The Prisoner Nummer 6
 |
|
|
|
|
The
sediments at the bottom of television: series and serials, omnipresent
and almost as infinite as the medium itself. Few only were successfull
in touching the underside of our attentiveness.
UNWAHRSCHEINLICHE GESCHICHTEN ("Improbable Stories") was one
that did, the classic TWILIGHT ZONE.
Anything associated with the expression TV-magic
applies to this.
Phantastic
television of the sixties, among other things, is one conjuring formula:
"Be
seeing you!" or
L'année dernière
au Village:
CONTRIBUTING
AUTHORS:
(GERMAN KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED)
 |
ANDERSWO GELESEN  |
AUTOREN: |
| BEITRÄGE VON... |
INTERVIEWS: |
| Nr6DE MIT DAVE BARRIE |
| Nr6DE MIT TIM BOURNE |
| Nr6DE MIT PATRICK DUCHER |
| Nr6DE MIT MAX HORA |
| CHRIS RODLEY MIT GEORGE MARKSTEIN |
| SIMON BATES (BBC) MIT PATRICK McGOOHAN |
| ALAIN CARRAZÉ MIT PATRICK McGOOHAN |
| BILL KING MIT PATRICK McGOOHAN |
| MIKE TOMKIES MIT PATRICK McGOOHAN |
| WARNER TROYER MIT PATRICK McGOOHAN |
| TOM WORRALL MIT MARY MORRIS, N. WEST |
| UWE HUBER MIT HORST NAUMANN |
| PATRICK DUCHER MIT JEAN-MICHEL PHILIBERT |
| Nr6DE MIT STEVE RAINES |
| DAVE BARRIE MIT IAN L. RAKOFF |
| HARALD KELLER MIT BERND RUMPF |
|
NUMMER 6 / THE PRISONER was first broadcast in Germany from August 1969 until April 1970 by Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF) on Saturdays, late at night after 11 p.m. and in large time intervalls.Patrick McGoohan, creator, principal actor, producer and director of the series died Jan. 13th, 2009, round about two months before his 81. birthday. READ ON...
In 1972, during the olympic games in Munich, the German order episodes 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12 & 13 were repeated as a contrast to the games programme in August and September of the year. The most recent and first ever complete rerun of all 17 episodes, for that matter, the four until then missing episodes now dubbed into German, was by Franco-German TV station ARTE in 2010. Year of production: 1966/Great Britain
In September of 1966 the exterior shots in North-Wales were made, additional photography which became necessary was accomplished in March of 1967. Occasionally this circumstance is visible by the tree's and bushes' meagre foliage. And very much to the advantage of the mood in the episode "Many Happy Returns". As a result in most episodes footage of this first shooting is used. Stock footage and establishing shots were taken from a hired helicopter. Such photographic material is not inteded for the use in a certain scene or as a part of some acting context but was used to enrich the serie's atmosphere and to pump up some episodes to their required running length. Sometimes the contrast between the episodes shot in the studio, with their exaggerated artificial light, medium shots and building parts more or less excellently crafted, becomes obviously unpleasant in comparison to those made on location. Generally put, most actors never saw the real location of the Village, Portmeirion, because their scenes were shot in the studio even if they were situated in the Village. This also applies to McGoohan's Number Six character who in many Portmeirion scenes was doubled by Frank Maher. The most famous one should be the one of the opening scene showing Number Six on the beach with his fist high in the air, "I am not a number I am a free man...!" The
following batch of episodes was the first to be produced on
location in Portmeirion:
Information on whether "Die Ankunft/Arrival" was envisaged as a pilot for the show of about one hour and a half and was then cut down to nearly 60 minutes isn't clear. Clips of this episode are contained in the German order episodes 8 and 12, so are outtakes of "Free For All" which, until 2006, wasn't shown at all in Germany. The same applies to the German versions of "Living In Harmony", "The Schizoid Man" and "A Change Of Mind" first published only on the release of the DVD version, and dubbed into German by TV station ARTE in 2010. This time, for the voice of McGoohan's principal character actor Bernd Rumpf was chosen instead of Horst Naumann, the original German voice. When first aired in Great Britain one scene from "Free For All" was missing showing Number Six being heavily beaten. This scene was reinserted later. It isn't quite clear why the episode "Living In Harmony" wasn't aired in the USA by CBS on its original screening. The most plausible reason is a certain degree of self-censorship in connection with the war in Vietnam ever more expanding regarding the episode events. Here one representative of the authority, the Sheriff, refuses to carry and pick up a gun. The station denies this. They argue it was the use of hallucinogenic drugs that couldn't be shown. This seems kind of strange for a show like THE PRISONER because the use of drugs against dissenting people like Number Six obviously isn't considered a contradiction. There are sources that report that legal aspects by McGoohan kept the episode on the shelf because this episode, in the beginning, is quite different from all others and can be recognized as THE PRISONER only near the end. "Harmony" could only be watched some time later when the series was shown in syndication on US television.
"6 Private" - the interior of the house inhabited by Number Six, and parts of its outward appearance, was a replica erected in the studio.
In Portmeirion the original is known as the "Round House". In reality it is extremely small. It has housed the PRISONER-Shop run for many years by Max Hora. Videos, buttons, literature and everything connected to the series can still be obtained here. The neighbouring house beyond the archway used to be the shop where Number Six initially wants to have a map of the Village.
The above map intends to illustrate the real proportions of the different sections of Number Six' quarter. Only the lower part on the picture is real (with the fleece rug in front of the fireplace). This is where Number Six wakes up from his forced sleep, it is an exact replica of his living room and this is where in Portmeirion the Prisoner shop is situated. Invisible at first, the steps to the extension are behind an automatically rising wall which disappears in the ceiling. What is most remarkable, is that this cinematic-architectural trick is never realised as such although the house is seen several times from the outside. Below the door, it must be imagined, is the entrance hall of Number Six' London home, 1 Buckingham Place.
In 2008 Steve Raines, then editor of the Prisoner Appreciation Society magazine, unexpectedly was granted access to the interior of this London address which has been in use, if not always, at least for a long time as an office. Steve was told that the proprietor was even willing to put a plaque on the outside wall of his house and thus commemorate the filming of THE PRISONER.
The German mail Deutsche Post AG offers a very special service, but regrettably not for people outside of Germany! On www.plusbrief-individuell.de you can easily create not only your own envelope but your own stamps! Handling the web interface is quite simple, and there is also an explaining video available. Advance payment for a certain quantity of envelopes is effected after the operation is finished. You are free to use any image or sketch as a template but the copyright should be respected! As a good example to remind your friends of the upcoming anniversary: 40 years German TV premiere NUMMER 6! So, Number Six might be tempted to vary his famous credo, "I will be stamped, filed, indexed, briefed (sic!)..." Outch!
Nr6DE - FRIENDS & SUPPORTERS OF TH TV SERIES THE PRISONER
Since about the year 2004 the group of friends- and supporters, who call themselves nr6de, has been active. Get more information under following links!
|
MORE: 
