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Season 1 – Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Play trailer Poster for Season 1 – Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Jan 1981 Sci-Fi Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
71% Tomatometer 7 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
A human and alien have misadventures in space.
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Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy — Season 1

Critics Reviews

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Noel Murray AV Club 05/01/2018
I've always felt the television incarnation of Hitchhiker's should be better appreciated. Go to Full Review
Sam Adams Rolling Stone 05/01/2018
Douglas Adams' tale of a wayward Earthling cast into the world of space travel is so great that even its third-best version -- after the original radio play and Adams' series of novels -- is a classic. Go to Full Review
Kevin Carr Fat Guys at the Movies 02/10/2024
2.5/4
Cobbled by early 80s Doctor Who-level budgets and effects, this version of The Hitchhiker’s Guide retains the delivery and Britishness of the source material. Go to Full Review
Paul Mount Starburst 10/22/2018
6/10
There's nothing here you'll need to see again. Go to Full Review
Steve O'Brien Digital Spy 05/22/2018
A patchy affair. Despite keeping the radio script mercifully intact, it's blemished by ropey effects and production values that struggle to match the ambitions of the story. Go to Full Review
Kyle Anderson Nerdist 05/01/2018
The Guide is a great way to quickly get the audience up to speed on things, but also a way for us to experience the inner workings of Douglas Adams' brain. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Jay H 08/13/2024 It has some decent moments, but mostly it just doesn't work. See more Mike C 08/17/2022 I managed to sit through the entirety of the 1981 version and found it to be overall barely worth sitting through. Given the time frame this was made and what level of quality is possible then, the effects leave a lot to be desired and are very primitive for the time period in which this was filmed. From shaky camera work throughout to horridly bad props (the second head was just plain badly done) and the overuse of the narrative dialog with text to explain things throughout was also just awful. Even for that time, the humor was bad and fell flat. The whole ordeal was worse than the worst Monty Python skit in terms of acting, editing and humor. Would I ever bother to sit through this again? Nope. Would I recommend someone watch this? If you have nothing better to do, sure, but don't expect much. See more 04/10/2021 This TV series certainly has it's, um, quirks, but I'm surprised it does not get a higher rating. It is a unique show based on a unique book. It's quirkyness is it's charm. Sure, read the book and listen to the radio plays for perhaps a better version. Yet enjoy this series for what is is. Read or listen to the book 'Don't Panic' for more background on the making of this series and enjoy it all the more. See more 06/08/2018 Just brilliant. Follows the book as close as it is possible unlike the horrible movie of 2005. See more Read all reviews
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy — Season 1

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Jan 5, 1981 Fit the First Arthur Dent is informed by his friend Ford Prefect that the world is going to end in exactly 12 minutes. Details Episode 2 Aired Jan 12, 1981 Fit the Second Arthur and Ford are held prisoner aboard the demolition spacecraft by the ill-bred, heartless, slimy-green Vogons. Details Episode 3 Aired Jan 19, 1981 Fit the Third Arthur and Ford find themselves aboard the stolen "Heart of Gold" spacecraft with two-headed Zaphod Beeblebrox and his girlfriend. Details Episode 4 Aired Jan 26, 1981 Fit the Fourth Slartibartfast reveals that the McGartheans have been building planets for years and are currently creating Earth Mark II. Details Episode 5 Aired Feb 2, 1981 Fit the Fifth Arthur and Ford find themselves in a restaurant, apparently at the end of the universe. Details Episode 6 Aired Feb 9, 1981 Fit the Sixth As a spectacular finale to Disaster Area's rock concert, a black spacecraft is sent crashing into the sun. Details
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Season Info

Director
Alan J.W. Bell
Network
PBS
Rating
TV-G
Genre
Sci-Fi, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date
Jan 5, 1981