Douglas Adams Continuum (DAC)

This news was sort of buried in a long thread so as it starts tonight I thought I would remind DACers that an abridgement of the new Hitchhiker book is being read on BBC Radio 4 in ten weekday parts from tonight at 22:45. It features the vocal talents of Stephen Mangan and Peter Serafinowicz.

Series website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00n4yrp
Once it has been broadcast there should be an iPlayer link on that page and as it is radio it should probably be available outside of the UK but there is a possibility it may not be.

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(... don't piss us off)

Cheers Dave!

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Before long now, I'll reach the age where farting will be an essential part of propulsion.
(...don't piss us off)

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This has been another random act of nonsense.

Well I listened to half of it last night but reverted to watching Ross Noble on TV because I needed a comedy fix. I've just listened again online and I found Stephen Mangan's reading dull at best but gave him the benefit of the doubt given the material he was reading. Pardon me for asking but isn't H2G2 supposed to be funny?

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Her mouth opened, her eyes patients, the variety of age and constitution as a pullets egg, with some gobbits of fat, and the heavy sand.

(... don't piss us off)

Darn, I forgot to listen.

Still, at least I can select the "forget to listen again" button later.

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The drug purportedly affected an area of the brain called "Shatner's Bassoon"

I used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in my body. Then I realized who was telling me this.
http://s267.photobucket.com/albums/ii297/h2g230/

I've heard the first installment Bedtime reading, and the first half hour of the Simon Jones reading. The voice of Simon Jones vastly improves the listening experience.

Well, there's funny and theres funny. I didn't hear it but I believe the reader had a very flat reading style.

There is a very nice little reference to the Ireland EC vote that may tickle you.

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D.
The Thirteenth Triskaidekaphobe
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There's flat and there's two dimensional. This is the blandest adaptation possible and, alarmingly, not very well edited. The good jokes appear to have been cut!

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Don't Panic! is a not-for-profit role-playing game produced by and for fans of the late Douglas Adams. If you're looking for something fresh, funny, irreverent, and different to every other role-playing experience out there visit http://hitchhikers.wetpaint.com/

Oh, they have removed stuff from the original text?

Anyway, I still do like what I've heard so far. Considering whow disturbingly dead Adams unfortunately is , Colfer keeping the characters alive and kicking is , in my opinion, a hell lot better than the only alternative (=nothing, no more HHGTTG ever).

Hmmm, and by not overdoing the production of the Book at Bedtime version there's still a good reason to make a full radio adaption later on. =)

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Niklas
Thanks to Claire for the artwork.

The unabridged recording is 10.5 hours long.

The Bedtime recording is 2.5 hours long.

So, yeah, they cut out one heck of a lot out; mostly the jokes and guide entries in an effort to preserve the plot (which is a pity as it's rarely the plot which matters in a Hitchhiker's book.)

Sounds like the 2005 movie.

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This has been another random act of nonsense.

Oh don't remind me. Some of the cut out jokes and some of the new replacement ones really made me wonder what they were thinking. =)

Anyway, I guess I have to buy the book then.

Does this that the unabridged recording covers the whole book and the Bedtime recordings cover "the whole main plot of the book"?

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Niklas
Thanks to Claire for the artwork.

It really is reminiscent of that. Rather than the rambling guide entry full of word play and tangents, we get cliff notes of the basic idea, which isn't anywhere near as funny as the original text. It's like reducing the bablefish entry to "this fish allows you to understand other languages." Fine for moving the plot along, but lacking any sort of humor.



Well, yeah. Kinda what unabridged means. :) Simon Jones does the unabridged reading, and his sense of comic timing makes a huge difference.

-Jeremy

Good point. =)Oooh, kinky!:happy:

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Niklas
Thanks to Claire for the artwork.