I wonder how many folks here might recall that sublime 1960s Patrick McGoohan series "The Prisoner"?


The more I consider that series, the more it seems an analgoue (if only sometimes indirectly) to Mormonism.

"The Village" itself, in the series, held everyone physically capative, preventing any escape attempts through fear of physical harm. But itsn't that exactly what Mormonism does? Imprisons and prevents escape as far as it can through psychological, rather than physical, means (at least in part). Mental barriers replace physical ones.

In the series, there were a couple of stock phrases, which were always meant to represent conditioned responses from inhabitants of the Village:

"Questions are a burden to others"

"Answers are a prison for oneself"


These seem rather familiar, as mental attitudes, from my time in the LDS.


There is one famous phrase uttered by McGoohan. "I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."


I'd like to propose a counterpart for those who have begun recovery: "I will not be called, recommended, interviewed, indoctrinated, fellowshiped, tithed, disfellowshipped. My mind is my own."

a) well remembered.

b) Walter Koening also used that 'signature' in a ST spin-off.

c) You can bet many LDS won't let go of you that easily!

I'm onboard

Thanks :)

escap requires effort, but for so many of us it's well worth it.

To escape the sheer *control*

I always loved that show and yes it reminds me of my time in mormonism.

For me, it reminded me of my mission more than anything.

And those little promo spots from that show where you see McGoohan's face grow larger and then suddenly you see and hear the bars clang in front of his face; I always pictured my face as I fantasized on escaping the mission drudgery.

I did escape the village (mormonism) 22 years ago and no giant white balloon ever brought me back. :)

I do like your updated version of his famous classic phrase. Fits very well.

Thanks :)

Fortunately for me, I never went on a misson; otherwise I'd have been wondering now about how many poor saps I'd helped suckered into a con.

For me, Mormonism just reflects that series' ethos so well.

He's dead now, poor fellow, but I'd have very much enjoyed seeing Patrick McGoohan sitting in on a discussion with a) missionaries and b) GAs.

The latter would have been very interesting.

I've got to finish re-watching that series. I have the 10-DVD set, and have stopped at "Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/2011 08:15PM by michael.

michael Wrote:
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> I've got to finish re-watching that series. I
> have the 10-DVD set, and have stopped at "Do Not
> Forsake Me, Oh My Darling."


Well worth watching through to the end, especially the last two surreal episodes.

Trivia corner: The set used in "Living in Harmony" was also used in the film Carry on Cowboy and in the UFO episode "Mindbender"

quatermass Wrote:
> Well worth watching through to the end, especially the last two surreal episodes.
>
> Trivia corner: The set used in "Living in Harmony" was also used in the film Carry on Cowboy and in the UFO episode "Mindbender"


Thanks for the information regarding the set. I saw "The Prisoner" when it was originally shown here in the US in 1968 (I think), and I wanted to see it again, which is why I bought the DVD set.

> > Trivia corner: The set used in "Living in
> Harmony" was also used in the film Carry on Cowboy
> and in the UFO episode "Mindbender"
>
>
> Thanks for the information regarding the set. I
> saw "The Prisoner" when it was originally shown
> here in the US in 1968 (I think), and I wanted to
> see it again, which is why I bought the DVD set.


Very well worth paying out for the boxed set. So well crafted a programme, and the setting of Portmeirion in Wales is perfect.

Storming in, throwing my resignation down and pounding on the desk and making the teacup jump. lol.. I wish that was me, but at the time I was still very timid and self-conscious. Patrick McGoohan was an inspiration.

Actually, the Car was a Lotus Seven.

I believe you can still buy a version of it. Two snags: a) it costs a good few bob and b) it comes in kit form.

My father owned an Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite when he was in college, and Dad's temperament and the way he dressed and wore his hair when he was young reminds me a lot of Patrick McGoohan. That scene particularly.

I like your nickname "Quatermass." Would you happen to be a fan of Hammer films? ;)

Makurosu Wrote:

> I like your nickname "Quatermass." Would you
> happen to be a fan of Hammer films? ;)


Some Hammer films, yes. However, the Hammer film versions of Nigel Knele's professor were pretty poor. Bernard Quatermass was an intelligent, highly moral scientist. Brian Donleavy (already going to pieces through drink) turned him into a bawling bully.

Another Nigel Kneale production very well worth watching is "Year of the Sex Olympics". Discard the prurient title, this is a highy prescient work predicting the worst aspects of 'reality TV' years before it happened!

Yes, a great series. I saw it back in the late '60s when it was originally broadcast.

The last two episodes are particularly bizarre, and I like the Village's "parting shot" at #6, when he supposedly gets back to his flat in London, and the dwarf butler who always was at #2's house is there and the door to #6's flat closes with the same mechanical sound that all the doors in the Village make.

Meaning? Maybe we never really escape, even though we think we have....

sandlapper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, a great series. I saw it back in the late '60s when it was originally broadcast.
>
> The last two episodes are particularly bizarre, and I like the Village's "parting shot" at #6, when he supposedly gets back to his flat in London, and the dwarf butler who always was at #2's house is there and the door to #6's flat closes with the same mechanical sound that all the doors in the Village make.
>
> Meaning? Maybe we never really escape, even though we think we have....

Do you remember the number on his door as it closed?

> The last two episodes are particularly bizarre,
> and I like the Village's "parting shot" at #6,
> when he supposedly gets back to his flat in
> London, and the dwarf butler who always was at
> #2's house is there and the door to #6's flat
> closes with the same mechanical sound that all the
> doors in the Village make.
>
> Meaning? Maybe we never really escape, even
> though we think we have....


The series can be read on many levels. McGoohan hand a very large hand in those last two episodes, doing much of the scripttwriting himeslf. It shows.

The remake was pretty good too, but nothing beats the original.

presbyterian Wrote:
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> The remake was pretty good too, but nothing beats
> the original.


I have to say I didn't care for the remake. The original had so many distinctive elements to it. 'Rover' was especially inspired, I always felt.

I never saw the remake because it was on a channel I no longer get. For me, there is only ONE "Prisoner," Patrick McGoohan.

Michael, Patrick McGoohan is MY Prisoner, too! I loved that show. It, and old school Doctor Who, were two of my favorite shows, which my kids now enjoy too, along with the new doctors David Tennant/Matt Smith and new companions. Anyway, I totally get the resemblance to the Village and the tentacles of the cult.......so creepy and disturbing, how the smiling 'robots' inside the village go along with the regularly scheduled programming, just like Morgbots programmed to pray, pay, & obey. At least there are far more options and avenues of escape from TSCC, but there are so many horror stories of stalking, threats, etc. from psycho members that the similarities hit very close to home.

Old school Doctor Who -- now, we're getting down to brass tacks! intellectualfeminist, would you like a jelly baby?

I fully relate, and though I also enjoy all the "crash bang" that goes on in the new series, I particularly relished the writing of the old series. That goes for the original Prisoner, a classic that has yet to be matched.

intellectualfeminist Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> TAnyway, I
> totally get the resemblance to the Village and the
> tentacles of the cult.......so creepy and
> disturbing, how the smiling 'robots' inside the
> village go along with the regularly scheduled
> programming, just like Morgbots programmed to
> pray, pay, & obey.

The number of similarities are rather disturbing.