50 years ago, on 5 September 1966, in the Italianate village of Portmeirion in Wales filming began on an intriguing new adventure TV series starring Patrick McGoohan.
Patrick McGoohan who had played the lead in Danger Man, was now a ‘prisoner’ in this strange village. Known only as No 6 he had, over 17 episodes, to work out where he was and why?
A classic of 1960s television, The Prisoner was a real labour love for its star, wh
o also helped shape the show, writing and directing key episodes.
In Not a Number – Patrick McGoohan: A Life, Rupert Booth reveals the true character of a man whose off-screen behaviour was as compelling as his fiery on-screen persona.
An exploration of the man whose declaration ‘I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, de-briefed or numbered’ in The Prisoner continues to resonate with audiences decades after it was first uttered with such conviction.
Rupert Booth is an actor and writer living in London. He co-owns the production company Wildeyes TV and is currently working on several books in his spare time. In 2004 he co-wrote with Jon Blum, the first Powys Media’s series of The Prisoner spin-off novels which was received to critical acclaim and he has been a fan of Patrick McGoohan since he saw the series.