Seasons & episodes

S0 · E1The Making of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 1993-01-01 · 58 min＋

Kevin Davies' hour-long documentary from 1993. Packed with unbroadcast and archive material, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Simon Jones, David Dixon, Mark Wing Davey, Sandra Dickinson, Douglas Adams and Alan J. W. Bell.

S0 · E2Don't Panic! 2002-04-30 · 26 min＋

Kevin Davies revisits his footage from "The Making of..." documentary, to bring together a further 20 minutes of interviews and other material that didn't make it into the final program.

A profile of the late Douglas Adams - creator of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'. Features contributions from many of hsi famous collaborators and friends, such as Stephen Fry, Terry Jones, Clive Anderson and Griff Rhys Jones.

S0 · E4Introduction by Peter Jones 1981-01-05 · 8 min＋

The first episode was screened to a selected audience at the National Film Theatre and featured a specially recorded introduction by voice-of-the-book Peter Jones -- his only on-screen appearance in his "Hitchhiker's" Capacity.

S0 · E5Communicate! 1981-01-05 · 10 min＋

As part of a BBC Education programme, cameras were given access to the radio studios of "Hitchhiker's" during the production of the second episode, just in time to record things going not-terribly-well with the Nutrimat Drink Dispenser.

S0 · E6Original Trailer 1981-01-01 · 2 min＋

The BBC2 trailer for the first episode of "Hitchhiker's."

S0 · E7Behind the Scenes 1981-01-05 · 7 min＋

The final minutes of studio recording for Episode Two on Saturday, 8th November 1980, were a fraught affair, with time seriously running out. A 15-minute overrun was formally agreed but it still meant lights-out at 10:15PM, whether the scene was completed or not. Watch the timecode as it counts down towards the cut-off point of 22:15:00 and you'll begin to feel some of the tension experienced by all concerned.

S0 · E8Pebble Mill at One 1981-01-23 · 6 min＋

An appearance by animator Rod Lord and producer/director Alan J. W. Bell on the 23rd January 1981 edition of the programme, talking about "Hitchhiker's" with Donny McLoud. This footage is sourced from the only surviving off-air recording.

S0 · E9Deleted Scene from Episode 2 1981-01-12 · 2 min＋

A short sequence cut from Episode Two prior to transmission.

S0 · E10Out-Takes 2002-04-30 · 9 min＋

Whoopsies and bloopers of 16mm film clips rescued from the editors trim bins

S0 · E11Tomorrow's World Sequence 1981-02-12 · 2 min＋

At the time, Zaphod Beeblebrox's second head was at the cutting edge of robot animatronics. The 12th February 1981 edition of the BBC's long-running science programme Tomorrow's World took a closer look.

S0 · E16Original Opening Titles 1981-01-01 · 1 min＋

The first composited version of the title sequence borrowed obvious elements from the 1970s Doctor Who slit-scan tunnel effect. Alan J.W. Bell ordered a new tunnel for broadcast

S0 · E17Mostly Hand Drawn 2018-01-01 · 31 min＋

All the Hitchhiker's series award-winning graphics have been re-mastered from original film into one mesmerizing sequence. Rod Lord's complex animation, enhanced by Paddy Kingsland's rich and delightful music with comedy legend Peter Jones' inimitable voiceover. Presented in Mono, as per the original

S0 · E18Life, The Universe & Clapperboards 2018-01-02 · 24 min＋

Live-action excerpts, newly re-mastered from surviving archive reels. Most of the original film from the series no longer exists, purged as usual in the way of big broadcasters, who thought they needed the shelf space more. Luckily, the animators saved their reference work-prints and other random bits of film. These aren't always in the best of condition, but they do offer fascinating glimpses into the production process.

S0 · E19Recorded at the End of The Universe 2018-01-04 · 25 min＋

Flashes of life on the studio floor at BBC Television Centre. The Inventive cast and crew furch between the mindless tedium and bursts of action. These were the usual dynamics of programme-making, in those analogue days of 1980. To be honest, very little has changed since.

S0 · E20Writing Hitchhiker's 2018-01-05 · 15 min＋

From archive video, three people who knew Douglas Adams very well, remember his battles to write the earliest episodes. His younger half-brother James recalls the old typewriter thundering through the fabric of the family home. Radio Series Producer Geoffrey Perkins and Douglas Adams official biographer Nick Webb shed more light on his struggles. (Sadly, Perkins and Webb also died unexpectedly, way too young, as per their famous friend.)

S0 · E21Saturday Review 1985-06-01 · 9 min＋

Douglas Adams explains to Minnette Marrin his ideas for interactive CD-Rom audio drama, whilst in Birmingham the fans gathered for a Hitchhiker-themed games convention. Features a spoof animated Guide entry on Douglas.

S0 · E22Tertiary Phase Trailer 2004-01-02 · 6 min＋

The show made a triumphant return to its original medium on BBC Radio 4 in September 2004, with surviving cast members and some terrific guests, including Richard Griffiths as Slartibartfast and the recently deceased Douglas Adams himself, as Agrajag!

S0 · E23Douglas Adams on Paperbacks 1981-04-15 · 6 min＋

A quaint book programme where Robert Kee discussed Douglas Adams' second novel with the author.

S0 · E24Douglas Adams on BBC Micro Live 1985-03-08 · 6 min＋

Interviewed about his fiendish new Nitthiker's Gundo compoter game. The energetic presenter Freff recalled in 2018 how Douglas had had a headache, yet after two good rehersals, the segment was extended by 2 minutes.

S0 · E25The Radio Series Trailers 2005-05-02 · 6 min＋

Recently made available again on newly packaged CDs, (and also for the first time, on shiny red vinyl!) the various Phases of the radio series-adapted from the books in style by producer Dirk Maggs - are seen being recorded in these lengthy promos. (Originally made by Kevin Jon Davies for online use by Above The Title Ltd and BBC Radio 4, these have now been re-mastered, pluggling the 2018 re-releases.)

S0 · E26Marvin and Zem 2004-05-03 · 6 min＋

A look at how Stephen Moore recorded Marvin for The Tertiary Phase, with an annoyingly cheerful swap mattress called Zem. This was one of the video extras on the little-known 2006 DVD-Audio in 5.1 Surround of The Tertiary Phase

S0 · E27Open Door: The Sound of Love 1980-03-02 · 5 min＋

A March 1980 edition of the public access programme. Young, unemployed Anthony Hodgins conducted the earliest known filmed interview with Douglas Adams, on the subject of his unhappy childhood. An audio extract from Hitchhiker's is illustrated with library footage, the earliest visual interpretation on TV.

S0 · E28Simon Jones on BBC Breakfast 2012-05-25 · 5 min＋

Never heard of International Towel Day? Simon Jones explains, whilst also plugging the 2012 Hitchhiker's Guide Radio Show Live UK tour.