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

Many of the cast of the original BBC Radio 4 series have been reunited for superb sequel, which features 20 minutes of material not heard in the broadcast version. The sound is crystal clear and the running time is a massively entertaining 3 hours and 10 minutes. Among the returning cast are 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. And even the delightful Joanna Lumley pops up unexpectedly. --Paul Eisinger

The Secondary Phase was perhaps my favourite series, and by merely excising it from the metaplot of H2G2, it robs Adams of his authorial control (after all, he wrote that series; it was his baby) and the listener of a very funny moment in time, when H2G2 was first broadcast. To override the original radio series with three new ones, not even written by Adams, stings.

Finally, the adherence to the last three books was painful. Novels do not map exactly into radio plays--and vice versa. That is why the novels are different to the radio series. More importantly, it would have satisfied fans more if H2G2 3rd Phase had followed on directly from the 2nd Phase, and it would have required minimal adaptation. Perhaps Arthur hitched a ride back to Earth, but mistakenly arrived one day before the Vogon attack. We know the Heart of Gold is capable of going back in time, as Zaphod rescued Arthur and Ford from the prehistoric Earth in 2nd Phase. Perhaps Arthur instead returned to prehistoric Earth to return to his cave and then the events with the Chesterfield occurred . . . Lintilla could feasibly leave to go write some research paper on shoes and the planet Brantitall (sp?) and Zaphod frequently "gets lucky", so would have no trouble getting off the planet of the Man in the Shack. The Total Perspective Vortex/Guide Mk II/Vogon bureaucracy subplot of the Quandary and Quintissential Phases was confusing, poorly executed and badly thought out. If the Vogons weren't really planning to destroy the Earth due to the bribery of psychiatrists, then why go to all the hassle of getting everyone to Stavro Muller Beta and creating the Bird to destroy every version of it and everyone from it?


Very floopy   June 23, 2005
 11 out of 13 found this review helpful

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.


Never better   June 23, 2005
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

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.