A Free Man: Are You Captivated By "The Prisoner"?


By: R. White

6 Min Quiz

Image: tmdb

About This Quiz

This 1960s cult-classic series follows a kidnapped ex-spy held captive in an isolated society, The Village, where people are known only by number and escape is not an option.

At the beginning of each episode there are a series of questions and answers. Which of the following is NOT asked?

The questions are asked by #6; #2 is the voice who responds. Answers: "In the Village," "Information," and "That would be telling."


In "The Village," the inhabitants are identified with numbers instead of names. What number is assigned to the main character?

No names are used and most residents wear a tag with their number on it. This helps promote the idea that there are no individuals, and people are just numbers.


What is always #6's main goal?

#6 wants to meet #1 so he can find out how to leave The Village. In the meantime, he makes rafts, assumes different identities, and enlists the help of others to get out of The Village.


Who does #6 often combat?

Different #2s step in, usually when the previous #2 is not successful in the pursuit of information from #6. There were more than 10 actors who played #2 in just one season.


Who stars in this series?

Patrick McGoohan created, starred in, and at times, directed "The Prisoner." He was familiar with spy stories, having played John Drake in the television series "Secret Agent."


Why is #6 in The Village?

An unidentified group wishes to know what #6 knows from his days of government spying. He is monitored by cameras, and other spies keep an eye on him.


What prevents people from crossing the perimeter to leave The Village?

The bubbles are shown to form under the waters which line the coast of The Village. They make a loud roaring noise when they are on the move, and measure about 7-10 feet in diameter. They were modeled after weather balloons.


In the opening, there is a silhouette of #6 screaming on the beach. What does he yell?

#6's determination to be an individual is emphasized in every episode. #2 seems to enjoy the challenge of keeping #6 corralled.


The villagers wear colorful apparel. What style is prevalent?

Characters who are lackeys and keep order seem to be ones who most often wear the stripes. #6 never wears them.


What is the symbol/logo of the town council and is worn on the identification buttons?

A penny farthing is astyle of bicycle with an over-sized front wheel. It is associated with the later years of the Victorian era.


In the front of #6's dwelling there is a sign. What does it say?

"Private" is ironic, since #6 is constantly monitored. No one has true privacy in The Village.


Many of the #2's are introduced with a unique item. Which is NOT associated with the #2's?

Several #2's have scarves and canes. Colin Gordon's #2 has the affinity for large glasses of milk and even has a pitcher of it.


One of the episodes takes place in a town called Harmony. What type of setting is it?

#2 creates a fantasy western town and places #6 in it to see if he will crack under the pressures of being a sheriff. #6 is able to separate fiction from fact quicker than anticipated, and the ruse fails.


#6 creates a makeshift gym so he can stay in shape. What components does it have?

The authorities find out about #6's private gym and accuse him of being anti-social. He is then forced to spend time with others.


When #6 is brought before the town council for "disharmony," what is the council wearing?

Conformity and uniformity are used throughout the episodes. Prisoners wear stripes, which lends to the irony of The Village.


What is the catch-phrase used by the villagers and adopted by #6?

#6 finds this saying a bit unusual at first, but uses it as a cover up to his rail against conformity. It helps him blend in, and during his campaign for #2's position.


Part of #6's routine is picking up the local paper. What is it called?

An ironic title, considering it is a phrase used for fox hunting. #6 is constantly being hunted in his attempts to escape from The Village.


What is a saying at The Village?

Anyone who tries toe rebel in The Village is punished or frowned upon. It is best to just say nothing.


In the episode "Checkmate," #6 participates in a real life chess game. What piece is he?

This appropriately defines #6's role in The Village. He has little power or authority and is expendable.


What pressing question does #2 have about #6?

In the series opener, #6 goes home and quickly packs his bag after he slams an envelope that reads "private" and "personal" on his boss's desk. The show never explains the real reason he resigned, and #2 wants to know.


The setting of "The Village" was based on what actual British location?

This village in Wales has become a tourist attraction and still retains much of the look it had when the series was filmed there. The colorful buildings and architecture were created by Welshman, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis.


In one episode, #6 wakes to find the inhabitants of The Village are gone. He constructs a raft and sails away. Approximately how long is he gone before he is found?

Two thugs on a boat find #6. They steal what he has on the raft, toss his body into the water, and leave him for dead.


At "The Old People's Home" there is a beached boat nearby. What is it used for?

The boat is actually in Portmeiron and referred to as "The Stone Boat." It was stranded there and belonged to Portmeiron's architect; it was his houseboat.


What is identified as "Rover"?

Rover is the big, white bubble that keeps prisoners in The Village. It appears spontaneously and plasters itself on the faces of its victims.


What approach does #6 use to finally free himself from The Village?

#6 and his cohorts disguise themselves as hooded goons and get guns. There is a dramatic and fatal shoot-out.


In the final episode, #6 is dropped off in London in front of what landmark?

He is left in front of a government institution. Ah, the irony of it!


What other characters finally "bust out" of The Village with #6?

The butler drives the getaway truck while #2, #48, and #6 share a celebratory dance. They eventually go their separate ways, but the butler stays with #6.


What is finally revealed about #1 at the end of the series?

The answer is somewhat ambiguous. When #6 rips off the mask of the supposed #1, he sees his own face. It could mean that no one can be a #1, or perhaps we are all prisoners of ourselves.


Which Beatles' song is piped throughout the final episode?

The irony is pure when #6 and his allies are shooting to kill anyone who tries to stop them. This song is played amidst the sounds of gunfire.


What song are #6 and his companions singing and dancing to as they venture closer to London?

#6 was singing this song when he was imprisoned. It is a song of elation for them when he and his companions escape The Village.


What pseudonym did McGoohan use for his script writing?

In an interview with Warner Troyer in 1977, McGoohan admitted he did not take writing credits under his own name for several of the episodes. He also used Paddy Fitz.


In the opener of "The Prisoner," the protagonist is speeding along through London in his sports car. What is on the license plate?

The car makes other appearances in episodes where #6 is on mission in London, or when he believes he has escaped. He claims he built the car himself.


In the episode called Harmony, #22 is a female who is unexpectedly smitten with #6. Just before she dies, what does she tell him?

#22 plays along with the western scenario under the direction of #2. After the failure of the set-up, she is killed by colleague #8, who feels she is a threat to plans to get information from #6.


Who starred in the 2009 television mini-series remake of the original series?

Caviezel broke into stardom with his role in Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" in 2004. He also played the lead character, John Reese, in the TV series "Person of Interest."


In the episode "A Change of Mind," #6 tells #86, "I can't stand girls who cannot..." what?

#86 hides a drug in #6's tea, which makes it taste terrible. #6 insists on making the tea himself and utters this comment, much to her frustration.


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