| Author | Message | ||
     Frank (Frank) Username: Frank Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 79.187.206.46 |
A week before the great Patrick McGoohan died, I was asked to give an hour's presentation to advanced language students on any topic I wanted, so long as it incorporated visual images, i.e. a TV and a dvd player with the appropriate film. I opted for an episode of The Prisoner, 'Checkmate', and prepared a twenty-minute introduction on Patrick McGooghan and 'The Prisoner'. I decided to do some extra sniffing around on the net in order to pull together any snippets of information I may have previously overlooked. And to my surprise this is what I found: George Markstein, co-creator of 'The Prisoner', who walked off production at the 13th episode, due to conflicitng ideas as to how the show should end, reveals his own ending, one which McGoohan felt was too coventional (to be fair to Markstein, any ending other than that which we got would have been conventional). This is how it goes: Remember the opening credit sequence where No 6 flings his letter of resignation on his boss' desk (the boss was Markstein, ironically enough). Well, No 6 had years before come up with ways of discovering potential traitors in the spy service. Unknown to him, his superiors had adopted these techniques, and then herded everyone into the Village. No 6 discovers this and is outraged. He resigns, knowing perfectly well they'll come for him and that he too will end up in the Village. His plan is too learn as much as possible and too escape, or learn as much as possible and destroy the Village. In the final episode, as in the real final episode, Fall Out, he is revealed to be No 1, though the proposed Markstein episode would have been fairly lighter in tone, and probably a more literal episode. Yes, it is pretty conventional, but I must say, not a bad way to end such a classic piece of artistry. BUT, I'm a Prisoner fan, and I would never trade the final episode for Markstein's idea. What about you chaps? Which do you prefer, or is that a stupid question which deserves a great collective pummelling. Unfortunately, Markstein had further ideas for No 6. No 6 would, after escaping the Village, flee to a different part of the world each week!!!!! You can see why Markstein and McGoohan fell out. As GCW or Lynchy said on the McGoohan thread, if you didn't get it, you didn't deserve to. McGoohan said he made no concessions to anybody who didn't get it. He said the people who got it, those were the people it was intended for. People who liked to think. God Bless, and rest in piece Mr McGoohan. | ||
| Frank (Frank) Username: Frank Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 79.187.206.46 |
Actually, when I think about who'd be the perfect choice to play No 6 in the film version, I'd have to say Zed would be my choice. No seriously, think about it. McMahon. Lower Case and Big case letters in their names. And more importantly, angry young men tearing their way through rampant diseased mind of the modern world. (Mother, I think my meds have run out). | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.159.152.164 |
I think a young Charles Hawtrey would fit the bill. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.242.126 |
Not so young anymore, mate. I'm 40 in April.  | ||
| Allybird (Allybird) Username: Allybird Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 79.70.53.160 |
Still going to New York? | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.242.126 |
Aye. All booked up. |