Prisoner - Alternate Arrival

[rocknrollmartian]

I'm wondering if someone can answer this question for me. The new 40th Anniversary DVD box set of The Prisoner sports a truly stunning remastered version of 'the Alternate Arrival' ie the pre- release cut of the pilot with different music, added/dropped scenes etc. Previously, this was only available as a godawful transfer from an ancient Betamax home recording. We were told several times at the time that this was the only visual copy known to exist. I keep a fairly close eye on Priz news, and I never heard that the original 35mm print of that alternate cut had been located. That would have been huge news. Yet, there it is on the DVD box set, pin-sharp and very obviously a restored 35 mill copy. "Restored from the original film elements" is the only clue in the notes. So...did they have the raw footage of Arrival all this time? If so, why haven't they mentioned this before?!!
What the hell's going on? Help!

[William Martin]

this has been known about for a long time, and it's a long story, but the basic facts are that a fan had the prints for over 10 years and was unwilling to part with them, politics of the fan club apparently.

[simoncoward]

That's not quite the story. For a long while the only copy known to exist was taped off-air in the USA. Six of One's American co-ordinator Bruce Clark bought the tape from the person who owned it. Bruce later made copies for Patrick McGoohan and at least one other Six of One co-ord, Roger Langley. I don't know if further copies were made at this point. Patrick McGoohan was not happy to learn that copies of this early edit were about and asked that the tape was not disseminated any further. I suspect he put it somewhat more strongly than that!

Come the DVD age and Carlton learn of this tape and want a copy. Six of One people refuse. Carlton get tough and eventually they get a copy - though whether this is the original US off-air, one of the copies or a copy of one of the copies I don't know. As I understand it, that's what was originally released on DVD.

While that DVD was being prepared, some parts of a 35mm film print of this earlier edit were found in Carlton's archive, but at that point it wasn't complete. I guess someone made the decision to issue the taped version of the programme on DVD rather than a combination edit of the tape and the film together or maybe even both separately.

At some point between then and the Network DVD release, the remainder of the 35mm film print was located. Exactly where, when and by whom, I don't know.

[hartley967]

Its a shame this version has been dug up, as it serves no purpose other than ruining the integrity of the original programme. IMHO

Would you buy a prototype car with a misfiring engine and doors that do not open properly?

[StevePhillips]

hartley967 said:

Would you buy a prototype car with a misfiring engine and doors that do not open properly?

Kind of sums up the whole series to me! Dreadfully over-rated.

[Robert Manners]

I love things like this, I remember watching the alternate version of 'The Chimes of Big Ben' and thinking it was a bit weak and lacking due to the softer music score or even absence of music like in the end when he knows that he is still in the 'Village'. A while latter of course I new I was lucky to be able to see this edit as it should have been destroyed.

In a way its like watching a 71 edit of an early 'Doctor Who', knowing it should have been wiped by all normal counts.

[Ron Bowes]

It might depend how old you are on what you think of the prisoner. At the time it was the most original, off the wall - thought provoking TV available! To this day it still provokes debate! So, you can call it many things and it may leave you cold, but "dreadfully"overrated?! No! That is really saying - "I don't like it, so it must be rubbish" and I am sure I could equally apply that description to stuff you like, if I was that type of person.

Ron