The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Part 1
With his house facing demolition, Arthur Dent learns that Ford Prefect is an alien and escapes Earth moments before a Vogon fleet destroys the planet, only to land aboard one of the demolition ships.
Douglas Adams's BBC science-fiction comedy follows the bewildered Arthur Dent after Earth is destroyed, sending him across the galaxy with Ford Prefect and an increasingly improbable group of companions.
Available dates and episode numbers come from the verified catalog; undated recordings remain in their validated sort order.
With his house facing demolition, Arthur Dent learns that Ford Prefect is an alien and escapes Earth moments before a Vogon fleet destroys the planet, only to land aboard one of the demolition ships.
Arthur and Ford endure the Vogons' dreadful poetry before being expelled into space, where they face what should be certain death after surviving Earth's destruction.
Improbably rescued from open space, Arthur and his new companions head toward Magrathea, where an incoming missile attack puts the travelers in immediate danger.
Arthur learns that Earth was built by the planet-makers of Magrathea and secretly run by mice, while the rest of the group confronts a new threat elsewhere on the planet.
As Arthur and the others search for the Ultimate Question behind the answer forty-two, two armed but unusually humane police officers corner them in a deadly standoff.
The travelers try to uncover the Ultimate Question while escaping aboard a stolen black spacecraft, only to discover that an enormous fleet of battle cruisers is following them.
Arthur and Ford remain stranded on prehistoric Earth while Zaphod reaches the offices of the Guide, reunites with Marvin, meets Roosta, and is carried away when the entire building is abducted toward the Frogstar.
Zaphod and Roosta are trapped inside the flying Guide building as it is taken toward the dreaded Frogstar, while Arthur and Ford remain marooned—and increasingly hungry—on prehistoric Earth.
The scattered travelers cross paths with old enemies as Arthur struggles with an especially unpleasant attempt at making tea and the group's troubles continue aboard the Heart of Gold.
On Brontitall, Arthur falls from the Heart of Gold's bizarre landing place and discovers a gigantic statue of himself, a society of bird people, and archaeologist Lintilla while Ford and Zaphod fight to stay alive above…
Arthur and Lintilla uncover Brontitall's buried layer of compressed shoes and the Shoe Event Horizon that transformed its inhabitants, while Marvin intervenes and Ford and Zaphod search an abandoned spaceport for a way out.
Arthur encounters Lintilla's anti-clones while Ford and Zaphod finally find Zarniwoop, who reveals that they have been inside an artificial universe before taking the group to meet the elusive ruler of the universe.
Arthur remains stuck on prehistoric Earth as Ford emerges from a long bout of madness and Trillian finally teleports herself out of Zaphod's life, setting the old companions on separate new paths.
Arthur and Ford escape prehistory by riding a time-traveling sofa, arriving in time to see eleven white robots devastate Lord's Cricket Ground and to spot a spacecraft belonging to an old friend.
Slartibartfast explains the ancient galactic wars and the connection between cricket and the planet Krikkit, while Arthur is sidetracked by a furious creature with a very personal reason to want him dead.
Arthur tries to escape a lifeform that claims he has killed it repeatedly in previous lives, discovers the knack of flying, and is swept into an airborne party before being knocked out of the sky.
The reunited travelers head for Krikkit to stop a catastrophe, with Zaphod arriving to help and Marvin contributing his usual brand of crushing pessimism.
Arthur and Trillian confront the computer controlling the Supernova Bomb as the group tries to recover the Ultimate Question, after which Arthur makes an unexpected return to Lord's Cricket Ground.
Arthur discovers that Earth has somehow returned to existence and hitchhikes home, where an encounter with the mysterious Fenchurch immediately changes the direction of his life.
Arthur discovers a strange fishbowl, learns the name of the woman he loves, and has to explain his copy of the Guide, while Ford sets out to run up an enormous telephone bill.
Arthur and Fenchurch discover they can fly together, Ford encounters a bizarre creature in New York's East River, and Arthur finally learns what became of Earth's missing dolphins.
A spacecraft lands in Knightsbridge as Arthur and Fenchurch journey to see God's Last Message to His Creation, where the impossibly ancient Marvin makes his final appearance.
A tenth planet is discovered as an alternate Tricia McMillan faces an alien problem, while Ford infiltrates the Guide's offices and discovers that the organization has been taken over by something dangerous.
Aliens recruit Tricia McMillan to calculate their horoscopes, Arthur receives unexpected advice about his life, and Ford realizes that the newly transformed Guide has become far more sinister.
Trillian tells Arthur that he is the father of her daughter Random, while Ford sends Arthur a mysterious parcel and Random leaves for Earth on her own.
The Grebulons decide to act rather than merely observe, and Arthur's scattered companions converge on a renewed crisis that proves Earth is still one of the least safe places to be.
Arthur and his companions are thrown back into the Whole General Mish Mash, encountering Viking gods, confidence tricksters, Eccentrica Gallumbits and even the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal along the way.
After Zaphod rescues the group, the immortal Wowbagger rescues them in turn when Zaphod offers a way to fulfill Wowbagger's long-standing wish to die.
Zaphod heads to Valhalla in search of Thor, Arthur learns that surviving humans have established themselves on the planet Nano, and the unusually reflective Vogon Constant Mown records his doubts in a diary.
Zaphod continues dealing with Thor, Ford discovers he has been barred from editing the Guide, and Hillman Hunter faces resistance from a community of cheese-worshippers.
With a Vogon fleet closing in on Nano, Thor and the immortal Wowbagger prepare to fight while the planet's inhabitants brace for the coming attack.
The Vogons finally reach Nano, leaving Thor—newly offered a contract to become the planet's god—as the group's best hope of stopping the destruction.