Hitch-hiking in the Galaxy

Press, 24 May 1982, Page 17

Hitch-hiking in the Galaxy

When Douglas - Adams gazed up at the stars one night while hitch-hiking in Spain, contemplating what it would be like to hitch-hike through the galaxy, little did he know that he was to turn his fantasy into a radio comedy hit and now into a television series. The result "The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy” begins on One tonight. The radio pilot programme was recorded with much care given to the casting, music and radiophonic effects. When the series was transmitted it was an instant success which soon gathered a following of enthusiastic listeners whose imaginations had been excited by the originality of Adams’ work. Obviously, firing the imagination of an audience is infinitely easier on radio, where the settings and paraphernalia of space are limited only by the bounds of the sound effects.

So before setting out to produce a visual adaptation — as true as possible to the radio series — several firm decisions were taken. First and foremost, as many elements as possible of the radio series would be retained; it should not fall into the usual mould of science fiction productions; it would

be shown without audience reaction; and it should be wholly entertaining. The programmes feature some of the most advanced technology in television, with spectacular visual effects and an original sound track. The special effects include the spacecraft Heart of Gold with its all-steel interior and revolving bridge; the flying gas-filled bubble car which seats two and has excellent all-round vision: the Deep Thought computer which, with the help of a specially devised technique gives a sense of vastness to the scene; two-plane animation which allows the moving colour separation overlay background to also pass in front of the artists; as well as many experiments with animation.

Although special effects play a major part in the series, every attempt has been made to avoid their detracting from Douglas Adams’ classic tale. As in the radio series, Peter' Jones is the voice of “The Book” and the narrator who keeps everyone in touch with events — a part for which he has been widely acclaimed. Simon Jones plays Arthur Dent, the Earthling rescued from Earth a few seconds before its destruction to make way

for a hyperspace by-pass.' Mark Wing-Davey is the twoheaded. triple-armed Zaphod Beeblebrox, with Stephen Moore as the voice of Marvin. the paranoid android. New to the ■ series are David Dixon, the alien Ford Prefect — a name he chose before coming to Earth after “minimal research” — and Sandra Dickinson, who plays Trillian, an acquaintance .'of Arthur Dent, also rescued from Earth and now the girlfriend of Zaphod Beeblebrox. Although Arthur and his friends find themselves in some very strange situations,

everything has a possible explanation and every effort has been' made to keep the stories within the bounds of credibility. In the' first programme, Arthur Dent is not convinced when his best friend Ford Prefect tells him that the world is about to end in 12 minutes. Should he remain lying in front .of the bulldozers intent on demolishing his house to make way for a by-pass? Or should he accept the offer of rescue from Ford, who reveals that he is an alien from the planet Betelgeuse and not from Guildford after all?