'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' BBC series scripts go to Unbound

Unbound has acquired the complete, never-before-published and fully annotated scripts of the BBC’s "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy" TV series.

Senior editor Mathew Clayton acquired world rights excluding audio to the scripts, which represent the last remaining unpublished long-form writing by Douglas Adams, from Norah Perkins at Curtis Brown. Titled I Never Could Get the Hang of Thursdays, it is set to be published in Autumn 2025.

Kevin Jon Davies, a veteran of the Hitchhiker’s universe who worked on the original series and who edited Unbound’s 42: The Wildly Improbable Ideas of Douglas Adams (published last August), will compile, contextualise and annotate the scripts, creating “another unique artefact”.

The publisher said “it will reveal an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look into the creative process behind the development of the iconic 1981 ’The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ BBC television series and will feature exclusive interviews with the author Douglas Adams, the producer/director Alan J W Bell and the original cast and crew members, including Simon Jones, David Dixon, Mark Wing-Davey, Sandra Dickinson and Stephen Moore.”

The book will include untold stories and ephemera including production notes, on-set photographs, anecdotes, FX designs and graphic images from the award-winning animation sequences, storyboard art and BBC memos and production paperwork.

Mathew Clayton said: “We are delighted to be joining Douglas and Kevin on another trip around the world of Hitchhikers. This is the last long piece of Douglas’s writing still to be published. The TV series was my introduction to the world of Hitchhikers which makes it even more special that we are doing this book.”

Kevin Jon Davies said: “This book will fulfil my long-cherished plan to see Douglas’s hilarious 1980 television scripts published, showcasing his satirical genius – with startling sci-fi concepts unique to this particular production. Rich in design and electronic trickery, the show was lauded for its state-of-the-art effects, graphics and radiophonic soundscapes. An enormous hit with a great cast, warmly praised by fans and critics alike, winning three BAFTAs and other major industry awards, often repeated, re-released on VHS, DVDs and Blu-Ray.”