Convinced that he’s found Magrathea, a well-hidden planet that once ruled the galaxy’s economy with its fantastically expensive custom-made planet-building services, Zaphod wants to explore (and plunder) the dormant world as soon as possible. A persistent auto-defense computer on Magrathea itself seems to have other ideas, however, and launches nuclear missiles at the descending Heart Of Gold. With death seemingly certain, and nothing left to lose, Arthur activates the Heart Of Gold’s improbability drive, which doesn’t do much of anything to the ship’s speed or direction, but does yield the unforseen benefit of turning the two nukes into, respectively, a bowl of petunias and a whale, both of which have very short life spans. Landing on Magrathea, Zaphod leads Ford and Trillian into the bowels of the planet, leaving Arthur and Marvin to mind the ship. A native of the planet soon appears to Arthur, beckoning the earthman to accompany him into the bowels of the planet – or, more precisely, to a hyperspace workshop where Magrathean custom planets are built. Arthur is alarmed to discover that a new planet is under construction due to the premature demise of its immediate predecessor: the Earth.
written by Douglas Adams
directed by Alan J.W. Bell
music by Paddy KingslandCast: Peter Jones (The Voice of the Book), Simon Jones (Arthur Dent), David Dixon (Ford Prefect), Sandra Dickinson (Trillian), Mark Wing-Davey (Zaphod Beeblebrox), Richard Vernon (Slartibartfast), David Learner (Marvin), Stephen Moore (voice of Marvin), David Tate (voice of Eddie), John Austen-Gregg (Real Man), Zoe Hendry (Real Woman), Jim Francis (Real Small Furry Creature from Alpha Centauri), John Dair (Merchant)
LogBook entry by Earl Green