1. A very
popular BBC radio series written by Douglas Adams, originally broadcast in 1978, with new episodes broadcast in 1980,
2004 and 2005.
2. A book released in 1979 by Douglas Adams, derived from the first series of 1. Also the blanket title for a series of four further books by Adams
set in the same universe. Sometimes known as “a trilogy in five parts”.
3. 1979 stage show derived from the first series of 1.
4. 1979
LP recording derived from the first series of 1.
5. 1981 BBC
television series derived partially from the first series of 1., with some material from 2. and additional original material.
6. A
1984 computer text adventure game by Infocom, freely adapted from the beginning of the first series of 1.
7. A 2005 film from Disney, very loosely derived from the first series of 1. Widely felt to have lost most of the humor and pacing of the original in the process of adapting the material to an American audience. The
death of Douglas Adams (and subsequent editing of the script by others) may have played a part in this.