Time for Cakes and Ale

Podcast featuring geeky ramblings with Becks & Eeson, and also home to "Time for Cherry Pie and Coffee", a Twin Peaks podcast, and "The Tally Ho", a Prisoner podcast


The Tally Ho – Episode 16: Once Upon A Time

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Welcome to The Tally Ho, a podcast about the classic TV series The Prisoner. In this episode we look at Once Upon A Time, the sixteenth episode of The Prisoner.

Number 6 (Patrick McGoohan) and Number 2 (Leo McKern) enter the ‘Embryo Room’ to undergo Degree Absolute, a seven-day experimental process in which Number 6 is regressed to a childlike state and Number 2 takes on the roles of authority figures throughout his life. As the days and nights pass, the balance of power between the two men shifts and they are both pushed to psychological breaking point.

Join us as we discuss this truly remarkable episode which combines elements of the Theatre of the Absurd and psychoanalysis to explore the lengths that Number 2 is willing to go to in order to break Number 6 and the risks that the Village will take to finally find out why he resigned. And stay tuned for the news from the world of The Prisoner from Rick Davy of The Unmutual.


Direct download: The Tally Ho – Episode 16: Once Upon A Time

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The Tally Ho episodes will run concurrently with our regular Time for Cakes and Ale ones and are available via our main podcast feed. Find out more here.



2 responses to “The Tally Ho – Episode 16: Once Upon A Time”

  1. Christopher Dodd avatar
    Christopher Dodd

    Wonderful analysis of Once Upon a Time, thank you for your time and trouble. I just noticed one thing that you might have missed and I’d be interested in your thoughts on this:

    In the fencing scene, when No.6 strikes at No.2 and then says ‘he’s sorry’, I don’t think he was apologising for the wound he had just inflicted, I think the statement was much deeper. I think it all comes from when he admits to No.2 that he resigned for peace of mind. Deep down No.6 regrets the actions he has undertaken in his career, a point reinforced by No.2 in the same fencing scene when he states “You’re sorry for everyone”

    1. That’s a wonderful catch! It definitely makes sense in light of the “peace of mind” comment later on. There are some potentially very revealing aspects about 6’s former life and his resignation peppered throughout the episode. Thanks for listening and getting in touch! Stay tuned – we’ll soon be opening our request for listeners to comment on “Fall Out”!

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