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New HHGTTG Radio Show Gets Douglas Adams' Voice

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the genius-at-work dept.

trellick writes "The BBC has not only announced that they are to make radio adaptations to The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy's final three books: Life, The Universe and Everything; So Long and Thanks For All the Fish; and Mostly Harmless. Also, Douglas Adams is to himself provide the voice of Agrajag, the character constantly being reincarnated and dying at the (inadvertent) hands of Arthur Dent, since Adams 'always intended to play the part of Agrajag and recorded himself in the part a few years ago.' Wonderful stuff!"

14 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. strangely appropriate by InternationalCow · · Score: 5, Interesting

    isn't it, that the inventor of the Restaurant at the End of the Universe should project his voice back across time and death? I can't wait to hear this, one of my best memories of late childhood is hearing the Hitchiker's Guide radio series on the BBC.

    --
    ----- One learns to itch where one can scratch.
    1. Re:strangely appropriate by zoeblade · · Score: 2, Interesting

      And Agrajag is a fine name. But nothing can hold a candle to "Slartibartfast."

      OK, I've been listening to the audiobooks rather than reading the actual books, so forgive me if I'm spelling them wrong... but what about Broomfondle and Magic Thighs?

  2. Just so very fitting.. by Render_Man · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It just seems fitting that Douglas Adams had the forsight to record the lines for a character who always dies, so that he himself could be re-incarnated in a way.

    Lets just hope he does'nt mind coming back as a potted plant at some point

    --
    Where are we going, and why are we in this hand cart?
  3. Just goes to prove... by jd · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Death isn't much of an obstacle to a great talent.


    The only other case I know of, where an author has gained additional heights of immortality through recordings is J.R.R. Tolkein, who recorded himself reading extracts from The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, plus assorted elven poems.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  4. Sadly... by feloneous+cat · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I asked Douglas Adams sign a book for a friend. When he had asked about it, I said "it's for a friend"... he gave me a sad look and I felt like a heel.

    Meanwhile my wife had him sign the Apple II version of "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" Infocom game. His reaction to her was "oh, wow, I've never signed one of these".

    (sigh)

    --
    IANAL, but I've seen actors play them on TV
  5. Brilliant by aj50 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I really want to hear the later books acted out on radio, the voices were so good and the fx imaginative. Only Adams could have the genius and foresight to record the part before he died and when it wasn't planned to dramatise those later books.

    --
    I wish to remain anomalous
  6. Consistancy at last? by techno-vampire · · Score: 4, Interesting

    In the introduction to the collection of the first four books (and short story) Douglas Adams explained why every version of HGTTG controdicted every other version. Is the BBC going to maintain this tradition, or are they going to follow the books?

    --
    Good, inexpensive web hosting
    1. Re:Consistancy at last? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

      More importantly, Fenchurch just disappeared. It isn't stated she died, and she doesn't show up at Mueller's Beta in The End. She could have just wound up in yet-another-alternate-universe.

      So she could be keeping an Earth around somewhere. As far as my understanding of HHGTTG bogodynamics goes, the Vogons had to get everyone entangled with the earth back within the plural zone containing earth (and it was easiest to use temporal reverse engineering to make sure they ended up _on earth_ so there was no doubt) to trigger the collapse along the probability axis of the plural zone in which the earth resides. While the cast were off earth and interacting with matter outside earth's plural zone, they were keeping occasional earths around on the probability axis, and like a cantor set, the vogons couldn't totally erase it no matter how many earths they chomped. Or something like that. But the Vogons missed Fenchurch.

      Fenchurch disappeared during a hyperspace transit because she was from a plural zone (so was Arthur, but the story was following him not fenchurch, so even if he jumped universe/probability level _he_ wouldn't lose _himself_). It would be only fitting that the strange mathematics of the plurality could interact with Fenchurch, and, yes, maybe the Heart of Gold, and bring an earth or aleph one or so of earths back - what happens when that rubber band guy finds Fenchurch to insult her?

    2. Re:Consistancy at last? by adavies42 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      What about Prattchet? He seems to have the right sort of style. (Ever read Good Omens?)

      --
      Media that can be recorded and distributed can be recorded and distributed.
      -kfg
  7. Poetic justice by Big+Yak · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I just finished over 160 hours of driving alone.

    Rather than listen to the same 20 current "top hit" songs play for approximately 120 times each, I loaded all of the Douglas Adams audio books onto my trusty Creative Nomad 60 gig player (hey, why support the iPod -- every cent goes to the enemy! Viva la Microsoft!)

    It was the most enjoyable trip I've ever taken. I had no road rage, I smiled, I laughed, I cried. Those are great books, and I can't wait to hear them all remade again.

    If you have to drive/train/bike/job/skydive to work, you might try some audio books... they really take the edge off.

    --
    -Hell hath no fury like that of a woman scorned for /.
    1. Re:Poetic justice by Ford+Prefect · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Rather than listen to the same 20 current "top hit" songs play for approximately 120 times each...

      What you need is Radio 4 (the original progenitor of HHGTTG, curiously). Documentaries, drama, news, comedy, current affairs... It's a bit old-person-friendly at times, but then it turns 180 degrees and does something amazing like Little Britain. Plus they're perfectly happy to use the word 'fuck' during the afternoon if so required. Go, Larkin!

      --
      Tedious Bloggy Stuff - hooray?
  8. I wrote a thesis on HHGttG... by Ignignot · · Score: 5, Interesting

    In high school senior year brit lit, I wrote my thesis paper on the HHGttG series. In the course of my study, I (re)read the entire series in about a week and a half. The concentration of DA's work in such a short time made me a very strange person to be around for awhile... I can't think of any sort of parallel for the experience. I'll be sure to get a copy of the radio broadcast if i can though ;-) DA was a genius.

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    I submitted this story last night, and it didn't get posted.
  9. Re:Reply: I smoke while I shoot the bird... by spike1 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The movie won't be released tomorrow, though. The first episode of the new radio series will. (Actually, today from where I'm posting.)

    You're posting from september?! So, what was the first episode like then? Must've been on last night for you...
    How did William Franklin do in the (IMHO) irreplacable role of the voice of the book, Peter Jones?
    Did they have Simon Jones, Patrick McGivern, Mark Wing Davey and Rula Lenska (as Lintilla) in it? Can't not have Lintilla considering where the last radio series ended.

    :)

  10. Re:Ehhhh....... I feel my leg stretching by Phreakiture · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Actually, this reminds me of the HTTG Infocom game. If you let your house get knocked down by Prosser and his bulldozer, a bit of shrapnel knocks you on the head and you die.

    But since there are a few more steps to take place, the narrative continues. Regardless what you type, though, the game responds, "You stay out of this, you're dead!"

    --
    www.wavefront-av.com