Preface * Vincent Tilsley R. I. P. One of my highlights during the Portmeiricon in March 2003 was the meeting with Vincent Tilsley. He is the script writer of two Prisoner – Episodes: „The Chimes of Big Ben“ and „Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling“, which in Germany was entiteld „2 : 2 = 2“.
It was very interesting to watch Vincent Tilsley and his statements about the writing of his scripts. The thought exchange between him and the audience circled around the important question, how the spirit and high demands of „The Prisoner“ can be translated in our time more than 35 years after its making in 1967.
Since the first screening at 16th August 1969 by the German Television Company ZDF, „Number 6“ fascinated me. For that are given three reasons: 1. The convincing character of Patrick McGoohan as nameless Prisoner in his fight for freedom. 2. The romantic – idyllic scenery of Portmeirion, connected with the technical - controlled total surveillance of all its inhabitants. And 3. the multifarious subjects along with thought – stimulations about personality and society, education and manipulation, abuse of technology and medicine, numbering and isolating of the individual, confidence and betrayal, moral and intrigue and many others. Then for Everyman is valid, what Number 6 energetically proclaims: „I am not a number! – I am a free man!“
My enthusiasm for the Prisoner continues till today and got a new inspiration by meeting other „Six of One“ members like Merlina and Larry Hall. One result by decoding the German „Nummer 6“ translations and interpretations is this presented transcript „The Chimes of Big Ben“. Michael Brüne - September 2003 * Originally written for a German / English transcription of the Chimes Episode. Portmeiricon 2003 – Vincent Tilsley and Michael Brüne WIDMUNG für Vincent Tilsley
Der im Herzen des Gefangenen und seiner Freunde mit
Die Glocken von Big Ben *
die Sehnsucht nach Freiheit erklingen lässt
Der für die meisten Zuschauer von Nummer 6 ein
Unbekanntes Gesicht * ist
Der sich auch durch falsche Übersetzungen und Gleichungen wie
2 : 2 = 2 *
in seiner Persönlichkeit nicht spalten und aus der Fassung bringen DEDICATION to Vincent Tilsley lässt Who in the heart of The Prisoner and his friends with
Der das Drehbuch schreiben liebt, wie ein leidenschaftlicher Ruf The Chimes of Big Ben *
Verlass mich nicht, o mein Liebling * let sound the aspiration of freedom
Who is to the most viewers of Number 6 a
Face Unknown *
Who also through wrong translations and equations like
2 : 2 = 2 *
let himself not disconcert and split in his personality
And who loves scriptwriting like a passionate summond
Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling * * Vincent Tilsley wrote two scripts for “The Prisoner” series (in Germany called “Nummer 6”). His first script was "The Chimes of Big Ben". The second script originally "Face Unknown”. It was rewritten to "Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My + Vincent Tilsley + Darling". The German version was given the episode title: "2 : 2 = 2". 3rd June 1931 - 29th September 2013 - R. I. P.