Television Review: It's Your Funeral (The Prisoner, S1X11, 1967)

It's Your Funeral (S01E11)

Airdate: December 8th 1967

Written by: Mark Amoy
Directed by: Robert Asher

Running Time: 50 minutes

Among the seventeen episodes of The Prisoner, few appear as immediately accessible to the uninitiated viewer as It’s Your Funeral. While many installments of Patrick McGoohan’s seminal 1960s series indulge in surrealism, allegory, and genre-defying experimentation, this episode opts for a comparatively straightforward narrative structure—one that could comfortably sit within the framework of a conventional thriller. Yet, despite its apparent simplicity, It’s Your Funeral remains a somewhat controversial entry in the canon, not only for its thematic clarity but also due to the notoriously difficult conditions under which it was produced—marked by on-set tensions, a fired director, and McGoohan’s reputedly abrasive behaviour towards cast and crew.

The episode opens with the arrival of Monique—Number Fifty (played by Annette Andre)—at Number Six’s residence in the Village. She urgently awakens him to warn of an impending assassination. Unbeknownst to her, their exchange is being closely monitored via closed-circuit television by the current Number Two, portrayed with cold calculation by Derren Nesbitt. During their conversations, Number Six is introduced to the concept of “jammers”: dissident prisoners who resist the Village’s oppressive regime through subterfuge, namely by fabricating escape plans or acts of sabotage to flood the authorities with false intelligence. While many dismiss such warnings as mere noise, Number Six takes Monique’s alarm seriously, fearing that if the assassination of Number Two proceeds, the Village’s response will be swift and brutal—likely resulting in collective punishment for all residents.

Determined to intervene, Number Six approaches Number Two directly, only to find him oddly indifferent to the threat. His suspicions deepen as surveillance footage—later revealed to be doctored—casts doubt on his credibility, framing him as yet another “jammer.” The truth gradually emerges: Monique’s elderly father, a watchmaker played by Martin Miller, has secretly constructed a miniature radio-controlled bomb concealed within a ceremonial medallion. This device is intended to detonate during a grand retirement parade honouring the outgoing Number Two—an older, more sympathetic figure played by André van Gyseghem. The twist, however, is that the Number Two currently in command is merely a stand-in; the real target is the retiring official, whose removal serves the Village’s internal power dynamics. In a rare victory for Number Six, he seizes control of the detonator, turning the tables on the conspirators. The episode concludes on a rare note of hope as the elderly Number Two departs the Village by helicopter, unharmed and free—at least momentarily.

The script, penned by American television veteran Marc Amoy (known for his work on Dragnet and The Saint), skilfully exploits themes of surveillance, manipulation, and manufactured paranoia. Intriguingly, Number Six is deliberately fed information in a manner designed to discredit him—an early, prescient exploration of disinformation tactics that anticipate modern concerns around deepfakes and manipulated media. Indeed, the episode’s depiction of video evidence being altered to frame a dissident as a chronic nuisance feels decades ahead of its time, foreshadowing contemporary anxieties about digital truth.

Worldbuilding is also advanced through quieter, “day-in-the-life” sequences that depict Number Six engaging in physical exercise, waterskiing, chess, and even posing for a portrait—though these moments are somewhat marred by the inclusion of “kosho,” a fictional martial art introduced in the previous episode. Its absurd, trampoline-assisted choreography feels jarringly out of place, bordering on camp. Fortunately, the narrative recovers through its taut final act, which delivers both psychological intrigue and physical confrontation, notably a tense fight between Number Six and Number 100 (Mark Eden), the chief henchman.

Acting-wise, the episode benefits from strong performances. Nesbitt excels as a suave yet sinister Number Two, a role that foreshadows his later turn as a Gestapo officer in Where Eagles Dare. Van Gyseghem brings humanity to the retiring Number Two, capturing his vulnerability with restraint. Annette Andre, regrettably, is underused, relegated to the tired “damsel in distress” archetype—a term even invoked by the villain to undermine her credibility. Far more compelling is Martin Miller’s portrayal of the watchmaker, whose Eastern European accent and quiet resolve hint at a revolutionary past repurposed as resistance within the Village.

Perhaps most significantly, It’s Your Funeral offers one of the series’ rare unambiguous victories for Number Six, providing viewers with a measure of catharsis amidst the show’s prevailing ambiguity and despair. Moreover, its introduction of “jammers” as a form of tactical resistance resonated beyond fiction: the term was adopted a year later by the Situationist International as a real-world protest strategy against bureaucratic control.

Despite its strengths, the episode’s legacy is shadowed by its troubled production. Director Robert Asher was reportedly fired by McGoohan following a heated confrontation. Cast members, including Nesbitt and Andre, later recounted McGoohan’s harsh treatment on set, while Mark Eden claimed to have genuinely feared for his safety during their physical altercation. Such behind-the-scenes strife adds a layer of irony to an episode so preoccupied with control, manipulation, and the cost of resistance—themes that, perhaps unintentionally, mirrored the tensions of its own making.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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