The Primary Phase, Episode 4 - Fit The Fourth
Further details
Slartibartfast takes Arthur to his study and shows him a film which explains the story behind the quest to find 'The Ultimate Question'.
The story begins with a race of hyper-intelligent pan-dimensional beings building a super-computer called 'Deep Thought' to calculate the Ultimate Answer of Life, the Universe and Everything. After 7.5 million years, it announced the answer - 42.
Deep Thought then said that in order to find the Ultimate Question, that would explain the Ultimate Answer, an even larger computer needed to be built. 'Deep Thought' called this the 'The Earth'... and it turns out The Vogons demolished the computer just five minutes before the final question to ask was due to be given.
Arthur and Slartibartfast then meet up with Ford, Zaphod and Trillian, who are unharmed after having been attacked. They also meet Trillian's mice, who are two of the pan-dimensional beings who designed the experiment. They cannot be bothered to go through the whole experiment again and so decide not to build a second Earth.
Their discussion is interrupted by the police wishing to arrest Zaphod. Arthur, Ford, Zaphod and Trillian try to confront them, but the police instead shoot them, until they blow up a computer bank that the four where hiding behind.
Broadcast details
- Date
- Wednesday 29th March 1978
- Time
- 10:30pm
- Channel
- BBC Radio 4
- Length
- 30 minutes
Cast & crew
| Regular cast | |
|---|---|
| Simon Jones | Arthur Dent |
| Geoffrey McGivern | Ford Prefect |
| Peter Jones | The Book |
| Mark Wing-Davey | Zaphod Beeblebrox |
| Susan Sheridan | Trillian |
| Richard Vernon | Slartibartfast |
| Guest cast | |
|---|---|
| Geoffrey McGivern | Deep Thought |
| Ray Hassett | First Computer Programmer |
| Ray Hassett | Bang Bang |
| Ray Hassett | Magrathean PA Voice |
| Jeremy Browne | Second Computer Programmer |
| Jonathan Adams | Cheerleader |
| Jonathan Adams | Majikthise |
| Jim Broadbent (as James Broadbent) | Vroomfondel |
| Jim Broadbent (as James Broadbent) | Shooty |
| Peter Hawkins | Frankie Mouse |
| David Tate | Benjy Mouse |
| Writing team | |
|---|---|
| Douglas Adams | Writer |
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