The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

Watch The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

  • 1981
  • 1 Season

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science-fiction comedy series based on the radio show and book series of the same name by author Douglas Adams. The show premiered on BBC America in 1981 and ran for six episodes. It stars Sandra Dickinson as Trillian, Mark Wing-Davey as Zaphod Beeblebrox, Simon Jones as Arthur Dent, David Dixon as Ford Prefect, Stephen Moore as the voice of Marvin the Paranoid Android, David Learner as Marvin's costume operator, and Peter Jones as the voice of the guide itself.

The story follows the misadventures of Arthur Dent, a completely ordinary human being who is saved from the destruction of Earth by his friend, Ford Prefect, who turns out to be an alien visiting the planet. Ford takes Arthur on a wild ride through space, where they encounter various strange and amusing people, including the two-headed, three-armed President of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox, and Trillian, the only other human survivor of Earth's destruction. Along the way, they consult the titular Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, an electronic travel guide that provides helpful (though often absurd) advice and information.

The humor of the series is very British and very dry, with a heavy emphasis on wordplay and absurdism. The characters are all somewhat ridiculous, but endearing in their own ways. Arthur is a quintessentially British everyman, bewildered and out of his depth in the strange world of space travel. Ford is a sardonic and somewhat jaded alien who seems to know a lot more than he's letting on. Zaphod is a flamboyant and self-absorbed adventurer who is convinced that he's the most important person in the universe. Trillian is intelligent and level-headed, but often gets sidelined by the (mostly male) characters around her. And Marvin... well, Marvin is depressed.

The show's production values are somewhat dated by modern standards, but part of the charm of the series is its low-budget, homemade feel. Many of the alien creatures are clearly people in rubber suits, but that only adds to the absurdity of the whole thing. The show's special effects are delightfully low-tech, with models and stop-motion animation used to create spaceships and other sci-fi visuals.

Despite its low budget and dated effects, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has endured as a cult classic thanks to its sharp wit and offbeat humor. The show's creator, Douglas Adams, was a master of absurdist comedy, and the series captures his unique voice and sense of humor perfectly. The characters are all memorable and endearing, and even the most outlandish sci-fi concepts are treated with a sense of joy and wonder.

Overall, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a delightful and hilarious romp through space, full of bizarre creatures, oddball characters, and clever jokes. It's a must-watch for anyone who loves sci-fi, comedy, or just plain weirdness. Fans of the book series will appreciate the faithful adaptation, while newcomers will find plenty to enjoy in this one-of-a-kind gem of British television.

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (6 episodes). The series first aired on January 5, 1981.

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Seasons
Episode 6
6. Episode 6
February 9, 1981
Ford and Arthur dash to the escape pods, where they end up being teleported to a mysterious ship, "Ark B". Which they discover is a ship filled with middle-men trying to find a world to colonise, and the world they have chosen is Earth, 2 million years in the past. Arthur and Ford are now stuck on prehistoric Earth.
Episode 5
5. Episode 5
February 2, 1981
Arthur, Ford, Trillian and Zaphod are saved by the Galactic Police, and then knocked unconscious, when they wake up they find themselves at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe. They steal a totally black ship from the car park and go in to hyperspace, however, with the interior being completely black as well, the controls are illegible, and the ship is out of control and veering into a nearby sun!
Episode 4
4. Episode 4
January 26, 1981
Arthur learns about Deep Thought, a computer built millions of years ago to discover the "Ultimate Answer", after 7 and a half million years, it had the answer: 42. So to decipher this answer, the builders of the computer commissioned a new, even larger computer to find the "Ultimate Question"; the Earth. It is discovered that Trillian's mice (the smartest creatures on Earth) were searching for the Ultimate Question, and they believe they can find the answer by first extracting Arthur's brain...
Episode 3
3. Episode 3
January 19, 1981
Arthur, Ford, Zaphod, Trillian and Marvin travel with the Heart of Gold to the legendary planet, Magrathea, the home of the planet builders. They land on the planet and set off to explore. Zaphod, Trillian and Ford explore beneath the surface, where they make a surprising discovery... Meanwhile, Arthur and Marvin are approached on the surface by Slartibartfast, who explains that the Earth was destroyed 5 minutes too early, and they intend to build a new one...
Episode 2
2. Episode 2
January 12, 1981
Ford and Arthur have been captured on board one of the Vogon Constructor Ships, and are forced to listen to the Captain's poetry (Vogon poetry is the worst in the universe) before being thrown out of an airlock. However, they are miraculously rescued by the starship Heart of Gold, where they meet Marvin the Paranoid Android, Zaphod Beeblebrox (the President of the Galaxy) and Trillian, another Earth escapee!
Episode 1
1. Episode 1
January 5, 1981
Arthur Dent wakes up to find that his house is about to be bulldozed, and his day is only going to get worse. At the pub his friend Ford Prefect tells him that he is an alien and the Earth is about to be destroyed to make way for a new hyperspace bypass. Will Ford and Arthur escape Earth in time?
Description
Where to Watch The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is available for streaming on the BBC America website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy on demand at Amazon Prime, Amazon and Vudu.
  • Premiere Date
    January 5, 1981
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