Douglas Adams at the BBC: A Celebration of the Author's Life and Work

by Chris Emmett, Douglas Adams, Simon Jones (Narrator)

Simon Jones, who played Arthur Dent in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, presents a look back at the life and work of a writer who has captivated the imagination of millions. This program is an A-Z look at Douglas Adams' career, taking in extracts from the many radio and TV programs he contributed to. These include guest appearances, his own radio programs, such as Last Chance to See (about the search for endangered species) and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Future (a look at impending technology), and even a "lost" segment of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy which Adams wrote specially for BBC Radio in 1982. Also included are some of the many tributes paid to Adams following his untimely death in May 2001. This is a fascinating and in-depth audio biography of a man whose brilliant work has inspired, enraptured and entertained millions of people worldwide.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Humor, Audiobook

4 pages, Audio CD

First published September 6, 2004

About the author

Christopher Roderick Emmett (born 13 December 1938 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire) is a British actor and comedian best known for his work in the late 1970s on the BBC Radio... Wiki

Reviews

[Steve Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not sure that this should even count as a book. A collection of Douglas Adams and his work’s on BBC radio and television with Simon Jones holding everything together is a must listen to for any fan, and this contains some choice moments from his career.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed collection of scraps and loose ends from various stages of Douglas Adams's career, with only a few glancing references to Hitchhiker's Guide. Die-hard fans such as myself will have probably already heard/seen/read most of this stuff, and the alphabetical structure is a little too quaint (G is for Graham Chapman!), but it's likely to whet the appetite of anyone who only knows the author through his most famous work and besides, it's never really a bad time to catch a few Adams repeats.

Simon Jones, who should already be familiar to galactic hitchhikers, turns in a perfectly adept job as the between-chapters emcee, giving the program an extra note of familiar authenticity and warm joviality. I'd have appreciated more deep cuts and less verbatim lifts from Douglas's Last Chance to See serials, which are excellent on their own but over-represented as a part of his career retrospective.

[Christopher Whalen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mildly enjoyed this audiobook. It’s an A-Z compilation of Douglas Adams’s appearances on BBC radio and TV and a biography of his professional life. It is narrated by Simon Jones (the voice of Arthur Dent in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy). The bits I found most interesting were the clips from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Future, a radio series about the future of technology that was broadcast in 2000, the year before Adams died.

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

journey back the nostalgia line; for fans of the author & entertainer

[Lilian Costa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great to actually hear Douglas Adams talking about his work, interests, ideas…

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Douglas Adams was a pretty great person it sounds like, too bad he's not around.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this book via Audible.

I'm not sure what I was expecting this to be, but I don't think I considered how emotional it might make me before I started through it. Douglas Adams at the BBC is an excellent look at many of the things DNA created in his short time with us, from the the famous Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to his conservation work with endangered species and everything in between. Hearing him speak and others speak of him was a joy but a sad reminder of how long we've been without his influence.

If you are interested in learning more about Douglas Adams, or are already a fan and just want to revisit the many things he accomplished and shared with us, I would certainly recommend you give this a go. It's a worthy tribute to the author of some of my favorite books who still makes me laugh and imagine to this day.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems strange to call this a book because it "reads" like a radio program. I really liked this one. I liked learning things about Adams that I didn't know. I liked listening to him during interviews. I enjoyed listening to his friends and co-workers talk about this amazing guy. Definitely worth a listen to if you're a fan of HHGG. Or Doctor Who. Or zoology, or computers, space. Really, this is good for anyone in my tribe. It's a quick listen.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting 3 hour radio show about the life and times of Douglas Adams. Sound clips from his shows and his favorites.