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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Primary Phase (Dramatised)
- Narrated by: Peter Jones, Simon Jones, Geoffrey McGivern, Mark Wing-Davey, Susan Sheridan, Stephen Moore, full cast
- Series: Hitchhiker's Guide (radio plays), Book 1
- Length: 3 hrs and 56 mins
- Radio/TV Programme
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Drama & Plays
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Secondary Phase (Dramatised)
- By: Douglas Adams
- Narrated by: Peter Jones, Simon Jones, Geoffrey McGivern, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Stranded on Prehistoric Earth since the end of the first series, Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect are once again trying to hitch their way off the planet. Zaphod finds his visit to the offices of the Guide rudely interrupted by Frogstar fighters, who further threaten to feed him to the Total Perspective Vortex. Eventually reunited, the three fetch up on the planet Brontitall and discover the indigenous species in something of a flap. Arthur meets Lintilla (several of her), Marvin gets to be a hero once again, and there is a meeting with the Man in the Shack who apparently runs the Universe....
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Science meets philosophy - and laughs
- By Alexander Macallister on 02-02-14
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Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
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- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
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One Thursday lunchtime the Earth gets unexpectedly demolished to make way for a new hyperspace bypass. For Arthur Dent, who has only just had his house demolished that morning, this seems already to be more than he can cope with.
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Classic English Comedy Sci-Fi, but...
- By No Longer Submitting Reviews on 24-08-20
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Original Albums
- Two Full-Cast Audio Dramatisations
- By: Douglas Adams
- Narrated by: Full Cast, Peter Jones, Simon Jones, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 38 mins
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When Earthman Arthur Dent learns that first his house and then his planet are about to be bulldozed, it’s the beginning of an interplanetary adventure for him and his friend, Ford Prefect. After fleeing Earth they hitch a lift with hoopy frood Zaphod Beeblebrox, who hurtles from one improbability to another - literally. With Trillian and Marvin the Paranoid Android in tow, the answer to life, the universe and everything is soon revealed: 42. But what was the question?
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Fantastic! But the original radio version (Primary Phase) is better.
- By Jim Vaughan on 26-05-20
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Don't Panic
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- Narrated by: Simon Jones, Neil Gaiman
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First published in 1986 and updated several times since, Don’t Panic is in an in-depth exploration of Douglas Adams’s cultural phenomenon The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - from its beginnings as a UK radio series, to its expansion into a wildly popular book trilogy, and onto incarnations in various media including stage, records, film, computer games, and even, um, tea towels.
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Facts for fun but far from from fun
- By LENGTHIAN on 18-05-21
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Welcome to Our Village Please Invade Carefully
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loved it
- By Amazon Customer on 11-06-20
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Dirk Gently: Two BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramas
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The complete BBC Radio collection bringing together two full-cast dramatisations of Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently novels. In Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency Dirk Gently has an unshakable belief in the interconnectedness of all things, but his Holistic Detective Agency mainly succeeds in tracking down missing cats for old ladies. Then Dirk stumbles upon an old friend behaving bizarrely - and he's drawn into a four-billion-year-old mystery that must be solved if the human race is to avoid immediate extinction....
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A delightful story marred by bad digital audio
- By mrs andrea downer on 24-02-20
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Secondary Phase (Dramatised)
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Stranded on Prehistoric Earth since the end of the first series, Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect are once again trying to hitch their way off the planet. Zaphod finds his visit to the offices of the Guide rudely interrupted by Frogstar fighters, who further threaten to feed him to the Total Perspective Vortex. Eventually reunited, the three fetch up on the planet Brontitall and discover the indigenous species in something of a flap. Arthur meets Lintilla (several of her), Marvin gets to be a hero once again, and there is a meeting with the Man in the Shack who apparently runs the Universe....
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Science meets philosophy - and laughs
- By Alexander Macallister on 02-02-14
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Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
- By: Douglas Adams
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
One Thursday lunchtime the Earth gets unexpectedly demolished to make way for a new hyperspace bypass. For Arthur Dent, who has only just had his house demolished that morning, this seems already to be more than he can cope with.
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Classic English Comedy Sci-Fi, but...
- By No Longer Submitting Reviews on 24-08-20
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Original Albums
- Two Full-Cast Audio Dramatisations
- By: Douglas Adams
- Narrated by: Full Cast, Peter Jones, Simon Jones, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 38 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When Earthman Arthur Dent learns that first his house and then his planet are about to be bulldozed, it’s the beginning of an interplanetary adventure for him and his friend, Ford Prefect. After fleeing Earth they hitch a lift with hoopy frood Zaphod Beeblebrox, who hurtles from one improbability to another - literally. With Trillian and Marvin the Paranoid Android in tow, the answer to life, the universe and everything is soon revealed: 42. But what was the question?
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Fantastic! But the original radio version (Primary Phase) is better.
- By Jim Vaughan on 26-05-20
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Don't Panic
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- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
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First published in 1986 and updated several times since, Don’t Panic is in an in-depth exploration of Douglas Adams’s cultural phenomenon The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - from its beginnings as a UK radio series, to its expansion into a wildly popular book trilogy, and onto incarnations in various media including stage, records, film, computer games, and even, um, tea towels.
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Facts for fun but far from from fun
- By LENGTHIAN on 18-05-21
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Welcome to Our Village Please Invade Carefully
- Series 1 & 2
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Two series of the BBC Radio 4 sitcom about an alien invasion of a small village, starring Hattie Morahan and Julian Rhind-Tutt with Peter Davison and Jan Francis. When the small Buckinghamshire village of Cresdon Green is invaded by an alien race called the Geonin, the local residents come up against Uljabaan, the smooth-talking leader of the aliens.
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loved it
- By Amazon Customer on 11-06-20
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Dirk Gently: Two BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramas
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A delightful story marred by bad digital audio
- By mrs andrea downer on 24-02-20
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Shada
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The Doctor's old friend and fellow Time Lord Professor Chronotis has retired to Cambridge University - where nobody will notice if he lives for centuries. But now he needs help from the Doctor, Romana, and K-9. When he left Gallifrey he took with him a few little souvenirs - most of them are harmless. But one of them is extremely dangerous. The Worshipful and Ancient Law of Gallifrey isn't a book for Time Tots.It must not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands.
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Absolutely Brilliant
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Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
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What do a dead cat, a computer whiz-kid, an electric monk who believes the world is pink, quantum mechanics, a chronologist over 200 years old, Samuel Taylor Coleridge (poet) and pizza have in common? Apparently not much, until Dirk Gently, self-styled private investigator, sets out to prove the fundamental interconnectedness of all things by solving a mysterious murder, assisting a mysterious professor, unravelling a mysterious mystery and eating a lot of pizza - not to mention saving the entire human race from extinction along the way (at no extra charge).
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Almost as good as the Douglas Adams' narration
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Terry Pratchett: BBC Radio Drama Collection
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Somewhere on the frontier between thought and reality exists the Discworld, a parallel time and place which might sound and smell very much like our own, but which looks completely different. Collected together for the first time are seven full-cast BBC Radio dramatisations of Terry Pratchett’s novels, with star-studded casts including Martin Jarvis, Sheila Hancock, Anton Lesser, Philip Jackson, Alex Jennings and Mark Heap.
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If you Love and have read Terry Pratchett
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Blake's 7 is a much-loved classic TV science fiction series, in which a band of rebels fight the despotic Federation, led by Supreme Commander Servalan. This audio collection features two thrilling full cast BBC Radio 4 adventures.
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Better then the TV series?
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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Dramatised)
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Part One, The Fellowship of the Ring, introduces us to Frodo Baggins. With his uncle Bilbo having mysteriously disappeared, Frodo finds himself in possession of a simple gold ring that has great and evil power. It is the Ruling Ring, taken long ago from the Dark Lord, Sauron, who now seeks to possess it again. Frodo must do everything he can to prevent this, and with the help of Gandalf the wizard and a band of loyal companions he begins a perilous journey across Middle-earth.
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Should have been published on Audible as a whole!
- By Amazon Customer on 07-08-16
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The second instalment of Tolkien's epic tale, adapted from the original BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation. Having fled the Shire in their escape from Sauron's Dark Riders, Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring have journeyed to Rivendell and beyond
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Classic
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According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. So, the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan.
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:)
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Not as interesting as the first one
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The Lord Of The Rings: The Return of the King (Dramatised)
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The evil Saruman has been defeated by Gandalf, but in Mordor the battle for the Ruling Ring continues. Wounded by the giant spider, Shelob, Frodo has been captured by the dreaded orcs
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makes me cry every time & want to start it again!
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The Colour of Magic, the first novel in Terry Pratchett's wildly imaginative Discworld series, takes the listener on a remarkable journey. The magical planet of Discworld is supported by four massive elephants who stand on the back of the Great A'Tuin, a giant turtle swimming slowly through the mysterious interstellar gulf. An eccentric expedition sets out to explore the planet, encountering dragons who only exist if you believe in them, and, of course, 'The Edge' of the planet.
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In the beginning...
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One of Britain's best loved comics performs what is considered to be his best ever series, recorded in front of a studio audience.
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A bit dated
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Through the ages of Britain, from the 15th century to the 21st, Edmund Blackadder has meddled his way along the bloodlines, aided by his servant and sidekick, Baldrick, and hindered by an assortment of dimwitted aristocrats. Now the complete history of Blackadder is collected together, including the four TV series: The Black Adder, Blackadder II, Blackadder the Third and Blackadder Goes Forth.
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Doesn't work so well as an Audiobook
- By Rug on 18-12-19
Summary
A dynamic remastering of the original BBC Radio 4 full-cast serial - Fit the First to Fit the Sixth - which spawned a phenomenal hitchhiking legend.
The original series of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, remastered by Dirk Maggs (director of the Tertiary, Quandary and Quintessential Phases) to give a full, vibrant sound, now with Philip Pope’s version of the familiar theme tune and specially re-recorded announcements by John Marsh.
Join Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Trillian, Zaphod Beeblebrox and Marvin the Paranoid Android in their first series of adventures as they witness the destruction of Earth to make way for a hyperspace bypass, stumble upon the ancient planet of Magrathea, dine at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe and seek an answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and everything.
Peter Jones, Simon Jones, Geoffrey McGivern, Mark Wing-Davey, Susan Sheridan, Stephen Moore and a full supporting cast star in these BBC Radio 4 episodes.
A special 55-minute bonus programme, Douglas Adams's Guide to the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, explores the genesis of the radio series and its incredible success, with contributions from the original cast and production team.
Audio files were replaced in April 2021.
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What listeners say about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Primary Phase (Dramatised)
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Ryan
- 07-10-09
funny, adventurous and youthful
Much has been said about radio 4 in the reviews, which might actually discourage some people from buying this. I'm a teenager who doesn't listen to radio 4 and this is the greatest and funniest audiobook i've ever had the pleasure of listening to. This book was made for young people so if you are one I can't recommend it highly enough!
34 people found this helpful
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- Paul
- 08-12-15
Fantastic , but...........
This is one of the best comedy series you will ever hear. A game changer. Elements of it are now part of everyday life. writing is mindblowingly good . Performances are overall outstanding. Peter Jones is superb as The Book, although he freely admitted not understanding a word of it. As a series, and this is by far the best one, a must . ......
However Audibles version is very poor. The sound quality and over compression are unforgivable in this day and age. Why have the super cleaned up remastered version. Then provide a tinny sounding mono download. I think everyone who has bought this should be untitled to a fresh high quality download. it is a shame a series like this should be handled this way.
24 people found this helpful
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- Derek P Tiller
- 23-04-16
Abridged version.
I was disappointed to find that this is an edited version of the recording. Some of what was in the original broadcast is not in this edition. I haven't performed a detailed analysis. I just found that one of my favourite bits was missing. In this version, Marvin no longer hums Pink Floyd in Episode 3. I did not realise that this was what was meant by it being a remastered version. I expected improved sound quality or some such.
35 people found this helpful
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- Purchaser
- 12-07-15
Dreadful download... Find the CD or tape
Any additional comments?
I've seen the play, listened to the radio series, got the tapes and the CDs but the quality of this download is beyond dire: compressed and in 'mono'. The original radio series, etc had stereophonics that were stunningly immersive. I'm just plain stunned by this... AVOID
15 people found this helpful
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- Tim
- 05-03-11
Near Flawless
Fantastic - a true muse of fire, crammed with so many ideas and such comedic brilliance that it is practically bursting at the seams.
All the others seem lame in comparison (which they aren't), like Charlie Chaplin's WW1 films - an ariadne's thread for all his other ideas.
If you haven't listened to the Primary Phase, don't just watch the film or read the book - it is essential that you try it on audiobook download, as it was ground breaking in its time, and still flawless in the present.
All in all, this is an essential audiobook, which has had profound effects on popular culture and is a Bible for anyone seeking to make headway (while avoiding cliche) in sci-fi, comedy or any pop culture field. Listen and be enriched!
14 people found this helpful
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- Matthew
- 01-05-09
Everyone should download this
I had the first two phases on CD so was glad of the opportunity to upgrade at a fair price, as a member of Audible. This audiobook is one of the best works the BBC has published, hilariously witty and amusing. I would recommend to anyone who listens to Radio 4.
20 people found this helpful
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- Pottery Debs
- 22-02-12
Indispensable
This audiobook (well, original BBC comedy) is what I play at 3.00 am when I can't sleep, or when I am stuck in a traffic jam, have an enormous mound of washing up to do, or pretty much any time I really need a chuckle. Then I make up my own brand of Vogon style poetry and imagine that whoever or whatever has annoyed me is screaming in agony strapped to a Vogon poetry appreciation chair. It is a necessary part of my life. You need it too. Buy it.
7 people found this helpful
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- Rush
- 31-07-09
Douglas Adams was such a great writer
I listened to the original when it was first broadcast on the radio, and have been pining for a repeat ever since - books, TV and film were only partly adequate replacements. As an added bonus, this 'special edition' recording contains not only the six broadcast episodes, also a fascinating hour-long documentary about how the first two radio series came about. I shall be downloading the Secondary Phase very soon.
7 people found this helpful
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- Simon
- 15-12-08
The original and best
This is where it all began: a Radio 4 comedy show.
Everything else is a remake. The TV version looses some of the wordy humour, the book version looses some of the energy & the film version looses the point.
A wonderful cast, a humorous delight and a nice little documentary as a bonus.
31 people found this helpful
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- Lee Grant
- 24-09-11
Classic Radio Comedy
It's all here; everything you could ever dream of!
This production has been cleaned up, defuzzed and streamlined and sent out as this wonderful package.
The performances are perfect, the story is sublime and this is something that can be listened and enjoyed time and time again.
Buy it, listen to it and love it!
3 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 09-05-11
Do Not Get This Version
I bought the "non-special edition" a few years back, ripped it myself and it sounded great. I can't find my digital versions, so I bought the special edition, regardless of the other negative comments. DO NOT IGNORE THESE COMMENTS!!! This is a horrible version. The sound mix is bad. It really does sound like the guys were in different rooms.
Please, I beg you, do not get this one. If you can find the "non-special edition" get that one. Or, buy the CDs and rip it yourself.
84 people found this helpful
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- Thomas
- 19-08-12
Difficult to listen to in the car!
This review is specifically about the audio quality of the book. While the plethora of character voices were great, this is a radio program recording from a loooooong time ago and the quality of the audio shows. My wife and I both found it difficult to listen to in our cars because some of the voices are quiet and you have to turn it up, then all of a sudden you get a really loud high pitched space noise that blows your ears out. Constant volume knob adjustment is necessary if listening to in the car. I found listening to it at home on headphones much easier.
118 people found this helpful
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- Walter
- 04-10-13
Possibly the best thing written in my lifetime
OK - those are strong words, and there really has been a lot of great writing in the last 50 years (I did say "possibly"). But the combination of imaginative genius, over-the-top humor and just enough philosophical thought makes H2G2 a true standout. The radio plays predated the published books, and were my first exposure to Douglas Adams in the early 1980s - they remain the best way to experience The Hitchhiker's Guide.
There are only a few audio books that I return to and listen a second time. H2G2 is an audio book that I am moved to listen to at least every two years. Basically, I'd be lost without the Guide... If I could give it six stars, I would.
P.S. Years after I fell in love with the books, I learned that Adams had been a script writer and editor for the BBC's Doctor Who, and that he was a friend of Richard Dawkins - he introduced Lalla Ward (who played Romana on Doctor Who) to Dawkins, they subsequently married. Lalla Ward co-narrates Dawkins' audio books, which I also recommend. That serves to illustrate "the interconnectedness of all all things" (which is something you'll come upon in another of Adams' books - Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.
32 people found this helpful
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- Peter
- 14-08-09
Classic Comedic Genius
If you are a fan of science fiction, or just comedy in general , this is a worthwhile listen. The form of humor in this series of radio shows has a very Monty Python feel, bizarre and perhaps a little random at times; however unlike python's sketch comedy and more akin to their feature films the comedy is tied together into a clever and original story arc. Whether it is proving that there is no life in the universe or finding the meaning of life in the universe, you'll find an interesting and comedic explanation to all your questions.
For those who may have seen the movie the story arc is longer and differs in some large ways, the radio show is also funnier (this is not an opinion it is a fact).
The only thing keeping this audio production from a 5 out of 5 is production quality. The production quality is over all pretty good, especially when one keeps in mind when it was produced. There are, however, a few spots in the recording where I had trouble understand what was being said due to effects placed on vocals.
All in all I would recommend this audio show to anyone who enjoys chuckling at the bizarre.
10 people found this helpful
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- earonesty
- 02-10-13
Terrible audio quality
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
It's just not converted to digital format well. Whispering and loud bangs, the levels are terribly normalized. Maybe if you use noice cancelling headset, and a volume knob... but not suitable for an ipod!
27 people found this helpful
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- riki
- 31-05-18
Great story... Flawed by terrible volume balance!
Love the writing... Love the performances... Hate the sound balance, or whatever you want to call it.
The narrator is LOUD... Ford is normal, while Arthur is quiet.
Very annoying, makes it hard to listen to.
6 people found this helpful
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- Joseph Norton
- 06-12-08
A Must for Hitchhiker fans
On Wednesday, March 8th, 1978, listeners to BBC Radio 4 first learned about what is perhaps the most remarkable, certainly the most successful book ever to come out of the great publishing corporations of Ursa Minor, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the galaxy. Now, at long last, it's available through Audible! Hear how it all started. This came before the books, before the TV series and before the movie. Get it now! Don't think twice! Don't miss any of the adventures of Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect and the other characters as they take you with them on a romp through the galaxy you'll never forget! If you think you know it all because you read the books, think again. And, most of all, Don't Panic!
24 people found this helpful
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- Ilana
- 22-10-11
Zillions of Times Better than the Book
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was the first radio comedy show to be recorded in stereophonic sound and it was acted out by a full cast of professional actors, but what really sets this show apart is the sound effects which were completely innovative at the time. "One of Adams's stated goals was to be experimental in the use of sound. Being a fan of Pink Floyd and The Beatles (and especially the experimental concept albums both bands produced in the late 1960s and early 1970s), Adams wanted the programme to have the feel of a "rock album...to convey the idea that you actually were on a spaceship or an alien planet — that sense of a huge aural landscape". (From Wikipedia)
Of course today, there is a quaint quality to those sound effects, but that only adds to the overall charm of the experience. I first discovered this show in the late 80s when a local radio station aired the series, and must say that more than 20 years later, a reading of the book (which not surprisingly seemed awfully flat) it felt just as fresh, off the wall and yes, innovative as it did the first time around.
23 people found this helpful
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- David
- 13-05-09
Brilliant
Always preferred the radio series. Superb. Takes me right back !! What great memories. What a great production. If your a hitchhiker fan and dont have the radio series, buy them - you wont be disappointed.
7 people found this helpful
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- Delennish
- 29-04-21
So many confused reviews.
Some history for folks considering buying this remastered version of the original radio series:
1. The first radio series came BEFORE the novels. This is not a dramatization. They're very different in certain ways.
2. Adam's did radio, print, tv, and film versions (though he was dead by the time the film was released), and they are very different creatures. You may not like one version or another. He fit the series to the medium and sometimes it lost something in the translation.
3. There's a reason effects sound like they're from the 70s. The remastering was done in 2008. That doesn't change the fact that the original (being remastered here) was done in the 70s.
Having said all that, I agree with some of the more knowledgeable reviews that the original (not remastered) was better. This version reminds of me Big Finish audio plays, and they can be a bit loud, weirdly mixed, and overwhelming.
2 people found this helpful