42 Essential Facts About 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'

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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a bizarre, expansive, and deeply nerdy saga. Over its 30+ year journey, The Hitchhiker's Guide has evolved from a radio show to a six-book "trilogy," a TV series, a stage play, and even a video game. Throughout its history, it has crossed paths with Darth Vader, clashed with the Ghostbusters, collaborated with Pink Floyd and Radiohead, and even left its mark on an asteroid, among countless other achievements.

With the new movie aiming to reimagine the series once more, we’ve compiled a list of 42 fascinating Hitchhiker's facts to impress your friends, dominate trivia nights, and elevate your status to Dungeon Master level.

The Radio Series

On February 4, 1977, Douglas Adams, the creator of the series, met with BBC producer Simon Brett, who was then working on BBC Radio 4's The Burkiss Way. Following their discussion, Brett agreed to assist Adams in pitching a sci-fi comedy radio show to the BBC. This marked the beginning of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

1.) Douglas Adams first conceived the idea for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy while lying in a field, intoxicated, clutching a copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to Europe and gazing at the stars.

2.) Adams' initial concept was titled The Ends of the Earth, where each episode would conclude with the Earth being destroyed in a unique and imaginative manner.

3.) As the narrative evolved, Adams introduced the alien character Ford Prefect, a contributor to a galactic travel guide. Prefect was designed to offer context and an outsider's viewpoint. Adams later shifted the focus of the story to revolve around this guide.

4.) The protagonist's name was altered from Aleric B to Arthur Dent while en route to the BBC pitch meeting in a taxi.

5.) The debut episode of the series premiered on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday, March 8, 1978, at 10:30 pm. The initial series consisted of six episodes, which the production team humorously referred to as "fits."

6.) A vinyl recording of The Hitchhiker's Guide was released in 1979, featuring an abridged version of the first four radio episodes. Due to legal constraints, this recording was entirely distinct from the BBC broadcast, as the music used in the radio episodes required licensing fees for commercial distribution.

7.) The radio series of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was frequently lauded for its innovative sound design. Adams was dedicated to ensuring the show's audio quality matched that of a contemporary rock album. It was also the first comedy program on the BBC to be broadcast in stereo.

8.) The radio series brought Douglas Adams widespread recognition. In 1978, he won the Imperial Tobacco Award, followed by the Sony Award in 1979 and the Society of Authors/Pye Awards "Best Programme for Young People" in 1980. Notably, The Hitchhiker's Guide radio series remains the only radio program ever nominated for the Science Fiction Achievement Award ™, also known as the Hugo Award®.

9.) Marvin the Paranoid Android was initially conceived as a one-off joke for the radio series. However, his introduction resonated so strongly with audiences that he quickly became a beloved character. Geoffrey Perkins, the show's producer at the time, encouraged Adams to expand Marvin's role, transforming him into a central figure in the series.

10.) In September 2004, the BBC premiered the new Tertiary Phase episodes of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on BBC Radio 4. Before his passing, Adams had collaborated with Dirk Maggs to adapt books three through five of the "trilogy" for radio. After Adams' death, Maggs utilized his notes to complete the final two segments, titled the Quandary Phase and the Quintessential Phase. These phases were scheduled to air on the BBC in late 2005, concluding the series' narrative.

11.) In the BBC's Tertiary Phase broadcast, Douglas Adams posthumously voices Agrajag, a character who harbors intense animosity toward Arthur Dent. Maggs achieved this by splicing together recordings of Adams reading excerpts from his books.

The Book

The initial installment in the five-part "trilogy"

Following the radio series' success, Adams was encouraged to adapt his story into book form. Between 1979 and 1992, he released the misleadingly named five-volume Hitchhiker's Trilogy.

12.) The novel The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was released in England in September 1979. It expanded on the first four radio episodes and became a Sunday Times Mass Market Best Seller for several weeks. Due to Adams' frequent missed deadlines, the publishers eventually demanded he finish the page he was working on and sent a courier to collect the manuscript immediately. This explains the book's abrupt ending.

13.) The second book,

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, was published in the fall of 1980, coinciding with the U.S. release of the first book. This installment condensed and reordered episodes seven through twelve, five, and six of the radio series.

14.) The third installment, Life, the Universe and Everything, was published in 1982. This book marked a shift toward a darker tone and expanded the narrative beyond the scope of the original radio series.

15.) Released in 1984, the fourth book in the trilogy, So Long and Thanks for all the Fish, introduced a fresh theme to the series: love.

16.) The concluding book, Mostly Harmless, was published in 1992. It brought the series to a close with the Earth's destruction (once again).

17.) In 1984, Douglas Adams became the youngest recipient of the Golden Pan Award from Pan Books, the UK publisher of the series. He was also later shortlisted for the inaugural Best of Young British Novelists awards.

The TV Show

The TV adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy premiered on the BBC in 1981. Directed and produced by Alan Bell, the series was a visually impressive production for its time, packed with special effects.

18.) In a later episode of the TV series, the towering bodyguard who prevents Ford from approaching galactic rock star Hotblack Desiato is played by Dave Prowse, the same actor who physically portrayed Darth Vader in the original Star Wars films. The producers initially sought the actor who embodied Darth Vader's more irritating and effeminate traits, but Hayden Christensen was unavailable.

19.) The computer graphics for the TV series were developed by Rod Lord at Pearce Studios. These visuals were revolutionary at the time and garnered significant attention. Ironically, they weren't computer-generated; Lord achieved the effect by animating reversed-out line drawings on acetate and using lighting gels to add color.

Douglas Adams

was born on March 11, 1952, in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK. After finishing school, Adams embarked on a period of self-discovery, taking on various odd jobs. Among the most notable were cleaning chicken sheds and serving as a bodyguard for a royal Arab family.

Early in his career, Adams worked as a script editor and writer for Dr. Who and contributed to an episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus. Beyond The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, he authored several fiction and non-fiction books. Adams had a keen interest in technology and was involved in developing video games, including the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy video game.

Adams passed away on May 11, 2001, at the age of 49, due to a heart attack while working out at a gym. At the time of his death, he was finalizing the script for the film adaptation. He is survived by his wife, Jane Belson, and daughter, Polly Ann Adams, who makes a cameo in the new movie.

The Movie

The journey to bring Touchstone's new film adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to life has been lengthy. The movie, or at least the concept, has been in development for over two decades. Douglas Adams once humorously remarked that the film would be completed "sometime before the last Trump."

20.) The film was first optioned in 1982 by producers Ivan Reitman, Joe Medjuck, and Michael C. Gross. Douglas Adams penned three different script versions for the team. Reitman and his collaborators envisioned the sci-fi comedy as a project for either Bill Murray or Dan Aykroyd, both of whom were considered for the role of Ford Prefect at the time.

Ultimately, Adams' script was overshadowed by another sci-fi comedy concept pitched by Dan Aykroyd. As a result, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was put on hold indefinitely, allowing Reitman and his team to focus on making Ghostbusters.

21.) In 1997, after years of fluctuating interest, Adams secured a deal with Disney to produce the film. He began crafting a new script, and Disney appointed Jay Roach (Austin Powers) as the director.

22.) To attract top talent, Disney initially approached Hugh Laurie (Stuart Little) for the role of Arthur, Jim Carrey (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) for Zaphod Beeblebrox, and the late Nigel Hawthorne (Amistad) for Slartibartfast.

23.) Jay Roach eventually stepped away from the project. To ensure the film's success, he recommended Spike Jonze, who declined but suggested the directing duo Hammer and Tongs — Nick Goldsmith and Garth Jennings. Known primarily for their music videos, the pair took on the project, and production began.

24.) Adams penned the most recent draft of the screenplay, but Garth Jennings and Karey Kirkpatrick made revisions following his passing.

25.) Adams specifically designed John Malkovich's character, Humma Kavula, a religious figure, for the film.

26.) Simon Jones, who portrayed Arthur Dent in both the radio and TV adaptations of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, makes a brief appearance in the movie. Jones was a close friend of Douglas Adams for many years.

27.) The original Marvin the Paranoid Android from the TV series makes a cameo in the film, albeit as a different robotic character.

Beyond The Guide

Even if you've never encountered The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, it's likely you've come across elements of its influence. The story has left its mark on pop culture, arts, science, and technology, with countless references and tributes.

28.) The The Hitchhiker's Guide computer game, released in 1984, received widespread praise. Co-designed by Douglas Adams and Steve Meretzky, it was a text-based adventure game that included JooJanta peril-sensitive sunglasses and a miniature battle fleet. Highly advanced for its time, it was notoriously difficult to complete. You can still play it online here.

29.) Ken Campbell adapted The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for the stage. The debut performance occurred at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in May 1979. The production was a hit, featuring an audience seated on a massive hovercraft.

Ken Campbell later produced an even more extravagant version of his original stage show, complete with lasers, rotating stages, and a theater redesigned to resemble a spaceport. To promote the production, the team dropped a giant inflatable whale from London's Tower Bridge. Despite the creative publicity, the show was a commercial failure.

30.) In the The Hitchhiker's Guide universe, the Babel fish is a small parasitic creature that travelers insert into their ears. Once in place, it translates any language in the galaxy into the host's native tongue. Altavista's online translator, Babel Fish, is named after this ingenious creation by Douglas Adams. Check it out.

31.) The messaging application Trillian takes its name from the heroine in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

32.) If you type "what is the answer to life, the universe, and everything?" (in lowercase) into the Google calculator, the result will be "42" — the same answer provided in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Try it. (Scroll down the page to find the calculator.)

33.) The Radiohead track, Paranoid Android, pays homage to Marvin the Paranoid Android from the series.

34.) One of the most frequented online forums is GameFAQs' Life, the Universe, and Everything, named after the third book in The Hitchhiker's series.

35.) Christopher Cerf, creator of the PBS Kids' show Between the Lions, has acknowledged that the number "42" on Lionel's rugby jersey is a direct tribute to Douglas Adams and his iconic work.

36.) Towlie from South Park frequently advises, "Don't forget to bring a towel," a clear reference to the practical wisdom found in The Guide.

37.) The classic FPS game GoldenEye: 007 for Nintendo 64 included the "Mostly Harmless" multiplayer award for the player with the fewest kills in a match. This mirrors the description of Earth in The Guide as "mostly harmless."

38.) The children's online game Neopets includes an item known as the Pan Galactic Gargle Slushie, a playful nod to the The Hitchhiker's Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster. Described in the guide, the Gargle Blaster stands out as one of the most potent and perilous drinks across galaxies.

39.) The Dopefish, a notorious video game antagonist and frequent Easter egg, is celebrated in gaming circles as "the universe's second most foolish being." Tom Hall, who introduced the Dopefish in the Commander Keen series, labeled it as such, acknowledging that the title of the most foolish belongs to the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal, a fact well-known to avid Guide enthusiasts.

40.) On his 42nd birthday, Adams was gifted the opportunity to perform on guitar with Pink Floyd during a live concert, courtesy of his longtime friend Dave Gilmour. Concurrently, Gilmour sought Adams' assistance in naming a forthcoming Pink Floyd album. Adams contributed, and in 1994, Pink Floyd unveiled The Division Bell. In gratitude, Gilmour donated £5000 to a charity dear to Adams.

41.) Just a day prior to Adams' passing, the Minor Planet Centre of the International Astronomical Union honored him by naming asteroid 18610, "Arthurdent", after the protagonist of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, Arthur Dent.

42.) The total number of intriguing facts about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is precisely 41—neither more nor less.

Additional Details About The Guide

The BBC Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Cult Site

Megadodo Publications

ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha

Douglas Adams Portal

Planet Magrethea

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