In which the Earth is demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass.
The main character (one Arthur Dent) sticks a fish in his ear.
The (real) answer to life the universe and everything is found to be 42.
No, I insist that this misconception be reconcepted. 42 is the answer to the Great Question of Life, the Universe and Everything. If it were simply Life, the Universe and Everything there'd be no need for earth...
Pedant! ^_^
And the best laid plans of mice are thwarted, amongst many other unusual, and hilarious happenings.
Also the cause of a cult following of a strength probably more or less equal to MontyPython. In fact, I think they tend to be the same people. It's amazing how often I hear conversations which start with a mass recital of a favourite MontyPython sketch and end with some joke about the number 42 or the last message from God to his creation. --FR It's back! 6:30 pm, Tuesdays (starting 21 September) BBC? RadioFour?. It's a new series (of 6, I believe), doing the dramatisation the other way round - it's a radio version of the books. Arthur, Ford and Zaphod are played by the same people.
Gah! Does anyone have any way of recording this? Even if I can get Radio 4 to work across the internet into the building (I'm guessing they probably don't allow Internet radio streams) I don't think listening to hhgttg would be very good for my concentration... (that's 10.30am here). Sorry for the late notice. If anyone could get it that would be great... --K
(PeterTaylor) Doesn't the BBC have all their radio programs available to be listened to for a week after they're broadcast?
Update - it an adaptation of Book 3, which does just about start immediately after Series 2, despite the strange warpings that happened between series and books the first time round. The BBC do indeed have the "Listen Again" service - visit [the show page], and use the "Listen Again" link on the right. I note that currently it isn't active. I assume it will become so sooninsh. Failing that, it's apparently repeated on Thursday, so someone may be able to record it for you then. --CH
I'll be using the BBC site - there's currently no working equipment in the flat capable of receiving radio at a listenable quality, and the site is less fuss than taking the room apart so I can get at the back of the amp to rewire it.. - MoonShadow
Just to say, much as I hate to say it - this has been overhyped. Perhaps it's because it was primarily a recap episode, perhaps because all of the best lines have already been used in the trailers - whatever the reason, I didn't think all that much of it. I did, however, like the way they sorted out the books accents. --Vitenka
I think that probably the recap-ness was the main problem. They did have to tell you who, where, and roughly why everyone was. But yes, the reason for the change in book voices was neat, particularly how they managed to get some Peter Jones lines in. --CH
Given that Life, the Universe and Eveything is a fairly poor book (it's the stage at which DouglasAdams' dislike of writing really does overcome his innate talent), I thought it was pretty well done. Indeed, it was vastly superior to the opening couple of chapters of LUE....
I heard the first two, and I'm relying on my parents to record the others. Getting HenryBlofeld and FredTrueman? to do the commentary for the Lords Cricket Ground scene was an inspired move. -- PaulPower.
Aaaand, to tie in with the film, it's back again in the same slot, with books 4 and 5 - the Quandary and Quintessential Phases. I seem to recall liking SLATFATF better than LUE, but MostlyHarmless? is fairly poor, unfortunately. --CH
Different slot - Tuesday evenings, used to be thursday evenings. But it is pretty good, and nicely updated too. (A society so backwards that they still think novelty RingTone?s are a good idea...) --Vitenka
Same slot - it used to be both and still is. I did like the RingTone?s though. Especially "no-one was very happy, even those people who had their CellPhone? on vibrate" --CH
Now there is a [film] as well. Bobacus hopes to see it SometimeSoon?.
Requiem recommends the film to anyone who isn't expecting it to be the film of the book. It's a great HHGTG film. It's just not exactly the same story as the book, and slightly hollywoodised in places.
(Slight SpoilerWarning for the discussion and links below)
They did seem to make the film with the sole purpose of not leaving themselves open for any sequels. Still, a fair amount of the casting was quite brilliant, especially Alan Rickman and John Malkovich. You do have to remember, though, that the book was written in the... eighties? A fair amount of the style of the book wouldn't really be appropriate for a film now. --FR
Yet they are talking about sequels for a trilogy. (No, don't make that joke, please.) --Vitenka
''It's... not bad. BrianClevinger?'s mini-review "they took away some of the humour to make room for plot, which they then removed as well" is occasionally fair (the Zaphod-President-Hummus-Gun plot never gets resolved); but it's quite funny along the way. I did, genuinely, LOL a couple of times. Oh, and you can play SpotTheCameo? - I noticed 3, although I knew about one of them in advance. --CH
I found the scenes with Arthur and Trillian painful, and of the rest there were some good bits and some bad bits. I also genuinely laughed at parts, but other parts were awful. --Edwin
The scenes with Arthur and Trillian were the main reason I didn't think there would be a sequel, because that just doesn't happen. I suppose doing it this way you could do the second and third books, but certainly not the fourth, let alone the fifth, which is just depressing anyway. --FR
What do you mean, "just doesn't happen"? It's explicitly not the film of the book. Anything is allowed to happen. --Requiem
You say that, but I was surprised at how closely it did stick to the plot of the book. Even details like the pleasant sounds made by the doors and the Vogon poetry. It started off fairly accurate and got worse, but even so... --FR
I think I agree with Requiem, that it's a fine film as long as you're not expecting it to be a film of the book. The first half of the film follows the common plot (of book, TV series and radio) fairly well, the second half not at all. I was struck by how terrifyingly AntiPlot? the original HHGTTG plotline is, so anyone who objects to DeusExMachina all the way through should be warned. However, the cast are indeed mostly superb, the Guide animations are fairly cool, the effects of the InfiniteImprobabilityDrive? are SOJTMN orthy, and I felt a strong pang of nostalgic delight when the theme song played. It's not a film that would become a classic in its own right if it weren't H2G2, but it's good fun. --AlexChurchill
Yay. I remembered to grab the second episode online this time. Um. Anyone grab the previous one? --Vitenka
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