History Trivia / TheHitchhikersGuidetotheGalaxy

* CastingGag: The Tertiary, Quandary and Quintessential Phases had a lot of cameos by actors who had featured in non-radio versions of the story:
** Chris Langham, Arthur Dent from the 1979 Institute of Contemporary Arts stage production of ''Hitchhiker's'', pops up as Prak in the finale of the Tertiary Phase.
** David Dixon, the TV Ford Prefect, had a cameo in the second episode of the Quandary Phase, getting pissed off at Arthur for trying to donate to save the dolphins when he should know they've all vanished. (This case is lampshaded, as Arthur -- still played by Simon Jones, who acted alongside Dixon in the TV series -- asks if they've met before.)
** Creator/StephenFry, the [[Film/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy film's]] Guide, cameos in the third episode of the Quandary Phase as Murray Bost Henson.
** The Quintessential Phase series had Sandra Dickinson, Trillian in [[Series/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy the TV version]], voice Tricia [=McMillan=] (Trillian's alternate universe counterpart). She reprises her TV role as Trillian herself in the Hexagonal Phase since [[spoiler:she and Tricia merged at the end of the Quintessential Phase]]. [[AuthorExistenceFailure Susan Sheridan's death in 2015]] probably also factored into things.
** In a non-remake-related example, Geoffrey Perkins, Douglas Adams's boss at the BBC, plays Arthur Dent's boss at the BBC in the second episode of the Quandary Phase.

* AccidentallyCorrectWriting: Adams didn't write jokes in Base 13, but the fact remains that using THAT numerical base, 6X9 is indeed 42.

* BeamMeUpScotty: "42" is not 'the Meaning of Life'. Say it with me, people: It's "the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything". It doesn't help that Adams himself wrote a book entitled ''Literature/TheMeaningOfLiff'' (defining a number of words that didn't exist in the English language, but should have).

** ''Literature/LifeTheUniverseAndEverything'' was based on an unused ''Series/DoctorWho'' script, ''Doctor Who and the Krikketmen''.[[note]]And you can tell: Trillian very much becomes an {{Expy}} of the Doctor, with the other characters behaving rather like the Doctor's Companions, although this is in keeping with Trillian's intelligence and generally kind-hearted nature.[[/note]] It might have been a second Hitchhiker TV series.

* TrollingCreator: Slartibartfast is not named for the majority of the episode he first appears in. WordOfGod explained that it was a joke at the expense of the woman who had to type the scripts -- that after she'd typed this name a dozen times he simply said, "My name is not important".

** Complicated further by the books being an adaptation of only the first two radio serials, while the other three books are original. The final three radio serials, meanwhile, are adapted from the books.

* BeamMeUpScotty: Say it with me, people. It's "The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything". Not the meaning of life. It doesn't help that ''Adams himself'' wrote a book entitled ''The Meaning of Liff'' (defining a number of words that didn't exist in the English language, but should have).

* GodCreatedCanonForeigner: Many of the differences from previous versions were Adams creations, from pre-death versions of the script, including the POV Ray, the flyswatters, Humma Kavula, and the romantic elements.

** Creator/JohnnyDepp, Creator/RobertDowneyJr and Creator/WillFerrell were considered for Zahpod Beeblebrox.
** Creator/JayRoach was going to direct with Creator/HughLaurie as Arthur, Creator/JimCarrey as Zaphod and Creator/NigelHawthorne as Slartibartfast.

** David Dixon, the TV Ford Prefect, had a cameo in the second episode of the Quandary Phase, getting pissed off at Arthur for trying to donate to save the dolphins when he should know they've all vanished. (This case is lampshaded, as Arthur--still played by Simon Jones, who acted alongside Dixon in the TV series--asks if they've met before.)

* SequelGap: There was a 24-year gap between the end of the Secondary Phase in 1980 and the beginning of the Tertiary Phase in 2004. Likewise, there was a gap of 13 years between the Quintessential Phase (2005) and the Hexagonal Phase (2018).
* TooSoon: Creator/TheBBC provided a content warning when the episode involving the air attack on the Guide offices (a giant H-shaped skyscraper) was aired shortly after 9/11 - to their credit they didn't postpone the broadcast altogether.
* TrollingCreator: Slartibartfast is not named for the majority of the episode he first appears in. WordOfGod explained that it was a joke at the expense of the woman who had to type the scripts - that she'd typed this name a dozen times and he simply said, "My name is not important".

** A badge from one of the Golgafrincham hats would be worn by [[Series/RedDwarf Arnold Rimmer]].

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: At one point a second series was planned which would've been based on the ''Series/DoctorWho'' story which later formed the basis of ''Literature/LifeTheUniverseAndEverything''.

* Creator/{{Hipgnosis}}: Did the cover art for the British releases of the soundtrack albums.

* TooSoon: Creator/TheBBC provided a content warning when the episode involving the air attack on the Guide offices (a giant H-shaped skyscraper) was aired shortly after 9/11 - to their credit they didn't postpone the broadcast altogether.

* LifeImitatesArt: Smartphones and tablets with access to Wikipedia mimic the capability and functions of the Guide with uncanny accuracy, right down to the Guide's questionable accuracy.

* AuthorExistenceFailure: Douglas Adams died a year before the film was completed, though after he'd finished his parts of the script.

* SavedFromDevelopmentHell: It took over twenty years to get made, in which case Creator/DouglasAdams had died.

* Slartibartfast is not named for the majority of the episode he first appears in. WordOfGod explained that it was a joke at the expense of the woman who had to type the scripts - that she'd typed this name a dozen times and he simply said 'My name is not important'.
* The seventh episode was originally broadcast on 24 December 1978. Consideration was given, partly due to the date and partly due to the fact that all the plot threads had been tied off at the end of episode six, to making it a stand-alone Christmas special in which Marvin would have been both figuratively and literally the star (of Bethlehem), and by participating in a nativity scene would be cured of his depression. In the end they made it a normal episode, devoted to untying enough plot threads for the series to continue.

** The Quintessential Phase series had Sandra Dickinson, Trillian in [[Series/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy the TV version]], voice Tricia [=McMillan=] (Trillian's alternate universe counterpart).

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Creator/MichaelPalin was the original choice to voice the Guide, but he turned it down.

* AccidentallyAccurate: Adams didn't write jokes in Base 13, but the fact remains that using THAT numerical base, 6X9 is indeed 42.

* {{Defictionalization}}: Many bartenders have had a go at reproducing the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster; not surprisingly, most of them are almost, but not quite, entirely ''unlike'' "having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon, wrapped 'round a large gold brick". When asked about such drinks on Slashdot, Adams said "Unfortunately, there are a number of environmental and weapons treaties and laws of physics which prevent one being mixed on Earth. Sorry."

* [[Defictionalization]]: Many bartenders have had a go at reproducing the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster; not surprisingly, most of them are almost, but not quite, entirely ''unlike'' "having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon, wrapped 'round a large gold brick". When asked about such drinks on Slashdot, Adams said "Unfortunately, there are a number of environmental and weapons treaties and laws of physics which prevent one being mixed on Earth. Sorry."

* Defictionalization: Many bartenders have had a go at reproducing the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster; not surprisingly, most of them are almost, but not quite, entirely ''unlike'' "having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon, wrapped 'round a large gold brick". When asked about such drinks on Slashdot, Adams said "Unfortunately, there are a number of environmental and weapons treaties and laws of physics which prevent one being mixed on Earth. Sorry."

* TechnologyMarchesOn: Digital watches sure are a neat idea, huh? (In the later radio series, and the movie, they were replaced by mobile phones.)

* LifeImitatesArt: Smartphones and tablets with access to Wikipedia mimic the capability and functions of the Guide with uncanny accuracy.