As original TV series is back out on DVD and Blu-ray

The original 1981 TV adaption of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is to be re-released with a raft of new extras.

Out on October 1, the new release comes in two formats, with the collector’s edition Blu-ray coming in retro VHS-style packaging and including a collector’s art card as well as a 24-page behind-the-scenes booklet written by producer Kevin Jon Davies. 

And BFI Southbank will host a special fan screening on Saturday 22, featuring three episodes and appearances from Simon Jones, who played Arthur Dent, David Dixon, who was For Prefect, and Sandra Dickinson who played Trillian.

The core cast  was completed by Mark Wing-Davey (Zaphod), Stephen Moore (Marvin) and Peter Jones (The Book).

The title is now available to order from Amazon:  special edition DVD (£18.31), special edition Blu-ray (£22.89), collector’s edition Blu-ray (£32.18). 

The new features are:

Mostly Hand-Drawn: Animation sequences from the TV series presented in HD fof the first time
Life, the Universe and Clapperboards: Other elements from the series in HD
Recorded at the End of the Universe: Unique behind-the-scenes footage from the rehearsal rooms and the studio floor, showing the cast and crew grappling with the scenery, the props and the text of the Hitchhiker TV series.
Writing Hitchhiker’s: The story of Hitchhiker’s difficult birth, taken from exclusive interviews conducted in 2007 and 2012  with Douglas Adams’ brother James and friend Nick Webb
Trailer for Radio Times: Whenthe magazine announced their only Hitchhikers’ cover article
Open Door: The Sound of Love(1980): The earliest known filmed interview with Douglas Adams, in which he talks  about his awkward childhood.
Douglas Adams on Nationwide (1980) :  The first public glimpse of the new TV series was during this Nationwide clip when presenter Sue Cook interviewed Douglas
Marvin on Blue Peter (1981): The Paranoid Android launched his 1981 bid for pop stardom on the Children’s TV favourite Blue Peter and then told the presenters how he didn’t even want to talk about it.
Douglas Adams on Paperbacks (1981):  A quaint book programme where host Robert Kee makes plain directly to Douglas Adams’ face, his obvious disregard for the author’s second novel.
The Sound of Sypher (1980):  A BBC Engineering film about the sound design on Hitchhiker.
Saturday Review:  Douglas Adams explains to Minnette Marin his ideas for interactive CD-Rom audio drama, while in Birmingham, the fans gather for a Hitchhiker-themed games convention.
Douglas Adams on Micro Live : Douglas Adams talks about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Game on BBC 2's Micro Live. Originally broadcast on March 8, 1985.
Simon Jones on BBC Breakfast (2012): The Arthur Dent star appears  on Towel Day 2012 to plug the theatrical summer tour of The Hitchhiker’s Guide Radio Show Live.
Ten Short Films: From the personal archives of producer, Kevin Davies, featuring Douglas Adams and imagery from the TV series and elsewhere. Includes two exclusive reports on the movie from the world premiere in Leicester Square.
Tertiary Phase Trailer: The surviving members of the radio cast re-assembled in 2003 for the long overdue radio adaptation of the third Hitchhiker book, Life, The Universe And Everything.
The Hexagonal Phase: Online trailer for Radio 4 - the latest (and possibly final series ever) of Hitchhiker in its original medium, is based on the 2009 novel by Eoin Colfer with snippets of unpublished material from Douglas Adams’ archives. The surviving members of the original cast plus guests such as Lenny Henry and Ed Byrne, gathered in October 2017 to record the series which premiered in March 2018 on Radio 4.
Marvin and Zem: Marvin was brought back to life by Stephen Moore for the Tertiary Phase in 2003, when he shared swamp duties with a mattress called Zem.
Q-Phases: A trailer for the Quandary and Quintessential Phases radio series based on the fourth and fifth Hitchhiker novels.
Original DVD extras: The Making of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, Don’t Panic, Communicate!, Behind the Scenes, Peter Jones Introduction, Pebble Mill at One interview with director Alan Bell and animator Rod Lord; Tomorrow’s World sequence; deleted scene from episode 2, out-takes, trailer, Easter eggs

Published: 6 Sep 2018