Radio series three to five The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

on 21 june 2004, bbc announced in press release new series of hitchhiker s based on third novel broadcast part of autumn schedule, produced above title productions ltd. episodes recorded in late 2003, actual transmission delayed while agreement reached walt disney company on internet re-broadcasts, disney had begun pre-production on film. followed news further series produced based on fourth , fifth novels. these broadcast in september , october 2004 , may , june 2005. cd releases accompanied transmission of final episode in each series.

the adaptation of third novel followed book closely, caused major structural issues in meshing preceding radio series in comparison second novel. because many events radio series omitted second novel, , did occur happened in different order, 2 series split in different directions. last 2 adaptations vary somewhat—some events in harmless foreshadowed in adaptation of long , fish, while both include additional material builds on incidents in third series tie 5 (and divergent plotlines) together, including character zaphod more prominently in final chapters , addressing altered reality include events of secondary phase. while harmless contained rather bleak ending, dirk maggs created different ending transmitted radio version, ending on more upbeat note, reuniting cast 1 last time.

the core cast third fifth radio series remained same, except replacement of peter jones william franklyn book, , richard vernon richard griffiths slartibartfast, since both had died. (homage jones iconic portrayal of book paid twice: gradual shift of voices new version in episode 13, launching new productions, , blend of jones , franklyn s voices @ end of final episode, first part of maggs alternative ending.) sandra dickinson, played trillian in tv series, here played tricia mcmillan, english-born, american-accented alternate-universe version of trillian, while david dixon, television series ford prefect, made cameo appearance ecological man . jane horrocks appeared in new semi-regular role of fenchurch, arthur s girlfriend, , samantha béart joined in final series arthur , trillian s daughter, random dent. reprising roles original radio series jonathan pryce zarniwoop (here blended character final novel become zarniwoop vann harl), rula lenska lintilla , clones (and voice of bird), , roy hudd milliways compere max quordlepleen, original radio series announcer, john marsh.

the series featured guest appearances such noted personalities joanna lumley sydney opera house woman, jackie mason east river creature, miriam margolyes smelly photocopier woman, bbc radio cricket legends henry blofeld , fred trueman themselves, june whitfield raffle woman, leslie phillips hactar, saeed jaffrey man on pole, sir patrick moore himself, , christian slater wonko sane. finally, adams himself played role of agrajag, performance adapted book-on-tape reading of third novel, , edited series created time after author s death.

tertiary, quandary , quintessential phase main cast:

simon jones arthur dent
geoffrey mcgivern ford prefect
susan sheridan trillian
mark wing-davey zaphod beeblebrox
stephen moore marvin, paranoid android
richard griffiths slartibartfast
sandra dickinson tricia mcmillan
jane horrocks fenchurch
rula lenska voice of bird
samantha béart random
william franklyn book




^ bbc press office release, announcing new series (the third) transmitted on bbc radio 4 beginning in september 2004.
^ webb, page 324.