The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy(1977-2001)
"Alright I'm almost done with Star Trek: Phase II, now I just need to...wait a minute...."
(Checks Page Number)....42.
42?...42?....Why do I feel like that number means something...
Douglas Adams was working for the BBC and creating comedy sketches. Adams was asked to pitch a radio sitcom to premiere in 1977. Originally it was meant to be a more common sitcom but when someone proposed giving it a science fiction twist, Adams realized he'd been waiting for the idea. He'd worked on Doctor Who. The Idea was called "Ends of the Earth" and would have the Earth being destroyed differently in every episode. Adams realized he needed a character who knew the earth was going to be destroyed and remembered an idea he had while lying drunk in a field in Austria. He came up with the Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy, an idea that was in his head since a trip to Greece in 1973.
Ford Prefect and Aleric B.
Adams conceived of the human character of Aleric B. intentionally given the human character an alien sounding name, and paired him up with an actual alien named Ford Prefect, who had mistakenly thought cars were the dominant lifeform on earth when he arrived and took on his name as a result. Ford Prefect has befriended Aleric and rescues him before Earth is destroyed. Aleric is usually shortened to "Al" or "Al B." The Program was recorded in stereo. Adams had several scripts for Doctor Who greenlit and would attempt to balance his work on both before passing it on to the producers. Adams had written the parts of Aleric and Ford wit actors Simon Jone and Geoffrey McGivern in mind and they were cast(cast is same as OTL).
The Series was adapted into a television series, receive novel adaptations, a Text adventure game and also a film. Its success could be attributed to right place, right time as 1977 would also see the release of Star Trek: Phase II, the miniseries sequel to Star Trek, and Star Wars. Adams would have a hand in all adaptations. Adams had a unique approach to adaptations and was perfectly fine with altering the story to fit into a new medium rather than remaining faithful. He even wrote the novels and episodes of the TV Series himself. A Problem arose when Adams planned to use of the Krikketman, which he'd created for Doctor Who, while he was legally allowed to use them, his story had to be rewritten since the plot he had in mind was too similar and the idea was mostly cut. Instead, Adams, wrote the third book(after The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and The Restaurant at the End of the Universe), to be "So long and thanks for All the Fish" in which Aleric and Ford are rescued by Zaphod and Trillian and transported into the future, expecitng to find no Earth after it was destroyed in 1977, but to their surprise, they are instead on an intact Earth where there shouldn't have been one. The Dolphins have all disappeared and left behind the message that forms the book's title. Aleric at one point throws himself off a cliff to cause a near death experience, his life flashing before his eyes and seeing how all the events in the last three books come together. He also meets a man with the skill to break open oysters and a talking Brockian Ultra-Walrus with an embarassing past. The plot become about stopping the Vogons from destroying the Earth again once they realize it's still there. The Vogons therefore become the villains of the next book Mostly Harmless, which has the darkest ending of the series where Earth appears to be destroyed while everyone is on it.
That depressing note would have been where the series ended had Adams not had second thoughts. He realized fairly quickly while writing the Dirk gently book The Salmon of Doubt that elements of it worked better as a Hitchhiker's story(OTL he realized this but much later, sadly he did not have enough time to complete either before his death). Adams was also scared by the discovery that he had Coronary Artery disease and was getting treatment, fearing he would die before completing Hitchhiker's as he wanted. Thus, the series received a 5th and Final Book, becoming "A Trilogy of Five" as Adams put it, with the release of Don't Panic, where it is revealed the Earth was not destroyed but teleported away, leading to a multiversal adventure that sees the final defeat of the Vogons and a happy ending for the characters, complete with Aleric's house still being there, a cup of tea, and the ultimate question of Life, the Universe and Everything being revealed(to the characters, not the readers).
All five Books would be adapted in the forms of Radio and Television. For Radio, the time is took to release all five books was not a problem as sound alikes could be found, for television this proved to be more complicated due to the actors clearly aging, even if they did agree to come back or were replaced. Then in 1982, Adams negotiated the film rights with Ivan Reitman. While he was occupied with Dan Ackroyd for the idea that would become Ghostbusters, he did suggest Bill Murray in the role of Ford Prefect(OTL Billy Murray,Dan Ackroyd and Reitman were all pulled away for Ghostbusters, resulting in a film adaptation of Hitchhiker's being delayed until 2001. ITTL Ghostbusters features a still alive John Belushi, meaning Murray is free). The film was directed by Mel Brooks, who was interested in doing a Sci Fi parody at the time though more of Star Wars and would at a later time. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was released in 1984 and is a largely self contained film with the Vogons as the antagonists and elements from all parts of the series, giving the film an ending which sees Earth restored by the Planet builders of Magrathea and the Vogons defeated. Brooks and Adams felt that it should stand on its own and turning it into a series would turn it into "The very thing it was parodying". Brooks was reluctant to commit to a sequel if one came. Reitman on the other hand offered to direct as Commitments by the cast of Ghostbusters(namely Eddie Murphy), meant a sequel to that film would be delayed.
(Checks Page Number)....42.
42?...42?....Why do I feel like that number means something...
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams was working for the BBC and creating comedy sketches. Adams was asked to pitch a radio sitcom to premiere in 1977. Originally it was meant to be a more common sitcom but when someone proposed giving it a science fiction twist, Adams realized he'd been waiting for the idea. He'd worked on Doctor Who. The Idea was called "Ends of the Earth" and would have the Earth being destroyed differently in every episode. Adams realized he needed a character who knew the earth was going to be destroyed and remembered an idea he had while lying drunk in a field in Austria. He came up with the Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy, an idea that was in his head since a trip to Greece in 1973.
Ford Prefect and Aleric B.
Adams conceived of the human character of Aleric B. intentionally given the human character an alien sounding name, and paired him up with an actual alien named Ford Prefect, who had mistakenly thought cars were the dominant lifeform on earth when he arrived and took on his name as a result. Ford Prefect has befriended Aleric and rescues him before Earth is destroyed. Aleric is usually shortened to "Al" or "Al B." The Program was recorded in stereo. Adams had several scripts for Doctor Who greenlit and would attempt to balance his work on both before passing it on to the producers. Adams had written the parts of Aleric and Ford wit actors Simon Jone and Geoffrey McGivern in mind and they were cast(cast is same as OTL).
The Series was adapted into a television series, receive novel adaptations, a Text adventure game and also a film. Its success could be attributed to right place, right time as 1977 would also see the release of Star Trek: Phase II, the miniseries sequel to Star Trek, and Star Wars. Adams would have a hand in all adaptations. Adams had a unique approach to adaptations and was perfectly fine with altering the story to fit into a new medium rather than remaining faithful. He even wrote the novels and episodes of the TV Series himself. A Problem arose when Adams planned to use of the Krikketman, which he'd created for Doctor Who, while he was legally allowed to use them, his story had to be rewritten since the plot he had in mind was too similar and the idea was mostly cut. Instead, Adams, wrote the third book(after The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and The Restaurant at the End of the Universe), to be "So long and thanks for All the Fish" in which Aleric and Ford are rescued by Zaphod and Trillian and transported into the future, expecitng to find no Earth after it was destroyed in 1977, but to their surprise, they are instead on an intact Earth where there shouldn't have been one. The Dolphins have all disappeared and left behind the message that forms the book's title. Aleric at one point throws himself off a cliff to cause a near death experience, his life flashing before his eyes and seeing how all the events in the last three books come together. He also meets a man with the skill to break open oysters and a talking Brockian Ultra-Walrus with an embarassing past. The plot become about stopping the Vogons from destroying the Earth again once they realize it's still there. The Vogons therefore become the villains of the next book Mostly Harmless, which has the darkest ending of the series where Earth appears to be destroyed while everyone is on it.
That depressing note would have been where the series ended had Adams not had second thoughts. He realized fairly quickly while writing the Dirk gently book The Salmon of Doubt that elements of it worked better as a Hitchhiker's story(OTL he realized this but much later, sadly he did not have enough time to complete either before his death). Adams was also scared by the discovery that he had Coronary Artery disease and was getting treatment, fearing he would die before completing Hitchhiker's as he wanted. Thus, the series received a 5th and Final Book, becoming "A Trilogy of Five" as Adams put it, with the release of Don't Panic, where it is revealed the Earth was not destroyed but teleported away, leading to a multiversal adventure that sees the final defeat of the Vogons and a happy ending for the characters, complete with Aleric's house still being there, a cup of tea, and the ultimate question of Life, the Universe and Everything being revealed(to the characters, not the readers).
All five Books would be adapted in the forms of Radio and Television. For Radio, the time is took to release all five books was not a problem as sound alikes could be found, for television this proved to be more complicated due to the actors clearly aging, even if they did agree to come back or were replaced. Then in 1982, Adams negotiated the film rights with Ivan Reitman. While he was occupied with Dan Ackroyd for the idea that would become Ghostbusters, he did suggest Bill Murray in the role of Ford Prefect(OTL Billy Murray,Dan Ackroyd and Reitman were all pulled away for Ghostbusters, resulting in a film adaptation of Hitchhiker's being delayed until 2001. ITTL Ghostbusters features a still alive John Belushi, meaning Murray is free). The film was directed by Mel Brooks, who was interested in doing a Sci Fi parody at the time though more of Star Wars and would at a later time. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was released in 1984 and is a largely self contained film with the Vogons as the antagonists and elements from all parts of the series, giving the film an ending which sees Earth restored by the Planet builders of Magrathea and the Vogons defeated. Brooks and Adams felt that it should stand on its own and turning it into a series would turn it into "The very thing it was parodying". Brooks was reluctant to commit to a sequel if one came. Reitman on the other hand offered to direct as Commitments by the cast of Ghostbusters(namely Eddie Murphy), meant a sequel to that film would be delayed.
