 | | 11-06-2003, 11:51 AM |
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#14
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Master Fan
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 12,035
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Too cool!
Quote:
New radio Hitch-Hiker's
Production is under way on the Tertiary Phase of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, with episodes due to begin airing on Radio 4 in spring 2004.
As we reported in September, independent company Above the Title have the rights to adapt Douglas Adams' novels for radio. It's now become clear that three of the Hitchhikers' novels are indeed getting their first radio adaptation.
A six-part adaptation of Life, the Universe and Everything will be up first in the spring. This will be followed towards the end of 2004 by an eight-week serialisation combining So Long and Thanks for All the Fish with Mostly Harmless.
The news comes just weeks after confirmation that the planned movie version of the original Hitchhiker's is finally emerging from mothballs.
As Hitchhiker's expert archivist (and Douglas Adams biographer) MJ Simpson says, "People have been talking for years about a feature film or a new radio series, but for both to be announced within a month of each other is, to coin a phrase, infinitely improbable."
On the production front, the great news is that the series will be written and directed by the massively experienced Dirk Maggs - Adams' own choice, as Simpson points out. Maggs' vast output includes previous radio serials featuring Batman, Superman, Spider-Man and Judge Dredd, plus several Agatha Christie serials via Above the Title.
The Hitchhiker's production is set to re-unite six members of the original cast: Simon Jones, Geoffrey McGivern, Mark Wing-Davey, Susan Sheridan, Stephen Moore and announcer John Marsh. Those joining them will include William Franklyn as the voice of the Book and Richard Griffiths as Slartibartfast. The late Douglas Adams himself will appear as Agrajag (a cameo he favoured playing) thanks to recordings made for Dove Audio's unabridged book readings.
As Simpson says, this is marvellous news. "Every sci-fi fan wants their old show to be reborn. Fans of Doctor Who have a new series to look forward to, and Thunderbirds fans have a feature film – but Hitchhiker’s Guide fans have both."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/news/cult/.../04/7768.shtml
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