Wasn't sure which board this applied to so I'll post it here.

The BBC has commisioned some new radio scripts to complete the 5 part trilogy of H2G2.  The first part (or third part I suppose) will start broadcasting tonight at 6.30 on Radio 4. They are using some of the original radio cast.

I'm going to try and listen in but the chances of being able to hear all of it with my two children in the room are slim to none!  I hope they have it on the website as 'listen again' so I can listen tomorrow lunchtime at work.

I loved Hitchhikers Guide. I read the books, they did have a television show on once that
I never got around to viewing.  I waited for a rerun but they never brought it back, didn't ever
think to look up a website, think I'll do that now. :) :) Thanks for the info and let us know how you
like it.

a movie is in production. i can't wait for that either.

Yay! I'm really looking forward to it.

I was a big fan of the original radio series...I guess I was about 15 at the time and I found it hilarious. I also read all the books but the later ones got steadily weaker, I thought.
I don't know if this new series is actually based on a Douglas Adams book or unfinished script of some sort - anyone know?

It'll be interesting to see how the new show goes down with what could be a completely new audience, in many cases.

I don't know if this new series is actually based on a Douglas Adams book or unfinished script of some sort - anyone know?




I gather from the article in Radio Times that thee will be three more series based on the three books that follow on from where the original radio series left off. i.e. So Long and Thanks For All The Fish, Mostly Harmless and one other I forget  :-[

I think the last one was "Life, The Universe and Everything".

I have all 5 books (in one). I started reading it but never finished.  :-\\ I know, I need to pick it back up again. (After I'm done with the LOTR books).





Cat

a movie is in production. i can't wait for that either.


Should be released sometime next year I here.  The negotiations for the movie rights are partly what held up the recording of the new radio series.

The question is how much license they will be allowed without him around to protest the
changes that they will inevitably make.  With luck to producers will be fans as well, not
just money men looking to cash in on the popularity. ???

Having heard most of last nights show I think they've stayed quite faithful to the main story line.  Of course they've had to cut out lots of background stuff which didn't contribute much to the main themes.

Douglas Adams was very involved in the early script writing phase.  In fact some of this was recorded a while ago but not transmitted.  Douglas himself plays one of the characters, Agragrar (sp?), a thing that Arthur keeps accidently killing who goes mad and builds a shrine to all his previous incarnations.  I've not explained it v well but if you know the books you'll work out what I mean I hope.

I listened last night and thought it was really excellent, very entertaining and well produced, just like the original radio series in fact.
There were a few cast changes enforced by the sad loss of some original cast members, including Peter Jones as the Voice of the Book, but even that was handled well
with William Franklyn's voice being neatly meshed in as an "update".

I really DON'T look forward to a movie, for me radio is the best medium for this story. Trying to put some of the fantastic storylines into a visual medium, even with a
mega budget for special effects, cannot do justice to the imagination, I feel.

I never heard the original radio series - too young!  ;D  I've read the scripts though because this is the book version we have at home.  Douglas's explanations of the ideas and problems are hilarious.

I heard a friends tapes later on after I had seen the series on television.  And much later than that I read the books.  Therefore, to me, one or two characters didn't sound quite right.  I think in particular Marvin sounded different.

I think in particular Marvin sounded different.

That's interesting because the actor voicing Marvin is still Stephen Moore, one of the original cast members from 25 years ago.
I'm not certain but I think he was also the voice of Marvin in the TV series as well.

Dr. Demento use to play two songs-one was called "Marvin the Parinoid Android" and "Marvin, I Love You." He said that they were from the original BBC production. Does anyone know if that is true or anything about it because I did love the songs and wanted to hear the entire thing but wasn't too sure about it.



Cat

There's no Marvin songs that I can remember in the BBC production- I'm in the middle of writing a Marvin parody ("I'm depressed" to "Be Our Guest", but I'm kind of stymied at the moment: didn't help that I came up with another parody idea to the same song while I was writing it... "Read My Lips" has been submitted and is awaiting the next update)

a movie is in production. i can't wait for that either.


Someone finally pried the rights loose from Gilliam?!  Cool!

Dr. Demento use to play two songs-one was called "Marvin the Parinoid Android" and "Marvin, I Love You." He said that they were from the original BBC production. Does anyone know if that is true or anything about it because I did love the songs and wanted to hear the entire thing but wasn't too sure about it.



Cat


Cat

I asked this question on a BBC message board and was directed to this site

http://hhgproject.org/entries/marvin.html

which contains the MP3's and an explanation.  They didn't appear in the original shows but were released as singles on the back of the successful TV series.

Great, Karen :D

Phil's one happy bunny now...

Cat

I asked this question on a BBC message board and was directed to this site

http://hhgproject.org/entries/marvin.html

which contains the MP3's and an explanation.  They didn't appear in the original shows but were released as singles on the back of the successful TV series.



Thanks, Karen.




Cat

No problem Cat