A MUST-READ OF COMEDY SCI-FI

The origin of it all. I cannot have enough words to show how much I love what was the real beginning of everything Douglas Adams did afterwards.

42 forever ♾️

Good fun, especially while simultaneously listening to the radio shows themselves.

If the late Douglas Adams had a fault, it was that he kept revisiting, and revisiting, and revisiting The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The fact is, he had it right the first time, as this collection of the original radio scripts more than proves.

Aired on BBC radio and later on NPR in the United States, this is the original form of what became a TV series, a film - I think two films - and a series of books. I know all of them have their fans, but they became increasingly accreted with stuff that Adams might have used better in original projects. The radio scripts demonstrate the wacky brilliance of Adams' vision.

This book - well out of print - boasts not only all of the original radio scripts, it includes material that was trimmed, music notes, information on casting, and commentary by both Adams and producer Geoffrey Perkins that simultaneously enlightens and entertains. The process that went into this remains fascinating. The fact that I could read through the book and recognize a lot of material that's still rattling around my brain 40 years later says a lot about not only Adams' originality and creative punch, but also the staying power of the material, the production, and the acting.

Quite possibly the funniest version of the Hitchhiker universe ...

Fascinating insight for DNA nerds.

It's super funny. You find yourself exhaling through your nose for quite a bit of the book. It's a good read when you want to take a break from being heavily involved in a plot; it allows the reader some breathing room in terms of the ease with which one can imagine such otherworldly characters and places, all the while remaining light-hearted and thoroughly enjoyable.

I never listened to the full series; and the radio scripts are interesting not just because of the deviation of the plot line from the books, but also for the notes from Geoffrey Perkins about how the programme was actually made. I can't help think that it must have been a nightmare to make.

Note to self: Ford is better in the books.

2005:

"Contrary to what you might believe, completely different from the books of the same name. New characters, new plots, new excuses to read out-loud in a British accent. In short, lots of fun, definitely recommended to anyone with a sense of humour."

Obviously, the real way to experience the radio show is to listen to it, but if you haven’t got the recordings and a listening device to hand, here’s a book. The neat bit with the book is that , as well as the scripts for the series, you get some extras with various comments and footnotes from Geoffrey Perkins (the series Producer).

This volume contains the scripts for the original, first two series of H2G2 (the Primary and Secondary Phases), written and broadcast to great success before any of the books were written or published – together, they sort of cover the same ground as the first two books (Earth destroyed by Vogans, Earth as mega-computer working on The Question, Zaphod’s quest for the man who runs the Universe, stranding on prehistoric Earth) but do it in a very different order and with some bits lost and some different bits added.

Which is where the interest here lies. Many fans will argue that the Radio show is The definitive version; but as someone who came to the party via the novels, I like to think that the radio show was the raw first draft and the novels are the True Version of the H2G2 story (a bit like how “The Star Wars” scripts represent a first draft; the movies of Episodes 4-6 are the Real Star Wars). The radio shows certainly veer into a different direction – most of the second series is taken up with bizarre running around on a planet ruined by the Shoe event horizon (talked about in the books but less important) and a colossal statue of Arthur Dent throwing a cup of tea. Trillian is gobbled up by the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (or at least, some alien that thinks it’s the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal) And the lead female is a series of clones that…. And so on. The finale of the series has a matching scene in the books but also contains a much darker twist.

These are for the fans really; the notes from Geoffrey Perkins are interesting but the actual storyline is not as finely crafted as the books. However, Adams’ vast imagination, intellect and seriously funny writing are all on full display and that’s only ever a wonderful thing.

I must have been twelve or thirteen when the first season of Hitchhiker’s Guide was repeated on Radio National at around midnight. I recall being tucked up in bed with a cassette player, ready to listen and record an episode. I’ve no idea if my parents knew what I was doing; they never said anything if they did. Hearing those episodes in the darkness, comforted by Arthur Dent’s panic, Zaphood’s hoopiness, and Ford’s…. Ford-ness, to say nothing of dear old Marvin and brilliant Trillian, are pivotal moments from my childhood.

Because this was Hitchhikers, and I could never get enough of it. I read and re-read the books to the degree that they fell apart (especially the first one, which will always be my favourite). And I wore the cassette tape out with re-listening. When the TV series was repeated on ABC, I recorded it and watched it again and again and again. I recently watched it with my daughter Sophie, who absolutely loved it.*

I know my story isn’t unique. Most of you reading this will have done the same. Some of you will have listened to the radio series — Phases One and Two — when they originally came out in 1977 and 1978 (I was far too young). Like Doctor Who before it, when Hitchhikers gets its claws into you, it never, ever lets go.

Despite all this, until this week, I hadn’t read the original radio scripts. Why bother when you can just listen to the episode? But scripts, of course, are very much their own thing, and this book plays on that, replicating Adam’s stage directions and putting back in the lines edited from the episodes (usually for reasons of length). The footnotes from Geoffrey Perkins are lovely, funny and fascinating. I got emotional when Douglas intruded (or was invited) into the Footnotes with his recollection of the recordings. These were fragments of Douglas, sparkling with wit and self-deprecation, that I’d never encountered before. The recovery of a “lost episode” — Arthur Dent being interviewed by Sheila Steafel while sleeping in the cave on prehistoric Earth — is another lovely, unexpected surprise.

Of course, having read the scripts, I went back to the radio series.** I can confirm that it remains one of the most incredible things ever broadcasted across the galactic sub-ether network.

*I’ve seen the movie once. That was more than enough. If you liked the film, that’s fine. But I’m not sure we can be friends.

** It’s on Spotify, along with the other Phases that came later, essentially adaptations of the novels. Sadly, they’re simply not as good because the source material isn’t as good. One of the great disappointments of my childhood is discovering that So Long and Thanks for All The Fish lacked all the wit, charm, surrealism and sharp observations that made the first three novel (especially, the first two) so damn magnificent.

Have saw the serial and the movies and read the books individually and as omnibus and different sets, hardback, still in my library, says a lot. Date wrong, just saw it to review. also listened to radio ones of course

I love the radio series of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and these scripts just add to it.

The descriptions of the sound effects are hilarious.