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Sure, the special effects are a little dated, but this six-part BBC series from 1981 stays true to the books and is even funnier than the feature film released in 2005. The only disappointment I came across when watching the show was that Douglas Adams had not gotten around to writing the last three novels and the series ended after the events of the second book, "The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe". I would have loved to see the show continue on for another 6 or 10 episodes and finished out the books.
The show stars a bunch of actors you wouldn't recognize unless you were familiar with British television. Of course, after watching the series, I can picture no one else in the roles. Simon Jones IS Arthur Dent. While I originally thought Mos Def was a good choice as the character of Ford Prefect, I realized how wrong I was after seeing David Dixon's portrayal. The cast is brilliant.
One of the most fun aspects of the television series was Rod Lord's animated Guide sequences, narrated by Peter Jones. Each segment was meticulously drawn and animated by hand, but one could never tell from watching it.
Anyone who has seen and enjoyed the movie should take the time to watch the series and do your own comparisons. Personally, I think the television series surpasses it. Of course, some people may watch it and find it too obsolete. If you can get past the cheesy special effects (especially Zaphod's robotic second head and a very clunky-looking Marvin), I think you will find this show extremely entertaining.
score 8/10
brando647 16 January 2006
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1267270/ |
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