\n| <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n The Prisoner<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"_42995975_14520prisoner_pic_press\"](\"http:\/\/colinchapmanmuseum.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/42995975_14520prisoner_pic_press.jpeg\") <\/strong><\/p>\nFigure 1.This photograph was taken from the net. It is captioned Pictorial Press. Giles Chapman also uses this image on page 6 of his book, and his photograph credits suggests it\u2019s also part of his library.<\/p>\n Chapman comments:-<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cIn the titles, Number Six drives a Lotus Seven series II, a green car with yellow nose cone and registered KAR 120C .It speeds straight towards the camera under gathering skies before Number Six drives to, and from his resignation confrontation. The Seven\u2019s allusion to motoring freedom suited the central character of the Prisoner but Number Six also divulges an interesting snippet in the episode Many Happy Returns <\/em>.\u201dI know every nut and bolt and cog\u201d he growls.\u201d I built it with my own hands! \u201cOur man it seems constructed his own Lotus kit\u2026.<\/p>\nMcGoohan knew the value of \u201ccasting\u201d the right car. Possibly inspired by The Avengers,<\/em> in 1965 he asked Lotus to loan an Elan for the show, but while visiting the Cheshunt factory, he noticed the Seven and reckoned it had a more rebellious aura. Lotus happily obliged\u201d<\/p>\nCult TV [Sergio Angelini] observers:-<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cThe richness of the text has ensured that this allegory masquerading as an adventure series with SF trappings has been the subject of dozens of books and led to the creation of one of the first organized cult appreciation societies, \u201cSix of One\u201d<\/p>\n Subverting genre conventions from within involves at a basic level a fundamental betrayal of audience expectations, the laying down of a challenge to accepted norms of television appreciation as mass media. For devotees of cult television, part of the appeal can come in finding shows such as The Prisoner that bring something genuinely new to ones appreciation of genre and the syntax of television, even questioning the orthodox of programming itself\u201d<\/p>\n The Avengers<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"th?id=HN\"](\"http:\/\/colinchapmanmuseum.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/thidhn.jpeg\") <\/strong><\/p>\nFigure 2.Image from the net. Emma Peel [Diana Rigg] and Lotus Elan<\/p>\n Chapman comments:-<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cThe glory days for the show, however, dawned in 1966 after Brian Clements came on board to add polish and genuine charm. As part of the creative overhaul, the cars began to be chosen to reflect the character traits of the roles. Emma Peel\u2019s Elan is the shining example. \u201cLotus were pretty pleased<\/em> with the result\u201d,<\/em> Clements remembers. \u201cThey told me the publicity was worth \u00a35 million to them, a helluva lot of money then\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cPreviously cars had not featured highly for Steed\u2019s female companion\u2026\u2026.Now Emma peel was provided with a groovy, yet elfin, car to suit her image- a Lotus Elan\u201d<\/p>\n In relation to our chosen image from the net. Chapman observes:-<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the Avengers shifted into colour … The car changed hue too. Lotus provided the latest Elan S3 in a light , powdery blue registered \u201cSJH 499D\u201d.It gained far more screen time , popping up in 19 shows, and the massive popularity of The Avengers ensured the Elan and Diana Rigg became intemperately linked in the viewing public\u2019s mind\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nCult TV [Paul Sutton] observes<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cCommentators have suggested that these women were amongst televisions first \u201cfeminist female lead[s] [Andrea, 1996, p115].\u201dThe Avengers\u201d, it is argued \u201crefunctioned the patriarchal discourse of the spy genre, transforming woman from an object of male desire into a subject who possessed \u201cmasculine\u201d power and independence. For the first time on television a woman fought back rather than being merely a passive victim\u201d [Andrae,1996:116]\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..As the director of numerous episodes from the Emma Peel era, Roy Baker recalls that the series was among the first in the world to feature mini \u2013skirts and was instrumental in promoting this fashion statement[2000:122]<\/p>\n As \u201cextensions of their personalities\u201d [Murray,1998:47] the vehicles driven by Steed and Emma are important elements in the series appeal\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026just as the clothes worn\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026. are central to the look of \u201cThe Avengers\u201d, so are the vehicles they ride \u2026\u2026..and contrast with the sporty and modern but equally iconic Lotus Elans and Europa\u2019s\u2026\u2026\u2026..cars that were signifiers of technological originality and innovative design of the 1960\u2019s but which today signify the decade itself.\u201d<\/p>\n Simply expressed television heroines such as Cathy Gale [played Honor Blackman] and Emma Peel [Diana Rigg] of the Avengers were independent, educated, cultivated, liberated, technologically aware, poised, athletic but also sexy, sophisticated and strong.<\/p>\n The cars they drove in \u201ccharacter\u201d perfectly reflected these ideals.<\/p>\n Exhibitions, Education and Commercial Opportunities<\/strong><\/p>\nI the possible museum context the editors believes that commercial considerations are both necessary and complementary with its educational objectives.<\/p>\n For these reasons our recommendations includes provision for promoting products and services which share Chapman\u2019s ideals of mechanical efficiency and sustainability. In addition we suggest a prospect for merchandising that explain and interprets the social and cultural context of Chapman\u2019s designs in period. There is the possibility for a catalogue for on line purchasing.<\/p>\n In particular it\u2019s important to understand the role and consequence of Lotus cars in cult TV and cinema.<\/p>\n The Swinging Sixties produced many icons of fashion. \u201cThe link between media, music and fashion was central to pop culture in the 1960\u2019s .The Bond films and TV shows such as the Avengers and The Man from UNCLE provided role models for both sexes.<\/p>\n In order to celebrate and analyses this it might be possible to stage:-<\/p>\n \n- Exhibition with possible themes of \u201cCars, Stars, Fashion and Feminism\u201d<\/li>\n
- Workshops<\/li>\n
- Photoshoots<\/li>\n
- Educational exercises and opportunities<\/li>\n
- Exploit the connectivity with London and particularly TV and Carnaby Street.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\nHumanity has evolved with an empathy and intelligence based around visual understanding, comparison, association, identification, categorization. These are often based on forms of extrapolation .They have contributed to safety and survival in a dangerous environment. Also they become engrained in learning discerning and comprehension. Humanity has required that faculty of essentially being able to determine visually form and function.<\/p>\n As society became more sophisticated the faculties of recognition became part of language, communication and acceptance. With degrees of certainty objects might be assigned values , performance function and in turn this were worked into signs, symbols emblem, flag, logo, badge, crest image, totem and token and visual expression for the purpose of transferring complex multi layered concepts.<\/p>\n We now associate the terminology as:-<\/p>\n \n- Analogy<\/li>\n
- Simile<\/li>\n
- Allegory<\/li>\n
- Emblematic<\/li>\n
- Metaphorical<\/li>\n
- Symbolic<\/li>\n
- Correlative<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
In the cult programmes these reached high degrees of refinement, sophistication and graphic iconography. They were extremely \u201cBritish\u201d honouring and upholding the virtues of liberty and free expression. The assisted and contributed directly and indirectly, subtly, consciously and subconsciously to the definition of the cast they supported. They relied on a strong sense of personal identity and self-expression even projection.<\/p>\n The editors understand Colin Chapman to be educated, cultured and cultivated man with enormous reserves of conceptualization which is directly related to imagination [and in Chapman case harnessed with an engineer\u2019s realism and objectivity].Not overlooking he was very successful entrepreneur.<\/p>\n It is very likely he lent his cars to these cult TV programmes in the full knowledge they pushed the envelope. Chapmans car designs have always been extremely powerful totems. They possessed a clear radiant, uncompromised self-evident beauty reflecting true form and function. They were easily read, comprehended and understood. They were light elegant and diametrically opposed to bruteism. Their design so evidently self-articulating and honest required no interpreters to decode their symbolism or message.They sold.<\/p>\n Chapman\u2019s designs have readily identified with a noble human spirit with its desire for liberty, freedom, expression and mobility. This is evident in the Seven\u2019s selection for the The Prisoner where McGoohan identifies the engineer with the ability to construct and self -determine his existence. Association and identification were particularly important with regard to Emma Peel and the Elan. Here a bridge is constructed between feminism and technology. Not that of a brute, violent destructive force but rather a subtle, holistic intelligent application of technology within a beautiful sculptural totality.<\/p>\n The message was not missed. Few manufacturers have succeeded in creating a folk lore, handed down the generations like Chapman and Lotus. The myth of Lotus is deeper, sublime and more subtle than is imagined.<\/p>\n It\u2019s for these reasons amongst others it\u2019s considered a museum is beneficial in order that these important cultural dimensions are articulated, disseminated and preserved for posterity.<\/p>\n Reference:<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Cult TV Book.Ed.by S.Abbott.I.B.Tauris.2010.<\/em><\/p>\nISBN: 9781848850262<\/em><\/p>\nTV Cars. Giles Chapman.Haynes.2006.<\/em><\/p>\nISBN: 1844253920<\/em><\/p>\nAndrae, Thomas [1996]\u201dTelevisions First Feminist. The Avengers and female spectatorship\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nDiscourse 18:3,112-136<\/em><\/p>\nSwinging Britain. Fashion in the 1960\u2019s.Armstrong.Shire.2014.<\/p>\n ISBN: 9780747812487<\/p>\n The A-Z of the 1960\u2019s.A&I Morrison.Breedon.1989.<\/p>\n ISBN: 0907969607<\/p>\n 20th<\/sup> Century Fashion: The 1960\u2019s.K.Powe-Temperley.Heinmann.1999.<\/p>\nISBN: 0431095515<\/p>\n Costume in Context: The 1960\u2019s and 70\u2019s.Ruby.Batsford.1989.<\/p>\n ISBN: 0713460741<\/p>\n Fifty Dresses that Changed the World.Cornran.2009.<\/p>\n ISBN:9781840915389<\/p>\n Please note the editors of the A&R attempt to give the broadest spectrum of references but not all are available for consultation in an article. However by noting their existence it may assist students in their research.<\/em><\/p>\n*Items in italics non A&R library books.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Avengers and The Prisoner: Episode 2, Take 2 Introduction This is a composite article. It is part book review but also a strong complementary reinforcement and extension of previous A&R articles on the Avengers and The Prisoner. 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