The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

1270:, who knows where to find the secret ruler. Zaphod becomes briefly reunited with the others for a trip to Milliways, the restaurant of the title. Zaphod and Ford decide to steal a ship from there, which turns out to be a stunt ship pre-programmed to plunge into a star as a special effect in a stage show. Unable to change course, the main characters get Marvin to run the teleporter they find in the ship, which is working other than having no automatic control (someone must remain behind to operate it), and Marvin seemingly sacrifices himself. Zaphod and Trillian discover that the Universe is in the safe hands of a simple man living on a remote planet in a wooden shack with his cat. 2896:" with a height of either 3 or 6 inches (76 or 150 mm), a gun—based on a prop used by Marvin, the Paranoid Android, that shoots foam darts—a crystal cube, shot glasses, a ten-inch (254 mm) high version of Marvin with eyes that light up green, and "yarn doll" versions of Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Trillian, Marvin and Zaphod Beeblebrox. Also, various audio tracks were released to coincide with the movie, notably re-recordings of "Marvin" and "Reasons To Be Miserable", sung by Stephen Fry, along with some of the "Guide Entries", newly written material read in-character by Fry. 2972: 1447:, and discovers this Earth is a replacement provided by the dolphins in their Save the Humans campaign. Eventually, he rejoins Ford, who claims to have saved the Universe in the meantime, to hitch-hike one last time and see God's Final Message to His Creation. Along the way, they are joined by Marvin, the Paranoid Android, who, although 37 times older than the universe itself (what with time travel and all), has just enough power left in his failing body to read the message and feel better about it all before expiring. 1574:'s help. In the meantime, the Vogons are heading to destroy a colony of people who also escaped Earth's destruction, on the planet Nano. Arthur, Wowbagger, Trillian and Random head to Nano to try to stop the Vogons, and on the journey, Wowbagger and Trillian fall in love, making Wowbagger question whether or not he wants to be killed. Zaphod arrives with Thor, who then signs up to be the planet's God. With Random's help, Thor almost kills Wowbagger. Wowbagger, who merely loses his immortality, then marries Trillian. 2066:, who went on to perform a character in the final episode of the second radio series. The show ran 90 minutes, but had an audience limited to eighty people per night. Actors performed on a variety of ledges and platforms, and the audience was pushed around in a hovercar, 1/2000th of an inch above the floor. This was the first time that Zaphod was represented by having two actors in one large costume. The narration of "The Book" was split between two usherettes, an adaptation that has appeared in no other version of 2020: 467:". Deep Thought was then instructed to design the Earth supercomputer to determine what the Question actually is. The Earth was subsequently destroyed by the Vogons moments before its calculations were completed, and Arthur becomes the target of the descendants of the Deep Thought creators, believing his mind must hold the Question. With his friends' help, Arthur escapes and they decide to have lunch at The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, before embarking on further adventures. 2374: 2291: 2105:

reviewers to label it as a "musical". This was the first adaptation for which Adams wrote the "Dish of the Day" sequence. The production ran for over three hours, and was widely panned for this, as well as for the music, laser effects, and the acting. Despite attempts to shorten the script, and make other changes, it closed three or four weeks early (accounts differ), and lost a lot of money. Despite the bad reviews, there were at least two stand-out performances:

2028: 880:. Despite a low-key launch of the series (the first episode was broadcast at 10:30 pm on Wednesday, 8 March 1978), it received generally good reviews and a tremendous audience reaction for radio. A one-off episode (a "Christmas special") was broadcast later in the year. The BBC had a practice at the time of commissioning "Christmas Special" episodes for popular radio series, and while an early draft of this episode of 476: 2831: 3049: 2211: 1887: 1379: 548: 5766: 1327:. There they run into Slartibartfast, who enlists their aid in preventing galactic war. Long ago, the people of Krikkit attempted to wipe out all life in the Universe, but they were stopped and imprisoned on their home planet; now they are poised to escape. With the help of Marvin, Zaphod, and Trillian, our heroes prevent the destruction of life in the Universe and go their separate ways. 2081:, and was directed by Jonathan Petherbridge. The company performed adaptations of complete radio episodes, at times doing two episodes in a night, and at other times doing all six episodes of the first series in single three-hour sessions. This adaptation was performed again at the Oxford Playhouse in December 1981, the Bristol Hippodrome, Plymouth's Theatre Royal in May–June 1982, the 1484:(under the name of InfiniDim Enterprises), to finish, once and for all, the task of obliterating the Earth. After abruptly losing Fenchurch and travelling around the galaxy despondently, Arthur's spaceship crashes on the planet Lamuella, where he settles in happily as the official sandwich-maker for a small village of simple, peaceful people. Meanwhile, Ford Prefect breaks into 992:. They were re-released in 1992, and at this time Adams suggested that they could retitle Fits the First to Sixth as "The Primary Phase" and Fits the Seventh to Twelfth as "The Secondary Phase" instead of just "the first series" and "the second series". It was at about this time that a "Tertiary Phase" was first discussed with Dirk Maggs, adapting 1038:, while both include some additional material that builds on incidents in the third series to tie all five (and their divergent plotlines) together, most especially including the character Zaphod more prominently in the final chapters and addressing his altered reality to include the events of the Secondary Phase. While 1148:

increasingly inaccurately named Hitchhiker's Trilogy" on the cover. Subsequent re-releases of the other novels bore the legend "The book in the increasingly inaccurately named Hitchhiker's Trilogy". In addition, the blurb on the fifth book describes it as "the book that gives a whole new meaning to the word 'trilogy

2605:" including a "Don't panic" badge, some "pocket fluff", a pair of peril-sensitive sunglasses (made of cardboard), an order for the destruction of the Earth, a small, clear plastic bag containing "a microscopic battle fleet" and an order for the destruction of Arthur Dent's house (signed by Adams and Meretzky). 1160:, but his material did not make it into the other versions of the story and is not included here. Many consider the books' version of events to be definitive because they are the most readily accessible and widely distributed version of the story. However, they are not the final version that Adams produced. 2192:. The tour started on 8 June 2012 at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow and continued through the summer until 21 July when the final performance was at Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh. The production started touring again in September 2013, but the remaining dates of the tour were cancelled due to poor ticket sales. 2416:

Sales for the first double-LP release were primarily through mail order. Total sales reached over 60,000 units, with half of those being mail order, and the other half through retail outlets. This is in spite of the facts that Original Records' warehouse ordered and stocked more copies than they were

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with VIP guests playing the role of the Book. It was produced in the form of a radio show which could be downloaded when the tour was completed. This production was based on the first four Fits in the first act, with the second act covering material from the rest of the series. The show also featured

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Appreciation society. Other items that first appeared in the mid-1980s were T-shirts, including those made for Infocom (such as one bearing the legend "I got the Babel Fish" for successfully completing one of that game's most difficult puzzles), and a Disaster Area tour T-shirt. Other official items

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Many merchandising and spin-off items (or "Hitch-Hikeriana") were produced in the early 1980s, including towels in different colours, all bearing the Guide entry for towels. Later runs of towels include those made for promotions by Pan Books, Touchstone Pictures / Disney for the 2005 movie, and

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The script in the first double LP very closely follows the first four radio episodes, although further cuts had to be made for reasons of timing. Despite this, other lines of dialogue that were indicated as having been cut when the original scripts from the radio series were eventually published can

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differs widely from that of the radio show, book and television series. The romantic triangle between Arthur, Zaphod, and Trillian is more prominent in the film; and visits to Vogsphere, the homeworld of the Vogons (which, in the books, was already abandoned), and Viltvodle VI are inserted. The film

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in January and February 1981. It employed many of the actors from the radio series and was based mainly on the radio versions of Fits the First to Sixth. A second series was at one point planned, with a storyline, according to Alan Bell and Mark Wing-Davey that would have come from Adams's abandoned

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The original, first radio series comes from a proposal called "The Ends of the Earth": six self-contained episodes, all ending with Earth being destroyed in a different way. While writing the first episode, Adams realised that he needed someone on the planet who was an alien to provide some context,

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in 1996. There was also a series of collectors' cards with art from and inspired by the comic adaptations of the first book, and a graphic novelisation (or "collected edition") combining the three individual comic books from 1993, itself released in May 1997. Douglas Adams was deeply opposed to the

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complained about his name and then-current address being included in the recording. This was corrected for a later pressing of the double-LP by "cut up that part of the master tape and reassembl it in the wrong order". The second LP release ("Part Two") also only sold a total of 60,000 units in the

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As the result of a misunderstanding, the second record was released before being cut down in a final edit that Douglas Adams and Geoffrey Perkins had both intended to make. Perkins has said, "t is far too long on each side. It's just a rough cut. I felt it was flabby, and I wanted to speed it up."

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character Zaphod Beeblebrox, sold by the official Appreciation Society), an assortment of pin-on buttons and a number of novelty singles. Many of the above items are displayed throughout the 2004 "25th Anniversary Illustrated Edition" of the novel, which used items from the personal collections of

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in London, in July 1980. This was the second production directed by Ken Campbell. The Rainbow Theatre had been adapted for stagings of rock operas in the 1970s, and both reference books mentioned in footnotes indicate that this, coupled with incidental music throughout the performance, caused some

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The film was released on DVD (Region 2, PAL) in the UK on 5 September 2005. Both a standard double-disc edition and a UK-exclusive numbered limited edition "Giftpack" were released on this date. The "Giftpack" edition includes a copy of the novel with a "movie tie-in" cover, and collectible prints

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covers roughly events in the first four radio episodes, and ends with the characters en route to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, leaving the opportunity for a sequel open. A unique appearance is made by the Point-of-View Gun, a device specifically created by Adams himself for the movie.

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Thor then stops the first Vogon attack and apparently dies. Meanwhile, Constant Mown, son of Prostetnic Jeltz, convinces his father that the people on the planet are not citizens of Earth, but are, in fact, citizens of Nano, which means that it would be illegal to kill them. As the book draws to a

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and uses it to get to Earth. Arthur, Ford, Trillian, and Tricia McMillan (Trillian in this alternate universe) follow her to a crowded club, where an anguished Random becomes startled by a noise and inadvertently fires her gun at Arthur. The shot misses Arthur and kills a man (the ever-unfortunate

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on a slightly more upbeat note". Adams also remarked that if he were to write a sixth instalment, he would at least start with all the characters in the same place. Eoin Colfer, who wrote the sixth book in the Hitchhiker's series in 2008–09, used this latter concept but none of the plot ideas from

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was mostly to poke fun at scientific advance, such as through the artificial personalities built into the work's robots, Adams had predicted some concepts that have since come to be reality. The Guide itself, described as a small book-sized object that held a great volume of information, predated

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The first book was adapted from the first four radio episodes (the Primary Phase), with Arthur being rescued from Earth's destruction by Ford, meeting Zaphod and Trillian, coming to the planet of Magrathea and discovering the true purpose of Earth, and ending with the group preparing to go to the

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The adaptation of the third novel followed the book very closely, which caused major structural issues in meshing with the preceding radio series in comparison to the second novel. Because many events from the radio series were omitted from the second novel, and those that did occur happened in a

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The series was also notable for its use of sound, being the first comedy series to be produced in stereo. Adams said that he wanted the programme's production to be comparable to that of a modern rock album. Much of the programme's budget was spent on sound effects, which were largely the work of

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as Slartibartfast, since both had died. (Homage to Jones' iconic portrayal of the Book was paid twice: the gradual shift of voices to a "new" version in episode 13, launching the new productions, and a blend of Jones and Franklyn's voices at the end of the final episode, the first part of Maggs'

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Because of copyright issues, the music used during the first radio series was either replaced, or in the case of the title it was re-recorded in a new arrangement. Composer Tim Souster did both duties (with Paddy Kingsland contributing music as well), and Souster's version of the theme was the

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with a copy of the book and looking up at the stars, he thought it would be a good idea for someone to write a hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy as well. However, he later claimed that he had forgotten the incident itself, and only knew of it because he'd told the story of it so many times. His

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had turned down the offer of publishing a novelisation, an action they would later regret. The book reached number one on the book charts in only its second week, and sold over 250,000 copies within three months of its release. A hardback edition was published by Harmony Books, a division of

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Ford and Arthur, meanwhile, end up on a spacecraft full of the outcasts of the Golgafrinchan civilisation. The ship crashes on prehistoric Earth; Ford and Arthur are stranded, and it becomes clear that the inept Golgafrinchans are the ancestors of modern humans, having displaced the Earth's

2582:. One account states that there was a dispute as to whether valid permission for publication had been granted, and following legal action the game was withdrawn and all remaining copies were destroyed. Another account states that the programmer, Bob Chappell, rewrote the game to remove all 1147:

The novels are described as "a trilogy in five parts", having been described as a trilogy on the release of the third book, and then a "trilogy in four parts" on the release of the fourth book. The US edition of the fifth book was originally released with the legend "The fifth book in the

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Two omnibus editions were created by Douglas Adams to combine the Hitchhiker series novels and to "set the record straight". The stories came in so many different formats that Adams stated that every time he told it he would contradict himself. Therefore, he stated in the introduction of

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In their travels, Arthur comes to learn that the Earth was actually a giant supercomputer, created by another supercomputer, Deep Thought. Deep Thought had been built by its creators to give the answer to the "Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything", which, after eons of

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section of the Radio 4 website for the initial broadcast of the Tertiary Phase, and is still available to play online. This new version uses an original Infocom datafile with a custom-written interpreter, by Sean Sollé, and Flash programming by Shimon Young, both of whom used to work at

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alternative ending.) Sandra Dickinson, who played Trillian in the TV series, here played Tricia McMillan, an English-born, American-accented alternate-universe version of Trillian, while David Dixon, the television series' Ford Prefect, made a cameo appearance as the "Ecological Man".

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project (instead of simply making a TV version of the second radio series). However, Adams got into disputes with the BBC (accounts differ: problems with budget, scripts, and having Alan Bell involved are all offered as causes), and the second series was never made. Elements of

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In the works, the number 42 is given as The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything by the computer Deep Thought. The absurdly simple answer to a complex philosophical question became a frequent reference in popular culture in homage to

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close, Arthur is on his way to check out a possible university for Random, when, during a hyperspace jump, he is flung across alternate universes, has a brief encounter with Fenchurch, and ends up exactly where he would want to be. And then the Vogons turn up again.

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be heard in the LP version. The Simon & Schuster cassettes omit the Veet Voojagig narration, the cheerleader's speech as Deep Thought concludes its seven-and-one-half-million-year programme, and a few other lines from both sides of the second LP of the set.

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in 1982 (as HNBL 2301 and HNBL 1307, respectively) in the United States and Canada, and later re-released in a slightly abridged edition by Simon & Schuster's Audioworks in the mid-1980s. Both were produced by Geoffrey Perkins and featured cover artwork by

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The third series was broadcast in September and October 2004. The fourth and fifth were broadcast in May and June 2005, with the fifth series following immediately after the fourth. CD releases accompanied the transmission of the final episode in each series.

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The plots of the television and radio series are more or less the same as that of the first two novels, though some of the events occur in a different order and many of the details are changed. Much of parts five and six of the radio series were written by

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compilation. Another single featured the re-recorded "Journey of the Sorcerer" (arranged by Tim Souster) backed with "Reg Nullify In Concert" by Reg Nullify, and "Only the End of the World Again" by Disaster Area (including Douglas Adams on bass guitar)

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was finally shot. Pre-production began in 2003, filming began on 19 April 2004 and post-production began in early September 2004. Adams died during the film's production but had still helped with early screenplays and concepts introduced with the film.

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is an electronic guidebook to the entire universe, originally published by Megadodo Publications, one of the great publishing houses of Ursa Minor Beta. The narrative of the various versions of the story is frequently punctuated with excerpts from the

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On Saturday 29 March 2014, Radio 4 broadcast an adaptation in front of a live audience, featuring many members of the original cast including Stephen Moore, Susan Sheridan, Mark Wing-Davey, Simon Jones and Geoff McGivern, with John Lloyd as the book.

1173:, but felt that the book was not working and abandoned it. In an interview, he said some of the ideas in the book might fit better in the Hitchhiker's series, and suggested he might rework those ideas into a sixth book in that series. He described 3176:, first published in the United Kingdom and United States in 1985. A tenth-anniversary (of the script book publication) edition was printed in 1995, and a twenty-fifth-anniversary (of the first radio series broadcast) edition was printed in 2003. 2908:

is a fan-created event in which they carry a towel with them throughout the day, in reference to the importance of towels as a tool of a galactic hitchhiker described in the work. The annual event was started in 2001 two weeks after Adams' death.

1492:, an artificially intelligent, multi-dimensional guide with vast power and a hidden purpose. After he declines this dangerously powerful machine's aid (which he receives anyway), he sends it to Arthur Dent for safety ("Oh yes, whose?"—Arthur). 410:

is the spelling that Adams preferred. At least two reference works make note of the inconsistency in the titles. Both, however, repeat the statement that Adams decided in 2000 that "everyone should spell it the same way from then on."

904:, produced independently of the BBC for sale, and a further adaptation of the series as a book. A second radio series, which consisted of a further five episodes, and bringing the total number of episodes to 12, was broadcast in 1980. 2366:

in the USA. The script here mostly follows Fit the Fifth and Fit the Sixth, but includes a song by the backup band in the restaurant ("Reg Nullify and his Cataclysmic Combo"), and changes the Haggunenon sequence to "Disaster Area".

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appeared in the new semi-regular role of Fenchurch, Arthur's girlfriend, and Samantha Béart joined in the final series as Arthur and Trillian's daughter, Random Dent. Also reprising their roles from the original radio series were

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The various versions follow the same basic plot but they are in many places mutually contradictory, as Adams rewrote the story substantially for each new adaptation. Throughout all versions, the series follows the adventures of

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had a Christmas-related plotline, it was decided to be "in slightly poor taste" and the episode as transmitted served as a bridge between the two series. This episode was released as part of the second radio series and, later,

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The story begins as death rays bear down on Earth, and the characters awaken from a virtual reality. Zaphod picks them up shortly before they are killed, but completely fails to escape the death beams. They are then saved by

1517: 1455: 1352: 1005: 247: 1819:, production on the series has most likely been delayed. However, a production outlet claimed that the series began production in May 2021. Hulu receives no updates since then, and Cuse and Fuchs appeared to have moved on. 927:

and Dick Mills and Harry Parker (for the remaining episodes (2–6) of the first series). The fact that they were at the forefront of modern radio production in 1978 and 1980 was reflected when the three new series of

2652:. Despite its name, the newly designed puzzles by TKO Software's Ireland studio were different from the Infocom ones, and the game followed the movie's script closely and included the new characters and places. The 6150: 6145: 1583: 1286: 1282: 1118:

as Wonko the Sane. Finally, Adams himself played the role of Agrajag, a performance adapted from his book-on-tape reading of the third novel, and edited into the series created some time after the author's death.

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In addition, unabridged versions of books 2-5 of the series were recorded by Martin Freeman for Random House Audio. Freeman plays Arthur in the 2005 film adaptation. Audiobooks 2-5 follow in order and include:

2818:. The idea of being able to instantaneously translate between any language, a function provided by the Babel Fish, has since become possible with several software products that work in near real-time. In the 5997: 1512:

causes the removal of all possible Earths from probability. All of the main characters, save Zaphod, were on Earth at the time and are apparently killed, bringing a good deal of satisfaction to the Vogons.

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are used in different editions (UK or US), formats (audio or print), and compilations of the book, with some omitting the apostrophe. Some editions use different spellings on the spine and title page. The

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use of American English spellings and idioms in what he felt was a very British story, and had to be talked into it by the American publishers, although he remained very unhappy with the compromise.

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by Stephen Moore, best known for playing the voice of Marvin the Paranoid Android in the radio series and in the TV series. In 1990, Adams himself recorded an unabridged edition for Dove Audiobooks (

5756: 5746: 2636:(no connection to Pan Books / Pan MacMillan). This new game was planned and developed between 1998 and 2002, but like the sequel to the Infocom game, it also never materialised. In April 2005, 2055: 1724:, at the end of Adams's introduction, is a list of instructions on "How to Leave the Planet", providing a humorous explanation of how one might replicate Arthur and Ford's feat at the beginning of 1496: 1444: 1290: 1281:

The book was adapted from the remaining material in the radio series—covering from the fifth episode to the twelfth episode, although the ordering was greatly changed (in particular, the events of

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announced they were working on a new edition of The Guide. Along with the announcement, Hothead Games launched a teaser web site made to look like an announcement from Megadodo Publications that

2313: 6174: 3241: 2481:) in the United States and available from BBC Audiobooks in the United Kingdom. Also by arrangement with Dove, ISIS Publishing Ltd produced a numbered exclusive edition signed by Douglas Adams ( 1274:

indigenous hominids. This has disrupted the Earth's programming so that when Ford and Arthur manage to extract the final readout from Arthur's subconscious mind by pulling lettered tiles from a

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Commercially the film was a modest success, taking $ 21 million in its opening weekend in the United States, and nearly £3.3 million in its opening weekend in the United Kingdom.

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originally contained a rather bleak ending, Dirk Maggs created a different ending for the transmitted radio version, ending it on a much more upbeat note, reuniting the cast one last time.

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The 2004 series was produced by Above The Title Productions and the scripts were published in July 2005, with production notes for each episode. This second radio script book is entitled

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The Simon & Schuster Audioworks re-release of this LP was also abridged slightly from its original release. The scene with Ford Prefect and Hotblack Desiato's bodyguard is omitted.

2228: 1904: 1400: 565: 35: 1347:, a collection of the five books in the series written before Adams's death, a leatherbound volume published in the United States by Portland House, a division of Random House, in 1997 2783:

The adaptation was adapted by Dirk Maggs primarily from Fit the First, including material from the books and later radio Fits as well as some new jokes. It formed part of Radio 4's

973:, was recorded to be released with the CDs of the last three radio series. Apparently, Adams chose this song for its futuristic-sounding nature, but also for the fact that it had a 6140: 3236: 852: 280: 5546: 1587:

of the radio series, with its premiere episode first transmitted on 8 March 2018 (exactly forty years, to the day, from the first episode of the first series, the Primary Phase).

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over Internet re-broadcasts, as Disney had begun pre-production on the film. This was followed by news that further series would be produced based on the fourth and fifth novels.

6834: 6737: 5990: 3112: 2347:. Cindy Oswin voiced Trillian on all three LPs in her place. Other casting changes in the first double LP included Stephen Moore taking on the additional role of the barman, and 6675: 6307: 6256: 3211: 2918: 2796: 2558: 2300: 464: 292: 211: 984:

The twelve episodes were released (in a slightly edited form, removing the Pink Floyd music and two other tunes "hummed" by Marvin when the team land on Magrathea) on CD and

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prop. A single-disc widescreen or full-screen edition (Region 1, NTSC) were made available in the United States and Canada on 13 September 2005. Single-disc releases in the

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A sequel to the original Infocom game was never made. An all-new, fully graphical game was designed and developed by a joint venture between The Digital Village and

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After several years of setbacks and renewed efforts to start production and a quarter of a century after the first book was published, the big-screen adaptation of

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to build word of mouth. In 2005, Del Rey Books re-released the Hitchhiker series with new covers for the release of the 2005 movie. As of 2005, the book version of

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is an international multimedia phenomenon; the novels are the most widely distributed, having been translated into more than 30 languages by 2005. The first novel,

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In December 2011 a new stage production was announced to begin touring in June 2012. This included members of the original radio and TV casts such as Simon Jones,

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See for example "Introduction: A Guide to the Guide - some unhelpful remarks by the author" by Adams p.vi-xi in the compilation "The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide"

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UK. The distribution deals for the United States and Canada with Hannibal Records and Simon and Schuster were later negotiated by Douglas Adams and his agent,

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After a London premiere on 20 April 2005, it was released on 28 April in the UK and Australia and on 29 April in the United States and Canada. The movie stars

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used the character's name jokingly, as the song was not about depression, but Yorke knew many of his fans felt that he should seem to be depressed. The album

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This was the first Hitchhiker's book originally written as a book and not adapted from radio. Its story was based on a treatment Adams had written for a

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Before his death from a heart attack on 11 May 2001, Adams was considering writing a sixth novel in the Hitchhiker's series. He was working on a third

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and that this alien needed a reason to be there. Adams finally settled on making the alien a roving researcher for a "wholly remarkable book" named

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in the United States in October 1980, and the 1981 US paperback edition was promoted by the give-away of 3,000 free copies in the magazine

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friends are quoted as saying that Adams mentioned the idea of "hitch-hiking around the galaxy" to them while on holiday in Greece in 1973.

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Trillian uses DNA that Arthur donated for travelling money to have a daughter, and when she goes to cover a war, she leaves her daughter

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Phrases from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy § The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything is 42

55: 6809: 6489: 4235: 6839: 6804: 6468: 6050: 4133: 3574: 3088: 2546: 2534: 2522: 2510: 2494: 2486: 2478: 2470: 2462: 2454: 2250: 1926: 1692: 1641: 1426: 1312: 587: 135: 4145: 3147:. The idea concerns a luxury passenger starship that suffers "sudden and gratuitous total existence failure" on its maiden voyage. 2644:. It was a typical top-down shooter and except for the title had little to do with the actual story. The second game, developed by 2392: 3467:"The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy to land back on Radio 4 in 2018 together with new series from Rob Grant and Andrew Marshall" 492:

became the centre of his story, and he decided to focus the series on it, with the destruction of Earth being the only hold-over.

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were named after Arthur Dent and Douglas Adams, as both had been discovered shortly after Adams' death in 2001. The fish species

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different order, the two series split in completely different directions. The last two adaptations vary somewhat—some events in

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Adams claimed that the title came from a 1971 incident while he was hitchhiking around Europe as a young man with a copy of the

6844: 2489:) in 1994. To tie-in with the 2005 film, actor Stephen Fry, the film's voice of the Guide, recorded a second abridged edition ( 2271:

in the United Kingdom in 1979 and 1980, with the catalogue numbers ORA042 and ORA054 respectively. They were first released by

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is deleted), and most of the Brontitall incident was omitted, instead of the Haggunenon sequence, co-written by John Loyd, the

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Towel day Innsbruck- Towels with a silkscreen print as homage to Douglas Adams. Next to the words 'DON'T PANIC' there are the

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Mobile released two mobile games to accompany the release of the film adaptation. The first, developed by Atatio, was called

2232: 2043: 1908: 1404: 569: 5084: 4689: 2892:. These included three prop replicas of objects seen on the Vogon ship and homeworld (a mug, a pen and a stapler), sets of " 1336:

theatrical release, with the Doctor role being split between Slartibartfast (to begin with), and later Trillian and Arthur.

365:—by hitchhiking onto a passing Vogon spacecraft. Following his rescue, Dent explores the galaxy with Prefect and encounters 4198:"EXCLUSIVE: HULU'S 'HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY' SERIES PREMIERES 2021; 'IMITATION GAME'S MORTEN TYLDUM SET TO DIRECT" 6779: 5894: 4261: 3358: 2963:

who died in Oct 2019 and played the voice of Marvin the Paranoid Android in the original BBC Radio and Television Series.

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on cassettes and CDs. The Primary and Secondary Phases were aired, in a slightly edited version, in the United States on

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and Genre Arts. The series was set to premiere in 2021. Production was slated to begin in the summer of 2020 and air on

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The second stage show was performed throughout Wales between 15 January and 23 February 1980. This was a production of

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Ltd. The episodes were recorded in late 2003, but actual transmission was delayed while an agreement was reached with

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novel which was not an adaptation of any previously written story or script. In 2005 it was adapted for radio as the

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that "anything I put down wrong here is, as far as I'm concerned, wrong for good." The two omnibus editions were

5823: 3466: 6722: 6689: 6361: 6206: 3187:, introductions by the producer and the director, and other introductory notes from other members of the cast. 3183:. Douglas Adams gets the primary writer's credit (as he wrote the original novels), and there is a foreword by 2997: 2626: 2351:

as the voice of Deep Thought. Adams's voice can be heard making the public address announcements on Magrathea.

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as The Book. Jones was cast after a three-month-long casting search and after at least three actors (including

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Most of the original cast returned, except for Susan Sheridan, who was recording a voice for the character of

1324: 5878: 4158:(Interview with Sandra Dickinson on 1 June 2018, where she talks about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.) 1618:

Published in 1987, this 624-page leatherbound omnibus edition contains "wrong for good" versions of the four

3155: 3124:. There are two versions of this story, one of which is slightly more explicit in its political commentary. 2019: 1870: 1019: 940: 900:

The first series was repeated twice in 1978 alone and many more times in the next few years. This led to an

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and was one of Infocom's most successful games. As with many Infocom games, the box contained a number of "

6854: 6415: 6368: 6318: 5497: 3117: 3003: 2822:, Adams also mentions computers being controlled by voice, touch and gesture, a reality for humans today. 2748: 1750:

The popularity of the radio series gave rise to a six-episode television series, directed and produced by

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While spelled variously across early and different editions, this article consistently renders the title

3116:, a special large-print compilation of different stories and pictures that raised money for the then-new 2760: 2429:

All five phases were released on LP in 2018 by Demon Records, and for its 42nd anniversary, the original

337:, one of the original producers, in charge. The first of six new episodes was broadcast on 8 March 2018. 6789: 2960: 2936: 2129: 2031:

Adam Pope playing Zaphod in an amateur production of HHGTTG by Prudhoe's Really Youthful Theatre Company

1545: 1157: 272: 4170:"'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' TV Series In Works At Hulu From Carlton Cuse & Jason Fuchs" 1323:(published in 1982), Ford and Arthur travel through the space-time continuum from prehistoric Earth to 2736: 2268: 6849: 6221: 4602: 2633: 2383: 2344: 2063: 2059: 2008: 2004: 1559: 989: 456: 366: 5470: 5043: 3894: 3827:

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Radio Scripts: The Tertiary, Quandary and Quintessential Phases

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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Radio Scripts: The Tertiary, Quandary and Quintessential Phases

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as Milliways compere Max Quordlepleen, as well as the original radio series' announcer, John Marsh.

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Stephen Moore recorded two novelty singles in character as Marvin, the Paranoid Android: "Marvin"/"

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The core cast for the third to fifth radio series remained the same, except for the replacement of

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constructor fleet to make way for a hyperspace bypass. Dent is rescued from Earth's destruction by

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Restaurant at the End of the Universe. It was first published in 1979, initially in paperback, by

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charity in the UK. The story also appears in some of the omnibus editions of the trilogy, and in

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in international markets. The series has reportedly been renewed for a second season. Due to the

2744: 3948: 2768: 2687: 1285:, with Ford and Arthur being stranded on pre-historic Earth, end the book, and their rescue in 6618: 6375: 6211: 5852: 5841: 5705: 5682: 5660: 5641: 5622: 5600: 5575: 5441: 5281: 4838: 4813: 4788: 4763: 4534: 4502: 4393: 4314: 4129: 3929: 3904: 3830: 3801: 3774: 3715: 3688: 3661: 3624: 3599: 3595: 3570: 3550: 3520: 3421: 3396: 3228: 2618: 2542: 2530: 2518: 2506: 2490: 2482: 2474: 2466: 2450: 2117: 2027: 1816: 1054: 865: 441: 370: 4056: 3800:. additional material by M. J. Simpson. (25th Anniversary ed.). Pan Books. p. 253. 3687:. additional material by M. J. Simpson. (25th Anniversary ed.). Pan Books. p. 147. 6696: 6606: 6350: 6263: 5679:

The Making of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Filming of the Douglas Adams Classic

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The Making of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Filming of the Douglas Adams Classic

3773:. additional material by M. J. Simpson. (25th Anniversary ed.). Pan Books. p. 32. 3014: 2985: 2764: 2449:

There have been three audiobook recordings of the novel. The first was an abridged edition (

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offices, gets himself an infinite expense account from the computer system, and then meets

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These audio files were created from a revision of this article dated 17 May 2008

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as Ford Prefect. This show was adapted from the first series' scripts and was directed by

1969: 1854: 1842: 1751: 1706: 1570:, the Infinitely Prolonged, whom they agree to help kill. Zaphod travels to Asgard to get 1469: 1132: 1107: 920: 151: 4438: 2703:

Visual Publications, published a three-part comic book adaptation of the novelisation of

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in 1980, which produced the guide graphics for the TV series. On 2 March 2005 it won the

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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Part Two: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

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based on the third novel would be broadcast as part of its autumn schedule, produced by

961:. Only the transmitted radio series used the original recording; a sound-alike cover by 6226: 4539: 4497: 2724: 2598: 2571: 2121: 1957: 1211: 1103: 1064: 933: 287:, it was later adapted to other formats, including novels, stage shows, comic books, a 5427: 5119: 5100: 4975: 4912: 4886: 2023:

Flyer for the 1979 stage production at the ICA of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy

6753: 6625: 6597: 6439: 6012: 5698: 5565: 5541: 5455: 5293: 5263: 5193:"Simon Jones, the Original Arthur Dent, Discusses the Upcoming Hitchhiker's iOS App!" 5014: 4598:"Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio show comes to The Churchill Theatre, Bromley" 3588: 3540: 2975:"Don't Panic" appears on the dashboard of the space-bound Tesla Roadster launched by 2893: 2756: 2664: 2575: 2157: 2149: 2110: 2047: 1977: 1858: 1808: 1555: 1221: 1111: 1095: 1083: 1059: 952: 948: 912: 893: 869: 276: 68: 4083:"BBC Radio 4 - Funny in Four, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Hexagonal Phase" 2144:

The production featured a series of "VIP guests" as the voice of The Book including

5923: 5674: 5475: 5368: 4306: 4217:"Exclusive: Hulu's 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' Lands Early Season 2 Renewal" 3366: 3232: 2720: 2700: 2645: 2579: 2173: 2169: 2153: 2078: 1973: 1965: 1850: 1833: 1800: 1258:(published in 1980), Zaphod is separated from the others and finds he is part of a 1216: 1099: 1087: 944: 357: 316: 54: 4693: 4675: 3454: 3017:" was named after the character of Marvin the Paranoid Android. The band's singer 2830: 1669:

Published in 1997, this 832-page leatherbound final omnibus edition contains five

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have included "Beeblebears" (teddy bears with an extra head and arm, named after

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acting in Marvin's costume), and Stephen Fry as the voice of the Guide/Narrator.

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42, or The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything

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of the radio series, with the final episode first transmitted on 21 June 2005.

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graphical PC game, originally posted on MJ Simpson's PlanetMagrathea.com site

6649: 6381: 6345: 5814: 5345: 5237: 4959: 4634: 4607: 4236:"'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' TV Series Begins Production at Hulu" 4096: 4082: 3871: 3482: 3250: 3010: 2942: 2905: 2839: 2692: 2567: 2423: 2277: 1567: 1207: 1139:

by saying: "I have been quite popular in my time. Some even read my books."

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The radio series (and the LP and TV versions) were narrated by comedy actor

502: 444:(Ford's eccentric semi-cousin and the Galactic President who has stolen the 5285: 5143: 2437:

were combined into a three-record set that was released in August 2020 for

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as Zarniwoop (here blended with a character from the final novel to become

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On 21 June 2004, the BBC announced in a press release that a new series of

5801: 5264:"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: 40 years of parody and predictions" 5212:"Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy cast reunite ahead of Radio 4 broadcast" 4369:, including opening weekends for the US and UK releases of the 2005 movie. 2263:

The first four radio episodes were adapted for a double LP, also entitled

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with the support of Jane Belson, Adams's widow. The book was published by

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The series also featured guest appearances by such noted personalities as

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recalls, Adams said would give an "on the road, hitch-hiking feel" to it.

6407: 6340: 4461:"Original cast confirmed for Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy stage play" 2637: 2094: 2086: 1275: 1076: 939:

The theme tune used for the radio, television, LP, and film versions is "

5846: 5835: 1807:, who would also be writing for the show. The show would be produced by 969:

was used for the 2005 film, and still another arrangement, this time by

936:. This mix was also featured on DVD releases of the third radio series. 448:

a spacecraft equipped with Infinite Improbability Drive), the depressed

385:

The different versions of the series spell the title differently — thus

377:. Certain narrative details were changed among the various adaptations. 3332: 3073: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 2888:

The 2005 movie also added quite a few collectibles, mostly through the

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both went on from this production to appearances in the TV adaptation.

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There have been multiple professional and amateur stage adaptations of

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Sakamoto, John (2 June 1997). "Radiohead talk about their new video".

5060:"1999 TDV Press Release about the graphical 'Hitchhiker's Guide' game" 2566:

Sometime between 1982 and 1984 (accounts differ), the British company

1131:, was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 8 March 2018 and featured Professor 1006:

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Tertiary to Quintessential Phases

424:, a hapless Englishman, following the destruction of the Earth by the 248:

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Tertiary to Quintessential Phases

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Don't Panic: Douglas Adams and the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"

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Don't Panic: Douglas Adams and the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"

3154:, also appears in a short story by Adams titled "The Private Life of 2976: 2955:

2020 was the 42nd anniversary of HG2G appearing on Radio 4. The book

2039:. Three early professional productions were staged in 1979 and 1980. 2011:

were also released on the respective dates in these three countries.

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with Arthur. Random, a more than typically troubled teenager, steals

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Don't Panic: The Official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion

4111:"The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy returns—with the original cast" 3978:

Don't Panic: The Official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion

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survey and programme, broadcast in late 2003. The film, directed by

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stunt ship was substituted—this having first been introduced in the

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as Lintilla and her clones (and also as the Voice of the Bird), and

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where Adams had the idea for the 'Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

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became some of the first radio shows to be mixed into four-channel

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Officially, the TV series was followed in 1984 by a best-selling "

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from the film, packaged in a replica of the film's version of the

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The More Than Complete Hitchhiker's Guide, Complete and Unabridged

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of six episodes (called "Fits" after the names of the sections of

474: 449: 425: 349: 5655:———————— (2005). 5599:. MJ Simpson, add. mater (25th Anniversary ed.). Pan Books. 4561:"Review: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Glaxy, Royal Concert Hall" 860:

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Primary and Secondary Phases

240:

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Primary and Secondary Phases

80:

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Primary and Secondary Phases

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