine articles about the series. Firstly,
'Starburst' issue 441 includes a nicely written 4-page piece by
Brian 'Everyman' Gorman about the series' longevity, and is out
now at all good retailers.
Also
available is issue 358 of 'Fortean Times', which includes a piece
by Brian J Robb regarding the 'Occult of Patrick McGoohan', which
looks at the series and its Gnostic themes.
LET
THERE BE MUSIC
As
you will have read on The Unmutual, the 50th anniversary of 'The
Prisoner' has inspired events, releases, articles, and much fan
activitiy.
None
are more interesting than a project from Peter Horgan, in which
he has created an alternative theme music for the series!
Inspired
by the now-defunct possible 'The Prisoner' computer game, Peter
constructed an alternative theme in 2014. Dormant until now, Peter
now plans to release it on YouTube on 29th September.
Click
HERE to read more from Peter,
and to watch an online advert video for the experience.
With
thanks to Peter Horgan for this news item.
ANNIVERSARY
POSTER ON SALE
To
celebrate this month's 50th Anniversary celebrations for 'The
Prisoner', Vice Press have announced a very limited edition poster,
by renowned artist Chris Weston.
Available
as a numbered colour print (limited to 125 copies) at £40,
or black and white (60 copies) at £50, the item has been
officially licensed by ITV and depicts Patrick McGoohan, Portmeirion,
and some other familiar faces.
Click
HERE to read the full press release
for the poster from Vice Press, including a lovely piece by the
artist.
The
posters will be on sale at Thought Bubble in Leeds who can be
found at tables 49 to 51 in the Leeds Town Hall Marquee. From
28/9 remaining copies will be on sale online. Click HERE
then to visit their website order your numbered poster.
FANCY
OWNING POSTER #6?
In
a tremendous gesture from the guys at Vice Press, The Unmutual
Website is excited to announce that poster #6 will be auctioned
via The Unmutual, with profits from the sale donated to Ty Gobaith
(Hope House) Children's Hospice. Please send an email HERE
with your bid, the highest bidder will win the auction!
With
thanks to Lew Stringer, Nick Joy, and Vice Press for this news
item.
HIGH
TIME FOR HIGH TIDE
Exciting
news for fans of the film work of Patrick McGoohan has arrived
at Unmutual Towers this month, with the announcement that the
1957 movie, 'High Tide at Noon', one of McGoohan's earliest screen
appearances, is to be released on DVD for the first time.
The
romantic thriller, nominated for a Cannes Film Festival award
that year, also starred Betta St John, William Sylvester, and
Michael Craig, and was one of the movies which McGoohan made during
the period in the late 1950s when he was contracted to the Rank
Organisation.
The
DVD is available for pre-order from Amazon, click HERE
to enter Amazon and TUW's Ty Gobaith Hospice fund will receive
a proportion of your spend at no cost to you.
With
thanks to Tom Mayer for this news item.
DANGER
MAN DOC
“THE
DANGER MEN” is the title of a new DVD documentary made over
15 years ago, for inclusion on an American DVD release of “Danger
Man”.
The
participants, Peter Price, Philip Broadley and Frank Maher are
no longer with us, so this documentary stands as a tribute to
their work, and is an insight into their involvement in the production.
Included
on the disc is extra content, with the guests talking about other
projects they were involved with , including several anecdotes
and references to 'The Prisoner'.
Pre-orders
are now being taken on eBay HERE,
at a price of just £15 (if you intend to buy, please enter
eBay via HERE and Ty Gobaith Hospice
will receive a proportion of your spend at no cost to you).
With
thanks to Jeff Smart for this news item.
SPEND
A PENNY FARTHING
It's
always nice to see mention of Penny Farthing bicycles, always
a chance that someone will point to 'The Prisoner' when seeing
it, so The Unmutual makes no apologies for bring readers' attention
'The League of Ordinary Riders'.
The group is a loose collective of riders from across the globe
who ride and race penny farthings. More info on the group can
be found on the facebook page HERE.
Group
member Matthew Trott also runs a small family business with his
father building and selling modern penny farthings and undertaking
restoration and repair of antique machines. Their work is of the
very highest quality and comes highly recommended by TUW. Click
HERE
to visit the website.
With
thanks to Matthew Trott for this news item.
SIXTY
FOR SEVEN
The
Lotus 7, which was of course the car which Number Six 'built with
his own hands' in 'The Prisoner', has, like 'The Prisoner', reached
a milstone, and Portmeirion recently played host to the 60th anniversary
celebrations.
Countless
Lotus and Caterham 7s were on hand at the village for the event,
with parades of the cars, photo calls, and other events throughout
the day.
With
thanks to Paul White for this news item and images.
LAST
CHANCE FOR COLONY THREE
Sad
news has reached TUW that the planned redevelopment and demolition
of the main Hatfield locations for the Prisoneresque 'Danger Man'
episode 'Colony Three' is set to go ahead later in 2017.
First
announced in 2011, it was hoped that the 'on-hold' project of
redevelopment of the hill and shopping area seen in the episode
would be further delayed, but sadly it appears that this is no
longer the case.
On
September 15th 2017 Dave Lally will be hosting a location visit
to the locations from the episode as part of a weekend of 'Prisoner'
and 'Danger Man' locations tours, details HERE.
With
thanks to Kieran McAleer for this news item.
ARTICLE
BOOK ON SALE
'It
Means What It Says - Trying to Understand The Prisoner' is a new
book edited by Ed Fordham, which compiles a number of articles
and research relating to 'The Prisoner' series.
The
large format book includes a new comic strip by Steve Matt, a
foreword by Rick Davy of The Unmutual Website, and countless articles
by fans and researchers of 'The Prisoner' from all over the world.
Available
in paperback, full colour paperback, and kindle versions, the
book is in aid of Ty Gobaith Hospice and comes highly recommended
by The Unmutual Website. Click HERE
to visit Amazon and to order your copy, which is published by
Amazon Kindle Publishing.
BRIAN
DOES BOND
Brian
Gorman will be well known to readers of The Unmutual Website,
following his successful one-man stage show 'Everyman', which
was later turned into a graphic novel and a CD audio drama, which
tells the story of the life of Patrick McGoohan up until the creation
of 'The Prisoner' (on sale HERE).
Brian's
latest project is 'One Man Bond', in which Gorman portrays James
Bond in all of the Bond films to date in a one-hour one-man show.
Click
HERE for more details and to buy
tickets for one of the perfomances, happening all over the UK,
and for a review HERE
from Starburst Magazine.
100
NOT OUT
The
Unmutual Website would like to wish Earl Cameron 'Many Happy Returns'
on reaching the wonderful milestone of 100 years.
Earl
(pictured left with Dave Jones at PM2007)
was a trailblazer for black actors in the 1950s and 1960s, and
will be best remembered to TUW readers for his role as the Haitian
Supervisor in the episode 'The Schzoid Man', as well as several
appearances in 'Danger Man'.
Still
un-retired, Earl was seen more recently in blockbusters such as
'The Queen'. Happy Birthday Earl!
An
interview in The Guardian with Earl can be read HERE.
With
thanks to Andrew Frith for the link.
KIRBY
ART FOR 2018
Exciting news is that scheduled for March 2018 is 'The Prisoner
Original Art Edition' from Titan Books. A hardback collection
of the pages produced for Marvel's aborted 1970s comics based
on The Prisoner TV series of the sixties.
Jack
Kirby produced one issue based on the script for Arrival, the
first episode. His rendition of Patrick McGoohan was excellent,
and with Titan behind the publication it promises to be an excellent
edition.
A
new version was embarked upon by Gil Kane (written by Steve Englehart)
but that too was never completed. The book will gather together
all the pages and publish them officially for the first time.
More
details will be announced on The Unmutual Website nearer to the
publication date.
With
thanks to Lew Stringer, Francis Robinson, and David Stimpson.
HARMONY
ACTOR DIES
It is with much sadness that TUW has today learned that actor
Gordon Sterne, who played the part of 'Bystander' (who tries to
convince Six that Harmony is "a good town") in the episode
'Living in Harmony', passed away in April 2017 at the age of 94.
Born
in 1923, Sterne had a long and distinguished career which spanned
six decades, including appearances in early series such as 'I
Spy' and 'The Saint', movie classics such as 'From Russia with
Love' and 'Highlander', and more recently as Bishop Tunstall in
the series 'The Tudors', which ran from 2007-2009.
The
Unmutual Website would like to offer its condolences to the family
and friends of a fine actor, whose role in 'The Prisoner', whilst
small, was pivotal and memorable.
With
thanks to David Stimpson for this news item.
ALEX
COX BOOK ANNOUNCED
Fans of 'The Prisoner' will be delighted to hear the news that
movie director ('Repo Man') and Cult TV and Film aficionado Alex
Cox has written a new book about the series.
'I
am Not a Number - Decoding The Prisoner' is a new book which attempts
to discover the underlying message and background of the series
and its characters by analysing what we see and hear on screen,
and is a fascinating read.
Kamera
Books are publishing the book, with December as print release
with an ebook version available from 29 September 2017 (the ser5ies'
50th Anniversary). Click
HERE to watch a great little video of Alex talking about the
book.
More
details regarding this book will be announced nearer the time.
UPDATE
21/10/17: Book
now on sale at the publisher's website, 2 weeks before general
sale! Each hard copy comes with a free e-book! Order HERE.
With
thanks to Alex Cos and Steven Paul Davies.
THE
NEW NUMBER TWO
The cover art for the long-awaited second series of Big Finish's
re-imaging of 'The Prisoner' as an audio drama series has been
released.
Four
episodes make up the second series, each written by producer and
director Nicholas Briggs, and as with the previous series they
come highly recommended by The Unmutual Website.
Episode
1 of series 2 is entitled 'I Met a Man Today' and is a re-imagining
of 'Many Happy Returns', and beautifully written and performed.
Episodes
two and three are loosely based on 'A. B. and C.' and 'Hammer
Into Anvil' and feature some great, and returning, characters
and delve deep into the darkest areas of Number Six's mind (as
well as exploring further the themes of paranoia and so forth
which Briggs looked at in the first series).
As
for episode 4, 'Living in Harmony', it's out of this world!
A
full review of series 2 is onloine HERE.
Click HERE to read more about both
series, including a special report from studio recordings, interviews
with Nick Briggs and the cast, and much more.
With
thanks to Nick Briggs / Big Finish for the cover image and news.
THE
ESSENTIAL GUIDE
'The Prisoner - The Essential Guide' is the title of a new book,
written by 'Prisoner' historian and researcher Rick Davy.
Published
by Quoit Media Limited in June 2017, the 36-page A5-sized guidebook
is packed with information about the genesis, making, and legacy
of the series and acts as a handy guide to all the elements which
made the series so beloved.
The
book, full colour throughout, also includes a full episode guide
and many officially licensed and previously unpublished photographs.
Priced
at only £2.99, the book is available from all good bookshops,
online and offline, and from The Unmutual Website HERE
and the publisher's website HERE.
ABOUT
'THE UNMUTUAL'
THE
UNMUTUAL WEBSITE serves as the world's largest online source of
information about the iconic 60’s T.V. series ‘The
Prisoner’ and ‘Danger Man’ providing information
about both series, Patrick McGoohan, the cast and crews, the village
of Portmeirion in which filming took place, and all official and
independent ‘Prisoner’ related activities, books,
events, and news. It supports Ty Gobaith, a children's hospice
in North Wales, by donating profits raised by the Unmutual Website's
online sales or events to them. http://www.hopehouse.org.uk/care/
The Unmutual Website is not a fan club, Society, or group. It
is a FREE online resource FOR ALL Prisoner fans.
MORE NEWS:
THE
UNMUTUAL. An online non-profit cyber-magazine, intended to serve as
a free news service for fans of The Prisoner TV series, its star Patrick
McGoohan, and Portmeirion in aid of Ty Gobaith Hospice. Promotion of
Prisoner merchandise provided entirely free of charge for the benefit
of Prisoner fans. Neither this website nor events run under its banner
are connected with any society, group, or fan club whatsoever, or any
other website using the name "Unmutual". No responsibility
can be taken for individuals unconnected with this website claiming
to act on its behalf.
Thanks
to the various sources for supplying the news items and everyone for
their continued help and support (you know who you are) and to Lew Stringer,
who devised and originally ran The Unmutual Website.