H I T C H H I K E R ' S G U I D E T O T H E G A L A X Y ----------------------- --------- --- ----- ----------- 1978, 1980, 2004, 2005 First Show: 08 Mar, 1978 Last Show: 21 Jun, 2005 Number Shows: 26 Audition Show: none Series Description: Is there science fiction fan who hasn't heard of the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series? Doubtful. But maybe they haven't heard of the BBC's radio version of Douglas Adams' comedy/science fiction multi-book work. In fact, the radio version came first, airing on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday, 8 March, 1978 at 10:30 PM. This was the first of a six-part series that was to form the basis of the series in print. (The first book was first published in England in September of 1979.) A seventh episode was broadcast on Christmas Eve in 1978. The final five episodes aired in January of 1980, all in one week. This brought the total to 12 episodes, covering the first two books in the series that would ultimately be continued to five books. Twenty-five years later, after the release of the remaining books, a TV series and possibly thanks to the pressure of the new movie version, the BBC aired the remaining 3 books. Series 3 was done in 6 episodes. Series 4 and 5 consisted of 4 episodes each. Each series covers one of the remaining 3 books. Fortunately, many of the original cast members appeared in the new series. Simon Brett, perhaps better known in England for his Charles Paris detective novels, produced the first episode of the series before leaving the BBC to pursue writing. Geoffrey Perkins took over producing the remainder of the first 12 shows. The 3 new series were produced by Above The Title Productions, adapted and directed by Dirk Maggs. The story has three main characters. There is Arthur Dent, whose house is bulldozed just before the Earth is vaporized to make way for a hyperspatial expressway. Ford Prefect is his alien friend, who is a researcher for the Hitchhiker's Guide. Of course, Arthur didn't know Ford was an alien, until Ford saved him from Earth's demise. Then there's the Book. Who (or what) else can tell the story, not to mention filling in with all those bits of trivia only a true Guide can provide. The first six episodes were written to stand alone. The ending of part six almost ties everything together, leaving but a few loose ends. Part 7 starts up almost where part 6 finished but ends as though Part 8 was next week. It wasn't. Those first listeners had to wait over a year for the next installment. The last 5 episodes concluded the story that is covered in the second book. Like the book, it leaves you feeling there's more to follow. There is, but the listener had to wait 25 years. There's a number of variations of The Guide. The first version was heard over the BBC's Radio 4. Then, there were the BBC World Service (heard world-wide over short wave) and the BBC transcription service versions (heard in the US on NPR). There was a version for TV and of course, there's the books. Each one is different, sometimes slight, sometimes not so slight. Those who have read the books but haven't heard the radio series may be in for a surprise or two. See the entry for the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org, for additional information. Log Comments: Unlike many modern radio series, all radio show episodes are available commercially. The first 2 series have been marketed on cassette and CD in the US. They may be a somewhat difficult to find becasue they have been available for so long. Of the new series, the first series (the Tertiary Phase) is available at this time. The remaining two should be available soon in the US. All are currently available in the UK. The shows were untitled. For this list, I've adopted the method used in the radio scripts book. The BBC refers to episodes as "Fits" (after an obscure term for a part of a poem). The radio scripts are denoted as "Fit the First" for episode number one and so on. There was also a short episode description in the script book, taken from Radio Times. I've included it here. Discriptions are not included for the last 3 series because I don't have them and haven't heard the shows yet to write my own. In Douglas Adams' introduction to "The More Than Complete Hitch- hiker's Guide", entitled "A Guide to the Guide", Mr. Adams mentioned episode 7 was "commonly known as the Christmas episode. It contained no reference of any kind Christmas." In keeping with the tone of the series, this bit of information is included in the list. Broadcast date for the first show was obtained from "The More Than Complete Hitchhiker's Guide" and "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Original Radio Scripts". Broadcast dates for shows 7 through 12 were obtained from radio scripts book. The remaining dates are my assumptions. Dates for the new 3 series were obtained from the BBC's web site. Mr. Adams referred to the original two series as the Primary and Secondary Phases. "Above the Title Production", who produced the new series for the BBC, continued Mr. Adam's method and referred to the new series as the Tertiary, Quandary and Quintessential Phases. This log reflects that. The log lists time of original broadcast where known and dates and times of repeat broadcast that followed within a week of the original broadcast. Chronological Log: Date Num Title ------------ --- ----------------------------------------------------- THE PRIMARY PHASE ----------------------------------- 08 Mar, 1978 1 Fit The First episode 1 Aired Wednesday at 10:30PM, repeats unknown. In which the Earth is unexpectedly destroyed and the great Hitch-Hike begins. 15 Mar, 1978 2 Fit The Second episode 2 Aired Wednesday at 10:30PM, repeats unknown. After being saved from certain death during the demolition of the Earth, Arthur Dent now faces a hopeless choice between meeting certain death in the vacuum of space or finding something pleasant to say about Vogon poetry. 22 Mar, 1978 3 Fit The Third episode 3 Aired Wednesday at 10:30PM, repeats unknown. After being improbably rescued from certain death in the vacuum of space, Arthur Dent and his new companions now face a missile attack and certain death. 29 Mar, 1978 4 Fit The Fourth episode 4 Aired Wednesday at 10:30PM, repeats unknown. It has been revealed to Arthur that the Earth has been built by the Magratheans and run by mice. Meanwhile his companions have been suddenly confronted by something nasty (probably certain death). 05 Apr, 1978 5 Fit The Fifth episode 5 Aired Wednesday at 10:30PM, repeats unknown. Sent to find the Ultimate Question to Life, the Universe and Everything, Arthur Dent and his companions have been cornered by two humane cops who, nevertheless, have left them in a certain death situation. 12 Apr, 1978 6 Fit The Sixth episode 6 Aired Wednesday at 10:30PM, repeats unknown. Will the Ultimate Question to Life, the Universe and Everything (to which the answer is forty two) be discovered? Will our heroes be able to control their newly stolen spaceship and the enormous fleet of black battle cruisers that is following them? Will all end happily or in the certain death that has threatened them so persistently? THE SECONDARY PHASE --------------------------------- 24 Dec, 1978 7 Fit The Seventh, The Christmas Episode episode 1 Aired Sunday, time unknown, repeats unknown. The show that began with the end of the world continues with Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect stranded on prehistoric Earth, and Zaphod Beeblebrox and Marvin thoroughly devoured by a carbon copy of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal. 21 Jan, 1980 8 Fit The Eighth episode 2 Aired Monday, time unknown, repeats unknown. Zaphod Beeblebrox and his mysterious friend Roosta are being taken in a flying building to the evil Frogstar, whilst Ford Prefect and Arthur Dent are stranded on pre-historic Earth. Some of them are getting hungry. 22 Jan, 1980 9 Fit The Ninth episode 3 Aired Tuesday, time unknown, repeats unknown. In which our heroes have the chance to chew the fat with some old enemies and Arthur Dent has an unpleasant cup of tea. 23 Jan, 1980 10 Fit The Tenth episode 4 Aired Wednesday, time unknown, repeats unknown. In which our heroes have some close encounters with others and themselves. 24 Jan, 1980 11 Fit The Eleventh episode 5 Aired Thursday, time unknown, repeats unknown. In which our heroes do a lot of running and digging. 25 Jan, 1980 12 Fit The Twelfth episode 6 Aired Friday, time unknown, repeats unknown. In which all is resolved, everyone lives happily ever after, and pigs fly. THE TERTIARY PHASE ---------------------------------- 21 Sep, 2004 13 Fit the Thirteenth episode 1 Aired Tuesday at 6:30PM, Repeated Thursday, 23 Sep, 2004, at 11:00pm. 28 Sep, 2004 14 Fit the Fourteenth episode 2 Aired Tuesday at 6:30PM, Repeated Thursday, 30 Sep, 2004, at 11:00pm. 05 Oct, 2004 15 Fit the Fiftheenth episode 3 Aired Tuesday at 6:30PM, Repeated Thursday, 07 Oct, 2004, at 11:00pm. 12 Oct, 2004 16 Fit the Sixteenth episode 4 Aired Tuesday at 6:30PM, Repeated Thursday, 14 Oct, 2004, at 11:00pm. 19 Oct, 2004 17 Fit the Seventeenth episode 5 Aired Tuesday at 6:30PM, Repeated Thursday, 21 Oct, 2004, at 11:00pm. 26 Oct, 2004 18 Fit the Eighteenth episode 6 Aired Tuesday at 6:30PM, Repeated Thursday, 28 Oct, 2004, at 11:00pm. THE QUANDARY PHASE ---------------------------------- 03 May, 2005 19 Fit the Nineteenth episode 1 Aired Tuesday at 6:30PM, No repeated due to election coverage. 10 May, 2005 20 Fit the twentieth episode 2 Aired Tuesday at 6:30PM, Repeated Thursday, 12 May, 2005, at 11:00pm. 17 May, 2005 21 Fit the Twenty First episode 3 Aired Tuesday at 6:30PM, Repeated Thursday, 19 May, 2005, at 11:00pm. 24 May, 2005 22 Fit the Twenty Second episode 4 Aired Tuesday at 6:30PM, Repeated Thursday, 26 May, 2005, at 11:00pm. THE QUINTESSENTIAL PHASE --------------------------- 31 May, 2005 23 Fit the Twenty Third episode 1 Aired Tuesday at 6:30PM, Repeated Thursday, 02 Jun, 2005, at 11:00pm. 07 Jun, 2005 24 Fit the Twenty Fourth episode 2 Aired Tuesday at 6:30PM, Repeated Thursday, 09 Jun, 2005 at 11:00pm. 14 Jun, 2005 25 Fit the Twenty Fifth episode 3 Aired Tuesday at 6:30PM, Repeated Thursday, 16 Jun, 2005 at 11:00pm. 21 Jun, 2005 26 Fit the Twenty Sixth episode 4 Aired Tuesday at 6:30PM, Repeated Thursday, 23 Jun, 2005 at 11:00pm. References: * "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Original Radio Scripts" by Douglas Adams and Geoffrey Perkins, Harmony Books, NY, 1985, ISBN 0-517-88384-8. * "The Ultimate History of Network Radio Programming and Guide To All Circulating Shows", by Jay Hickerson, 27436 Desert Rose Ct., Leesburg, FL 34748 * Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org. Other Logs or Books: * HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY log, Jerry Haendiges Productions, 13808 Sunset Dr., Whittier, CA 90602 (http://www.otrsite.com) Reader Feedback: * M.J. Simpson corrected the time of the first broadcast from 10:00 to 10:30, per Radio Times. Last Update: Jul 25, 2007 This log is informational only and does not imply that I have these shows for trade or sale. The shows are still protected under copyright law and should be obtained only from authorized dealers. The log may be freely reproduced and published on a no-profit basis. Please send error corrections or additional information to Frank M. Passage, 109 Elmwood Road, Verona, NJ 07044 (email: wb2ntp@arrl.net).