Once Upon A Time (The Prisoner) - Behind The Scenes

Behind The Scenes

• "Once Upon a Time" was originally reported to be the final episode of the first of two seasons of thirteen episodes, but when ITC and McGoohan renegotiated to make just seventeen episodes, the closing was refilmed and it was held back to become the first half of a two-part series finale. However, the purported original script has been published, containing that ending.
• Angelo Muscat (the Butler) receives "Guest Star" billing in this episode.
• According to The Prisoner: The Official Companion to the Classic TV Series by Robert Fairclough, the strain of filming this episode caused McKern to suffer either a nervous breakdown or a heart attack (accounts differ), forcing production to stop for a time.
• A number of fans who speculate that Number Six is in fact John Drake from McGoohan's earlier series, Danger Man usually reference this episode. They claim that Number Two says "Report to my study in the morning, Drake!" when in fact he really says "Report to my study in the morning break."
• The characterization of Number Six in this episode is significantly different from previous episodes. During the series, Number Six's initial fury and apprehension towards the Village eventually transitioned into the manner of a suave, obstinate rebel who now carried himself with assurance and certainty in resisting the Village. However, in this episode, Number Six is edgy and tense, pacing back and forth in his kitchen without the casual ease of previous episodes, and his interactions with the Villagers have become bizarre, with his accosting the Umbrella Man who seems eager to avoid him. As "Once Upon a Time" was shot among the first thirteen episodes and held back as a potential end-season cliffhanger, it may be that plans to develop Six's characterization to this state were curtailed by the sudden cancellation. However, the recently published collection of all the series' original scripts indicates there was no re-purposing of this episode.
• John Maxim's brief scene was left on the cutting room floor.
• Contrary to all other uses of the distinctive font (a slightly modified form of Albertus) for the show's titles and credits as well as throughout the Village's signage, there is a dot on the "i" of the word "Time" in the title card of this episode.
• A working title of this episode was called "Degree Absolute"
• According to "Don't Knock Yourself Out": During production and filming of the episode both actors portraying Number Six and Number Two became totally engrossed in their roles and almost achieved a near-psychotic state (cited by various people including Leo McKern).