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: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).