The Making of 'The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy'

The story of how the phenomenon that is `The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy', how it came from a concept of a skint Douglas Adams to turn into a radio show and then onto a television show. Through interviews and archive footage the problems with technologies and casting etc are all remembered.

This manages to be an interesting documentary despite not having too many earth shattering facts to be revealed but it does manage to be interesting continuously. The information will be greatly interesting to all fans but is also good from a point of view of anyone interested in how TV shows are put together and the pitfalls overcome.

The way it uses the guide and the book of the voice to narrate some of the documentary makes it have the same feel of the show. Also the dry wit of all those involved in the making of the show and in the documentary also make it worth watching as an extra part of the series.

The visual layout of the show, with flashing information etc also make it feel like you're watching the guide (as indeed we are, with a modern Dent). Overall it may not appeal to everyone simply because the show doesn't appeal to everyone, however to fans it is a great companion to the show.

This documentary aims to show us something of the 'behind the scenes' activity that went on around the making of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' in 1980/1. Arthur Dent returns to Earth and to the same house that he'd left in episode one of the TV series to take us through some interactive stuff (the Babel Fish - as an animation - presents a film on the graphics that were done for the Guide's pages by Rod Lord; Dent watches an interview hologram of his alter ego Simon Jones), finally being rescued by Ford Prefect (and taken on another journey, maybe?).

Interviews with the key personnel involved - Alan Bell, Paddy Kirkland, Rod Lord, Douglas Adams,as well as cast members Simon Jones, David Dixon, Sandra Dickinson and Mark Wing-Davey, alongside Martin Benson (the Vogon captain) and David Learner (Marvin, but not his voice) - and a narration by Peter Jones help to flesh out the archive video we see of recordings and rehearsals, outtakes, and half-finished shots.

This documentary is now on the DVD alongside the full series and TV clips, trailers and more.