The General 

An instant learning process becomes the Village's latest fad, but Number Six is sure that Number Two is using it as a brain washing tool.

Director:

Peter Graham Scott

Writer:

Lewis Greifer (as Joshua Adam)

Stars:

Patrick McGoohan, Colin Gordon, John Castle

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Patrick McGoohan	...	Number Six
Colin Gordon	...	Number Two
John Castle	...	Number Twelve
Peter Howell	...	Professor
Angelo Muscat	...	The Butler
Al Mancini	...	Announcer
Betty McDowall	...	Professor's Wife
Peter Swanwick	...	Supervisor
Conrad Phillips	...	Doctor
Michael Miller	...	Man in Buggy
Keith Pyott	...	Waiter
Ian Fleming	...	Man at Cafe and First Top Hat
Norman Mitchell	...	Mechanic
Bette Bourne	...	Projection Operator (as Peter Bourne)
George Leech	...	First Corridor Guard

Storyline

The Professor is an academic who has created 'Speedlearn',a process for educating the villagers, broadcast from large TV screens and developed with the aid of 'The General',whom noone has seen. In order to prevent Number Two from subverting his creation to brain-wash the population,the Professor seeks the aid of Number Six to send out a subliminal message of freedom to the village but this fails. Finally Number Six gets to meet The General,who is certainly not what he expected.

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Plot Keywords:

professor | general | supervisor | midget | butler | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Unusually, in this episode, Number Six is never asked why he resigned, and makes no attempt to escape.

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Goofs

The "input device" for The General was simply a photocopy machine and the paper seen being fed into it appeared to be minutes for a high school board meeting discussing a treasurer's report and purchase of football uniforms.

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Quotes

Number Twelve: Number Two offered you a deal. Don't you trust him?
Number Six: I don't trust Number Two. I don't trust you. I don't trust your tame Professor.
Number Twelve: Who do you trust, Number Six?
Number Six: I trust me.
Number Twelve: Join the club.

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Connections

Featured in The Dom Reviews: The Prisoner, the General & Many Happy Returns (2015)

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Soundtracks

Electronic Mind
(uncredited)
Written by Eric Peters
Chappell Recorded Music Library

User Reviews

The Education System Is Broken

This is a lesser episode. Once again the people who run the village are trying to gain even more control. They have developed a system by which through directly sending information to the brain, they can get three years of college information in three minutes. The fact that this is a reality is amazing, perhaps too amazing. Number Six suspects there is something going on beyond the benevolent passing of knowledge. It is fine to teach the Napoleonic wars, but what happens when you have another total agenda (creative history, etc.) designed to create intellect rather than form it? A kindly professor is the figurehead for the process. He is powerless to do anything about it and Number Six has to act. Things are quite far fetched here, even for something as outrageous as the village....then again, it is quite a sophisticated ruse.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 November 1967 (UK)

Filming Locations:

MGM British Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Everyman Films, Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

50 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1