Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, The Secondary Phase Special cover art

Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, The Secondary Phase Special

By: Douglas Adams
Narrated by: Peter Jones, Simon Jones, Geoffrey McGivern, Mark Wing-Davey, Susan Sheridan, Stephen Moore
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £7.99

Buy Now for £7.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Primary Phase (Dramatised) cover art
Dirk Gently: Two BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramas cover art
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Original Albums cover art
Shada cover art
Dirk Gently cover art
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return of the King (Dramatised) cover art
Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen cover art
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Dramatised) cover art
Elvenquest cover art
Terry Pratchett: BBC Radio Drama Collection cover art
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Dramatised) cover art
Stardust cover art
Red Dwarf cover art
Blackadder: The Complete Collected Series cover art
The Hobbit (Dramatised) cover art
Don't Panic cover art

Summary

A dynamic remastering of the second BBC Radio 4 full-cast serial - Fit the Seventh to Fit the Twelfth - which spawned a phenomenal hitchhiking legend.

The second original series of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy remastered by Dirk Maggs (director of the Tertiary, Quandary and Quintessential Phases) to give a full, vibrant sound, now with Philip Pope’s version of the familiar theme tune and specially re-recorded announcements by John Marsh.

Stranded on Prehistoric Earth since the end of the first series, Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect are once again trying to hitch their way off the planet. Zaphod finds his visit to the offices of the Guide rudely interrupted by Frogstar fighters, who further threaten to feed him to the Total Perspective Vortex. Eventually reunited, the three fetch up on the planet Brontitall and discover the indigenous species in something of a flap. Arthur meets Lintilla (several of her), Marvin gets to be a hero once again, and there is a meeting with the Man in the Shack who apparently runs the Universe....

Peter Jones, Simon Jones, Geoffrey McGivern, Mark Wing-Davey, Stephen Moore and a full supporting cast star in these BBC Radio 4 episodes.

Also included is a bonus 50-minute interview with Douglas Adams - who died in 2001 - in which he discusses his career and work.

©2008 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2008 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

What listeners say about Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, The Secondary Phase Special

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    784
  • 4 Stars
    107
  • 3 Stars
    31
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    5
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    652
  • 4 Stars
    60
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    600
  • 4 Stars
    82
  • 3 Stars
    24
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Science meets philosophy - and laughs

What did you like most about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?

This is the funniest unit of text and dialogue in the history of text and/or dialogue. If there is indeed a god, this is his sense of humour reflected back at him/her to prove what a complete dingoe's kidney the act of creation has proven to be. No-one is spared: scientists, the media, philosophers, all are lampooned.

What did you like best about this story?

The sheer level of creativity is awesome, or monumental. It makes Machu Pichu look like a Play-dough project. Shakespeare may be more tragic, but never funnier - or indeed, more profound in the way human vanity is so mercilessly exposed and observed. Adams may not use a cold light, but it's terriby BRIGHT.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favourite?

While all the characters have great style and wonderful lines, there is an element of being there just to say the funny things. Having said that, the competitive banter between Arthur and Zaphod is credibly acerbic. Similarly, the way Ford swaps alliances between these two is also effectively unfair. Marvin deserves a seperate chapter of comment. However, the most endearing voice is that of Peter Jones as the book, whose style is that of a research professor presenting the facts with deliberate precision and not a hint of irony. This makes for historic comedy, while making you wonder if what he is describing actually exists or has happened somewhere out there in the time/space continuum!

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed while it was on. I cried when it finished. Then I put it on again, and started laughing again. Until it stopped again. I think you get the picture.

Any additional comments?

Indespensibly invaluable, and beyond the scope of any superlative in any human language. Ask your god(s) for more appropriate perspicacity. I rest my case for the acquisition.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great series but sound quality is disappointing

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

This is a classic radio production from the BBC, and it is great to have the chance to hear it again. But the sound quality of this edition is terrible. It's mono, slightly distorted and has been unsympathetically transcoded. A shame.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The hitchhikers guide. It is a classic

This is what started it all. It is fantastic funny and alternative view on the universe. It is full of quotable lines that stay with you day after day.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful, very British

I love the accent, the British sense of humour. Interview at the end seems to be about nothing in particular, yet I could listen to those trained voices again and again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

"who is this God bloke, anyway?"

If you haven't listened to THGTTG yet then I envy you. I remember my first time listening to this and finding it the most crazy and amazing story I've ever heard and the further you go into it the crazier it gets. Get in there

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

First time

The hitch hikers guild to the galaxy, this is a classic audio book, having ownd (and still do) the origional cassetts of the broadcast by the bbc, it has kept it's conversion with no loss of quality, but bringing it to the next portable media, If you to have a odd out look on life, and to wonder if there is any meaning to life, the universe & Everything, then this book will take you on an epic adventure though space and time, and have you back in time to enjoy a pangalactic gargleblaster (rehab centers are avalible) so sit back and takle a trip on the heart of gold

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

The second installment of Douglas Adams' absolutely brilliant sci-fi comedy. An eternal classic everyone should listen to, ideally after listening to the first one! The humour is bizarre and the narrative can be loopy, but that's the style of it. Stick with it and it'll grow on you.

The show is excellently produced, well-acted and of the highest quality.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant as ever

Excitement and really wild things. And a good helping of nostalgia. Reminder of when an electronic book was unbelievable and 42 meant everything

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Entertainment at it's best

Many years ago I listened to this on the radio, it is still as amazing as ever, every time I listen I can hear new things in it. Soo worth getting for lovers of science fiction/comedy. A classic that still lives.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Classic

Just a great retelling of the Hitchhiker series - subtly different from the books (which, of course, came later). My only sadness is that the quality of the recordings is poor - like listening to R4 on 1500m LW, I guess...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful