Last in the line-up is a sketch or two from the second season of "A Bit Of Fry and Laurie", in which a British army major taken prisoner by the SS during World War Two develops a sudden attraction to his interrogator, and other bits as well.
04 August 2007
More Bloody Fry And Laurie
Fry and Laurie at it again, this time with the second half of the first episode of "A Bit Of Fry and Laurie", in which a politician makes it quite plain that the schools' primary duty is to teach teen-agers not to break into his car, a man sort of wants to join the SAS, but ends up in a rather strangely run library instead, and all sorts of other stuff like that.
Laurie And Fry: "Language"
From the first episode of "A Bit Of Fry and Laurie", comes this sketch entitled "Language", for you linguistically inclined viewers out there.
For those of you who aren't, well, there's always grunting and making rude noises, now, ain't there???
For those of you who aren't, well, there's always grunting and making rude noises, now, ain't there???
Fry and Laurie: "America"
Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry again, having another musical go at the US with "America".
Laurie composed the tune, and is on vocals and piano, with Mr. Fry on fist.
Be seeing you.
Laurie composed the tune, and is on vocals and piano, with Mr. Fry on fist.
Be seeing you.
Hugh Laurie And Stephen Fry Kick Some Ass
Hugh Laurie, whom most of you will know as "House" from the Fox series of the same name, and his old partner in tv and crime, Stephen Fry, in a sketch from their old BBC TV series, "A Bit Of Fry and Laurie", called "Kicking Ass".
Be seeing you.
Be seeing you.
Last Post(Poem
Category: Writing and Poetry
This last piece, like the others before it, is inspired by an episode of "The Prisoner" I just saw on YouTube.
Who are the Warders,
And who are the Prisoners??
Who can tell the difference between old lags,
Fresh meat,
Old screws
And new screws???
Where is the Warden???
Who is the Warden???
Why does he or she do what he or she does???
In the end, we are prisoners,
We are all warders,
We look for the Warden, but he or she's a prisoner, too.
We are prisoners, if we allow ourselves to be.
Absolute freedom's a myth, but so's absolute slavery.
And, even Wardens yearn to leave their prisons,
Of Power,
Pomp
And Predictability.
Be seeing you.
07:11 - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove
Degree Absolute(Poem)
Category: Writing and Poetry
If I were in a small room,
With a man,
Hectoring, pleading, cajoling
With me, to tell who, what,
How, where, when
And WHY I know,
Do,
Say,
Breathe,
Live,
Die,
I don't know if I could
Avoid
Telling,
Telling,
Telling.
For, in Degree Absolute,
In interrogation,
In questioning,
In torture,
In simple conversation,
There is always the urge to tell all one knows, even if the other doesn't want to hear it.
I
Don't
Know
If
I
Would
Spill
Or
Not.
I've not been in those circumstances.
I hope I wouldn't, but I don't know.
One can never know,
Until one is in them.
Degree Absolute isn't just the province of small, locked rooms.
It can happen in the great outdoors, in broad day-light,
Where much of the horrors of this world take place.
Be seeing you.
07:02 - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove
Poem: Six
Category: Writing and Poetry
Six.
Six into Eight.
Six into Twelve.
Six into Eighteen.
Six,
Six,
Six.
Goes and goes as long and as far as it can go.
Until, it reaches its inevitable end, as do we all.
Six into negative six,
Six into negative twelve,
Six into negative eighteen.
Going, going, gone
Into far reverse, or is it opposite progress.
Towards a similar, if not same, end,
As its other.
Does it break?
Do I???
Do you???
Only time and circumstance can tell.
Six.
Why?
Six.
How?
Six.
Where?
Six.
When?
Six.
Who?
Six.
Zero.
Fini, Done, The End.
06:48 - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove
Category: Writing and Poetry
This last piece, like the others before it, is inspired by an episode of "The Prisoner" I just saw on YouTube.
Who are the Warders,
And who are the Prisoners??
Who can tell the difference between old lags,
Fresh meat,
Old screws
And new screws???
Where is the Warden???
Who is the Warden???
Why does he or she do what he or she does???
In the end, we are prisoners,
We are all warders,
We look for the Warden, but he or she's a prisoner, too.
We are prisoners, if we allow ourselves to be.
Absolute freedom's a myth, but so's absolute slavery.
And, even Wardens yearn to leave their prisons,
Of Power,
Pomp
And Predictability.
Be seeing you.
07:11 - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove
Degree Absolute(Poem)
Category: Writing and Poetry
If I were in a small room,
With a man,
Hectoring, pleading, cajoling
With me, to tell who, what,
How, where, when
And WHY I know,
Do,
Say,
Breathe,
Live,
Die,
I don't know if I could
Avoid
Telling,
Telling,
Telling.
For, in Degree Absolute,
In interrogation,
In questioning,
In torture,
In simple conversation,
There is always the urge to tell all one knows, even if the other doesn't want to hear it.
I
Don't
Know
If
I
Would
Spill
Or
Not.
I've not been in those circumstances.
I hope I wouldn't, but I don't know.
One can never know,
Until one is in them.
Degree Absolute isn't just the province of small, locked rooms.
It can happen in the great outdoors, in broad day-light,
Where much of the horrors of this world take place.
Be seeing you.
07:02 - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove
Poem: Six
Category: Writing and Poetry
Six.
Six into Eight.
Six into Twelve.
Six into Eighteen.
Six,
Six,
Six.
Goes and goes as long and as far as it can go.
Until, it reaches its inevitable end, as do we all.
Six into negative six,
Six into negative twelve,
Six into negative eighteen.
Going, going, gone
Into far reverse, or is it opposite progress.
Towards a similar, if not same, end,
As its other.
Does it break?
Do I???
Do you???
Only time and circumstance can tell.
Six.
Why?
Six.
How?
Six.
Where?
Six.
When?
Six.
Who?
Six.
Zero.
Fini, Done, The End.
06:48 - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove
[27 Jul 2007 | Friday]
A Couple Of Petition Links For My Liberal and Radical Wing-Nut Friends
Category: News and Politics
Just like the subject line says, Folks.
Here are two links to sites where you can sign petitions to send to Congress to have Dicky-Bird Cheney's arse impeached!!!!
The first one's at Democrats.com, and puts your name as a sponsor on a resolution by Dennis Kucinich to have the Dicky-Bow impeached. It's at http://www.democrats.com/impeach-cheney-congressional-record.
The second's from the good ladies at Codepink, and is a simple petition for the same damn thing-gettin' Mr. Undisclosed-Secret Location to finally stand tall before the Man, Woman, and people in Congress and of this country.
It's at http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/codepink/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=651.
These actions mayn't be much, but, they are a start. Get on over there, sign up, and let our governing classes know how you feel and why.
That's all.
Be seeing you.
22:19 - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove
A Poetic Response To A Friend's Poem
Category: Writing and Poetry
Did this just a few minutes ago as a response to a poem by Mr Itchy("Here It Is", I think is the title)on his blog, and decided to re-post it here, 'cos it's the first poem of sorts I've written in a very long while.
The IRA, Black and Tans, Macroom references are to an incident where an IRA flying column wiped out a British auxillary police contingent near the town of Macroom, Ireland, during the Irish War of Independence, in 1920(I think).
There was even a song commemorating that victory that had the verses(only partially recalled here)about the IRA "making shit out of the whole fucking lot."
Be seeing you.
And put paid
To the whole fucking lot
like the IRA
Did to the Black and Tans
At Macroom
So long ago.
21:26 - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove
A Couple Of Petition Links For My Liberal and Radical Wing-Nut Friends
Category: News and Politics
Just like the subject line says, Folks.
Here are two links to sites where you can sign petitions to send to Congress to have Dicky-Bird Cheney's arse impeached!!!!
The first one's at Democrats.com, and puts your name as a sponsor on a resolution by Dennis Kucinich to have the Dicky-Bow impeached. It's at http://www.democrats.com/impeach-cheney-congressional-record.
The second's from the good ladies at Codepink, and is a simple petition for the same damn thing-gettin' Mr. Undisclosed-Secret Location to finally stand tall before the Man, Woman, and people in Congress and of this country.
It's at http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/codepink/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=651.
These actions mayn't be much, but, they are a start. Get on over there, sign up, and let our governing classes know how you feel and why.
That's all.
Be seeing you.
22:19 - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove
A Poetic Response To A Friend's Poem
Category: Writing and Poetry
Did this just a few minutes ago as a response to a poem by Mr Itchy("Here It Is", I think is the title)on his blog, and decided to re-post it here, 'cos it's the first poem of sorts I've written in a very long while.
The IRA, Black and Tans, Macroom references are to an incident where an IRA flying column wiped out a British auxillary police contingent near the town of Macroom, Ireland, during the Irish War of Independence, in 1920(I think).
There was even a song commemorating that victory that had the verses(only partially recalled here)about the IRA "making shit out of the whole fucking lot."
Be seeing you.
And put paid
To the whole fucking lot
like the IRA
Did to the Black and Tans
At Macroom
So long ago.
21:26 - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove
27 July 2007
I'm Not A Number, I'm ... In A Documentary With Lew Grade???!!!
From 1983, when "The Prisoner" was shown again in the UK on Channel Four, comes this excerpt from a Channel Four documentary, which features an interview with McGoohan about "The Prisoner", and the circumstances behind its creation, as well as with Lord Lew Grade, who was the head of ATV, the Manchester, England-based television production company that produced and distributed the show world-wide through its distribution arm, ITC.
Grade, born Lewis Winogradsky, was an archetypal show-business mogul, who often made his decisions to go ahead with film or television shows based more on hunches and gut reactions to what he was told about the projects' concepts, than on market research, focus groups, and all the rest of that nonsense.
Sometimes, as in the case of "The Prisoner", his hunches worked spectacularly well. Sometimes, they didn't.
Either way, here's your chance to see just what such a mogul looked and sounded like for yourselves.
Be seeing you.
Grade, born Lewis Winogradsky, was an archetypal show-business mogul, who often made his decisions to go ahead with film or television shows based more on hunches and gut reactions to what he was told about the projects' concepts, than on market research, focus groups, and all the rest of that nonsense.
Sometimes, as in the case of "The Prisoner", his hunches worked spectacularly well. Sometimes, they didn't.
Either way, here's your chance to see just what such a mogul looked and sounded like for yourselves.
Be seeing you.
I'm Not A Number, I'm ... Giving An Interview???!!!
From 2001, when this telephone interview with Patrick McGoohan, star and creator of "The Prisoner", originally broadcast on French tv in 1997, was issued as part of a French DVD edition of "The Prisoner", comes this interview between the host, who was also a co-author of a book on "The Prisoner", a copy of which I have here at home, and McGoohan himself, speaking via telephone from Los Angeles.
Among the items discussed in the interview are plans for what was then an up-coming film adaptation of "The Prisoner", for which McGoohan wanted Mel Gibson to play the new Number 6.
Mind you, this interview was done ten years ago, before all the recent brouhaha about Mr. Gibson's ultra-montane Catholicism, alcoholism, and anti-Semitism exploded.
Also interesting, because McGoohan, like Gibson, is a devout, and quite conservative, Catholic, though I don't know, and hope he doesn't take his beliefs, to the ridiculous extremes that Mr. Gibson and his father do.
Be seeing you.
Among the items discussed in the interview are plans for what was then an up-coming film adaptation of "The Prisoner", for which McGoohan wanted Mel Gibson to play the new Number 6.
Mind you, this interview was done ten years ago, before all the recent brouhaha about Mr. Gibson's ultra-montane Catholicism, alcoholism, and anti-Semitism exploded.
Also interesting, because McGoohan, like Gibson, is a devout, and quite conservative, Catholic, though I don't know, and hope he doesn't take his beliefs, to the ridiculous extremes that Mr. Gibson and his father do.
Be seeing you.
We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Whatever
Am taking a little break from posting "Prisoner" and "Prisoner"-related videos here, to post links to three stories that I think are of importance, and, in one way or another, are related to issues discussed in "The Prisoner".
The first is to Rosa Brooks' op-ed piece in to-day's LA Times on yet another Administration Executive Order, this one issued on Friday last, that essentially authorises the CIA to snatch anyone anywhere in the world, as long as the CIA's Director believes him or her to be somehow linked to Al Qaida or other such groups.
It can be found here at http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-brooks27jul27,0,7795419.story?coll=la-tot-opinion&track=ntottext.
The next one also comes from the LA Times, and is another op-ed piece, this one by Brian Copeland, an African-American playwright, on why and how Barack Obama isn't considered a "real" African-American by some in the African-American community, and by others outside of it as well, and how this kind of "identity policing", if anything, only further encourages stereotyping and bigotry.
It can be found at http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-copeland27jul27,0,90968.story?coll=la-tot-opinion&track=ntottext.
The third and last link is to an In These Times story on how Latino kids, including illegal immigrant kids, are targeted by US military recruiters, and advertisers working for them, and are lured into joining up by sometimes true, sometimes false, promises of citizenship and other benefits for themselves and their families.
It's located at http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3271/illegal_immigrants_uncle_sam_wants_you/.
All right, so the issues in the last two stories weren't discussed in "The Prisoner".
But, on the other hand, the use and abuse of power, the snatching of people from their homes and off the streets and indefinitely imprisoning them, the pressure to conform to some group ideal, and the use of truths, half-truths, and outright lies by those in power to get what they want, were discussed in the show, and, I think, are quite apparent in these stories.
A little something for y'all to mentally munch on on this hot July day.
Be seeing you.
The first is to Rosa Brooks' op-ed piece in to-day's LA Times on yet another Administration Executive Order, this one issued on Friday last, that essentially authorises the CIA to snatch anyone anywhere in the world, as long as the CIA's Director believes him or her to be somehow linked to Al Qaida or other such groups.
It can be found here at http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-brooks27jul27,0,7795419.story?coll=la-tot-opinion&track=ntottext.
The next one also comes from the LA Times, and is another op-ed piece, this one by Brian Copeland, an African-American playwright, on why and how Barack Obama isn't considered a "real" African-American by some in the African-American community, and by others outside of it as well, and how this kind of "identity policing", if anything, only further encourages stereotyping and bigotry.
It can be found at http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-copeland27jul27,0,90968.story?coll=la-tot-opinion&track=ntottext.
The third and last link is to an In These Times story on how Latino kids, including illegal immigrant kids, are targeted by US military recruiters, and advertisers working for them, and are lured into joining up by sometimes true, sometimes false, promises of citizenship and other benefits for themselves and their families.
It's located at http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3271/illegal_immigrants_uncle_sam_wants_you/.
All right, so the issues in the last two stories weren't discussed in "The Prisoner".
But, on the other hand, the use and abuse of power, the snatching of people from their homes and off the streets and indefinitely imprisoning them, the pressure to conform to some group ideal, and the use of truths, half-truths, and outright lies by those in power to get what they want, were discussed in the show, and, I think, are quite apparent in these stories.
A little something for y'all to mentally munch on on this hot July day.
Be seeing you.
I'm Not A Number, I'm ... A Prison Guard???!!!
This clip is from a 1962 Irish film adaptation of Brendan Behan's anti-capital punishment play, "The Quare Fellow", in which McGoohan starred as a new guard at a prison who is called on to attend a hanging.
In this scene, McGoohan has a bit of a spat with the doomed convict's wife, played by Sylvia Syms.
Be seeing you.
In this scene, McGoohan has a bit of a spat with the doomed convict's wife, played by Sylvia Syms.
Be seeing you.
I'm Not A Number, I'm ... A Pirate Radio DJ!!!
This clip is from a 1964 episode of "Danger Man(known in the US as "Secret Agent"), the espionage series produced from 1960-62, and again from 1964-66, that made Patrick McGoohan, as John Drake, the show's protagonist, an international star, and, at that time, the highest-paid actor working in television.
In this clip, Drake, who's infiltrated a pirate radio station's operations, has a rather interestingly tense bit of breakfast conversation with some of the station's employees.
Be seeing you.
In this clip, Drake, who's infiltrated a pirate radio station's operations, has a rather interestingly tense bit of breakfast conversation with some of the station's employees.
Be seeing you.
I'm Not A Number, I'm... Danger Man!!!
This clip from a 1965 episode of "Danger Man"(aka "Secret Agent" in the US), entitled
"Such Men Are Dangerous", in which Patrick McGoohan's character, John Drake, has a tete-a-tete with the lady of the estate, played by Georgina Anne Ward, whilst undercover as an employee on said estate, which is owned by a general who's apparently involved in something fishy.
Be seeing you.
"Such Men Are Dangerous", in which Patrick McGoohan's character, John Drake, has a tete-a-tete with the lady of the estate, played by Georgina Anne Ward, whilst undercover as an employee on said estate, which is owned by a general who's apparently involved in something fishy.
Be seeing you.
I'm Not A Number, I'm ... In A Music Video!!!
This music video by the British mod group, The Times, "I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape", is a loving tribute/spoof of the Prisoner, and, like some of the other videos seen here, was shot on location in Portmeirion.
Music you can groove to, while escaping the Village, whatever and where ever your particular version of it might be.
Be seeing you.
Music you can groove to, while escaping the Village, whatever and where ever your particular version of it might be.
Be seeing you.
I'm Not A Number, I'm.... A Car???!!!
This "Prisoner"-inspired commercial for Renault was done in Great Britain in the late '80's.
Be seeing you.
Be seeing you.
I'm Not A Number, I'm A Fox!!!
This was done as a parody of the opening title sequence found in almost every "Prisoner" episode, as part of the "Rapid T. Rabbit" cable tv show in New York City in 1989.
No. 6's part is taken by a fox, while No. 2's played by a rabbit.
Be seeing you.
No. 6's part is taken by a fox, while No. 2's played by a rabbit.
Be seeing you.
I'm Not A Number, I'm.... Burl Ives???!!!
This was done as an editing project in 2002, and is the second version of two such projects, which incorporate footage from the last four minutes of the final "Prisoner" episode, "Fallout", with Burl Ives' "Holly Jolly Christmas" and Ron Grainer's "Rag March", which was used in "Fallout", as musical accompaniment.
It's quite well done, I think, and well worth a look.
Be seeing you.
It's quite well done, I think, and well worth a look.
Be seeing you.
I'm Not A Number, I'm.... Two Little Girls???!!!
From 2003, this video, "Manics On The Move", pits two little girls against Rover, the balloon-like sentry of the Village.
Its main distinction is that it was shot on location in Portmeirion, Wales, during a Six Of One(Prisoner fan club)convention that year.
Be seeing you.
Its main distinction is that it was shot on location in Portmeirion, Wales, during a Six Of One(Prisoner fan club)convention that year.
Be seeing you.
I'm Not A Number, I'm.Homer Simpson!!!! D'Oh!!!!
Another, earlier, clip from "The Simpsons" episode, "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes", spoofing "The Prisoner".
In this scene, Homer, the new arrival in the Village, engages in a little one-upsmanship with No. 6.
Be seeing you.
In this scene, Homer, the new arrival in the Village, engages in a little one-upsmanship with No. 6.
Be seeing you.
I'm Not A Number, I'm.... Stephen Fry???!!!
More "Prisoner" satire here, this time from Stephen Fry(who plays Number Two in this sketch), and which was shot on location in Portmeirion, Wales, where the original "Prisoner" outdoor location scenes were shot.
Also features lotsa clips of Paddy McGoohan doing his Prisoner thing that he did so well.
Be seeing you.
Also features lotsa clips of Paddy McGoohan doing his Prisoner thing that he did so well.
Be seeing you.
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