Ford arrives on Lamuella, is promptly brained by Arthur’s daughter Random (who then steals his ship), and finds himself stranded with the sandwich maker. Ford had intended to contain the prototype of the new Hitchhiker’s Guide by sending it to Arthur’s backwater planet, and is dismayed to find that the new Guide is now guiding Random’s actions. Ford reveals that the new Guide operates across all dimensions and all planes of probability, and is using Random – just as it used him – to bring about the final destruction of Earth across every reality at the behest of the Vogons. Random pilots Ford’s ship to Earth, where Random starts looking for her mother but finds only the wrong Tricia MacMillan. When the Guide v2.0 fails to provoke Random’s more violent feelings, it leaves her high and dry. Ford and Arthur, despite being on a backwater planet, find a ship to take them to Earth. But as the new Guide brings its programmed plan to a conclusion, it turns out that Earth is a very, very unhealthy place for Arthur Dent to be.
written by Douglas Adams
adapted by Dirk Maggs from the novel “Mostly Harmless”
directed by Dirk Maggs
music by Paul “Wix” WickensCast: Peter Jones (The Voice of the Book), William Franklyn (The Voice of the Book), Rula Lenska (The Voice of the Bird), Simon Jones (Arthur Dent), Geoffrey McGivern (Ford Prefect), Mark Wing-Davey (Zaphod Beeblebrox), Susan Sheridan (Trillian), Sandra Dickinson (Tricia McMillan), Samantha Beart (Random), Stephen Moore (Marvin), Griff Rhys Jones (Old Thrashbarg), Roger Gregg (Bartender), Michael Cule (Vogon Helmsman), Dominic Hawksley (Thor), Andy Taylor (Grebulon Leader), Michael Fenton-Stevens (Grebulon Lieutenant), Philip Pope (Elvis), Tom Maggs (Runner), Bruce Hyman (Prosser),
Toby Longworth (Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz), Neil Sleat (Newsreader), Roy Hudd (Max Quordlepleen), Douglas Adams (Agrajag)
Notes: The conclusion of this episode, while it does indeed follow the fatalistic ending of the book “Mostly Harmless”, adds new material that allows several escape routes for Arthur and friends. Douglas Adams once again returns from the dead himself, again appearing as Agrajag in clips originally recorded for a book-on-tape.
LogBook entry by Earl Green