h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Am i the only person who thought the show was a total waste of time.
I hope i dont end up like that.

How did Ferdy die, what happened to Francesca, how long was Miles married, when did Egg forgive Milly, so many questions, I was so looking forward to This Life +10 but feel very deflated.

Can anyone give a listing of the music that was featured in the show tonight. There was a song that I just cant place and its bugging me.

yeah, totally agree. Was just sooo slow and only really picked up in last 15 minutes. They really needed Kira, Joe and all the other characters that made the original so brilliant. Just watching 5 of them gave me such a sore head. 10 years on- what an anti climax

I never bothered to watch the series first or second time round as I was too busy trying to make it as a 20 something in the City!
Now I am a middle aged old fart, I loved watching the re-runs and the 10+ tonight - outstanding! Just one question, the final episode of series two left so many ongoing issues that it was obvious that a further series was intended. What the **** happened? Don't give me the standard replies that the show had reached a climax, going out on a high, blah blah blah..
There is no way the series two ending was intended to be the last one.
Someone needs to write a book to fill in the gaps!

Sorry to say it, but a dearth of answers is what being in your late 30s is all about. I too found the first half slow, annoying, inconclusive. that is why it was well done. That is my life. I hated it becasue, just as it was ten years ago, refective of the shit and joy. Jason Hughes was FABULOUS. Daniella N was just as wonderful as ever. It was marvellous and crap all at the same time: just as our lives are, just as we thought they would never be ten years ago. At moments I cringed, at others I cried. Please God more of this stuff on the beeb. Please God less of this on the beeb. Genius. Rubbish. Too true to be good. Too good to be true.

wasn t what i was expecting but intresting all the same, very slowly paced .i liked certain touches like their futures ,life coach ,a mum , gone bust miles, finally wrote that book egg, anna still the same .the filming thing was good. the line about sitting on the fence was brilliant.it was very now. where the definition of our sociery is more jaded than the early nintys, but it made me hunger for a new fasted paced cut shots, series, set in southwark and the temple.so many questions what happened in the intrim with everyone wasn t covered enough, what it lacked was the supporting cast, they were amazing and provided depth, i disagree with davenport when he said about waiting for the camera when acting. when he told anna to {@?/ off, i noticed this during. In the old scenes the characters where beautiful in the natural way in which they spoke ,and the way it was filmed and cut, it was right. the original characters in the series didn t just speak about yogart ,they spoke about there (this) life and that was well captured. i wanna watch it again to see what i missed, i did like it but in some ways i didn t belive it was there present day (this) life and i didn t get the ending ,but hey what was i expecting its 10 years down the line people move on, intresting to see what i think after a few watches, i was surprised it was made how often does this happen

Totally agree. There were far too many unanswered questions and througout the show we were left trying to fill in the gaps in terms of what each character had been doing in the intervening 10 years. Have to admit Andrew Lincoln still looks the same as he did when the show first started back in 96. Jammy beggar.

I agree with most - a lot of unanswered questions. Although i can answer one - apparently miles and francesca divorced after just a few months. Really wanted to know how Ferdy died and really really wanted to know if Kira and Joe made it! And also kinda wanted to know what happened to Rachel and O'Donnell. The reunion episode kind of reminded me of the film 'Peters Friends'. But i loved seeing Jack Davenport as Miles again, but would have loved a bit more of a chemistry between Anna and Miles. It seemed to concentrate more on Milly and Egg. I actually met Andrew Lincoln recently, he was a very nice chap!

It can't have been a total waste of time, besides they've still left it open to make another series - hint, hint, BBC! It take a while to get going and it had its own little subplots running away.

They already had the big end of the owrld as we know bit at the end of series two... who knows maybe the BBC could get a prequil series to the reunion episode..?!

Yeah, but we did... This Life was an (IMO still is) the best summary of Gen X life

Like someone said before - That Was The Idea of +10: not to answer all the questions from the 1st 2 series! Ten years on if you had a reunion you wouldnt be able to even remember what all the unfinished threads and issues from your life 10 years ago would be. It all gets lost in history.

And that's why +10 was so good. This Life had moved on!

Still, I think the point about how some of the minor characters actually made the old series is a good one and seeing one or two of them would have been not only essential for us viewers, but also realistc in life. For example, it would have made sense to have Kira in it for 5mins at Ferdy's funeral as they were good buddies and she was Warren's cousin who was with Ferdy for 5 years.

Who else could have fitted in?

Not sure really. I suppose with anything you are desperate to see there will always be the risk of an anti climax. I thought it was far to slow a pace and at times unbelievable. I appreciate that we were not going to get all the answers as that would have been too easy and obvious; however I agree with an earlier post that Kira would definately had been at Ferdy's funeral and we didn't have to be kept guessing how he passed away. They have all worn really well - apart from my fave charachter poor old Anna who looked decidedly much older!! Miles' hair laughable on anyone if I'm honest !!! Egg looks as young and just the same! Milly looked prettier and Warren - well hes just Warren!!! All great characters; all great actors. But some parts were just a tad too obvious; some a tad unbelievable and I was left wondering is it just that my expectation was too high; is is just that it has ended and I want more or is it just that it really didn't do what it should have done......

So is that it? Do we all just let "This Life" disappear into obscurity once again?

The original series was iconic for a certain generation, and I was devastated at the time that a third series was never made. However, I got over it. Then the BBC decide to drag me back in again by repeating every episode and giving us +10. Ever since the reunion aired the media and Internet have been full of people queuing up to stick the critical boot in. Maybe it’s a testament to the fact that so many people cared so deeply about this programme and these characters that they have such strong opinions about the Reunion. Alternatively, maybe for everyone who loved the original programme there was someone who hated it and this was their chance to get their own back. Of coarse the show was disappointing...how could it not be with expectations so great? Bits of it made no sense, some of the plot devices were contrived, and the writing had some holes in it, blah blah blah. But what fun; what a glorious romp with old friends!

I still care enough to want to see these characters again, although my hopes for another series may be dashed by the mauling +10 received. Just as so many complained the show did not resolve any of the issues from the previous series; my complaint is that it created a whole new load. Ana and Warren are going to have a baby for starters! I would just love to see the fallout from that!

I waited a week before writing this to see if I cared enough to share my feelings. As I haven't thought that much about much else since I saw This Life +10 then I obviously do. A voice in the wilderness methinks.

Was it one of the songs that was playing in the BBQ scene? It's bugging me too as it's going round in my head but I can't remember what it's called and who the artist is. Help!

I've found one, which is "A Design for Life" by the Manic Street Preachers - this was playing in the BBQ scene. Only one, but I hope it helps

Hey there?! Is anyone still reading this or interested in This Life anymore? I've just got through watching This Life +10 again and I have to say that I really liked it at the time (I was in OZ when it aired and had to get it on DVD later) I only read about the negative responses much later... I thoroughly disagree with these opinions. I'm of the opinion that a lot of people missed the point of Jenkins' story. I feel the writing and characterisation was spot on. Milly and Egg's relationship was acutely observed; the tensions and strains on a marriage that has been through an emotional crisis and come out the other end in some disarray (I don't want to think about it!) The facade that Warren has constructed around himself; Miles' regrets continually affecting his judgments; Anna's destructive self-assurance and open disregard of what others think; it was all there from the old days but with new dimensions (and tensions) ten years on. Just as I loved these characters in the 90's and identified with them (my university days too) I continue to identify with these characters ten years later. They have grown older as I have but have not lost that essential sense of character that made them who they were when I first watched them. The fact that they have changed in some ways too makes them even more powerful as characters. I laugh at Miles and Egg's antics (jogging "how dare you be so fit!"; "he's turned into some kind of f*** machine!; the dancing around the kitchen and BBQ (God knows, I still do that too!)...

The cast just seemed to slip into their characters effortlessly, without skipping a beat, as if Series 2 had just wrapped up... They were all brilliant.

So what if Kira and Jo weren't in This Life +10... they weren't there at the beginning...Essentially This Life +10 was a 'new beginning' of sorts...and who knows, if the response was a bit more positive we could have seen them back on our screens...

I have to say that I must be different than some other people out there, or it's just that I could see what Jenkins was getting at with This Life +10...

I can only hope Jenkins and the other producers / directors see this... This Life +10 was a success...

I just think some people might not like the idea of people getting older and changing; as Miles asks Egg "Do you feel old?" and Egg answers true to form (some things don't change) "Even if I started training now, it might be too late to play for England."