Six of One Info: The Prisoner Appreciation Society, Six of One Information

The anniversary of the reopening of the Portmeirion hotel after the 1981 fire occurs Tuesday 29th April. The fire was on Saturday 6th June 1981 and the reconstruction and renovation of the hotel took several years in order to restore it to its former glory. At the hotel, they are having a reopening 20th anniversary ceremony with all the members of staff who worked there at the time the hotel reopened in 1988. Portmeirion is producing a limited edition commemorative brochure to mark the event and is handing a copy to its former members of staff.

Six of One keeps in touch with as many actors and production people as possible and this year is no exception. We have received many nice comments and well wishes from actors and production staff from across Britain and overseas:

‘Best wishes to everyone at Six of One. The Prisoner has stood the test of time very well… have a good time at the convention in Portmeirion’… Pat Jackson – director of The Schizoid Man…

‘Very best wishes for the Prisoner Convention, these events are always splendidly organised by Six of One’… Peter Howell

‘Thank you for your kind invitation... I may add that I am seriously considering the trip... Frankly I am quite fascinated at refreshing extraordinary memories of my prisoner days in spectacular Snowdonia. Best Wishes for the New Year’... Aubrey Morris (USA)

‘Congratulations on your long running success with Six of One - a remarkable record for a wonderful series’. ‘Everyone who worked on 'The Prisoner' felt that it was special, and Pat McGoohan was inspired -probably his best ever performance...Good luck, always’… Alan White 'Roland Walter Dutton' - 'Dance of the Dead'

‘Congratulations to the fans of THE PRISONER and the Convention in Port Merion this year’. ‘I am very proud to have been a part of this rebellious and intelligent series and is still on my resume here in Hollywood. Be seeing you’…Bernie Williams (USA) - Prisoner Production Manager.

‘Best wishes’... Peter Bowles ‘Thanks for the invitation to Portmeiricon 2008’... Sir Donald Sinden

The UK channel ITV4 begins a re-screening of The Prisoner from 19th March - the star Patrick McGoohan's 80th birthday
and the birth date stated by him in the opening episode Arrival - with later afternoon repeats.

We are delighted to bring together these two esteemed actors
for the first time since they appeared in the mind bending episode
'The Schizoid Man'!

A special message from production manager Bernie Williams

ight not be sent out from Britain.

The WINTER 2008 mailing (above left) The SPRING 2008 mailing (center and above right)

Craig Conley has kindly provided review copies of his excellent and stylish books and Tarot cards based on the Prisoner filming location, Portmeirion. Full reviews will of course be appearing in our mailings. Remember, Six of One is the only source for Prisoner magazines.

Exclusive look at both the front and back cover of the new Patrick McGoohan biography coming out later this month. The book has 340 pages, almost 470 pictures (many never-before-published), 12 chapters, 7 appendices, a foreword by Peter Falk, an introduction and text by the author Roger Langley and color covers. Read an advance-copy review here.

Retail price is £19.99. The book can be ordered through: www.tomahawkpress.com for £15.49 plus shipping (free shipping in the UK).

CONVENTION FAQ CONVENTION EVENTS

USA Fans: A great time to join - get fact-filled mailings, with our glossy magazine, inserts, etc. and a joining pack - plus the FREE Prisoner items detailed below!

We have been discussing Patrick McGoohan's enigmatic TV series since 1977. Join Six of One to receive our glossy magazine and other publications, collect our News Extras and additional inserted free items - all mailed to our worldwide membership. You can attend our Conventions at the series filming location in Portmeirion, Northern Wales UK. Join Six of One instantly online, using PayPal and your credit card. We hope that we will "Be seeing you!" as a member very soon.

For the latest coverage of all Prisoner news, consider a membership and subscription to our glossy magazine.

PRISONER FANS IN THE USA - Now is a great time to join. Get fabulous professionally printed mailings from England including our exclusive member

magazine. You can instantly join online using PayPal and your credit card. Plus get THREE FREE bonus items (shown below).

(LEFT): The Prisoner in Portmeirion book by Roger Langley, available from the Prisoner Shop in Portmeirion.)

Patrick McGoohan's allegorical 1967 television series is studied, analyzed and discussed by our worldwide society of individuals. Get much more out of watching the series by becoming the newest member of Six of One. Start receiving our highly-praised publications, including the only regularly published magazine in the world devoted to The Prisoner. Read exclusive cast and crew interviews, see rare behind-the-scenes photos, share your thoughts with fans worldwide, learn from Six of One seminars, get the latest Prisoner news, download exclusive FREE computer screen-savers, and be eligible to attend our Conventions in Portmeirion - where the series was filmed.

Our society headquarters is in England, and we have long-time representatives in France and the United States. Members around the world receive our packed mailings which include our glossy magazine - along with our other publications, inserts, brochures and special exclusive members-only offers. By supporting us with a membership, we can continue to work hard for Prisoner fans everywhere.

Six of One is officially recognized as the only worldwide appreciation society for The Prisoner television series and is operated solely with the co-operation of Granada Ventures, Portmeirion and many others closely associated with this remarkable program. Be seeing you!

For the details on the latest Prisoner news and products, join us and receive our member packages mailed directly to your home. Get in on the whole world of The Prisoner.

By joining Six of One, you support our efforts to document and preserve the history of the series. Chances are, if you are a Prisoner fan, you have already benefited from our hard work (pre-broadcast edits, replacement of faulty A&E DVD's due to a bad soundtrack, etc.). So why not join The Prisoner Appreciation Society? You can join instantly online using PayPal and your credit card. US fans are encouraged to see the free items available to them, shown at the bottom of this page.

Six of One Web Pages:

What is it all about?

The Prisoner is considered by many to be the most unusual and thought-provoking television series ever made. When it was first shown in England in 1967 there had certainly been nothing like it before and, many would argue, nothing has surpassed it since. The series first aired in the United States on June 1st, 1968 on the CBS network and was repeated in the summer of 1969. Only 16 of the 17 episodes initially aired in the USA, with "Living in Harmony" remaining on the shelf, unaired. This story would get its first US airings in the early 1970's when the boom of UHF broadcast stations made programmers scramble for good programs to air. A recent discovery by Six of One has proved that the 1967 world television premiere of the series was actually in Canada - shortly before the UK airing! This is the kind of detective work that Six of One is famous for. We are responsible for finding the two pre-broadcast edits of the episodes "Arrival" and "The Chimes of Big Ben".

Patrick McGoohan plays a man who resigns from a top secret position and is abducted from his London home. He finds himself in a beautiful village where everything is bright and cheerful - the people, their clothes, the buildings, the flowers. But despite this rosey exterior, the village serves a sinister purpose. People are forcibly brought there in order to have their valuable knowledge protected or extracted. Village residents are assigned a number - the Prisoner is Number Six. Chief interrogator and administrator is Number Two, but he isn't the boss - an unseen Number One is the boss.

Failure is not tolerated in the Village, and most episodes feature a new Number Two, though some are privileged to return for a second chance to break Number Six and discover why he resigned.

The Prisoner struggles to keep this information from his captors and to find out which side runs the Village and where it is. He strives to discover the identity of Number One, and above all, he attempts to escape.

How was the series made?

The Prisoner was made by Everyman Films, a company formed by Patrick McGoohan and David Tomblin, and financed by ITC Entertainment.

Throughout the series, Patrick McGoohan was the executive producer as well as the star, and David Tomblin was frequently the producer. George Markstein, as script editor, provided the writers with some basic facts about the Village and its inhabitants which brought a thread of continuity to each episode.

The imaginative and futuristic sets were designed by art director Jack Shampan and the stirring theme music was written by Ron Grainer.

Patrick McGoohan not only wrote and directed some episodes, but drove everyone else to work as hard as himself. Although exhausted by the experience, most of the crew were proud to have worked on the series and view it as one of the most difficult but satisfying projects they have ever been involved with.

Many talented actors had guest roles in The Prisoner, including Leo McKern, Paul Eddington, Peter Bowles, Eric Portman, Patrick Cargill, George Baker, Mary Morris, Guy Doleman, Rosalie Crutchley and Donald Sinden.

What is Six of One - and why?

It is a trait most peculiar to The Prisoner that after watching the last episode, certain viewers feel a challenge to understand the series and have a desire to learn more about the 17 episodes that have so enthralled them. Many members have said that

they thought they were alone in their appreciation of The Prisoner, until they learned of Six of One: The Prisoner Appreciation Society.

Six of One tries in some ways to fill the void that is left when viewers see Number Six speeding down the runway in his Lotus 7 for the last time. People who otherwise may never have come into contact with each other are given the opportunity to exchange views and experiences.

Memorable stories, outstanding cast, beautiful sets and location shooting, The Prisoner is unlike any television series ever made. And Six of One brings it to you in a whole new light.

"It's very cosmopolitan. You never know who you meet next." - Arrival.

What are we known for?

Six of One is known for in-depth coverage of every aspect of this unusual television series. Our members-only magazine features comprehensive interviews with cast members and crew about the making of the episodes. We are known for uncovering previously unknown details about the show and its making. And we are known for sharing this information with our members, who are constantly surprised at the wide variety of articles and photos contained in each issue of our magazine.

The Honorary President of the society is Patrick McGoohan, who responded to the first contact from Six of One with a telegram which read:

"Profoundly grateful to you and the Society for your interest and understanding. Am honored to accept Honorary Presidency. Blessings to you all. Half a dozen of the other. Be seeing you." - Patrick McGoohan

The enduring quality of Six of One comes from the fact that we recognize each individual member's right to interpret the series in his or her own way - or not to bother at all! We provide a forum for debate but at the end of the day everyone makes up his or her own mind. Six of One is run by a number of stalwart members who contribute their spare time to making the society work - from day-to-day administration to stage management of major events such as our Conventions.

There are many local groups within Six of One in Britain, and indeed, the rest of the world, which hold meetings and organize events. You can contact other members in your area by placing a free advertisement in our magazine.

What does Six of One offer?

Six of One has members worldwide, and over the years has produced hundreds of thousands of words about The Prisoner. We have access to the largest archive of material on the series and we share this information with our members.

We publish a professional, high quality magazine which contains many photographs both from the series and taken during production, many never-before-seen, in-depth articles about The Prisoner, interviews with cast and crew, the latest Prisoner-related news and members' views. Information sheets, press cuttings and contests are also included in the package.

Over the past twenty-eight years, well over 50,000 individuals have been members of The Prisoner Appreciation Society.

We are the oldest and largest Prisoner organization. We publish the only regularly published magazine in the world devoted to the series. Our magazine is printed using professional standards on slick paper, highlighting the beautifully reproduced photos. Our current journal is entitled "Free For All".

We are recognized by the copyright holders, Granada Ventures, as well as by Portmeirion ("The Village").

Our much-anticipated member Conventions have received world-wide attention. Our next Convention will be in 2009. Details about the event are in our member mailings, plus info can be found here:

Join our members in the study of The Prisoner. Find out how we can help you get the most out of this series. The World Wide Web is a wonderful means of communication. But no web site can take the place of a magazine that you can sit down and read, collect and reference time and time again. A magazine written by the most knowledgeable Prisoner authorities on earth - the members of Six of One.

Want even more info? If living in the USA, send a regular business-size SASE (#10 envelope - which is 4 1/8" x 9 1/2"). Put two stamps on this self-addressed, stamped envelope, (three stamps for even more sample pages) and enclose it in another envelope. Send it to:

The Prisoner Appreciation Society
871 Clover Drive
North Wales, PA 19454-2749 USA

If, after reading these pages, you get the feeling that Six of One is no ordinary fan club, you'd be right. Here's a quote from Dave Rogers, author and expert on "The Avengers" TV series...

"If all of this sounds too good to be true, or strikes you as being far-removed from the average "fan" organization, it is hardly surprising. Take it from one who knows, there is nothing average about Six of One. Since its inception, the society has signposted the path for others to follow."

- from his book "The Prisoner & Danger Man".

Due to the increasingly poor exchange rate between the US dollar and the British Pound Sterling, I offer these incentives to new US and Canadian members:

1. A FREE No.6 or No.2 badge refrigerator magnet! A full 2 3/4 inches across. Larger than previous badges and your in choice of design. (If no design is mentioned, I will select one. No exchanges will be possible, so send your choice!). Can be easily made into a pin badge.

2. A FREE full-color Prisoner Promo trading card in archival holder. This card is from the never-released set of Prisoner cards and is the rare "error version" with the incorrectly printed phone number on them. This card has sold on eBay for as much as $20, yet you get one for free by joining Six of One. It even comes in a custom identified "ERROR CARD" top-loading holder for safe-keeping.

3. A FREE full-color MAP AND GUIDE to Portmeirion (The Village). Celebrating its 80th anniversary in the year 2006, this slick-publication opens to reveal over 40 photos showing the buildings, architecture and features of this fantasy resort. Includes a beautiful color aerial photo of the entire Village and detailed map showing all of the many Woodland Walks through the acres of forest.

To receive these THREE very special FREE offers for joining, new American members can simply send a photocopy of your joining Money Order or copy of PayPal confirmation email along with a business size (#10 envelope - 4 1/8 inches by 9 1/2 inches) SASE with three First Class stamps affixed to it (or just send an International Reply Coupon from Canada) to:

FREE offer good while supplies last...

This offer is extended by American Coordinator Bruce Clark (at his own expense) as a THANK YOU to new North American members! Adding $2 cash/check (payable: "BRUCE CLARK") to your envelope you send to our USA address will get you BOTH a No.2 and a No.6 badge! Do NOT add the $2 to your subscription fee. That money goes to the UK - I don't take any member funds to operate here.

The choice is yours - an absolutely free badge magnet, trading card and Village Map (just send evidence of joining and a 3-stamped SASE) or get TWO badge magnets (add $2).

TO JOIN SIX OF ONE, CLICK HERE: join online

We're always happy to hear from Prisoner fans

Six of One is an informal society formed at the end of 1976 for the appreciation of the television series The Prisoner. Names and addresses of members are held at Box 66, Ipswich, IP2 9TZ. These details are not passed to third parties and no other data is held. Subscriptions paid online or by post are sent to Box 66 and used mainly for the production and posting of mailings. The names of persons co-ordinating Six of One from time to time appear in the society’s magazines. If any information is required about the society please refer to our society details which are also provided to all new members, or alternatively write with return stamped addressed envelope or 2 IRCs to Box 66.

Studio interview on BBC Radio Suffolk part 1 9th October, 2007 with Luke Deal (6.0 mins)	Studio interview on BBC Radio Suffolk part 2 9th October, 2007 with Luke Deal (5.5 mins)
Studio interview on BBC Radio Solent part 1 9th October, 2007 with Charlie Crocker (6.3 mins)	Studio interview on BBC Radio Solent part 2 9th October, 2007 with Charlie Crocker (6.0 mins)
Telephone interview on BBC Radio Bristol part 1 10th October, 2007 with Richard Lewis (5.0 mins)	Telephone interview on BBC Radio Bristol part 2 10th October, 2007 with Richard Lewis (6.3 mins)
Studio interview on BBC Radio Sheffield part 1 19th November, 2007 with Gerry Kersey (8 mins)	Studio interview on BBC Radio Sheffield part 2 19th November, 2007 with Gerry Kersey (12 mins)

Six of One: The Prisoner Appreciation Society