So, fairly soon after writing about Douglas Adams, I find out they're making a new TV version of The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Part of me is very nervous about this as it will depend on how things are handled. I don't necessarily expect it to be a clone of anything that's come before, but it does need to feel right.
When they made the movie it was so very frustrating as all the elements of the thing were right, the look, the cast, the effects. But things didn't gel.
Alarm bells for me started to ring with the scene where Arthur is in front of the bulldozer; his interaction with Mr Prosser was cut to pieces, with surreality of the planning department's location removed. Just compare how the original TV does this scene so much better than the movie (including the subtle moment where the chap sat in the bulldozers cab looks hastily away when Arthur mentioned the person who charged him a fiver to clean his windows for a fiver). It's Douglas taking things to an absurd level, and when you think it can't get any more absurd... it does. But somehow makes sense. To but it down just showed a lack of understanding as to what made Douglas' writing so precise.
I have a feeling how this scene is handled in this new version will very much be an indicator of whether the show's going to work or not.
And make sure the casting is right. I've no idea who I'd put in most of the roles. but I think I'd have Adrian Lester as Slartibartfast. Maybe David Tennant as Zaphod? Perhaps with Danai Gurira as Trillian? And Arthur Darvill as Arthur? He's got that confused look you need for Arthur. No idea about Ford, though. He's probably the trickiest to cast. And Marvin... oh, who would be Marvin?
Hmm...
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