"Arrival" is the title of the first episode of the British science-fiction-allegorical series, The Prisoner. It originally aired in the UK on ITV on October 1, 1967 and was first broadcast in the United States on CBS in the summer of 1968. Guy Doleman (November 22, 1923 – January 30, 1996) was an actor born in Hamilton, New Zealand. ... George Baker (born 1 April 1931) is a English actor, who was born in Varna, Bulgaria. ... Paul Eddington playing Jim Hacker in Yes, Prime Minister. ... George Markstein is a writer, who was the co-creator of The Prisoner, a 1967 British television series starring and often written by Patrick McGoohan. ... October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... The Chimes of Big Ben is the title of the second episode of the British science-fiction-allegorical series, The Prisoner. ... Science fiction books, magaznines, film, TV, gaming and fandom material Science fiction (often referred to as either Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of fiction in which at least part of the narrative depends on the impact of science, either real or imagined, to generate settings or events which... An allegory (from Greek αλλος, allos, other, and αγορευειν, agoreuein, to speak in public) is a figurative mode of representation conveying a meaning other than and in addition to the literal. ... The Prisoner was a 1967 UK fantasy-drama television series, starring Patrick McGoohan. ... Independent Television (ITV) is the name given to the original network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up to provide competition to the BBC. In England, Wales and southern Scotland, the channel has been rebranded to ITV1 by ITV plc, the owners of the broadcasting licences for those areas. ... October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... CBS (formerly an acronym for Columbia Broadcasting System, the former legal name of the network) is one of the largest television networks, and formerly one of the largest radio networks, in the United States. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

The episode introduced audiences to the character of Number Six, portrayed by Patrick McGoohan and introduced most of the concepts that would dominate the series throughout its 17 episodes. Number Six Number Six is the central fictional character in the 1960s television series The Prisoner, played by Patrick McGoohan. ... Patrick McGoohan as Number Six in The Prisoner Patrick Joseph McGoohan (born March 19, 1928 in Astoria, Queens, New York) is an American-born Irish actor who starred in the 1960s television series Danger Man (renamed Secret Agent when exported to the US) and cult classic The Prisoner. ...

Plot summary

Introduction

"Arrival" begins with a fast-paced sequence showing a stern-faced man driving a Lotus Seven through the streets of London. After leaving his vehicle in an underground parking garage, the man strides down a dimly lit corridor and throws open the doors to an office. A bald man (played by Prisoner co-creator, George Markstein) watches as the man paces back and forth, clearly raising his voice (thunder is heard in place of dialogue) before throwing an envelope on the desk and slamming his fist down (a nearby teacup shatters from the impact). Lotus Super Seven The Lotus Seven is a small, simple, lightweight two-seater open-top sports car from Lotus, which has been called a motorcycle on four wheels. It is the most successful inexpensive exotic sports car. ... London is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom, and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... George Markstein is a writer, who was the co-creator of The Prisoner, a 1967 British television series starring and often written by Patrick McGoohan. ... Thunder is the sound of the shockwave caused when lightning instantly heats the air around it to up to 30 000 °C (54 000 °F). ...

The man — whose real name is never revealed — drives away from the parkade, unaware that a hearse is following behind. Meanwhile, the camera shows the man's face on his ID card being stamped with a row of XXX. This card is sent away on a conveyor belt to a records room and is dropped into a file cabinet drawer marked "RESIGNED". A Buddhist-style japanese hearse An antique limousine style hearse from Volvo Funeral carriage, Museum of Funeral Customs A hearse is a funeral vehicle, a conveyance for the coffin from e. ...

The man arrives home and enters his flat. He starts quickly packing a suitcase. He tosses a few travel brochures on top and slams the case shut. Outside, a tall individual exits the hearse and approaches the man's front door.

The man does not notice the gas entering through the keyhole into his apartment until it is too late. His vision begins to swirl and he collapses onto a chesterfield.

He awakens sometime later, apparently still in his apartment. Groggily, he gets up and goes to the window. But instead of seeing office towers in London, he sees an Italian-style courtyard surrounded by Roman-style columns and ancient looking buildings. He is now a prisoner of The Village. The Romans adopted the external language of classical Greek architecture for their own purposes, which were so different from Greek buildings as to create a new architectural style. ... A part of Portmeirion, the real-life filming location for exterior shots of the Village. ...

With a few exceptions, each episode of The Prisoner begins with this opening sequence.

Main storyline

The man — dazed and confused — explores his new prison. He begins meeting inhabitants of The Village and learns its standard greeting — "Be seeing you" (delivered with an odd-looking salute). He takes his first ride in a Village taxi and learns that the inhabitants of The Village are international. He learns that the layout of The Village makes it difficult to leave — surrounded on three sides by mountains, and the fourth by "The Sea". Maps offer no clue as to where The Village is, and no one will answer the question for him.

Returning to the place where he awoke — inside it is a near-perfect replica of his London flat — he sees that the numeral 6 has now been attached to a sign outside. The phone rings when he enters and the newly christened No. 6 is invited to the Green Dome to visit with No. 2.

No. 2 turns out to be a kindly man, a bureaucrat who is apparently only interested in doing a double check as to No. 6's motives for resigning from an unidentified (but undeniably British) organization (presumably of the spying variety). "Co-operate and this can be a very nice place," he says. No. 6 learns that The Village has been spying on him for some time and has a complete dossier on him already — but No. 2 will not say which side runs The Village. During his visit with No. 2, No. 6 first meets the Butler (Angelo Muscat), a short man who never speaks and who, as the series progresses, turns out to be just about the only constant in The Village besides No. 6 himself. Angelo Muscat (September 24, 1930 - October 10, 1971) was a character actor. ...

No. 2 takes No. 6 on a tour, and describes The Village as a place where former agents come to either retire or be debriefed. There is no escape, and to illustrate this, No. 2 activates Rover, a roaring, balloon-like "creature", or machine, that envelopes a rebellious Villager, leaving nothing behind. The Rover is a fictional entity from the 1967 BBC television program known as The Prisoner. ...

After this unsettling tour, No. 6 makes his first escape attempt on foot, but is soon captured by Rover who, fortunately, does not kill No. 6 this time.

No. 6 awakes in The Hospital where he finds Cobb, a former colleague, who has also been incarcerated. Cobb is not very useful as a source of information and, moments before No. 6 returns from a brief interrogation, jumps out the window to his death.

No. 6 leaves the hospital and is forced to wear a Villager's costume as his old clothes have supposedly been burnt. The first thing he removes is the identity badge (with an image of a Penny-farthing bicycle — the Village's insignia) identifying him as No. 6. Except on rare occasions, No. 6 will never wear such a badge again. The penny-farthing is an early model of bicycle, produced in England in 1870. ...

No. 6 storms up to the Green Dome to confront No. 2, only to discover that it is now a different man. No. 2 can be and is replaced from time to time, for reasons not explained. This No. 2 is a colder individual, less friendly towards No. 6.

Later, No. 6 observes the funeral service for Cobb and sees a beautiful young woman following behind the funeral procession. He confronts her and learns that she was Cobb's lover. At a later rendezvous she reveals that she and Cobb were working on an escape plan and she promises to help No. 6 escape. The Prisoner is suspicious when he sees her visiting with No. 2. But she claims her intentions are honourable and she gives No. 6 an electropass, a modified wristwatch designed to stave off Rover and allow access to the Village's helicopter. The girl refuses to accompany No. 6.

The Prisoner makes his way to the helicopter pad and uses the electropass to keep Rover at bay as he boards the vehicle. He takes off, but unknown to him he is being observed by No. 2. A technician takes control of the helicopter via remote control and soon No. 6 is back in the Village.

The girl's true motives are left a mystery (she is never seen again), but before No. 2 can deal with No. 6, he first has to dismiss his latest successful "conversion" — Cobb. As Cobb leaves, he tells No. 2 he "mustn't keep my new masters waiting" and warns that No. 6 "will be a tough nut to crack". The last words No. 2 and Cobb exchange are "Au revoir" and "Auf wiedersehen", idioms of farewell in French and German which literally refer to vision, as "Be seeing you" does. It is also left ambiguous if Cobb's use of German indicates his (new?) loyalties. An idiom is an expression (i. ...

The episode ends with a defeated No. 6 leaving the helicopter pad, as the Butler passes a sign that says "Residents Only."

Additional guest cast

• Taxi driver: Barbara Yu Ling
• Maid: Stephanie Randall
• Welfare worker: Fabia Drake
• Shopkeeper: Denis Shaw
• Gardener/electrician: Oliver MacGreevy
• Ex-Admiral: Frederick Piper
• Waitress: Patsy Smart
• Labour Exchange manager: Christopher Benjamin
• Supervisor: Peter Swanwick
• Hospital attendant: David Garfield
• Guardian: Peter Brace
• Guardian: Keith Peacock

Patsy Smart (born 1918-died 1996) is a British actress who is possibly best known for her performance as Maud Roberts in the 1970s television drama Upstairs Downstairs. ... Christopher Benjamin is a British actor, born 27 December 1934 in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England. ... Peter Swanwick (born 1922 in Nottingham, England; died November 14, 1968) was a British actor best remembered as starred as the Supervisor (sometimes called the Controller) in the 1967 TV series, The Prisoner. ...

Notes

• Two versions exist of "Arrival". A slightly longer version, with different theme music and several different scenes (including a different conclusion in which Rover attacks No. 6 after he leaves the helicopter), was released on DVD in the UK in 2003. Rumours of a two-hour version have also persisted, however no such edit has yet been located.
• Rover was not identified by this name until the later episode The Schizoid Man.
• This episode introduces a very subtle subplot which would only be addressed in one future episode, "Dance of the Dead". Both feature female characters who are assigned to observe Village inmates and end up falling in love with them. In this episode, "The Woman", while not explicitly described as an Observer, nonetheless wears the same outfit as the Observer in "Dance of the Dead" and appears to have similar duties. "Dance of the Dead" indicates that becoming emotionally attached to a subject is an occupational hazard for Observers, which appears to be the case in "Arrival" with "The Woman" and Cobb, and in "Dance of the Dead" when Number 6's Observer also develops an apparent attachment.