The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy
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The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy

Year:
Duration:
Australia:32 min (6 episodes) | Germany:152 min (2 parts) | USA:25 min (7 episodes) (original release) | USA:33 min (6 episodes) (subsequent syndication) | 33 min (6 episodes)
Genres:
Comedy | Sci-Fi | Adventure
IMDB rate:
8
Awards:
5 wins
Details
Country: UK
Release Date: 1982-10-30
Filming Locations: BBC Television Centre, Wood Lane, Shepherd's Bush, London, England, UK
Cast
Actor
Character
Peter Jones
The Book
Simon Jones
Arthur Dent
David Dixon
Ford Prefect
Sandra Dickinson
Trillian
Mark Wing-Davey
Zaphod Beeblebrox
Stephen Moore
Marvin
David Learner
Marvin
David Tate
Eddie
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Trivia
When he was signed to direct the TV version, Alan J.W. Bell wanted to recast the entire ensemble. Douglas Adams, on the other hand, wanted to preserve the radio cast completely. In the end, most of the radio cast returned, including Peter Jones, Simon Jones, Mark Wing-Davey, Stephen Moore, and Richard Vernon. Of the primary characters who were recast, Geoffrey McGivern (Ford Prefect) was rejected as *not* looking "weird enough", and 'Susan Sheridan' (Trillian) was unavailable due to scheduling conflicts.
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The original concept came to Douglas Adams in the early 1970s whilst backpacking around the continent with a copy of "The Hitch Hiker's Guide To Europe". He found himself lying drunk in a field in Innsbruck, looking up at the stars. He decided that someone should write a Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy; several years later he would remember the idea and write a BBC radio show around it. Later in life, Adams said that he had related the "drunk in a field" story so many times in interviews that he had lost all memory of the actual event, and simply repeated the anecdote verbatim.
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At the request of Mark Wing-Davey, two stuffed "sausage-shaped" panels were added to the Zaphod costume, along the inside of each thigh. The implication was that, along with an extra head and extra arm, Zaphod had two penises. The original design was for them to be nine inches long, but the wardrobe department requested that they be reduced to seven. They are not visible in any shots in the final edited series, although they can be seen - if you know what you're looking for, and care to - in some production stills. [Source: "Don't Panic!" behind-the-scenes DVD extra, 2001]
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Goofs
When Zaphod Beeblebrox is at the controls of the Heart of Gold, snowflakes appear in his hair. There was supposed to be a scene in which Trillian creates a snowstorm while Zaphod is sunbathing. That scene was filmed, but was cut from broadcast. This is the only known deleted scene from the series.
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Episode 2: When Arthur and Ford are following Marvin through a white hallway, where Marvin mentions that the ship has been stolen, when Marvin walks toward the camera to enter a doorway, the actor's nose can be seen through the mesh of his mouth.
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In episode 4 computer Deep Thought is speaking about building the computer Earth, and he calls it "the computer who will give the answer to the ultimate question". Actually the sentence should be the other way round: "the question to the ultimate answer" - they already have the answer (42).
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Quotes
Marvin: Life. Don't talk to me about life.
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Marvin: I think you ought to know I'm feeling very depressed.
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Arthur Dent: So this is it... we're going to die!
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Faq
Q
How were the computer graphics created?
A
The Hitchhiker animations are not made by computer, they are just animated line drawings. Computer animation would not be at all prevelant for another 15 years or so.
Q
Who was also in the radio series?
A
Peter Jones (The Voice), Simon Jones (Arthur Dent), David Tate (Eddie the Computer), Stephen Moore (Marvin/Whale), Richard Vernon (Slartibartfast) and Beth Porter (Marketing Girl) originally. Sandra Dickinson would play an alternative version of Trillian in a later radio series.
Q
What is a telephone sanitiser?
A
Someone employed to wipe the handset of a telephone, not really a growing profession. There's a false rumour that this is a euphemism for a toilet cleaner.
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Photos from cast
Cleo Rocos
clipart flaming soccer ball Soccer and Autism Football soccer ball drawing coloring