Image (c) The Bigfoot Studio / Perfectly Normal Productions
In 1978 the worlds of science fiction and comedy were united when BBC Radio broadcast The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, followed by four further series between 1980 and 2005. Now, for the 40th anniversary of Hitchhiker’s radio debut, the original radio cast will star in a sixth instalment titled ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy: Hexagonal Phase’.
Produced by Dirk Maggs, chosen by Douglas Adams to bring Hitchhiker’s back to Radio 4 with the Tertiary, Quandary and Quintessential Phases, this series will be adapted from Eoin Colfer’s And Another Thing, which was commissioned by the Douglas Adams Estate in 2009 to mark the 30th anniversary of the first novel. It will also include unpublished Hitchhiker's material by Douglas Adams, sourced from notebooks and writings preserved in the Library at St. John's College in Cambridge.
Across six episodes, Simon Jones will reprise his role as the main protagonist, the quintessentially English Arthur Dent, as he continues to travel through space and time following the destruction of Earth. Starring alongside Simon will be members of the classic radio, television and stage casts, including Geoff McGivern as Ford Prefect, Mark Wing-Davey as Zaphod Beeblebrox and Sandra Dickinson as Trillian, as well as special guest stars including Jane Horrocks as Fenchurch. Following in the footsteps of the late Peter Jones and William Franklyn, Douglas Adams’ friend, co-author and former flatmate John Lloyd will step into the The Voice Of The Book.