The cover of the booklet included with the Collector's Edition CD set release of the first two Hitchhiker's radio series.

The very first version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was conceived as a science-fiction comedy series for radio. It was originally broadcast in the United Kingdom over the BBC, soon followed by global short wave broadcast over the BBC World Service, in 1978. Broadcasting by National Public Radio (one of their first to occur in stereo) in the USA followed in March, 1981, with a repeat broadcast in September. Scan of the front cover of the booklet included with the eight CD set for The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: The Collectors Edition. ... Scan of the front cover of the booklet included with the eight CD set for The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: The Collectors Edition. ... The cover of the first novel in the Hitchhikers series, from a late 1990s printing. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the national publicly funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. ... Shortwave radio operates between the frequencies of 3,000 kHz and 30 MHz (30,000 kHz) and came to be referred to as such in the early days of radio because the wavelengths associated with this frequency range were shorter than those commonly in use at that time. ... The BBC World Service is one of the most widely recognised international broadcasters of radio programming, transmitting in 43 languages to around 150 million people throughout the world. ... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... NPR logo NPR redirects here. ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Douglas Noël Adams (March 11, 1952 – May 11, 2001), also known (to fans) as Bop Ad or Bob (after his illegible signature) or by his initials DNA (it is notable that Watson and Cricks famous discovery was announced in Cambridge, nine months after Douglas Adams was born there). ... Geoffrey Perkins has been a central figure in British comedy broadcasting. ...

Early Development

The cover of the cassette release of the radio documentary Douglas Adams's Guide to the Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Douglas Adams had contributed comedy sketches for BBC radio programmes produced by Simon Brett (including The Burkiss Way and Week Ending, among others). The two of them came up with an idea for a radio science-fiction comedy series in early 1977. Scan of the front cover of 1999 BBC Radio Collection double cassette release. ... Scan of the front cover of 1999 BBC Radio Collection double cassette release. ... Douglas Noël Adams (March 11, 1952 – May 11, 2001), also known (to fans) as Bop Ad or Bob (after his illegible signature) or by his initials DNA (it is notable that Watson and Cricks famous discovery was announced in Cambridge, nine months after Douglas Adams was born there). ... Simon Brett (b. ... The Burkiss Way was a BBC Radio 4 sketch comedy series that ran from August 1976 to November 1980. ... Week Ending. ... 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ...

Originally to be called The Ends of the Earth, each episode would have ended with the planet Earth meeting its demise in a different way. While writing the first episode, Douglas said that he needed a character who knew what was going to happen and provide a point of view. Douglas decided to make this character an alien, and, remembering an idea he supposedly had had while laying drunk in a field in Innsbruck, Austria in 1971, decided that this character would be a "roving reporter" for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Later recollections by his friends at the time (see Hitchhiker by M.J. Simpson) indicate that Adams first spoke openly of the idea of "hitch-hiking around the galaxy" while on Holiday in Greece, in 1973. Innsbruck City Center Innsbruck and Nordkette from south // Geography Innsbruck is a city in western Austria, and the capital of the Tyrol province. ... 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ...

Douglas wrote his first outlines (which are republished in the book Don't Panic by Neil Gaiman) in Spring 1977. A pilot episode was commissioned on 1 March 1977, and the recording was completed on 28 June 1977. Simon and Douglas both later recounted different parts of the process for getting the pilot episode recorded, including having to convince the BBC that such a programme could not be recorded with a studio audience, and their desire to record in stereo sound. In fact, to win this latter argument, Hitchhiker's was briefly classified as a Drama instead of a Comedy, as Drama programmes were allowed to be recorded in stereo, and Comedy programmes were not, in 1977. Neil Gaiman (November 2004) Neil Richard Gaiman () (born November 10, 1960 in Portchester, England) is the author of numerous science fiction and fantasy works, including many comic books. ...

A full series of six episodes (five new episodes, plus the pilot) were commissioned on 31 August 1977. However, Douglas had in the meantime sent a copy of the Hitchhiker's pilot episode to the BBC's Doctor Who production office, and was thus commissioned to write a four part Doctor Who serial (The Pirate Planet) a few weeks later. In addition, Simon Brett had departed the BBC, and the final five episodes in the first series were produced by Geoffrey Perkins. Main article: History of Doctor Who Doctor Who first appeared on BBC television on November 23, 1963. ... The Pirate Planet is the second serial in the Key to Time arc of Doctor Who. ... Geoffrey Perkins has been a central figure in British comedy broadcasting. ...

With conflicting writing commitments, Douglas brought his friend John Lloyd in for writing assistance on what are known as "Fit the Fifth" and "Fit the Sixth." Aside from the later Infocom computer game, (and, one could argue, the movie screenplay), this is the only instance of any form of Hitchhiker's having a co-writer credit. All of the episodes, including those completed after Douglas' death, are referred to as 'Fits,' after Lewis Carroll's "The Hunting of the Snark: an Agony, in Eight Fits." Production of "Fit the Second" was done in November, 1977. The script of the last episode of the first series (later retitled "The Primary Phase") was completed in February 1978, and production (including sound mixing and effects) was completed on 3 March 1978. Photograph of Lewis Carroll taken by himself, with assistance Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (January 27, 1832 – January 14, 1898), better known by the pen name Lewis Carroll, was a British author, mathematician, logician, Anglican clergyman and photographer. ... Lewis Carrolls The Hunting of the Snark (An Agony in 8 Fits) is a comic poem about a group of adventurers hunting a legendary beast. ... March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ...

Music used in the series

One of Adams' stated goals was to be experimental in the use of sound, thus the use of stereo sound (which he later said that before Hitchhiker's it was deemed impossible and after Hitchhiker's it was made compulsory in radio comedy). Being a fan of Pink Floyd and the Beatles (and especially the experimental albums both bands produced in the late 1960s and early 1970s) Adams also wanted to incorporate other bits of music from a variety of artists. This was only achieved during the first series. There were, naturally, some problems with copyrights (see the Trivia section below, for more). During the second series, Paddy Kingsland was commissioned to provide background music, and in the third through fifth series, that role has been given to Paul 'Wix' Wickens. Pink Floyd circa 1971. ... The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. ... Paddy Kingsland is a composer of electronic music best known for his incidental music for science fiction series on BBC radio and TV, including two versions of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: the second radio series and the TV adaptation, as well as several serials of Doctor Who. ...

The instrumental title theme, Journey of the Sorcerer, composed by Bernie Leadon and recorded by US rock band The Eagles, was re-interpreted by The Illegal Eagles, a tribute band, using an arrangement by Philip Pope. This was done for all of the CD releases of the Quandary and Quintessential Phases due to licensing reasons (though the original track was used for the original radio transmissions and the on-demand downloads). Bernie Leadon (born July 19, 1947 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American musician, best known as a founding member of the country rock band The Eagles. ... The Eagles is an American rock music group that originally came together in Los Angeles, California in the early 1970s. ... Philip Pope is a British composer and actor. ...

In the book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Original Radio Scripts, excerpts from these other musical pieces are acknowledged (in order of use):

• A Modern Mass for the Dead (Requiem) by György Ligeti
• A Rainbow in Curved Air by Terry Riley
• Volumina by György Ligeti
• Wind on water by Robert Fripp and Brian Eno
• Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band by Terry Riley
• Cachaca by Patrick Moraz
• Shine on You Crazy Diamond (intro) by Pink Floyd
• Rock and Roll Music by The Beatles
• Also sprach Zarathustra (intro) by Richard Strauss
• Katakomben by Gruppe Between
• Space Theme by Stomu Yamashta
• Oxygene by Jean-Michel Jarre
• That's Entertainment by Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz
• Over Fire Island by Robert Fripp and Brian Eno
• Miracles of the Gods by Absolute Everywhere
• Mikrophoniet by Karlheinz Stockhausen
• Melodien by György Ligeti
• The Engulfed Cathedral by Isao Tomita
• Volkstanz by Gruppe Between
• What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong

György Sándor Ligeti (born May 28, 1923) is a Hungarian composer (now living in, and a citizen of, Austria), widely seen as one of the great composers of instrumental music of the 20th century. ... Terry Riley (born 24 June 1935 in Colfax, California) is an American composer associated with the minimalist school. ... Robert Fripp in performance. ... Brian Eno in 1977 Brain Eno (born Brian Peter George St. ... Patrick Moraz (born June 24, 1948 in Morges, Switzerland) is a progressive rock keyboard player. ... Pink Floyd circa 1971. ... The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. ... Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864 – September 8, 1949) was a German composer of the late Romantic era, particularly noted for his tone poems and operas. ... Stomu Yamashta is a Japanese percussionist, keyboardist and composer. ... Jean-Michel circa 1976 Jean-Michel André Jarre (born August 24, 1958 in Lyon, France) is a French composer. ... Howard Dietz (September 8, 1896 - July 30, 1983) was an American lyric writer and librettist. ... Arthur Schwartz (November 25, 1900 - September 3, 1984) was an American composer of popular music. ... Karlheinz Stockhausen (born August 22, 1928) is a contemporary composer. ... One of the most renowned electronic music composers in the world, Isao Tomita (冨田 勲; Tomita Isao, April 22, 1932 - ) was born in Tokyo and spent early childhood with his father in China. ... Louis Armstrongs stage personality matched his flashy trumpet as captured in this photo by William P. Gottlieb. ...

Trivia

A scene from Fit the Third in which the characters step out onto Magrathea was cut from commerially released recordings of the radio series, because it featured copyrighted music (Marvin hums like Pink Floyd, then "sings" Rock and Roll Music by the Beatles, and finally the theme music from 2001: A Space Odyssey, the opening "Sunrise" movement from Richard Strauss's Also sprach Zarathustra). It would have been very cost prohibitive in the 1980s to get clearances to release a recording of Fit the Third with this music, though agreements were reached on most of the rest of the copyrighted music used during the first series. As a result, all commercial recordings of Fit the Third are about two minutes shorter than other episodes. Recordings of the original radio broadcasts still contain it [4]. Pink Floyd circa 1971. ... The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. ... A movie poster from the original release of 2001 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is an immensely popular and influential science fiction film and book; the film directed by Stanley Kubrick and the book written by Arthur C. Clarke. ... Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864 – September 8, 1949) was a German composer of the late Romantic era, particularly noted for his tone poems and operas. ... Also sprach Zarathustra is a symphonic poem by Richard Strauss, composed in 1896 and inspired by the book of the same title by Friedrich Nietzsche. ...

A variation of this scene was re-recorded for the LP, using music that "sounds" like Pink Floyd without actually being taken from any of their albums. This made Arthur's line "Do you realize that robot can hum like Pink Floyd?" literally true. The next bit, about the Beatles, is left out, but as Zaphod is announcing that he discovered a way into Magrathea, the "Zarathustra" introduction/theme is played again.

Quite similarly, the original Eagles version of the "Journey of the Sorcerer" theme tune is only allowed to be released with the first eighteen radio episodes in the UK and Ireland. Copies of the first three radio series released to the rest of the world are required to use a "sound-alike" version of this song. With the Quandary and Quintessential Phases, all CD copies worldwide are using a "sound-alike" version of the title tune. The Eagles is an American rock music group that originally came together in Los Angeles, California in the early 1970s. ...

The complete first series was rebroadcast twice in 1978, and once in 1979. The complete second series was rebroadcast once in 1980, and the complete original run of 12 episodes was broadcast twice over a twelve-week period, once from April to June, 1981 and the second time from the end of March to the start of June, 1983. 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1983 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The first two radio series were the first programmes of any kind released on CD by the BBC Radio Collection. In 2001, they became the first programmes of any kind re-released by the BBC Radio Collection in an MP3-CD format. In 2006, the Tertiary Phase will become the first programme of any kind released by BBC Audio on a DVD-Audio disc. The terms Tertiary Phase, Quandary Phase and Quintessential Phase describe the radio adaptations of the books Life, the Universe and Everything, So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish and Mostly Harmless recorded in 2003 and 2004 by Above the Title Productions for BBC Radio 4. ...

The Primary and Secondary Phases

Front cover of the BBC Radio Collection release of the "Second Series" (Fits 7-12) of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Main article: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Primary and Secondary Phases The radio album cover File links The following pages link to this file: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (radio series) ... The radio album cover File links The following pages link to this file: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (radio series) ... The terms Primary Phase and Secondary Phase describe the first two radio series of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. ...

The first radio series (first six episodes) were broadcast in March and April, 1978. A seventh episode was broadcast on 24 December 1978. The final five episodes, completing the second radio series, were broadcast in January 1980.

The two series were first released on audio cassette and CD in 1988, marking the tenth anniversary of the first broadcast of "Fit the First." It was the first time that the BBC Radio Collection division of BBC Enterprises had ever released a radio series on CD. The two radio series were known simply as "the first series" and "the second series" until 1992. The BBC was about to give the series its first re-release on CD and audio cassette when Adams (according to the 25th anniversary reprinting of the radio script book) suggested that they could retitle Fits the First through Sixth as "The Primary Phase" and Fits the Seventh through Twelfth as "The Secondary Phase." The episodes were released with those titles in 1993, and again in 1998, for the series' twentieth anniversary.

Nick Webb's biography of Douglas Adams, Wish You Were Here, names many of the other staff members of the BBC who worked on the first two radio series. Sound and effects for the BBC Radiophonic Workshop were by Paddy Kingsland, Dick Mills and Harry Parker. The Chief Sound Engineer was Alick Hale-Munro, and Anne Ling was the production secretary. The "Technical Team" is given as: Paul Hawdon, Lisa Braun (studio manager), Colin Duff (studio manager), Eric Young, Martha Knight, Max Alcock and John Whitehall. In the 70:s, Nick Webb was the Senior Fiction Editor at Pan. ... Douglas Noël Adams (March 11, 1952 – May 11, 2001), also known (to fans) as Bop Ad or Bob (after his illegible signature) or by his initials DNA (it is notable that Watson and Cricks famous discovery was announced in Cambridge, nine months after Douglas Adams was born there). ... The BBC Radiophonic Workshop, the sound special effects unit of the BBC was created in 1958 to produce sound effects for radio and was closed around 1996. ... Paddy Kingsland is a composer of electronic music best known for his incidental music for science fiction series on BBC radio and TV, including two versions of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: the second radio series and the TV adaptation, as well as several serials of Doctor Who. ... Legendary head coach of the Harvard varsity rowing program (1963-present). ... Eric Young (born in Florence, Ontario) is a Canadian professional wrestler, working for Total Nonstop Action as part of the group, Team Canada, along with Petey Williams, Bobby Roode, A-1, Johnny Devine and Scott DAmore. ...

New adaptations of books three, four and five

Main article: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Tertiary to Quintessential Phases The terms Tertiary Phase, Quandary Phase and Quintessential Phase describe the radio adaptations of the books Life, the Universe and Everything, So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish and Mostly Harmless recorded in 2003 and 2004 by Above the Title Productions for BBC Radio 4. ...

In November 2003, two years after Douglas' death and 23 years after the production on the Secondary Phase had ceased, a new radio adaptation of Life, the Universe, and Everything was announced, to become the third series of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on radio. However, after all six episodes had been recorded by Above the Title Productions, a minor legal dispute erupted between the production company and Walt Disney Productions who had started production on the Hitchhiker's movie, also in 2003. According to an updated appendix for the U.S. Edition of Wish You Were Here, Nick Webb's biography of Douglas Adams, the dispute centered over the online availability of the Tertiary Phase and its sequels. Eventually a deal was worked out, and the Tertiary Phase began broadcasting on BBC Radio 4 on 21 September 2004. For other uses, see November (disambiguation). ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Life, the Universe and Everything (1982, ISBN 0345391829) is the third book in the five-volume Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy science fiction trilogy by Douglas Adams. ... Above the Title Productions is a London, UK based radio production company, specializing in producing a variety of radio shows, most of which debut on BBC Radio. ... Walt Disney Productions - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... In the 70:s, Nick Webb was the Senior Fiction Editor at Pan. ... Douglas Noël Adams (March 11, 1952 – May 11, 2001), also known (to fans) as Bop Ad or Bob (after his illegible signature) or by his initials DNA (it is notable that Watson and Cricks famous discovery was announced in Cambridge, nine months after Douglas Adams was born there). ...

These new episodes reunited most of the living original cast. The parts of The Book, Eddie the Computer and Slartibartfast were recast, with William Franklyn, Roger Gregg and Richard Griffiths taking over these three roles, respectively. Peter Jones, the original narrator, had died in 2000, Richard Vernon, the original Slartibartfast, had died in 1997, and David Tate, who had voiced Eddie the Computer (among many other roles), had died in 1996. Bill Wallis, who played Mr Prosser and Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz in the original series, was unavailable, and Toby Longworth took the role of Jeltz in the new series. John Marsh, who had been the continuity announcer for Fits Two-Twelve, was rehired to reprise this role. In another continuity nod, the term 'Fit' is still used in place of 'episode.' William Franklyn is an actor, born 22 September 1926. ... Richard Griffiths Richard Griffiths (born 31 July 1947 in Thornaby-on-Tees, Cleveland) is a British actor. ... Peter Jones (June 12, 1920 - April 10, 2000) was an English actor, born at Wem in Shropshire. ... Sir Richard Vernon (March 7, 1925 - December 4, 1997) was a British actor. ... Toby Longworth is a British actor who has appeared on film, radio and television. ... John Marsh was born in Northumberland in the late 1940s, he studied at Ravensbourne College first in furniture design and later in typography[1] and Communication design. ...

Each episode was broadcast on a Tuesday afternoon, repeated on a Thursday evening, and audio streams in RealPlayer and Windows Media format (including versions in 5.1 stereo) were made available on Radio 4's website until the following Thursday. A 3 CD set of the Tertiary Phase was released in mid-October 2004, before the final episodes were broadcast. These CDs contain extended material, previously cut to make 27 minute episodes for radio.

This production, as well as adaptations for books four and five (broadcast as the Quandary and Quintessential Phases [which were recorded in December 2004 and January 2005 ]) was adapted, directed, and co-produced by Dirk Maggs. Dirk had previously consulted with Douglas on potential radio adaptations for the final three books in 1993 and 1997. The project was re-started in September 2001 by Maggs, Helen Chattwell and Bruce Hyman, with help from Jane Belson and Ed Victor. December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January is the first month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... Dirk Maggs is a radio director who works for BBC Radio 4. ...

The six-part "Tertiary Phase" was broadcast in September and October, 2004. The four part "Quandary Phase" was broadcast in May, 2005, and the fifth part "Quintessential Phase" was broadcast immediately following, in May and June 2005. A 2 CD set of the Quandary Phase was released at the end of May, 2005, and a 2 CD set of the Quintessential Phase was released at the end of June, 2005. Both sets will again include material that was originally cut for reasons of timing.

Maggs stated in the new script book that he felt obligated to his promise to Douglas Adams to allow the scripts of the Tertiary Phase to closely follow the plot of the third book. He further said, "I myself was willing to give the Tertiary Phase 7 out of 10 on the grounds that I was a little too reverential to the text and the pace suffered as a result" (p. 149). But in adapting the final two novels, the only instructions Maggs got from Adams was "They don't need more than four episodes each." Thus Maggs was able to use many of the major plot elements of the final two books (though not necessarily in the same order), and attempt to reconnect plot threads from all five radio series.

After the Fifth Series

A script book for the final fourteen episodes was released in July 2005.

The Online BBC Shop will be releasing a DVD Audio of the Tertiary Phase, in 5.1 surround sound, in April 2006. Dirk Maggs confirmed in a web chat that DVD-A discs of all three phases are due out in 2006. 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• The Original Hitchhiker Radio Scripts by Douglas Adams and Geoffrey Perkins (US printing, 1985).
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Original Radio Scripts by Douglas Adams and Geoffrey Perkins, with additional material by M. J. Simpson (UK printing, 2003).
• Douglas Adams's Guide to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Radio 4 programme, broadcast 5 March 1998.
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy DVD release, featuring a behind-the-scenes look at "Fit the Ninth."
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Collector's Edition 8 CD set, containing the original 12 radio episodes from 1978 and 1980, as well as an interview and the aforementioned Guide to the Hitchhiker's Guide.
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Tertiary Phase 3 CD set.
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Quandary Phase 2 CD set.
• Don't Panic by Neil Gaiman, second revised edition, with additional material by David K. Dickson, 1993.
• Hitchhiker by M. J. Simpson, first U.S. printing, 2003. ISBN 1-932112-17-0
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Production Diary by Dirk Maggs and Bruce Hyman. BBC Radio 4 Web Page, accessed 13 June 2005.
• The Pocket Essential Hitchhiker's Guide by M. J. Simpson. Original Foreword and Foreword to the 2005 Edition by Simon Jones. Published by Pocket Essentials, Harpenden, UK, 2005. ISBN 1-904048-46-3
• DouglasAdams.se Webchat with Dirk Maggs 16 June 2005.

Dirk Maggs is a radio director who works for BBC Radio 4. ... Simon Jones (born July 27, 1950 in Charlton Park, Wiltshire) is an English actor, most famous for his appearances in the television and radio series of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, in which he played the lead role of Arthur Dent. ...

External links

• BBC Radio 4 website (includes information on the new radio series)
• Above The Title Productions (production company behind the new radio series)
• Dirk Maggs (director of the new radio series)