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

Wonderful
You have made a convert.

(Should that be "detailed close-ups" or did you intend "detail"?)

It is a very American, colloquial and grammatically suspicious construction isn't it. But since it is 'hollywood-speak' I think we'll have to stick with it. The 'detail close-up' shots are often done by a 'second unit' separate from the filming of the main action. Like the close-up of a burning fuse on dynamite or a timer on a bomb counting down...
See any other smelling pistakes or iffy construction?
Anybody know the link to the BBC tapes?

You could try linking to the BBC shop. I don't think the powers would object to that
http://www.bbcshop.com/

Nah. Nary a one. (And I didn't think "detail" was iffy - jest wundered if ya meaned it )

Link: It might be an idea to ask the PTB if they're planning to stock the cassetes/CDs when the shop re-opens. It's the sort of thing they really should be selling as some of the items seem quite difficult to obtain from a quick search (especially from outside the UK). The BBC site does look like the best source at the moment.

*takes deep breath*

Listening to elders round a campfire is a bit before my time, but I'd imagine it would also involve some visual cues rather than being an audio only experience.

I'm not too sure I agree with your radio vs books argument either. Listening to radio drama, by its nature is a solitary experience, even if there are a group of you. Unlike TV, you can't really start a conversation whilst the prog is on as the speech is so important.

As for stirring the imagination, in descending order it would be book-radio-TV/movie, the less cues the better. Radio drama is just a lazy way of reading a book, but you have the disadvantage of the director's/scriptwriter's interpretations coming between you and the book.

TV also has its uses, but we are so swamped with crappy soaps, dramas and sitcoms (aka radio with pictures) that they are few and far between. One example is the BBC's Earth Story, now enjoying a well-deserved re-run. It works as a TV prog, it works as a book, it would work in multimedia, but would have its least powerful impact on radio.

....and yes, Radio is my favourite medium and I do listen to radio plays = BOF

OK, s**t on my head from a great height now.

I enjoyed this (as a child I used to sit next to our comparatively huge wireless waiting for the valves to warm up) I think it could do with some pretty coloured sub headings to break it up and make it easier to read. Very few people manage uncut blocks of text these days.

At one point you could go through the shop link in the goo and buy the CDs. Unfortunately I tried that a couple of months ago and got told they had sold out.
I was once told that radio was best as you could fill Lake Superior with chocolate sauce and tug out a giant dod of cream to the middle and plonk the worlds largest cherry on top, for next to nothing. Try doing that on TV. Of course HHGTTG shows that you can convey information in different ways (all that text coming up on screen as Peter Jones narrates), each having there own merits.
Nice little article though, and yes, Orson Welles War of the Worlds was cool.

Thank you all for your input and appreciation and constructive criticism. I have acted on all your advice and made amendments.
I even learned some more GuideML

http://www.h2g2.com/A509889

I like it, john, well thought out, interesting, and you're going to get quite a few comments on this one, I think!
I agree with Wumbeevil (hope I spelt that right so as not to offend anyone ) in that story telling by the elders probably did involve a lot of visual cues - spoken communication is actually only a small percentage spoken, the rest is made up by body language, facial expressions, gestures and positioning. So radio is actually missing out a bit compared to *real* story telling, I think. However, I do feel that radio is far superior to TV and movies in that you are still required to think for yourself, and more importantly, use your imagination, which as we all know is a big intelligence indicator! The other great thing about radio is that you can listen to it whilest doing other things - unlike TV, you aren't required to sit in one place for any length of time, and unlike books you don't need to turn the page! Radio is entertainment for active people, I don't know anyone who just sits and listens, they all have the radio on while doing other things. There you go, there's my ten pennorth worth! (It's only fair!)