Classic Sci Fi TV: Our ongoing look back at many of the classics of science fiction and fantasy television.
What Is It? Arthur Dent has a problem. His house is about to be torn down to make way for a new highway bypass, and he won’t stand for it (in fact, he lays down in front of the tractor heading to demolish it). But then he discovers he has a bigger problem. The Vogons have just arrived to destroy Earth to make way for a hyperspace bypass. He then learns, much to his surprise, that his friend Ford Prefect is actually an alien from the planet Betelgeuse and that he works for The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and that he has a way to get off the planet before the Vogons destroy it, as long as they both have towels. They make their escape moments before Earth is wiped out and their adventures across the galaxy begin, all while Arthur is still wearing his bathrobe.
Aired: BBC/PBS, 1981, 1 Season Totaling 6 Episodes
Created By: Douglas Adams
Starring: Simon Jones, David Dixon, Mark Wing-Davey, Sandra Dickinson, David Learner, Stephen Moore
Is It Must-Watch Sci Fi TV? Yes. This is the quintessential sci fi parody, and even though the special effects do not hold up well to modern standards, this is a delightful series that does the franchise proud.
The Skinny The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy first arrived in 1978 as a radio series, and with the Star Wars phenomenon making sci fi popular at the time, it quickly caught on with its irreverent spoof of the genre as well as life, the universe, and everything. A sequel radio series quickly followed later in 1978 and then a novelization of the first series was released in 1979. More novels would follow (ultimately producing a “trilogy in five books”), and in 1981 the franchise made the leap to the small screen. The BBC series comprised six episodes which followed pretty closely to the original radio series. Most of the voice cast continued to the television production as well, though David Dixon would take over as Ford Prefect and Sandra Dickinson would assume the role of Trillian.
I first encountered The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy when I discovered the radio series airing on NPR (because I was also listening to the excellent radio adaptation of the first Star Wars movie at that time). I consider the radio series to be the best version of the franchise, but the television show is a close second for me. Sure, the special effects were only slightly above Doctor Who level and were quite cheesy. But that actually worked well considering the comedic approach of the series. And most of the actors did an excellent job of bringing their characters to life on the small screen, especially those whose voices I was already familiar with from the radio version. I was not thrilled with who they got to play Trillian as she delivered more of a blonde bimbo take on the character (Trillian is quite intelligent and literate in the radio series and in the books). I also did not feel like they got the look of Marvin the Paranoid Android quite right, but those are just nitpicks.
The television adaption brought the radio series to life as well as could be expected at that time, and it is certainly essential viewing for sci fi fans. It helps that it never tried to parody any one property but just poked fun at the many concepts explored in science fiction as well as the conundrums that follow from those. That gives it a rather timeless feel and the humor still works well today. Don’t let the outdated sfx act as a hurdle for checking this show out. Just grab your towel, a copy of the Guide, and a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, and sit back and enjoy!
Cancelled Too Soon? Perhaps. It is not uncommon for BBC shows to have short runs, though you might have expected an adaption of the second radio series to be next in line for the small screen. And in fact, a second season was planned, but it would have followed a different direction. It would have been based on an unproduced Doctor Who script by Adams originally intended for a potential movie titled “Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen”. Of course, Hitchhiker fans will recognize the Krikkitmen reference in the title which Adams did eventually incorporate the story into his third novel Life, the Universe and Everything. But sadly the second season of the show never went forward, likely due to the high production costs.
Should It Be Rebooted? The franchise already had a big screen reboot with the 2005 film, but that had a mixed reception and took far too many liberties with the source material. Hulu announced a new television adaptation with Carlton Cuse (Lost, Locke & Key) attached, though there does not seem to have been much progress with that. The special effects for a reboot will certainly be better, but whether it can capture the irreverent humor and sense of fun of the original remains to be seen.
Interesting Fact: Douglass Adams first came up with the idea of a book called The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy while hitchhiking around Europe as a young man with a copy of the Hitch-hiker’s Guide to Europe. He was lying drunk in a field near Innsbruck looking up at the sky when the thought came to him. He claims that he had forgotten about that but friends later reminded him.
Where Can You Watch It? The series has been released on DVD though I don’t see a Blu-ray edition currently out there. It is also currently streaming on Prime Video and on Hulu.
Read More About the Show: Wikipedia | IMDb.com
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