Radio 4 revives Douglas Adams' "user
insulting" Hitchhiker game
Radio 4 is re-launching Douglas Adams' classic,
antagonistic adventure game to mark the long-awaited return of The
Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy on 21 September 2004.
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The 20th anniversary edition of Hitchhiker Adventure
Game is an online adaptation of the text adventure, written by Douglas
Adams, made fiendish by the fact that it abuses and lies to you.
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Adams described it as "the first game to move beyond
being 'user friendly'; it's actually 'user insulting' and because it
lies to you as well it's also 'user mendacious'."
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The game, developed by Radio 4 Interactive, also contains
original writing by the author that very few people have ever seen and
is – in Adams' words - "full of extraordinary ways of dying".
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Players can be a number of characters from the book
and can collect more than 40 items (ranging from 'pocket fluff' to an
'electronic Sub-ether signalling device'), read dozens of guide entries
and visit 30 locations.
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Rod Lord, who won a Bafta for his graphics for the Hitchhiker
television series, will be providing most of the illustrations.
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However, the interactive team is asking Radio 4 listeners
to send their own images for some of the more exotic locations - and
the best of them will appear in the game.
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The game will appear on bbc.co.uk/radio4 from 21 September.
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The Hitchhikers site, which launches this week, will
also feature:
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Transmission times for the series and a chance to listen to episodes
again up to seven days after broadcast
Video and audio trailers featuring behind the scenes footage and interviews
Director Dirk Maggs telling the story of the new adaptation, from his
first meeting with Douglas Adams in 1993 to the recent recording sessions
Cast list with biographies of the main actors and a photo gallery of
pictures from both the new and the original series
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Hitchhiker Memories - stars of the series and famous fans paying tribute
to Douglas Adams and to the legacy of Hitchhiker. There will also be
a Hitchhiker Message Board for you to share your own memories and comment
on the new series.
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The Hitchhiker Adventure Game was originally launched
in 1984 by Adams and Steve Meretzky and became one of the best-selling
computer games of the era.
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The Radio 4 dramatisation features Douglas himself,
thanks to the wonders of digital technology.
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Douglas always intended to play the part of Agrajag
and in fact recorded himself in the part a few years ago.
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These further exploits of its bewildered hero Arthur
Dent are being brought to life in their original medium and with the
(mainly) original cast.
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It stars Simon Jones as Arthur Dent, Geoffrey
McGivern as Ford Prefect, Susan Sheridan as Trillian, Mark
Wing-Davey as Zaphod Beeblebrox and Stephen Moore as Marvin
The Paranoid Android.
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The late Peter Jones' great friend William
Franklyn replaces him as The Voice Of The Book.
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The programmes are adapted and directed by Douglas Adams'
original choice for the job, award-winning audio director Dirk Maggs.
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Dirk has followed Douglas's instructions and notes,
which he made in preparation for these productions.
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The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy is produced by
Above The Title for Radio 4 and the first series begins on Tuesday
21 September at 6.30pm and runs for six weeks.
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Notes to Editors
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Through bbc.co.uk/radio4 listeners
can hear most programmes live or 'on demand' for seven days after broadcast.
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Radio 4 is available on 92-95 FM, 198 LW, on DAB digital
radio and digital television.
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