The General (The Prisoner)

"The General"
The Prisoner episode
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 6
Directed by	Peter Graham Scott
Written by	Lewis Greifer (as Joshua Adam)
Original air date	3 November 1967
Guest appearance(s)
Number Two – Colin Gordon Number Twelve – John Castle Professor – Peter Howell Professor's wife – Betty McDowall Additional Cast Projection Operator – Peter Bourne Corridor Guard – Jackie Cooper Man at Cafe and First Top Hat – Ian Fleming Corridor Guard – George Leech Announcer – Al Mancini Man in Buggy – Michael Miller Mechanic – Norman Mitchell Doctor – Conrad Phillips Waiter – Keith Pyott Supervisor – Peter Swanwick
Episode chronology
← Previous "The Schizoid Man" Next → "Many Happy Returns"

Number Two – Colin Gordon
Number Twelve – John Castle
Professor – Peter Howell
Professor's wife – Betty McDowall

Additional Cast

Projection Operator – Peter Bourne
Corridor Guard – Jackie Cooper
Man at Cafe and First Top Hat – Ian Fleming
Corridor Guard – George Leech
Announcer – Al Mancini
Man in Buggy – Michael Miller
Mechanic – Norman Mitchell
Doctor – Conrad Phillips
Waiter – Keith Pyott
Supervisor – Peter Swanwick

"The General" is an episode of the television series The Prisoner. It was the tenth episode to be produced, and the sixth to be broadcast. The central themes of this episode are rote learning and indoctrination.

Number Six — along with the rest of the Village population — is subjected to a new mind-altering education technology called "Speed Learn" which can instill a three-year university level course in history over a television screen in just three minutes. It was invented and is "taught" by an avuncular individual known as "The Professor" who is nevertheless seen trying to escape from the Village along the beach at the episode outset. Number Six finds a tape recorder on the beach which he hides in the sand. He witnesses the professor being recaptured, who then proceeds with the education program which instills a detailed, but fairly sterile, set of data on "European history since Napoleon" into all Village residents' minds. Speed Learn is also apparently supported by someone known as "The General". Number Two tries to find the tape recorder, which he thinks Number Six has, but fails; he then quizzes Number Six on the lecture, and Six answers correctly. After Number Two leaves, Number Six goes back to the beach to find the tape recorder, only to find that Number Twelve has it. Number Twelve agrees to help Number Six. On the tape the professor states that speed learn is an abomination and slavery, and that The General must be destroyed.

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Wikipedia