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

A FEW "BEHIND THE SCENES" NOTES.

BACKGROUND:Like most UK series to be adapted into the US market, the Lord Mike Adventures were given a major overhaul. Like the many predecessor series based on UK programmes, the settings and characters changed significantly from the parent programme, while retaining vague similarities to the UK originals. Several such changes are examined in more detail below.

THE SETTING: Whereas the original UK Lord Mike series is often be set anywhere within the EU (and, in some cases, other places as well - Including America), this US version bases itself very exclusively in the city of Washington D.C.

THE STYLE: There's less humour in this American version, again in keeping with the majority of crossings between UK adn US programmes. The US ones, by and large, don't ham it up as much as their UK counterparts. I've tried to adapt that stylee to this script. Each of the hour-long tales is broken into Five or Six "Acts", between which the commercial breaks take place. The US version is also shot entirely on film and has state of the art special effects, whereas the UK one made do with Video Tape filming and dodgy CSO.

THE CHARACTERS: As with most "Americanised" series, I've tried to adapt the already existing characters to the more "American Action Series" style. The major change is Steven Ford, who has vanished completely - And been replaced by Stephenie Ford, a completely different character bar the slightly similar name.

PLEASE NOTE: All the characters have been translated into Americans, except Lance who is still English. Although, in keeping with the US type attitude, he's even more stereotypically English than in the UK Lord Mike Adventures. If that's even possible.

THE SPELLING: Also, in keeping with the "Americanisation" of Lord Mike that this script portrays, I've adapted it to include "American English" spelling wherever necessary. Thusly, certain "ou" words are missing the "u", certain "re" words are spelt "er" and whenever a date is mentioned it's listed as the US standared "Month/Date/Year" instead of the Uk standard "Date/Month/Year".

Don't let these deliberate spelling 'errors' put you off - It's all in aid of adding to the autheticity of the piece.

PLEASE NOTE: It is quite a long script, as it's supposed to be an "Hour Long" American TV programme. So it might be best if you save it to your computer before reading it?

Cheers,

Lance