"The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy" (1981) TV series

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

30 October 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Sci-Fi | Adventure

Tagline:

Don't panic!

Plot:

An Earth man and his alien friend escape Earth's destruction and go on a truly strange adventure as space hitchhikers.

Plot Keywords:

Space | Alien | Meaning Of Life | Planet | Time Travel

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Peter Jones	...	The Book (6 episodes, 1981)
Simon Jones	...	Arthur Dent (6 episodes, 1981)
David Dixon	...	Ford Prefect (6 episodes, 1981)
Sandra Dickinson	...	Trillian (5 episodes, 1981)
Mark Wing-Davey	...	Zaphod Beeblebrox (5 episodes, 1981)
Stephen Moore	...	Marvin / ... (5 episodes, 1981)
David Learner	...	Marvin (4 episodes, 1981)
David Tate	...	Eddie / ... (3 episodes, 1981)
Martin Benson	...	Vogon Captain (2 episodes, 1981)
Richard Vernon	...	Slartibartfast (2 episodes, 1981)
Rayner Bourton	...	Newscaster (2 episodes, 1981)
Douglas Adams	...	Man in Ocean / ... (2 episodes, 1981)

(more)

Series Directed by
Alan J.W. Bell		(6 episodes, 1981)

Series Writing credits
Douglas Adams		(6 episodes, 1981)

Series Produced by
Alan J.W. Bell	....	producer (6 episodes, 1981)
John Lloyd	....	associate producer (6 episodes, 1981)

Series Film Editing by
Glenn Hyde		(4 episodes, 1981)

Series Production Design by
Andrew Howe-Davies		(6 episodes, 1981)
Tom Yardley-Jones		(2 episodes, 1981)

Series Costume Design by
Dee Robson		(6 episodes, 1981)

Series Makeup Department
Joan Stribling	....	makeup artist (6 episodes, 1981)

Series Production Management
Michael Cager	....	production manager (6 episodes, 1981)

Series Art Department
Douglas Burd	....	graphic designer (6 episodes, 1981)

Series Sound Department
Paddy Kingsland	....	radiophonic effects (6 episodes, 1981)
Michael McCarthy	....	sound director (6 episodes, 1981)
Paul Roberts	....	dubbing mixer (6 episodes, 1981)

Series Special Effects by
Dave Jervis	....	electronic effects (6 episodes, 1981)
Dave Chapman	....	electronic effects (2 episodes, 1981)

Series Visual Effects by
Jim Francis	....	visual effects designer (6 episodes, 1981)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Bert Postlethwaite	....	studio lighting (6 episodes, 1981)
Peter Hall	....	camera operator: film camera (4 episodes, 1981)
Dave Thomson	....	camera operator: studio cameras (4 episodes, 1981)
Godfrey Johnson	....	camera operator: film camera (2 episodes, 1981)
Jeff Oliver	....	camera operator: studio cameras (2 episodes, 1981)

Series Animation Department
Rod Lord	....	animator (6 episodes, 1981)
Kevin Davies	....	animator (3 episodes, 1981)

Series Editorial Department
Ian Williams	....	editor: video tape (6 episodes, 1981)
Chris Gage	....	vision mixer (3 episodes, 1981)
Angela Wilson	....	vision mixer (2 episodes, 1981)

Series Music Department
Paddy Kingsland	....	radiophonic music (6 episodes, 1981)
Bernie Leadon	....	composer: song "Journey of the Sorcerer" (unknown episodes)
Richard Rodgers	....	composer: song "You'll Never Walk Alone" (unknown episodes)
Tim Souster	....	music arranger: title music (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Norman Brierley	....	technical manager (6 episodes, 1981)
Jean Peyre	....	design effects (6 episodes, 1981)
Cliff Pinnock	....	assistant floor manager (6 episodes, 1981)
Vicky Pugh	....	production assistant (6 episodes, 1981)
Chris Gravel	....	film recordist (3 episodes, 1981)

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (1981) (UK) (TV) (original airing)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Encore Entertainment (1998) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• BBC Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• BBC Video (????) (UK) (VHS)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (????) (USA) (TV) (original US airing)

Special Effects

• Pearce Studios

Also Known As:

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (USA) (video title)

Runtime:

Australia:32 min (6 episodes) | Germany:152 min (2 parts) | USA:25 min (7 episodes) (original release) | USA:33 min (6 episodes) (subsequent syndication) | 33 min (6 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Stereo (video release)

Certification:

Australia:G (original rating) | Australia:PG (cable rating) | UK:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

BBC Television Centre, Wood Lane, Shepherd's Bush, London, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

Shooty and Bang-Bang (the American cops at the end of episode 4) were inspired by the main characters in "Starsky and Hutch" (1975). Douglas Adams' impression of this show was that the characters cared too much to shoot people, so they crashed their cars into them instead.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In episode 4 computer Deep Thought is speaking about building the computer Earth, and he calls it "the computer who will give the answer to the ultimate question". Actually the sentence should be the other way round: "the question to the ultimate answer" - they already have the answer (42).

Quotes:

[repeated line]
Marvin: I think you ought to know I'm feeling very depressed.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Making of 'The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' (1993) (V)

Soundtrack:

Journey of the Sorcerer

Classic British satire mixed with absurdist humour

In the early eighties Arthur Dent awakes to find the council is preparing to bulldoze his home to make way for a by-pass. Arthur is determined to sop them but is distracted by his friend Ford Prefect who is sure the world is about to be destroyed by the Vogons. Arthur is shocked to find that Ford is not from Gilford but really from another planet and that he is correct in his assertions. The two escape by hitching a ride on the Vogon ship and thus begins an adventure that will see them meet old friends and see places in new ways thanks to the guidance of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Based on the radio show, this was what made Douglas Adams. The plot is pretty thin but is matched by the observations from the aforementioned book itself. The is allows one half of each show to be moving things forward and making the show actually go somewhere and for the other half to be absurdly funny. The story is good enough to be amusing by itself but with the sly wit of the guide taking swipes at things in a sideways fashion it becomes even better.

It is rarely laugh out loud funny, and I've yet to meet an American who gets the satire/wit of the thing (although there are some!). Simply because this is a witty thing rather than a silly, hilarious thing. The plot does require some leaps of faith as our characters escape death in several unlikely ways – but this is sci-fi and more importantly we always have the book to put it all in focus. The guide's comments show that the galaxy, like earth, is an insecure place that is really quite meaningless at the end of the day.

Jones is perfect as the book – he always sound slightly unbelieving of what he was saying, as if he was taken aback by the sheer amazement he was feeling! Simon Jones is likable as Arthur but I always found Dixon a little too cocky for Ford. Likewise I was never a real fan of Wing Davey but I must admit the two heads were good for the time. The rest of the cast are very good – but really the two Jones's are carrying the two separate elements of the show.

Overall those who know the books and the radio show will feel some material is missing, but really these 6 episodes cover the basic material very well and are very true to the source. The wit may go over the head of some people but this is absurd British wit of the finest sort.