Rating: 
Summary: A Comedy?
Review: Last time I checked, comedies were supposed to make you laugh. This set completely (I'm not kidding here) fails to make me laugh. The best it could do was remind me of places in the books where the same material was actually funny. This series tends to rehash exactly what's in the book, adding nothing and removing everything (humor, sarcasm, zaniness, etc) except the plot. For anyone who's ever read the Hitchhiker's books, you'll understand that the plot is nothing worth writing home about.BTW, I feel sad for the narrator, who apparently was never told that he was narrating a comedy. He deadpans like this is a children's story throughout.
Rating:
Summary: THE SERIES AND NOT THE EXTENDED VIDEO
Review: i WAS REALLY PUMPED TO GET THE DVD, HAVING WORN OUT 2 VHS. THE DVD IS ACTUALLY EACH INDIVIDUAL SHOW FROM START TO FINISH INSTEAD OF THE ONE WITHOUT THE STARTUP AND ENDING CREDITS, NOR DOES IT HAVE THE EXTRA FOOTAGE IN THE EXTENDED ONE. THE 2ND DVD IS CHOCK FULL OF BLOOPERS, AND EXTRA DATA ON THE ACTORS AND HOW THE VIDEO WAS MADE. WELL WORTH GETTING UNTIL THE EXTENDED VERSION COMES OUT. kc
Rating: 
Summary: Campy yet brilliant, amazingly faithful to Adams' genius
Review: It was this video adaptation of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy which introduced me to the comic genius of Douglas Adams. I saw the series before I ever read the books, so it is rather special to me (though by no means does it succeed as well as the actual written word). You have to love the campy, cheap feel to the whole production because it really seems to fit Douglas Adams so well. Some of the special effects are almost absurd, and Zaphod's second head is just horrible and completely unreal. The sound quality is unfortunately rather poor at times, especially in the scenes involving the super computer Deep Thought. The presentation of the restaurant at the end of the galaxy, though, was well-done and quite memorable. Trillian, whom I thought was gorgeous in my younger days, is rather different than she is described in the books. Marvin the paranoid android is rather unimpressive in appearance but constantly steals the show for me with his incredibly depressed and often amazingly witty statements. David Dixon is terrific as Ford Prefect, but the true standout performance here is that of Douglas Adams' old friend Simon Jones as Arthur Dent. I cannot imagine anyone ever picturing Arthur differently than he appears in this series; Simon Jones is Arthur Dent. The story basically takes you through the experiences related in the first two books of the Hitchhiker's Trilogy. The video is really amazingly faithful to the books, particularly in terms of the dialogue of the characters. Naturally, there are a few differences between the books and the video, but by and large the two go together hand in hand. It is unfortunate that the series ends where it does; the ending is something of a let-down and feels woefully incomplete, largely because it is woefully incomplete. Arthur Dent's story is really just beginning by the time the video comes to an end. As a young teenager accidentally discovering this series on PBS, its effect on me was significant, opening up a whole new world of science fiction and comedy before my very eyes. I doubt that the series can have such a profound effect on anyone in today's more modern world, and I fear that many will see the cheap special effects and dismiss the show out of hand. The genius of Douglas Adams is timeless and rests in the characters and amazingly witty dialogue; the special effects are basically unimportant. Adams will live forever, and this video is just one of his many delightful guises; may many watch it, delight in the foibles of the human race Douglas satirizes so well, and discover the magic of true comedy in its purest form.
Rating: 
Summary: Life...
Review: Life... don't talk to me about life!!
This incredibly wonderful and cynical view of intelligent life in the universe is exactly the kind of thing every normal, and supposedly intelligent, lifeform in the universe should take the time to see. From the irreverant shots at alien intelligence to the obvious exposes of human "intelligence" this story will titillate and obfusticate most viewers until thier sides ache!!
My favorite, and thus the title of my review, is Marvin "The Paranoid Android" who's observations about life include "ignore it or loathe it ... you can't like it!" have kept me in stitches since I first read the story almost thirty years ago!!
Do yourself a favor and get a copy of this one!
Rating:
Summary: the best explanation of anything
Review: This was the best scientific, philosophical or comedic piece ever made.
Rating:
Summary: Can't Stop for Chat...Must Tell about Easter Egg
Review: I don't know if anyone else has found this out, but I just discovered an easter egg that may (or may not, if you're a philosopher) be of interest.
At the main menu of disc one, highlight set-up then press the left arrow of your DVD remote (not the Skip Track button!), if you're lucky (as it may-or may not-be possible that only certain copies have this) you'll get a screen with a keypad prompting you to enter a four-digit number with your remote.
To get the number, just let the menu sit for a while, it will take you through the opening sequence of the programme: including the title: Time of Demolition 11:46
That's the number! 1-1-4-6
you'll get an interesting little snippet of F/X footage and an ingredient list for a Pan-Galactic Gargleblaster! Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Don't Panic!
Review: This is it! The definitive video version of the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy! Sure, it "looks" better in the books or on the radio, but the TV show has it's highpoints, too. The best aspect of the show for me is the visual display of the guide, backed by Peter Jones' marvellous narration. The only thing that doesn't work for me in the TV show is Sandra Dickenson as Trillian. Her performance is adequate, but it just doesn't quite work for me. Maybe it's the voice. Dickenson makes me give the show itself 4 stars. However, with all the fantastic extras it's definitely a 5 star pacakge. I'll get to those in a moment.
The DVD restores all footage cut after the initial BBC transmission and even gives us a scene that was never transmitted, at the beginning of episode 6. Episode 2 runs about 34 and a half minutes & Episode 6 runs nearly 36 minutes. The other episodes run about 32 minutes, which, to my recollection, is longer than any US broadcast that I've seen. ... No commentary, but the production notes, which can be turned on by using your 'subtitle' button or selecting the option from the 'setup', are very informative. They point out many facts that even a hardcore fan, like myself, might be unaware of.
... For the most part, the new stereo audio option is fine, with some nice stereo effects. The narration was poorly handled, though. Rather than hearing it in both channels, it is in the left channel with the guide entries, and in the right channel during regular narration. If you find that the narration is 'missing' in some scenes, press your audio button once or access the setup menu from the main menu and select 'mono'. This will restore the sound to the original mono soundtrack, which I personally prefer.
The extras on disc 2 are stellar. You get the excellent 1 hour documentary, "The Making of the Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy", a 25 minute feature called "Don't Panic" which contains material shot for the "Making of" program which was not included in the original 1990's release. The fabulous Douglas Adams tribute from the BBC show "Omnibus" is included, which is a touching tribute to Adams and includes many cast from Hitchhiker's, as well as Stephen Fry and Monty Python's Terry Jones.
There are also several shorter features, including deleted scenes, a behind the scenes segment about the radio show, an interview with the animator of the Guide entries, a feature about Zaphod's second head, and a lot more.
A terrific package, which I found very satisfying.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best book adaptations ever...
Review: This is my all-time favorite movie, no joking. It's a six-part mini-series from BBC that packs in laughs as well as campy cult fun. Everyone I know who has seen this movie has become an instant fan of Douglas Adams because of it. What the movie lacks in special effects and production values (and believe me, it lacks!), it makes up for in a silly story filled with goofy characters and cheeky fun. A great way to waste three hours! Superior sci-fi.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent piece!
Review: They could not have done a better job with this series. It is an absolute must-have for the cult-classic fan. The price is right, and the picture quality, audio, and CD features are SPLENDID. I love the uncensored outtakes, and the candid interviews with the cast. When you see all of it together you are impressed with the greatness of the studio staff considering what they had to work with. Worth every penny.
Rating:
Summary: The best DVD set I have yet seen
Review: I must admit that I literally jumped with joy when I saw that the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy BBC show was being released on DVD. I rushed out and bought it as soon as I could, and I wasn't disappointed. The first DVD of course has the movie. It has the option of the original mono soundtrack or a new remastered version. I personally am a glutton for options like that. They're finally realizing that nostalgia is a powerful and wonderful thing :-). The second DVD is the good stuff, though. They have outtakes, several BBC specials, the original trailers, a special memorial show on Douglas Adams, and much more. The sound quality of many of the programs causes problems, especially since a few of the old programs are so terribly quiet that I had to pump up the volume almost to max to be able to understand what was being said. To aid with this, they do have the option for subtitles on all the specials. The menus are fairly easy to maneuver, and their animations are fun to watch. I find no major faults with this collection, and would recommend it to any fan of The Hitchhiker's Guide, and probably any fan of British Sci-Fi or British Comedy. I give it an easy 5 stars.
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