The cast of the radio series. Copyright: BBC / Above The Title Productions
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy

  • Radio sitcom
  • BBC Radio 4
  • 1978 - 2018
  • 32 episodes (6 series)

A science fiction radio comedy series written by Douglas Adams that started off the H2G2 multi-media franchise phenomenon. Stars Simon Jones, Geoffrey McGivern, Peter Jones, William Franklyn, John Lloyd and more.

Episode menu

The Tertiary Phase, Episode 2 - Fit The Fourteenth

In which Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect travel forward in time via a sofa, just in time to spot a spaceship belonging to an old friend, and to see Lord's Cricket Ground be destroyed by 11 white robots.

Further details

Arthur and Ford's sofa lands in the middle of Lord's cricket ground on the final day of The Ashes. Their arrival results in a man dying of a heart attack - which in turn gets them almost arrested. Arthur reads a newspaper and discovers that the time they have travelled to is one day before the Earth is demolished. A cricket ball lands in Arthur's bag, which he decides to keep.

Knowing the situation they are in, Arthur and Ford look for another spaceship to hitchhike in. Ford discovers a ship covered with a 'Somebody Else's Problem Field', so called because the problem of it being discovered is somebody else's. Not only that, but the ship looks like an Italian bistro, and it is driven by Slartibartfast.

As the game finished, Slartibartfast runs onto the pitch trying to collect The Ashes. However, another space ship appears, out of which come 11 white robots with bats, ball-shaped bombs and rocket pads on the shins. They destroy Lord's and take The Ashes. Arthur and Ford decide to go with Slartibartfast in order to solve the problem of The Ashes.

Back on Squornshellous Zeta, Marvin's false leg is stolen by the white robots. They come back and steel the rest of Marvin as well.

Broadcast details

Date
Tuesday 28th September 2004
Time
6pm
Channel
BBC Radio 4
Length
30 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Monday 7th May 2018 10:30pm Radio 4 Extra
Saturday 2nd May 2020 6:00pm Radio 4 Extra
Sunday 3rd May 2020 12:00am Radio 4 Extra

Cast & crew

Cast
Simon Jones Arthur Dent
Geoffrey McGivern Ford Prefect
William Franklyn The Book
Stephen Moore Marvin
Richard Griffiths Slartibartfast
Guest cast
Toby Longworth Wowbagger
Andy Taylor Zem
Fiona Carew Walkie Talkie
Theo Maggs The Boy
Bruce Hyman Deodat
Henry Blofeld Self
Fred Trueman Self
Writing team
Douglas Adams Writer
Production team
Dirk Maggs Producer

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