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 Quandary Phase, Episode 4 - Fit The Twenty-Second

In which a spaceship lands in Knightsbridge, Arthur Dent and Fenchurch discover God's Last Message to his Creation, and Marvin the Paranoid Android makes his farewell appearance.

Further details

Arthur and Fenchurch return to England to find that a space ship has landed in the middle of Knightsbridge. Its occupants include Ford and an alien who demands to be taken to a lizard. Arthur watches the news to find it being presented by Tricia McMillan, who apart from being American and having blonde hair, is identical to Trillian.

Arthur, Ford and Fenchurch, in the middle of all the confusion surrounding the alien's visit, sneak on board the space ship and take off. Arthur and Fenchurch then decide to go and find God's Last Message to his Creation. On their way, they bump into Marvin the Paranoid Android. He is battered, crumpled, 37 times older than the universe (due to time travel) and still has a terrible pain in all the diodes down his left side. Arthur and Fenchurch carry Marvin the rest of the way and he reads the final message:

We apologise for the inconvenience.

Upon reading it, Marvin feels a bit better. However, it is too short for him, and he dies. Arthur and Fenchurch leave, but when making a trip through hyperspace, Fenchurch suddenly vanishes and the crew deny that she ever existed.

Broadcast details

Date
Tuesday 24th May 2005
Time
6pm
Channel
BBC Radio 4
Length
30 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Monday 2nd July 2018 10:30pm Radio 4 Extra
Saturday 27th June 2020 6:00pm Radio 4 Extra
Sunday 28th June 2020 12:00am Radio 4 Extra

Cast & crew

Cast
Simon Jones Arthur Dent
Geoffrey McGivern Ford Prefect
William Franklyn The Book
Stephen Moore Marvin
Sandra Dickinson Trillian
Jane Horrocks Fenchurch
Guest cast
Bill Paterson Rob McKenna
Alison Pettitt Stewardess
Brian Cobby Speaking Clock
Sandra Dickinson Tricia McMillan
Bob Golding The Lajestic Vantrasheel of Lob
Nick Clarke Self
Charlotte Green Self
Peter Donaldson Self
Patrick Moore Self
Writing team
Douglas Adams Writer
Production team
Dirk Maggs Producer

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