Customer Reviews

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Tertiary Phase (BBC Audiobooks)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I remember having doubts about this when it was first announced and, by and large, they were borne out. This is a very different beast to the first two series of the radio Hitch-Hikers and, to my mind, vastly inferior. It very much feels like an adaptation of a story (which it is) rather than being written for the radio, with everyone over-acting far more than they originally did and at the expense of the avalanche of ideas and creativity that the Primary and Secondary Phases gave us. In this sense, it's not, to me, really Hitch-Hikers at all. Special mention has to go to the dreadful and dreary music which doesn't fit at all and a general lack of imagination in the sound design all round.

I like the universe again. After the Secondary Phase, I wasn't so sure.

In my opinion, this comes very close to being the best of the lot (including Quandary and Quintessential Phases). The pace is perfect. It treats the Secondary Phase as though it was a bad dream (which, if you listen to it lying down and on the edge of sleep, it closely resembles). Don't get me wrong, Secondary has some great stuff, but spirals downward from the midpoint to the end.

Tertiary is concerned first and foremost with being funny and quick. The acting is at least as good, if not better than, it was 30 years ago. I love Marvin and the mattress (Zem) on Squornshellous Zeta (if I spelled that right, don't tell me). And as an American who has actually taken the time and risked my sanity to understand the basics of cricket, I love the send-up.

But mostly, I liked the sense of energy in this radio play. Everyone was on the same page. The writing and directing seemed, to use a term common in the UK but mostly unknown here, spot on. The piece had a wholeness about it, where the previous Phases sometimes seemed cobbled and bodged together...which they were, given the deadlines and other constraints when they were originally written.

The sound quality and production values were very high. The blending of Peter Jones's voice with that of the new voice of the Book was a wonderful tip of the hat...they didn't have to do it, but they did it because it had to be done (if you know what I mean). And Douglas Adams as Agragag (if I spelled that correctly, don't tell me) was a treat. In fact, the whole listening experience is a treat. I've written/produced/etc. radio plays myself. Getting the right tone is sometimes the hardest thing. It may all be there on paper, and the actors may be good, and the effects may be impressive, but it's still an art more than a craft, and tone is so elusive.

Given the malleable nature of Time, I'd even reccommend this to someone who'd never heard of the Hitchhikers Guide before. But don't tell The Campaign for Real Time I said so.

I'm a longtime fan of the Hitchhiker phenomenon. Even way over here in the USA, I can still remember when, in the late 70s/early 80s, when I was working in a college radio station and writing/producing radio plays, I got hold of a set of LPs of the original BBC series.

Hopping aboard the Chesterfield and zooming ahead in time, I listened to the Tertiary Phase with some trepidation. How could they recapture it all? I have the Primary and Secondary Phases and have listened to them on and off for many years now, not to mention having read the books and owning the DVDs of the TV series. My expectations were high.

In my opinion, the Tertiary Phase is the best of the lot (including the Quandary Phase, which is good but, like the book, slightly more gooey than I would have liked). The sound is fantastic. The characters are more well rounded in general, and the pace is perfect. I agree that the new Slartibartfast is not quite as droll and unflappable as Richard Vernon's. I also liked the nod to Peter Jones, including his voice in the beginning in a clever and touching way. And to hear Douglas Adams doing the voice of Agragag was a treat.

I have always found the Secondary Phase (much of which never made its way into the trilogy) a trifle too stark. It had an edge, but at the expense of humor and lightness. I think Adams must have realized this (I think much of it was written on deadline). But the Tertiary Phase is a delight. It ignores the part in Primary where Trillian, Marvin and Zaphod are eaten by a Hagunennon (no idea how it's spelled) and sticks more closely to the chronology of the books.

This is a funny, clever, impressive and above all, very human audioplay. Have not listened to the Quintessential Phase yet (tomorrow), but Tertiary is my favorite of the lot. This group was never better.

I won't go too much into other aspects of the show as they have been covered well here; the fact that these are adaptations from the books and, therefore, are not as pure in their radio form as the original two series (though they do a fine job, all things considered, and use sound in a fabulous way to really make us believe that Zaphod has the two heads; something which was missing in the original shows).

However, I have to state that the music is utterly dire! For a start, it's often far too melancholic or dramatic. The point, first and foremost, is that this is a comedy show. Music often appears when it simply shouldn't; when Ford and Arthur are having a little rant about the problems of the universe in general, or trying to solve some kind of conundrum. The words should speak for themselves, and their comedic value is utterly destroyed by the inclusion of music which is often in completely the wrong emotional tone. It annoyed me so much as it often swamped the show and seemed to take centre stage, in the same way that the music in the new Doctor Who series seems to do so. Subtle, it ain't! A shame, really, as I would have given the show five stars simply for all the effort gone into creating it and the wonder of having (most of) the original cast back together to create something new and fresh for Hitchhiker's out of the audio medium.

Of course, if you can ignore the music (difficult for me to do so at times, I'm afraid), and you are a true Hitchhiker's fan, then you'll gain much from this audio adventure.

Great Zarking Fardwarks! After an absence of more than 24 years, we finally see the return of 'The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' to its original format. I was, I have to say, an avid fan of the original series, eager to see (or should that be 'hear') what would befall Arthur and the crew next. But that was a long, long time ago....
As any fan might know, the main problem with the Guide is one of continuity. That is to say that the original radio play runs differently to the television series, which are both in turn different to the books. Put another way, series three starts from the end of series one, completely ignoring the events of (IMHO the best) series two. In fact series two is written off in a throwaway line as imaginary, the result of Zaphod apparently having had a 'double psychotic episode'. Perhaps that was the best resolution possible without taking liberties, but it does jar very,very badly. Which brings us to the source material.... Of the 'trilogy of five parts', the first two were based on the radio plays, the remaining three only being written as books. I've always felt that the latter three books lacked something the first two possess and this has carried through into the new radio translation.
Don't let any of this put you off though, as established fans will still enjoy this new series. Anybody else unfamiliar with the Hitch-Hiker's Guide would be better advised to start with the novels, then try the radio plays from the beginning. Enjoy it now, as it should be enjoyed, before the forthcoming American film version arrives to tarnish the legacy....

Recorded some 24 years after the end of the Secondary phase, this has to be one of the longest awaited series on radio. But finally, patience has paid off and finally it's here, Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy the Tertiary phase, based on Douglas Adams book `Life, The Universe and everything'.

Utilising as many of the main original cast as are still alive, and with a superb and excellently explained replacement for Peter Jones as the Book, this was a real nostalgia trip when I first heard it. The feel and atmosphere is as though the last 24 years had never passed.

Sensibly (not a word usually associated with this series!) the story ignores the events of the secondary phase, and presets an alternative continuation of the primary phase. What follows is an extraordinary quest across space and time for the meaning of Cricket. It's weird, wacky and just as fun as the originals. Full of clever, funny and well formed ideas (bistromathics in particular has me creased) this is a well written set that really captures the old magic.

The actors slip into their old roles with ease, which really helps the feel of the production. Of particular note is a cameo from Douglas Adams, who was already dead by the time the series was recorded, as the wonderfully aggrieved Agrajag (apologies for the spelling!)

6 Episodes are split across 3 discs, held in a double jewel case with a short booklet. There is apparently quite a bit of material not broadcast present, which is a nice touch for us collectors. As you would expect for a modern recording the sound quality is excellent. A very worthy and worthwhile release!

Douglas Adams is a genius and the increasingly inaccurately named trilogy of Hitchiker tales ( he wrote five) is his magnum opus.
I first heard the series on the radio many moons ago and was quickly addicted.
The wonderfully bizarre characters, situations, philosophies,and technologies all combine to give real comedic satisfaction.
(EEE lad theyre fair grand!!!!!)
Adams is a master of using the sci-fi genre to probe the weird and wonderful quirks and eccentricities of human nature.
I recently treated myself to all five "Phases" on CD and I wholeheartedly recommend them.
If you like them you'll love the Dirk Gently offerings.

What more could you want from a radio series than life, the universe and everything?!? The original cast? They're all here, except for those who are sadly no longer with us. A style in keeping with the original series? Yes, that's here too. The original theme? Yes, that's here, and all the madness and sound effects you'd expect of a Hitchhikers production. The jokes are familiar to fans by now, but it's great to finally hear them brought to life by the people who brought Hitchhikers to life in the first place. Even the late author, Douglas Adams, puts in an appearance, which is one of the highlights of the series!

This is the lesser known phase of the five part trilogy and is an absolute delight. I have been a Douglas Adams fan since I was twelve and I have followed the H2G2 story avidly since then. This radio-play series was written by Douglas and he even plays some of the characters in it. So to any of you die hard fans who may suspect that this could be a rip-off or an adaptation, it is not - This is the real thing.

The story picks up from the end of the secondary phase where Arthur and Ford have been stranded by the Golgafrinchans in earth's pre-history about two million years ago. This story slots in between that part and the next book where Arthur, Ford, Zaphod and Trillian are re-united. Most of the original cast are in this. Unfortunately this was made after Peter Jones died and so he does make a couple of brief posthumous appearances, but he is swiftly and expertly taken over from by William Franklin. There are some delightful cameos from Joanna Lumley, Bob Golding (Of Tweenies fame), Newsreader John Marsh, Toby Longworth From Star Wars - The Phantom Menace, Stephen Fry and Leslie Phillips.

I'm not going to give any story away, suffice it to say that this is classic Adams craftsmanship perfectly executed. If you are a fan at all then stop reading this and buy the cd's. You'll never regret it.

Pretty good production with much of the old cast of a radio version of one of the sequels to the original novelsation of the original radio version (phew...). Its well made but like the later books a lot more difficult to actually like. I believe Adams was caught into a contract where he was churning this stuff out for his pubishers for the cash cow that was 'Hitchiker' and no doubt the BBC felt the same when they more recently recencommisioned these 3 series based on the sequels. These are quite for a chuckle but wont have you rolling around laughing and listening to them again and again like first two.