The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (TV series)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | |
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BBC2 | |
Release | 5 January 9 February 1981 | –
Related | |
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy |
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The series stars Simon Jones as Arthur Dent, David Dixon as Ford Prefect, Mark Wing-Davey as Zaphod Beeblebrox, Sandra Dickinson as Trillian and Stephen Moore as the voice of Marvin. The voice of the guide is by Peter Jones. Peter Jones, Simon Jones, Moore and Wing-Davey reprised their roles from the original radio series in 1978/80, as did supporting actors Richard Vernon and David Tate. In addition, the series features a number of notable cameo roles, including Adams himself on several occasions.
Although initially thought by BBC executives to be unfilmable, the series was successfully produced and directed by
Development and production
After the success of the first seven episodes of the
In early 1980, production on the pilot episode began on several fronts. Rod Lord of Pearce Animation Studios directed a 50-second pilot, hand-animated, giving a 'computer graphic' feel to the Babel Fish speech of the first episode. Adams and Bell were both pleased with the animation, and Lord was given the go-ahead to do all of the animation for episode one, and subsequently the complete television series.
The gap in production made for some continuity problems between the pilot episode and the remainder. Notably, Simon Jones' hair was cut short for another role and he wears a noticeable hairpiece in later episodes. Conversely, David Dixon's hair appears longer.
One major change first appeared in the stage show and LP adaptations, and made its way into the novels and television adaptation. Nearly all of the sequences from episodes five and six in the first radio series that were originally co-written with John Lloyd were completely cut. Thus the
Another production problem was that, being a visual adaptation, a solution had to be found to display Zaphod's three arms and two heads, a joke originally written for radio. In a previous stage adaptation, a version of a
Other elements to the production were done by a variety of BBC designers. The Heart of Gold and B Ark models were built by Perry Brahan. The small, furry creature from
Because of the sheer number of models used in episodes two to six, a single day of filming just the model sequences was set aside at the
- One of the drinkers in the background of the pub.
- The man who walks naked into the ocean, similar to Reginald Perrin. The original actor for the part called in sick.
- The Guide entry on "The Worst Poetry" also used Adams's likeness as the basis for the illustration of Paula Nancy Millstone Jennings.
- In the future Encyclopedia Galactica, Adams making a cameo appearance as one of the Sirius Cybernetic Marketing Division members.
- An image in a guide entry on "an important and popular fact", along with animator Rod Lord, who provided a self-portrait.
The hand-animated "computer graphics" of The Hitchhiker's Guide itself won a
A second series was planned at one point, with a storyline, according to Alan Bell and Mark Wing-Davey, that would have come from Adams' abandoned
Documentary
In 1992, Kevin Davies wrote and directed a documentary entitled The Making of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Davies had previously worked on the stage show at the Rainbow Theatre, and while working for Pierce Animation Studios in 1980, had introduced Alan Bell to Rod Lord, leading to the animation for the television series. For the documentary, Davies used many photographs and home movies he shot during the 1980 production of the series and recorded new interviews in October 1992 with the cast and crew. New footage of Simon Jones, David Dixon and Michael Cule, in character, were shot at the farm in Sussex used as Arthur Dent's house, and incorporated into the documentary with some references to So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish, such as Arthur finding his home intact, and placing his (animated) Babel fish into a goldfish bowl. BBC Video released the 60-minute documentary on VHS in 1993. Footage not included in the original documentary was included in the 2002 DVD release of the series. The documentary itself has not (as of 2024) been transmitted on television.[8]
Cast
Main characters
- The Book (narrator): Peter Jones
- Arthur Dent: Simon Jones
- Ford Prefect: David Dixon
- Trillian: Sandra Dickinson
- Zaphod Beeblebrox: Mark Wing-Davey
- Marvin the Paranoid Android: David Learner
- Marvin (voice): Stephen Moore
Minor characters
- Mr Prosser: Joe Melia
- First workman: Terry Duran
- Second workman: George Cornelius
- Alien girl: Cleo Rocos
- Alien guy: Andrew Mussell
- Man at end of bar: Douglas Adams
- Barman: Steve Conway
- Barfly: Steve Trainer
- Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz (Vogon Captain): Martin Benson
- Vogon guard: Michael Cule
- Sandwich-board man: David Grahame
- Irritated man hitting radio: Bill Barnsley
- Unhappy man: Douglas Adams
- Young Smartarse: Ralph Morse
- Newscaster: Rayner Bourton
- Bikini girl in commercial for Sirius Cybernetics Corporation: Jennifer Goble
- Gag Halfrunt: Gil Morris
- Eddie the Computer: David Tate
- Spaceman: John Austen-Gregg
- Spacewoman: Zoe Hendry
- First handmaiden: Nicola Critcher
- Second handmaiden: Jacoba
- Third handmaiden: Lorraine Paul
- Fourth handmaiden: Susie Silvey
- Rich Merchant: John Dair
- Slartibartfast: Richard Vernon
- The Whale (voice): Stephen Moore
- PA voice: David Tate
- Lunkwill/Loon-Quall: Antony Carrick[a]
- Fook/Phougg: Timothy Davies
- Deep Thought: Valentine Dyall
- Guard: Richard Reid
- Majikthise: David Leland[a]
- Vroomfondel: Charles McKeown
- Alien Robot: Eddie Sommer
- G'Gugvunt leader: Eric French
- Vl'Hurg leader: James Muir
- Benjy Mouse: David Tate
- Frankie Mouse: Stephen Moore
- Bang Bang: Marc Smith
- Shooty: Matt Zimmerman
- Garkbit (head waiter): Jack May
- Girl on stairs: Mary Eveleigh
- Hotblack Desiato: Barry Frank Warren
- Bodyguard: Dave Prowse
- Max Quordlepleen: Colin Jeavons
- Dish of the Day: Peter Davison
- The Great Prophet Zarquon: Colin Bennett
- Number One: Matthew Scurfield
- Number Two: David Neville
- Number Three: Geoffrey Beevers
- B Ark Captain: Aubrey Morris
- Marketing girl: Beth Porter
- Hairdresser: David Rowlands
- Management consultant: Jon Glover
Episodes
No. | Title | Original air date | |
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1 | "Fit the First" | 5 January 1981 | |
A pre-credits sequence shows a countdown to the end of the world as the narrator tells the story of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Arthur Dent's connection to it. As the sun rises over the English countryside for the final time, Arthur wakes to discover his house has been scheduled for demolition as a bulldozer heads for his house. Arthurs friend Ford Prefect arrives to tell him his home is about to be destroyed, but reveals himself to be an alien journalist working on a new version of the eponymous Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and clarifies that Earth itself has been scheduled for demolition by the bureucratic Vogons, who soon arrive in Earth orbit. After hitchhiking onto a Vogon ship, Ford guides Arthur through the basics of interstellar survival, including the importance of towels, before they are discovered. Ford laments that, if they are lucky, they will probably be thrown into deep space although if they are unlucky, the Vogon captain "might want to read us some of his poetry first". | |||
2 | "Fit the Second" | 12 January 1981 | |
After being subjected to Vogon poetry, Arthur and Ford are thrown out of an airlock but improbably rescued just before death by the starship Heart of Gold, which has been stolen by Ford's semi-cousin Zaphod Beeblebrox, accompanied by Trillian, a young Earthwoman who Arthur once met at a party in London. Ford and Arthur are escorted to the bridge by Marvin the Paranoid Android and meet Zaphod and Trillian. | |||
3 | "Fit the Third" | 19 January 1981 | |
The Guide explains the origin of the legendary planet of bowl of petunias. Trillian discovers that during the chaos her mice have escaped. The five head onto the surface where they find it desolate. Zaphod suggests that the Magratheans lived beneath the surface of the planet so they split into two groups – Trillian, Zaphod and Ford explore a tunnel, while Arthur and Marvin remain on the surface. Trillian, Zaphod and Ford's thread ends on a cliffhanger, with them seeing something alarming at the end of the corridor. Meanwhile, Arthur and Marvin watch the sunset. Eventually, Slartibartfast, a Magrathean engineer arrives and asks Arthur to come with him. Leaving Marvin to watch the ship, he explains that the Magratheans were in hibernation for the last five million years while they waited for the galactic economy (which they inadvertently crashed) to recover. They descend deep into a tunnel as the Guide narrative explains that while humanity had always assumed that it was the most intelligent species on Earth , in fact the dolphins were more intelligent and had left the planet some time before. However, both the dolphins and humans were less intelligent than mice. Meanwhile, Slartibartfast shows Arthur the vast tract of hyperspace that acts as the Magrathean's factory floor, and that they have been brought out of hibernation for a special commission — "the Earth Mk II, we're making a copy from our original blueprints". It is revealed that the Earth was originally made by Magrathea as a giant supercomputer for mice, but it was destroyed five minutes before completing its programming. | |||
4 | "Fit the Fourth" | 26 January 1981 | |
Slartibartfast shows Arthur the archive tapes of the development of Deep Thought, the second most powerful computer ever built, that was given the order to search for the Ultimate Answer to Life, The Universe and Everything. After seven and a half million years, Deep Thought confidently announced that the answer was "42". The Earth was then commissioned from Magrathea to be the most complex supercomputer in existence, in which life itself would make up the primary programming matrix, with the task of searching for the Ultimate Question to Life, The Universe and Everything. Slartibartfast and Arthur join Ford, Trillian, Zaphod, and Trillian's mice, who were in fact descendants of Deep Thoughts builders and had guided them to Magrathea. The mice dismiss Slartibartfast, then express their desire to determine the Ultimate Question by first extracting Arthur's brain. While the mice attempt to strike a deal, the galactic police arrive to arrest Zaphod for the theft of the Heart of Gold. Ford, Arthur, Trillian and Zaphod flee the dining hall only to be cornered by the police in a large bay. After a misunderstanding, the police open fire on a computer behind which the four are hiding, causing it to explode. | |||
5 | "Fit the Fifth" | 2 February 1981 | |
After an initial period of confusion, the four travellers find that the explosion has somehow transported them end of the universe . They are in "Milliways, the Restaurant at the End of the Universe", which was built on the ruins of Magrathea. Having travelled through time but not through space, they find Marvin still waiting for them 40 million years after being left behind. He's now an attendant at the car park, and still depressed. Just before the universe ends, Zaphod and Ford get Marvin to help them steal a spaceship, which turns out to be the property of the galaxies loudest rock band, "Disaster Area". The episode ends as the ship is about to start Disaster Areas signature concert finale; a dive into the sun of Kakrafoon. | |||
6 | "Fit the Sixth" | 9 February 1981 | |
Just before the ship crashes into the sun, Zaphod, Trillian, Ford, and Arthur escape in a teleport module that they convince Marvin to stay behind and operate. He is still on the ship when it heads into the sun, despite announcing that after 40 million years of existence he has, in fact, worked out the Ultimate Question. Ford and Arthur arrive - without Zaphod and Trillian - on a spaceship carrying millions of people in cryogenic pods. The ship's inhabitants are from Golgafrincham and are made up of unskilled workers in apparently pointless jobs: marketing managers, used car salesmen, business analysts etc.. Years before, the intellectual and practical elite people of Golgafrincham (the thinkers and the doers) had tricked the most unproductive members of their society into leaving the planet by saying it was doomed. The ship lands on human race. Later, Ford realises that the Ultimate Question may still be in Arthurs head and using improvised scrabble tiles Arthur blindly pulls the question "What do you get if you multiply 6 by 9" from a bag (implying that, since the Golgafrinchans supplanted Homo Erectus as the dominant Earth species, the Earths programming has become corrupted). The two friends lament the eventual destruction of the Earth as What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong plays. An after credits scene shows the Guide, now floating in space, as it shows the updated entry for Earth that Ford had spent 15 years working on, "Earth: Mostly Harmless" |
Availability
A special edition box set of the series was released on Blu-ray and DVD on 1 October 2018. The set featured upscaled HD versions of the original episodes alongside optional stereo or 5.1 surround sound mixes remastered by Mark Ayres, formerly of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
In North America, the complete series is viewable on Hulu, Amazon Prime and BritBox.[10] In the UK, the complete series is viewable on BritBox, with the Special Edition available on Amazon Prime Video.[11]
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the show has a 67% approval rating based on 6 reviews.[12]
Awards
- Royal Television Society Awards:
- Best Original Programme
- British Academy Television Awards:
- Best VTR Editor: Ian Williams
- Best Sound Supervisor: Michael McCarthy
- Best Graphics: Rod Lord
Notes
- ^a The part of "Loon-Quall," one of the two computer programmers who hears Deep Thought announce "The Answer," is stated by the DVD production notes as being played by David Leland. However, the idea of the role was for that character to have been descended from the earlier programmer, Lunkwill, played by Antony Carrick.
References
- Spelling of Hitchhiker's Guide.
- ^ ""The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy" (1981) (mini) – Awards". IMDb. Archived from the original on 6 February 2005. Retrieved 4 May 2007.
- ^ Andrew Pixley (22 December 2004). "One Step Beyond". Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition: The Complete Fourth Doctor Volume Two: 30.
- ISBN 1-932112-17-0.
- ISBN 1-904048-46-3.
- ^ Pixley, "One Step Beyond." Page 31.
- ^ Simpson, Hitchhiker. Page 157.
- ^ a b Simpson, The Pocket Essential Hitchhiker's Guide. Page 96
- ISBN 1-84023-742-2.
- ^ "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy S1 - Comedy | BritBox". www.britbox.com. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
- ^ ""The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Special Edition" on Amazon Prime UK". Amazon UK. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- ^ "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
Sources
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, VHS, R1 and R2 DVD releases of the TV series. DVD "Onscreen Production Notes" by Kevin Davies.
- Webb, Nick. Wish You Were Here: The Official Biography of Douglas Adams, 1st American edition. Ballantine Books, New York, NY, USA, 2005.
External links
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy at BBC Online
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy at IMDb
- The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy at British TV Comedy
- BBC Online — Cult — The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
- Rod Lord, who directed sequences for the TV series has a page about the animations and an essay on how they were done posted here.