DEAR FENELLA

One of the most iconic aspects of 'The Prisoner' series is the cheery yet sinister unseen Village Voice, whch was so memorably provided by actress Fenella Fielding.

Whilst very much a serious stage actress, she is probably best remembered for her comedy performances (such as her iconic appearance in 'Carry On Screaming') and husky tones.

Sadly, Fenella passed away in 2018 but her legacy lives on through a new book by her close friend Simon McKay.

'Dear Fenella... 90 Years, 90 Letters' is a joyous celebration of Fenella's life and career, told through a series of 90 letters she received at various pivotal moments in her life. 'The Prisoner' is of course mentioned over various pages, as are others connected to the series such as Peter Wyngarde. Some are celebrity letters, others are professional, and some are from fans. Collectively they make a unique and well worthwhile book.

Available from Quoit Media Limited HERE, the hardback book of 216 pages is a beautiful and lavish celebration of a life well lived.

BEST OF LUCK WITH YOUR EXAMS

News just in is that Leslie Glen has written and published a third, and his final, volume of Prisoner quiz books!

'The Prisoner Interrogations 3' is now available from The Village Shop HERE, as well as other online stores and elsewhere.

As with the first two volumes (also available from HERE), the questions are set out in the form of a series of examination papers, all written by Leslie, covering many aspects of the series and its episodes.

The book also includes a foreword from Rick Davy, and some rear-cover praise from the likes of Tony Sloman and the late Eric Mival. Leslie has confirmed that this will be the final volume in the series, and is available in very limited numbers, so order today to avoid disappointment.

With thanks to Leslie Glen for this news item.

ERIC MIVAL R.I.P.

The Unmutual Website is very sad to announce that Eric Mival, music editor on 12 episodes of The Prisoner (and assistant editor on the other 5) sadly passed away yesterday, 27th August 2025.

TUW's Rick Davy writes: "This is incredibly sad news. As well as being a massive part of the success of The Prisoner through his wonderful music choices (including the inspired choice of 'All You Need is Love' in the final episode) for the episodes, he was also a genuinely lovely and kind hearted person who was always great company and regularly gave up his time to attend Prisoner-related events in Portmeirion and elsewhere. He was a very talented editor, having worked on series such as Doctor Who, The Prisoner, and Strange Report before moving into producing and directing in a long association with the BBC. It was a pure delight to help him put his career into focus for his memoir "Cutting Edge - My Life in Film and Televison". I shall miss him (and his very tasty homemade soups!) terribly and my thoughts are with his dear wife Penny, whom he married whilst working on The Prisoner, and their sons. He was a one-off, and without him The Prisoner would have been a very different series. Rest in Peace, dear chap."

You can watch a video of Eric's funeral service HERE. 'The Prisoner' is mentioned by Eric's three sons in their tributes, and listen out for 'All You Need is Love' used as the outro music, and the series theme tune played on the organ. It was a very moving yet joyful celebration of Eric's life. He will be missed by so many.

FIGURE EXCLUSIVE

Collectors of the official range of action figures for The Prisoner will be excited to hear of a forthcoming new special limited edition figure, which will be available in the UK exclusively through TUW's channels!

The figure (left) is of Number Six in his 'Arrival / Fall Out' suit, but with a difference! As well as interchangeable 'Be Seeing You' hand, it will also have an interchangeable head to become Nigel Stock's Number Six from the episode 'Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling'! The figure will also come in some exclusive and unique Village Foods Packaging (below).

The sets will be available soon from TUW's The Village Shop HERE. There are still some remaining sets from wave 1 and wave 2 available from the same site.

LEGO CASTELL

Regular TUW readers will be aware of the amazing work of David Mackenzie, who has spent the last 21 years re-creating the buildings of Portmeirion in LEGO.

His latest creation (left, and below) is a stunning recreation of the castell Deudraeth building, seen on the drive on the way to Portmeirion, which was used as the hospital building in The Prisoner.

David's website, showcasing all of his amazing LEGO work, is currently offline but hopefully it will be back soon!

SIGN OF THE TIMES

The Unmutual Website was delighted recently to hear from Andrew T Finney regarding a wonderful labour of love he has created.

One of the most iconic visuals in The Prisoner series are the wonderful Village signs, and Andrew has created wonderful replicas (left).

Writes Andrew: "Back in 2020 I researched and compiled drawings of all the free standing signposts contained in the Prisoner series and committed them to CAD drawings. Having already built and painted a very rare 1/6th scale Patrick McGoohan resin kit, I wanted some other prop(s) to accompany him/it. Having scaled the dimensions from the known height of the actor, I could then determine the actual sizes of the posts, canopies and hanging signs."

Click HERE for more information and to download Andrew's pdf guides to these exceptional creations.

CHART TOPPING

For several years, the large room known as 'Chart Room' in Portmeirion was home to the Mermaid Spa, which offered various spa/beauty treatments for residents of the hotel.

Up until the spa was created, Chart Room was a spacious family suiite, available to book on a nightly hotel basis, and TUW is delighted to share the news that Chart Room has now been restored to its former glory and is again available to hire as a two-bedroom family suite again!

Writes Rick Davy of TUW: "I had the pleasure of staying in the new room in May this year just as it opened. It's very spacious and comfortable, with a modern look and fitted with all mod cons, with a lovely seating area out the front to boot. Highly recommended."

THE AGE OF THE TRAIN

Eagle-eyed viewers will have spotted that a familiar place pops up in a new advert, being shown in cinemas and on TV, for rail travel.

Entitled "On the train you can", it depicts a pensioner telling her grand-daughter about the time she fell in love whilst in Italy.

Through a series of flashbacks, Portmeirion is shown doubling for the Italian location discussed. Click HERE to see the advert in full.

SIX ON SEVEN INCH

Lovers of Prisoner-inspired music will want to check out the new single by Paul Hooper-Keeley (PHK).

'I'm Not A Number (I'm A Free Man)' is the third PHK 7" single and is taken from the forthcoming PHK LP, 'You Should All Be Ashamed Of Yourselves', released June 17, 2025.

The single features Tim Mitchell-Smith of The Threads on Bass and Tom Davies on Drums (PHK playing/singing everything else) and was recorded at The Mushrooms, Birmingham, in March 2025.

Click HERE for more details and to order on 7" vinyl.

With thanks to Derek Joyce for this news item.

VILLAGE INSPIRATION FOR SALE

Fancy living in the retirement home for spies that was the part-inspiration for The Village in 'The Prisoner'?

Well now you can! Inverlair Lodge (left), located in rural Scotland near Inverness, is up for sale following extensive refurbishment!

The site was owned by the Special Operations Executive for many years, at which British spies were rested and re-trained. In the mid-1960s, its history went across the radar of George Markstein, who used it as part-inspiration when co-writing 'Arrival'. Markstein went on to write the 1973 novel 'The Cooler' (available HERE) about the location. More information on the history of Inverlair and 'The Prisoner' can be read HERE.

It can all be yours for only £1.25m. Click HERE to read more about its sale, and to see lots more photos.

With thanks to Cat Frumerman for this news item.

WAVE 2 IN STOCK

More news regarding the official range of 'The Prisoner' action figures from Wandering Planet Toys is that The Village Shop (operated by Quoit Media Limited) now has the Wave 2 figures in stock!

Choose now from a fantastic range of figures including several Number Six variants, Chimes of Big Ben (pictured below) and It's Your Funeral sets, various Number Two figures, plus the Taxi Driver, Supervisor (pictured, left), and the Watchmaker's Daughter!

Click HERE to order now, ships worldwide!

OFFICIAL ACTION UPDATE

Readers may recall the announcement (below) that Wandering Planet Toys are increasing their range of official 'The Prisoner' action figures by launching, via a Kickstarter HERE, 1/12-scale action figures of Number Six and Number Two (below).

BREAKING NEWS: The Unmutual Website can exclusively reveal that a special 'Prisoner' lunchbox (left) will also now be part of the campaign!

Click HERE for more details - and photos - of this exciting development! And click HERE to back the project and pledge!

With thanks to Wandering Planet for this news item.

NORMA'S TREASURES ON SALE

Norma West is one of the most popular actresses to appear in 'The Prisoner', playing the iconic Girl Bo Peep in the episode 'Dance of the Dead'.

Still going strong, living in Spain, and with a wonderful career to look back on, Norma is now offering at auction a large collection of items related to her career, and that of her long-term partner, producer June Wyndham-Davies.

This sale/auction will be of huge interest to fans of 'The Prisoner' as one of the lots is for Norma's original Number 240 badge (left), plus her original script and call sheet. As of 7th May 2025 bidding has reached £2000.

Norma and June's items are available to bid on at Chiswick Auctions HERE until May 18th 2025.

Update: The lot sold for a whopping £3600!

With thanks to Norma West for the information.

CALL TO ARMS

The Unmutual Website is excited to announce that The Village Shop, operated by Quoit Media Limited, has recently obtained all the remaining stock of Patrick McGoohan's celebrated and award-winning 'Armchair Theatre' appearances which were released by the now-defunct company Network.

Both Volume 3 and Volume 4 of the series are available to purchase separately, or as a bundle, HERE.

Each volume contains four discs. Volume 3 (left) features 'The Man Out There', in which McGoohan plays the part of a stranded cosmonaut, and Volume 4 'The Greatest Man in the World', which won McGoohan a BAFTA.

The remaining stock is less than 100 units for each volume, so do order today to avoid disappointment. It is unlikely that either volume will be re-released in future.

RACHEL HERBERT 1935-2025

The Unmutual Website is sad to learn that 'The Prisoner' and 'Danger Man' actress, Rachel Herbert, who so memorably played the part of Number 58, who later became Number 2, in the episode "Free for All" has passed away at the age of 90.

A fine stage and screen actress, she first worked with McGoohan on the 'Danger Man' episode 'Say it with Flowers' and was asked back by McGoohan for his later series. Whilst her lines were scripted, Herbert based Number 58's peculiar speech on a Slavic friend of hers to ensure authentic Eastern European-sounding vowel sounds.

She appeared in several other ITC series including 'Man in a Suitcase' and 'The Champions', as well as memorable appearances in dramas such as 'Lord Peter Wimsey', 'Crown Court', and 'Callan'.

A popular figure at TV-related events, including some appearances at 'Prisoner' events over the years, her last-known public appearance was at the launch event for Robert Fairclough's biography of Ian Carmichael in 2011. She will be fondly remembered by all who knew her. RIP.

COLUMBO MARSHALLED

Rodney Marshall (son of ITC script writer Roger Marshall) will be a familiar name to readers, following the publication of his wonderful guides to 'Danger Man' (available HERE).

Rodney now has a new book available (cover left) all about the fascinating topic of Patrick McGoohan's involvement with Peter Falk and the 'Columbo' TV series entitled; "In the Destructive Element Immerse".

Writes Rodney; "(the book) explores the remarkable rapport which instantly and magically sparked, and then developed and deepened, between Peter Falk and Patrick McGoohan on the Columbo television series. Two mavericks who had fought against the ‘system' throughout their working lives, and finally found a secret sharer, a like-minded, rebellious collaborator to work with, and have fun with, on-and-off, for a quarter of a century. Two actors who refused to accept the studio's sausage factory, assembly-line approach to churning out television shows and who took the time to craft genuine TV magic. By exploring all six episodes which they worked on together, and drawing on their own recollections, this book seeks to explain how two ‘rebels with a cause' sought to push the envelope on one of the most popular series in the history of television. "

Click HERE to order the book direct from Amazon.

AFTERMATH AVAILABLE

In recent years, actor and artist Brian Gorman has created several special pieces of work related to 'The Prisoner' series, in particular the live stage show and accompanying graphic novel and audio CD release 'Everyman' (available HERE) was very well received by critics and fans alike.

2025 sees the release of his new work. 'Aftermath : Return To The Village' examines the philosophy and ideas of Patrick McGoohan's groundbreaking creation, in an entertaining and thought-provoking story, told in the style of an imagined sequel.

Limited to only 100 copies, the book is available for only £9 plus postage from the publisher's website HERE and comes highly recommended.

For more details and photos, click HERE.

With thanks to Brian Gorman for this news item.

FOLLOW THAT CARR

Those who like to follow the TV appearances of Portmeirion will want to set their digi-boxes to record for the new series of Alan Carr's 'Interior Design Masters' (left), as the Village is set to appear in one of the episodes! The series begins on BBC1 in the UK on 10th April 2025.

This follows hot on the heels of a recent (April 2025) episode of "Our Dream Farm" with Matt Baker also covering the village!

SECOND COOK BOOK

'The Final One' is a sequel to the novel 'A Few Happy Returns' (both by David John Cook) and is "a tale of friends and colleagues reunited along with new comrades in espionage. But with such a group, can any One of them be trusted?"

Both books are available to order from publisher Quoit Media Limited HERE.

The blurb for 'The Final One' is as follows; "An esteemed British intelligence agent's quiet night at home is vividly interrupted, as an old friend is suddenly in desperate need of help! But aiding him could require busting open a cover-up of an event that occurred a decade earlier. Meanwhile, a noted criminologist's investigations into a series of grizzly murders may well complicate matters even further… "

Both books come highly recommended from The Unmutual Website and are purely not-for-profit in aid of RNLI stations in Wales and elsewhere.

THAT'S THE SPIRIT

In 2023 sad news broke that Network Distributing, the company which held licensing rights from ITV to release 'The Prisoner' (and countless other classic TV titles) had gone into liquidation.

Earlier this year the company Spirit Entertainment, one of the largest DVD and BluRay distributors in the world, have negotiated a deal with ITV and have re-released Network's 50th anniversary DVD collection under their branding.

The set (pictured left) contains 6 discs, which feature all 17 episodes (with optional text commentaries written by Rick Davy of TUW detailing the production history of the show), plus the feature-length documentary 'In My Mind' and a host of other special features.

The set, along with a complete list of contents, is available from Quoit Media's The Village Shop HERE.

1/12 PRISONER

More exciting news has reached TUW from Wandering Planet Toys, who hold the official action figures license for the series.

As well as wave 2 being available soon (see news item below) they are also launching large-size (1/12 scale) action figures of Number Six and Leo McKern's Number Two (see photo, left).

Click HERE to sign up for notifications from the crowd-funder for this new range.

DIARY DATES FOR 2025

Since the early 1980s, Dave Lally has been organising tours of 'The Prisoner' and 'Danger Man' locations and dates for 2025's selection of events has now been published!

The Spring 'Prisoner' tour will be taking place on Sunday May 25th 2025 as part of a "Spy weekend", with the second tour of the year on Sunday August 10th.

"Danger Man" tours will now take place once per year on their own dedicated date (rather than the morning of the "Prisoner" tours), with Sunday July 13th chosen, again as part of a "Spy weekend". Last but not least, a tour of Elstree film/TV/Prisoner locations will take place on Sunday 14th September 2025.

For more details on these events, and more, visit the events page HERE.

PLAYHOUSE PLANS REVEALED

For several years, Portmeirion's 'Playhouse' (left), which for many years played host to an audio-visual experience on the history of the village, has laid dormant.

In an exciting development this week, North Wales Live has reported that the building is set to be extended (subject to planning permission) to house an exhibition on the history of the location.

Fans of the Village will be thrilled to hear this news, and can read more details from NWL HERE!

NIKE ARRIGHI 1944-2025

TUW is sad to learn that actress and artist Nike Arrighi, who fans of 'The Prisoner' will recognise as the Gypsy Girl encountered by Number Six in 'Many Happy Returns' passed away on 12th February aged 80.

A wonderful actress who also appeared in other ITC titles such as 'The Saint' and 'The Champions', she will also be fondly remembered for some of her horror film roles, which included classics such as 'Countess Dracula' and 'The Devil Rides Out'.

Nike later retired from acting in the 1970s and married a prince, focusing her later years on her art.

TUW extends its sincerest sympathies to her daughter Flavia and her other family and friends. A more detailed obituary can be read HERE, and a brief interview regarding her time on 'The Prisoner' HERE.

With thanks to Al Samujh for this news item.

SIX ON FOUR

'Prisoners, Saints and Persuaders' is a Radio 4 presentation chartering the success of Lew Grade's ITC company, which produced countless classic TV shows from the mid 1950s onwards.

As part of the Archive on 4 brand, the 58-minute show is narrated by legendary acvtor Ian Ogilvy and contains segments/mentions of both 'The Prisoner' and 'Danger Man', with contributions from alumni such as Jane Merrow, Annette Andre, Steven Moffat, Matthew Sweet, Jaz Wiseman, and Dick Fiddy.

The show is available on BBC iPlayer HERE.

KINDLE FOR ALL

'Free For All - Rediscovering The Prisoner' is a wonderful book by Chris Bainbridge and Cai Ross, based on their successful podcast of the same name.

Published in paperback in 2023 by Quoit Media Limited, TUW is pleased to learn that as well as the existing paperback, the book is now also available on Amazon Kindle.

Join Chris and Cai - and some of the Prisoner experts they met along the road - as they go through The Prisoner's seventeen episodes, and find out what they gleaned from what turned out to be the ultimate binge-watch. Inside you'll discover historical information about the making of the series and about the cast, eye-opening trivia, original illustrations, theories, counter-theories, a reading guide and much, much more.

Click HERE to order the paperback direct from the publisher, or HERE for Amazon Kindle.

CHRISTOPHER BENJAMIN R.I.P.

TUW is very sad to hear the news that 'Danger Man' and 'The Prisoner' actor Christopher Benjamin has passed away at the age of 90.

Christopher played three different characters in 'The Prisoner' - and was always adamant that they were different characters to each other than the role he played in 'Danger Man' - and had a long list of TV shows, films, and theatre and audio productions to his name.

Beloved by fan groups of other cult titles such as Dr Who and Hawk The Slayer he was likable, talented, and pleasant in equal measure and will be greatly missed. TUW's thoughts are with his family and friends at this very sad time.

With thanks to Gareth Bevan and Tim Cannon for this news item.

ETERNAL ESSAY

'The Eternal Village', the Seattle-based bastion of USA appreciation for 'The Prisoner' have created a wonderful online resource for fans of the series, exploring the music created for, and by, fans of 'The Prisoner' over the years.

The huge essay, which includes details of soundtrack releases, homages, and much MUCH more, can be found at https://www.karlfrunz.com/music-begins.html, with an exciting opportunity at the end of the piece to sign up for a possible future event and feedback about this unique and invaluable piece of work. Contributions can also be provided HERE.

A. B. AND I.T.C.

Thanks to TV historian Alan Hayes, there is now a fantastic new resource online which will be of great value to fans not only of 'The Prisoner' and 'Danger Man', but of all shows made unde the banner of Lew Grade's ITC.

The 'ITC Home Media' section of the 'Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) Declassified' website now hosts a complete (but work in progress) pictorial collection and history of the Video, DVD, BluRay, Partwork, Vinyl, cassette, and CD releases for our favourite series.

A unique and unrivaled resource, Alan's wonderful creation can be found HERE.

VILLAGE WALKER

TUW was delighted to hear recently from long-time reader and contributor Simon Maltman, who is probably best known for his Mick Walker series of thriller novels.

Part-inspired by a renewed love for 'The Prisoner' thanks to the recent Free For All Podcast Simon has written a short story based on the series which features the Walker character.

You can read the short story for FREE on Simon's blog HERE.

With thanks to Simon Maltman for this news item.

GUITAR LEGEND DIES

The Unmutual Website is sad to learn that legendary guitarist Vic Flick has passed away.

Best known for providing the famous guitar riff for the James Bond movies, Vic will also be fondly remembered as the lead guitarist on Ron Grainer's epic theme tune for 'The Prisoner'.

Vic also worked with some of the best musical artistes in the business in a long and varied career. More details on the BBC website HERE. TUW's thoughts are with his wife, son, and the rest of his family and friends. RIP.

With thanks to Rob Brown for this news item.

AND ONE MORE THING...

The name of Howard Berk will be a familiar one to fans of the non-Prisoner work of Patrick McGoohan, for Mr Berk wrote the wonderful 'Columbo' episdoe 'By Dawn's early Light', which won McGoohan an Emmy.

Now, five decades later, both Howard Berk's son Peter, and grandson Jordan, are keeping the family writing tradition alive with two separate novels debuting within days of each other - Jordan's "The Timestream Verdict," and Peter's "First Line of Defense".

Writes Peter: "My father was a far better writer than I'll ever be, but I was honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with him in writing several screenplays, three of which I later adapted into novels that became the "TimeLock" series. Because we were so close as father and son, it was completely natural to work together and while he did most of the writing, I was proud to contribute what I could even as I was constantly learning how to improve whatever skills I had."

Both Peter's and Jordan's books can be purchased HERE.

NEW STORY COLLECTION

TUW is indebted to Kevin Plunkett for providing details of a very interesting new book, which explores the career of Patrick McGoohan from a variety of perspectives.

"Self Storage - Tales of Identity, Freedon and Sex" is described thus: "A Valentine from an allo husband to his asexual wife with a big assist from 60's British Television. An idyllic village in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, riddled with surveillance, murder, and crime. Cryptic allegories on The Twilight Zone, philosophical sex, mannequin consciousness, and the art of loving people and things we cannot understand."

Intriguing to say the least! Writes Kevin; " The various stories reflect the long shadow cast by The Prisoner on the contemporary world... The final section is a whimsical reflection on themes of freedom and identity featuring writers and thinkers from the last three centuries, including McGoohan of course, with particular emphasis one the existential thriller, Two Living, One Dead , which I consider a minor masterpiece."

You can read an excerpt from one chapter HERE. The book is available on Amazon kindle and can be purchased HERE.

ANNETTE AT THE MAC

November 9th 2024 is a date for your diaries, as there are not one but TWO opportunities to meet Annette Andre, who of course readers will recognise not only from the 'Prisoner' episode 'It's Your Funeral', but countless other TV series and films including 'The Saint', 'The Avengers', and 'Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'.

Both events are taking place thanks to the organisation Kaleidoscope at the Midland Arts Centre in Birmingham, with tickets for each event priced at only £7.75 each!

First up from 10.00am-5.00pm is the annual 'Missing Believed Wiped' event, which will showcase uncovered, thought lost, TV including unseen segments of Bond movies, 'The Avengers', and more. Annette is one of several special guests at the event and she will be interviewed on stage for one hour at the event, and also be on hand to meet fans and sign photos and books.

Then from 7.00pm is a special celebration of 'Prisoner: Cell Block H', the Australian drama series in which Annette also appeared, where Annette will again be interviewed.

Click HERE for information and tickets for Missing Believed Wiped, and HERE for the Cell Block H event.

ALVIN RAKOFF R.I.P.

TUW is saddened to hear that veteran film and TV director Alvin Rakoff has passed away at the age of 97.

Alvin directed several ITC shows in the 1960s, launching the careers of Sean Connery and Alan Rickman, movies such as 'Crossplot', and directed Patrick McGoohan in the 1991 film "The Best of Friends", which McGoohan stated was one of his favourite roles. Alvin himself recalled that one scene in the film was acted so superbly that he failed to call "cut", such was the emotion that was overcoming him during the scene.

Alvin was a popular, friendly, and very interesting guest at 'Not a Number - A Patrick McGoohan Retrospective' at Elstree Studios in 2018 (available on DVD HERE) and will be remembered with much respect. TUW's thoughts are with his wife Sal, and the rest of his family and friends.

Another obituary, which mentions Patrick McGoohan, can be read HERE.

MONOPOLISED

Exciting news has been announced that Portmeirion now has its own official edition of Monopoly!! With village landmarks and buildings, and places seen in 'The Prisoner' series, the edition is exclusive to Portmeirion and follows on from a Snowdonia edition released last year.

The Portmeirion edition can be purchased directly from Portmeirion HERE.

FREE FOUR ALL

TUW is delighted to share the news that the 'Free For All' podcast, hosted by Chris and Cai, are embarking on a fourth series.

New episodes include a celebration of Portmeirion, a study of George Markstein's book 'The Cooler' (which has a 50th anniversary reprint, see below), a look at the various aborted movie scripts for Prisoner-remakes, and much more, including some very special guests!

Click HERE to hear previous episodes in this highly recommended podcast. A review of 'Prisoner' podcasts can be read HERE.

PAUL WELSH 1953-2024

More sad news has reached TUW. Friend of the website and the man who famously saved Elstree Studios from demolition, Paul Welsh MBE, passed away earlier in September at the age of 71.

Paul devoted his life to Elstree and Boreham Wood, spear-heading the 'Save Our Studios' campain which ultimately saved Elstree Studios, and alongside his friend Bob Redman spent decades celebrating and ensuring Elstree's Screen Heritage.

Always a supporter of The Unmutual and its associated events, Paul was special guest at several.

A selfless, witty, kind, knowledgable, and opinionated individual, Paul was a great friend to many and he will be greatly missed. A further tribute can be read HERE. R.I.P.

BETTE BOURNE R.I.P.

Sad news has reached TUW that Peter Bourne, later to become Bette Bourne, who played the Projection Operator in the episode 'The General' has passed away. He was 84.

A fine actor, Bourne also appeared in 'The Avengers' and toured the country in various Shakespeare plays.

Later changing his name to Bette, Bourne became a leading member of the Gay Liberation Front in the 1980s and later founded the very successful gay cabaret troupe Bloolips.

Bourne continued his very successful career well into the 2000s, winning an Edinburgh Fringe award for his portrayal of Quentin Crisp in the play 'Resident Alien', and also appeared in 'Theatre of Blood' and other well-received stage productions.

Bette Bourne, a true trailblazer of performing and of gay rights, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his friends and family, and it is to them that TUW extends its sincerest sympathies.

With thanks to Simon Mckay for this news item.

TELEGRAPHED

The Prisoner gets a mention in the Sunday supplement of The Daily Telegraph (25/08/2024 edition) in a piece about Inverlair Lodge, the retirement home for spies upon which The Village was loosely based (more details on Inverlair can be found HERE).

Written by Christian Kriticos, the piece includes interviews with Christopher Murphy, who runs the MA programme in Intelligence and Security Studies at the University of Salford, and Rick Davy of The Unmutual Website.

The piece ties in with a 50th anniversary reprint of 'The Cooler', George Markstein's novel, based on Inverlair (see news item below).

Online versions of the article can be read HERE (with a subscription) and HERE (with adverts).

TAKE AN INTERMISSION

One of the success stories of modern times has been the birth and growth of 'Talking Pictures TV', a UK TV channel which specialises in archive TV and film.

Run by father and daughter team Noel and Sarah Cronin, the channel regularly shows items of interest to 'Prisoner' fans, including many of Patrick McGoohan's early film roles.

Exciting news for 2024 is that the channel now produces an excellent monthly magazine called 'Intermission' packed with articles and celebrity interviews.

Issue 5 includes a look at the Lotus 7, with several references and photograps related to 'The Prisoner'.

The magazine is great value, and proceeds go to supporting the channel. Click HERE for more info and to subscribe.

With thanks to Phil Howard for this news item.

HISTORIC PIANO FOR SALE

One of the most iconic elements of 'The Prisoner' TV series is the incidental music, much of which was composed by Albert Elms, who worked on a number of other ITC series.

In an exciting development, the piano upon which he composed some of his pieces is currently up for sale!

Purchased by a Midlands-based film and TV collector in the UK from Elms' family a decade or so ago, the item is now open for offers.

If you're interested in owing Albert Elms' piano, a unique piece of 'Prisoner' history, please contact TUW via HERE for more details and/or to make an offer. Please note that you will need to collect the item from the seller.

NUMMER 6 OUT NOW

'The Prisoner' TV series over the decades has been screened all over the world, with several countries building significant fanbases for the series.

None more so than in Germany, so it is with much excitement that "Nummer 6" (this was the title of the series in Germany), a new 520-page book - the first ever on the series to be written in German - is now available!

Written by Arno Baumgartel and Michael Brune, with contributions from Catherine McGoohan, Rick Davy, and David Barrie, the book is an in-depth German-language guide to the 17 episodes.

German readers of this website should obtain a copy direct from the authors by sending an email to TUW HERE. UK readers can obtain a copy from The Village Shop HERE.

COOLER REPUBLISHED

Exciting news has reached TUW that George Markstein's best-selling Prisoneresque novel 'The Cooler', about spies held at the mysterious Inverloch Cooler - based on the real-life Inverlair Lodge location which The Village was based on - is about to get a 21st century reprint!

Plumeria Pictures have announced a gorgeous new paperback edition (left) for 2024 which will be limited to only 1000 copies.

With a cover by Time Tomorrow, and featuring an introduction by TUW's Rick Davy, the book is a highly recommended piece of 'Prisoner' history, priced at only £9.99 and now available to pre-order for an August release on what would have been George's 95th birthday.

Click HERE to read the full Press Release and pre-order!

WHICH VILLAGE?

Portmeirion features heavily in this month's (as of July 4th 2024) copy of 'Travel Which?' magazine, rated in second place in the magazine's 'Best coastal towns and villages' listing.

Porthmadog was also inlcuded in the listing in 86th place, with the winner being Bamburgh in Northumberland. However, only Portmeirion was given a 5-page spread in the magazine.

With thanks to Bill Lonnen for this news item.

LET ITC ENTERTAIN YOU

'ITC Entertained The World' is the title of a gorgeous new book by Jaz Wiseman, which will be of much interest to fans of 'The Prisoner', 'Danger Man', and the ITC stable of programmes.

The book is a pictorial feast of the promotional brochures and press packs produced for ITC series over the years, and the above series are of course included.

Painstakingly compiled by ITC historian Jaz Wiseman, the book was produced in paperback by Network before their sad recent liquidation, and only now are these paperback copies available. Click HERE to order.

WALK THE WALK

2024 has already seen a successful weekend of location tours relating to both 'The Prisoner' and 'Danger Man', and to quote from 'The Girl Who Was Death': There's more fun to come!

Saturday 20th July is the date for the London Prisoner Group's annual picnic, which this year will take place at Beachy Head (seen in the above episode and also 'Many Happy Returns'.

Then, the weekend of 14th and 15th September will see a weekend of activities, culminating on the 15th with the second of this year's London location tour 'walkabouts'.

For more details regarding these FREE TO ATTEND events, click the events page HERE.

CAN I GET A REWIND?

'The Prisoner' is back on TV!

RewindTV is a new channel on the SKY platform in the UK (channel 190), specialising in classic film and TV from the 1960s to the 1980s, and fans will be pleased to hear that the series is being shown on Mondays Wednesdays, and Fridays on the channel, complete and uncut!

London Live channel in the UK is also showing the series on a daily basis!

With thanks to Simon Coward for the LL info.

JANE IN THE OUTHOUSE LOUNGE

Fans of 'The Prisoner' will be interested to listen to the latest edition of popular podcast 'The Outhouse Lounge', as it is a dedicated 'Prisoner' special!

Joining host Chris Cordani is 'Schizoid Man' actress Jane Merrow, real-life spy Tony Shaffer, and legendary pop-culture supervillain Doomcock to discuss all manner of subjects related to the series.

Jane, as always, talks with both fondness and expertise regarding her experiences working alongside Patrick McGoohan and also discusses her new film, 'Andy', which elicits a fascinating discussion on the pros and cons of Artficial Intelligence.

The genial host and special guests make this podcast a highly enjoyable 75 minutes. Click HERE to listen and watch and listen on YouTube.

In other podcast news, more editions of the 'Free for All' podcast, hosted by Chris and Cai, are now online, including a two-part special on 'Danger Man' and a two-part special on 'Prisoner' merchandise. Click HERE to listen, and click HERE to buy Chris and Cai's book based on the podcast!

For a full guide to 'Prisoner' podcasts, click HERE.

WAVE 2 FIGURES ARE GO!

TUW readers will recall from the news item below, that Wandering Planet Toys are releasing a second wave of their official 'The Prisoner' figures - and exciting news has come that the kickstarter backer campaign for the second release is now live!

Figures this time include new Number Six variants (including from 'The General'), three new Number Two actors (including Leo McKern, pictured left with new Butler figure) and lots more!

Click HERE to see more details, images, and to back the campaign and order your figures and sets!

R.I.P. GLENIES

TUW is very sad to learn that long-time fan of 'The Prisoner' Glenies McCairns, AKA Glenys Siefers, passed away today after a long battle with cancer. Glenies will be known and fondly remembered by 'Prisoner' fans from all corners of 'Prisoner' fandom. 

A familiar face since the birth of Prisoner fandom in 1977, Glenies was a constant presence at conventions in Portmeirion over the decades - at which she was often found performing in re-enactments, including the last to act with Alexis Kanner - and more recently at the ITC celebration events at Elstree.

With a cheeky smile and rebellious nature, and a thorough knowledge of the series and its star Patrick McGoohan, she will be greatly missed by all who knew her, including those who she befriended online on various Facebook groups for the series (click HERE to leave your comments/memories on TUW's facebook post for her). May she RIP.
Rick Davy, TUW.

Photo (c) Simon Morley. With thanks to Glenies's best friend, Jan Davis.

IMPRINT RELEASE NEW MEGA SET

Exciting News! Imprint Films in Australia are releasing what can only be described as 'the megaset to end all set's for The Prisoner series.

The new six-disc BluRay HD release not only contains all 17 episodes, complete with text commentaries on every episode, but will also contain most of the elements from BOTH Network anniversary releases, plus all new content including FIVE Danger Man episodes in HD!

The special features content will therefore be unrivalled, with TWO feature-length documentaries, new and archive interviews, audio and text commentaries, behind the scenes footage, image gallery, plus 5 'Danger Man' episodes (two on BluRay for the first time).

For more details, visit HERE and read the full list of amazing features!

Limited to only 1500 copies, the set can be pre-ordered from HERE.

FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING

Readers will recall (and hopefully own) the wonderful and official 'The Prisoner' action figures produced by Wandering Planet Toys in recent years (see archived news story HERE).

Exciting news is that in April 2024, wave 2 of the figures will launch via kickstarter!

Wave 2 figures will include Leo McKern's Number 2, the Taxi Driver (pictured left), and several others to be announced, to add to the existing Number 6 and Number 2 figures from the first wave.

Click HERE to visit the pre-launch page where you can sign up for alerts regarding these astonishing items.

With thanks to Wandering Planet Toys.

HORST & SANDS R.I.P.

TUW is sad to report that two more members of the 'Prisoner family' have sadly passed away recently.

Firstly, Horst Naumann (left), who provided the voice for Patrick McGoohan in the German dubbing of 13 episodes of the series back in 1969 has died at the age of 98. Horst was a world-renowned voiceover artist and was still active at the time of his passing. For more information on his involvement in the series, click HERE (scroll down for English).

Secondly, Sands Lewis, manager of the 'Prisoner Shop' in Portmeirion, has also sadly passed away. Sands was always a friendly and welcoming face for all visitors to Portmeirion and was a great asset to the village and managed the shop superbly over recent years.

TUW's thoughts and sympathies go to the families and friends of Horst and Sands.

With thanks to Arno Baumgärtel and Tegwen Parry for this news item. Photo (c) Arno Baumgärtel .

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.