The Prisoners Secret Finally Escapes

The classic 1960s television series , The Prisoner, is to receive a new accolade. It is being honoured as part of the North Wales Film and Television Trail. Please find attached a story about the secret behind the series being revealed for the first time in nearly 40 years after it was shot at the Italianate village of Portmeirion, designed by the visionary architect, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis.

(PRWEB) March 19, 2005 -- The secret behind the cult TV series, The Prisoner, has been finally revealed – after nearly 40 years. The character played by the star, Patrick McGoohan, was actually based on his own experience – when he felt trapped working on another television series.

Thats the view of Roger Langley, co-coordinator of Six of One, The Prisoner Appreciation Society, who is in regular contact with McGoohan. The revelation came as it was announced that the classic 1960s series is to be honoured as part of the North Wales Film and Television Trail, organised by the Wales Screen Commission.

A commemorative plaque is to be unveiled on Friday, May 13, at the Italianate village of Portmeirion, near Penrhyndeudraeth, in Gwynedd, where much of the series was shot.

Mr Langley said: A strange facet of the Prisoner is that the series is that it is semi-autobiographical."

Patrick McGoohan had been in a television series called Dangerman for six or seven years before The Prisoner – and he was getting type cast."

He was fed up with it because they had done over 80 episodes. He used the character, John Drake, as a visual medium to say this man is resigning and he is now The Prisoner."

Although he always disputed that he had used the John Drake character, by doing that he brought Dangerman to an end and created The Prisoner."

When The Prisoner was first broadcast in 1967, it caused a huge impact and regularly attracted 12 million viewers – despite its unfathomable storylines.

McGoohan plays Number 6, a former secret agent who is kidnapped and taken to a beautiful but sinister village where he is held against his will. The village in question was, of course, in real life Portmeirion, the fruit of the imagination of the visionary architect, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis.

Mr Langley said: The magic of The Prisoner is that the series was unique. There had not been a programme which explored the fantasy and surreal nature of life."

At the same time it was done in an original way with exciting drama featuring tight scripts and ingenious plots."

As well as being exciting and memorable, it also left lots of questions in your mind as to what it was actually saying."

It was a television revolution and created as many fans and admirers as it did critics and lots of people didnt understand it. It isnt there to be understood, its there to be enjoyed."

It is a world-wide phenomenon. We have members in Japan, Australia and New Zealand, across Europe, Canada, America and some Arabian countries in the Middle East, South Africa."

Its marvellous news that The Prisoner is being commemorated as part of the Film and Television Trail with a plaque at Portmeirion."

I have always argued that, without Portmeirion, The Prisoner wouldnt have been the series it was – it would not have had the visual appeal, it wouldnt have had that magical impact."

It was a secret location for most people and it wasnt until the final episode that they revealed on screen where it was filmed."

Its fair to say that all Prisoner fans want to make a pilgrimage to Portmeirion."

And, if Portmeirion was good for The Prisoner, the reverse was also true. After the location was revealed, visitor numbers jumped dramatically from 10,000 to 100,000 a year. The village is now one of Wales top tourist destinations with a quarter of a million people going there annually. Robin Llywelyn , the managing director of Portmeirion, said: The Prisoner certainly put Portmeirion on the map."

Having said that the The Prisoner wouldnt have had that feeling of reality – even though they were in a fantasy world."

The backdrop was very important to The Prisoner, reinforcing the ideas and the plots. McGoohan had created a new world in terms of the look, the costumes and signs."

Richard Coombs, the Film Liaison Manager of the Wales Screen Commission, in North Wales, said: The Prisoner is an important landmark series in the history of television, not just here but across the world."

We are delighted to be able to include this revolutionary programme as part of the North Wales Film and Television Trail, the accolade is fully deserved."

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