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

Hi there, Person! How're you doing?

I actually saw the series before reading the books, and thought all the excerpts from the Guide were great stuff! I keep seeing Peter Jones (Arthur) everywhere though, usually popping up as the token Brit in American movies.

If you haven't read it already, I can recommend "Last Chance to See" by Adams and Carwardine.

Woohoo, someone left a message on my home page!

I haven't read 'Last chance to see,' but I will look for it. The problem is I'd have to find it in a second hand shop, because after being chased by Bay Collection for a $171 library fine I think I'll avoid library cards like some people avoid credit cards.

The cool thing I noticed about the hhgttg TV series is that it is word-for-word the same as the books. Not like, say, Red Dwarf, where the storylines are changed to fit better into a TV show... I've seen a lot of Red Dwarf (though I read the first the books before I saw the show) because my ex boyfriend has all the tapes.

$171? Ouch! I must admit I have a similar problem with libraries, and now only visit them to read the papers.

I think it would have been quite easy for the H2G2 TV series to retain its shape during the conversion process, since it was already a radio script and retained much of the original cast. Oh and it's SIMON Jones I keep seeing everywhere, not Peter (who was the Narrator).

I'd like to see more Red Dwarf, but since CanWest refuses to acknowledge the existence of Taranaki, I've only seen portions of Series 7 or beyond.

I forgot to mention that a few years before that $171 I worked at the library for four hours so that they'd wipe a $55 fine... I just don't get to the library often enough to return books on time, which also means I have the books for longer and have more chance of losing them.

Who's Canwest? Whoever they are, they're missing out... I know that Taranaki exists, and the main thing I know about it is that the McDonald's in New Plymouth gives free refills on drinks.

Have you read the Red Dwarf books? There are two which were written before the series and two after, the latter two being 'alternative endings' each written by a different half of the pair of authors. The TV series doesn't really follow either of those endings, and the books are better than the TV series, in my opinion... maybe because they started it and the TV series isn't exactly the same as them. I'm glad that in both cases (Red Dwarf and HHGTTG) I read the books (or, in RD's case, I read the first book) before seeing any of the TV series. Books are often better than the resulting TV series/movies... although the book of Mrs. Doubtfire is not very good at all and nothing like the movie. By the way, the book of E.T (written by William Kotzwinkel after the movie) is really good.

CanWest is the Canadian media group that took over TV3 when it went bankrupt in its infancy about 1990-91. It thus also owns TV4 as well.

Regrettably I haven't read the books, but for me the only "reality" was the TV series, just as for you the "reality" were the books. I always saw RD as "Young Ones in Space" (just as the brilliant Father Ted was "Young Ones with Priests"). In the first couple of series, it had an equally small cast, the same gross, surreal humour and a similarly low-budget feel to the effects. (Example: both Young Ones and RD had men getting pregnant - Lister gives birth to twin boys with enormous heads, Vyvyan gives birth to a giant fart). Later Rd evolved and became more sci-fi orientated (around S 5 or 6).

Conversion from one medium to another is always a problem, since it never quite matches what you had in mind. The conversion I hate the most is "The Name of the Rose". Hollywood butchered the ending and destroyed the intricacy of the writing. And Christian Slater? Christian freakin' Slater!?! Not to mention the hugely overrated Sean Connery (now the Scottish Jean-Claude Van Damme - mostly does action flicks, and always having to work his nationality into the plot). But I rant, please excuse me.

BTW, for more on New Plymouth, have a read of my entry, here http://www.h2g2.com/A225811

aPerson, g'day from sunny Napier. Whereabouts in Godzone are you?
If you don't mind me asking of course?

I'm in Auckland... but I'm not a JAFA! I was born in Wellington and moved uhere when I was 8.

I went to Napier once as a kid to see the dolphins - I love dolphins. Not as much now as I did then though.

Keeping dolphins in captivity is extremely unfashionable nowadays. Napier has still got two ageing ones who will not be replaced when they die.

Plans are being drawn up to build a new National Aquarium of New Zealand on the Napier foreshore. Should be worth a visit when it opens.

Exactly what is it about foreshores that makes architects go nuts and want to build avant-garde multistorey carparks?

My guess, consutancy fees. Another guess, they come from Auckland

My guess is that it's some sort of raging cubophilia - a quest for the perfect box. Multistorey carparks and shopping malls are therefore serious turn-ons for the architect - boxes for people, cars cash and consumerism.

Just as nature abhors a vacuum, architects abhor organic forms.

Mustapha, the new aquarium in Napier is replacing an existing rundown eyesore. We are not talking pristine beach here, it's more stony foreshore leading to water too dangerous to swim in.

This is a beach so bad they have even built sunken gardens on it. You cannot see the sea from this garden.

I agree with your general point though.

My good Loony, I hope my last posting hasn't given you the impression I am a raging tree-hugger.

Re: organic forms, ie non-linear design, curves and curly stuff. Eg those public toilets up north designed by Frederick Hundertwasser (I forget exactly where, Moerewa, Kawakawa?)

Mustapha, I can proudly report that the Napier City Council's public toilets, situated on the very same foreshore mentioned above, in 1999 defended their title, first won in 1998, of NZs best public toilets.

We are talking curly, curvy, self-washers here my friend.

The only non-sporting event to require a urine test...

The test was to FIND urine.

The tester from New Plymouth had to undergo a body search. We are a suspicious lot over here on the East Coast