Memories of 1977…my Dad suggesting that ‘there’s a programme on ITV you might like called the Prisoner…the episode in question was Hammer into Anvil and I was hooked…then continuity announcer Peter Tomlinson (who later occasionally appeared as a kind of middle class Tarzan in Tiswas) asking viewers to send in their thoughts about the programme….followed at the end of Fall Out by Dave Barrie’s letter and me walking to the post office at around midnight to post my letter.
Three or four ALERTS later and I went to the first convention at Portmeirion and met the late Andy Radford who informed me there was a Nottingham based local group headed by a lady called Jackie Butcher. Several meetings later I was firmly ensconced in the group and holidaying in Scotland for three weeks with the redoubtable Mr Jeremy Guy about whom only extremely complimentary things can be said. Also, Scottish TV was showing the Prisoner when we went!
After this my memory is a blur of meetings at the Crystal Palace at which the most frequent topic of conversation was ‘why aren’t we talking about the Prisoner?’ followed by ‘Shut up’ and on one occasion beer being poured over someone’s head.
But to be serious …just take a look at the TV section in HMV – all those ‘classic’ shows that are available to buy – television, not as some disposable entertainment but as something worthwhile, worthy of your time, worthy even of study – we did that. By getting together back in 1977, by promoting The Prisoner as, I think justifiably, the first genuine work of televisual art (near as dammit) we helped to change the public perception of what TV could be. What was the first ‘classic’ show that Channel 4 broadcast? – The Prisoner – we did that.
Three cheers for Peter Tomlinson for generating the spark that led Dave Barrie and then Roger Goodman (three cheers apiece) to light the torch and for all of us then and all of you now, for keeping the flame alive.
Mike Mclester
