Do I want the Hitchhiker's DVD set?

Cafe Society
1

I am a huge fan of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galazy books (that is, the first four - I refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of “Mostly Harmless”).

I have never seen the television adaptation thereof.

I do enjoy British humor (or should I say “humour”?)…I love Monty Python.

Now I have heard that the TV version of the Hitchhiker’s Guide is available in a 2-DVD set for about $35 (US). Can anyone tell me if the books translated well to screen? Or would I be wasting my money, and possibly ruining my enjoyment of the story, if I bought it?

2

I’ve seen the miniseries and it is a faithful recreation of the first book compelte with cheesy special effects. I’d say the extra features alone would be worth the purchase. [ul]
[li]The Making of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy[/li][li]Don’t Panic![/li][li]Douglas Adams Omnibus (tribute program)[/li][li]Recording of the radio series[/li][li]Optional on-screen production notes[/li][li]Deleted scene from episode 2[/li][li]Photo gallery[/li][li]Peter Jones introduction[/li][li]Pebble Mill at One[/li]Tomorrow’s World sequence[/ul]

3

I got it and love it! I haven’t seen the series since it aired on PBS back in the 80’s, which was when I fell in love with the Guide. Yes, the books are better, but the BBC series is an essential part of your Guide experience.
Share and Enjoy!

4

I saw the series and have read the books. Yes, I would recommend it.

Remember that the special effects are cheezy (think Dr. Who), but some of the animations are funny. I’m thinking specificially of the one detailing the race that had to keep talking or else their mouths would seize up. Very nicely done for on the cheap.

5

Actually, I would recommend the original BBC radio plays. This is how the stories were originally written & presented (even before they were books!)

They’re even better than the video series (because, of course, it was much harder & more expensive to do a TV version).

6

Heavens, yes!
Get it.
I loved the books.
Loved the radio plays.
Loved the mini series when it played on pbs.
Also own a 3 l.p. set of an abridged version of the radio play.
Like Vibrotronica said, share and enjoy!

7

Share and enjoy, eh?

I imagine, then, that these DVDs will taste almost, but not completely, unlike tea.

Thanks for the recommendations, folks!

Chaim Mattis Keller

8

You know why I haven’t bought it? Because the box it comes in is almost, but not quite, the same size as all my other DVDs, and that ticks me off.

9

I love the books, but I’m not buying it. I’ve seen the mini-series before, and was underwhelmed. I suppose for the time it was created…no, not even then can I think of it and believe it to be worth seeing again. I still think they should have made a animated film.

10

I enjoyed seeing it. I think it would be worth $35. I agree the radio plays were better, though.

11

Are the radio plays out on CD? Where can one find them?

The animation is the coolest thing about the TV series. On DVD I was able to read all of the Guide captions, which was impossible when it aired.

According to Coming Attractions, the film version of the Guide appears to be stalled. And I for one think that’s a good thing for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is that there’s just NO WAY to boil the story down to two hours, or even three hours.

12

Vibrotronica: eBay has a collector’s edition of the radio program up for bid. It’s also available direct from the BBC.

13

Quick plug for the Infocom text adventure, which was co-written by Adams. Damn good.
Available as abandonware (no link for legal reasons).