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.

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".

TUW's thoughts are with his partner, family, and friends at this very sad time and.

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.

Click HERE to pre-order!

With thanks to Geoff Lake for this news item.

FAREWELL, DORIS

TUW is sad to annoucne 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.

Click HERE to buy from The Unmutual Website.

WIFFLING AGAIN

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.

Click HERE to order from the Vice Press website.

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."

For more details, visit Roy's website HERE.

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).

Click HERE for more details and to book tickets.

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).

Click HERE to read the article.

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.

Click HERE for the podcast website and to listen.

MORE MAGS

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).

Click HERE to order your set while stocks last.

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'.

A trailer for the film is online HERE.

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.