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.

When Douglas Adams created The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy for BBC Radio 4, it was the genesis of a science fiction comedy legend. Yet his career at the BBC had begun in Light Entertainment, with contributions to The Burkiss Way, Week Ending, and other sketch shows of the time. He went on to script edit a series of Doctor Who, and to write a series of Hitchhiker and Dirk Gently books.

In programme, Simon Jones takes an A-Z look at Douglas Adams’s career, taking in extracts from the many radio and TV programmes he contributed to. These include personal appearances on Wogan, Tomorrow’s World, and Desert Island Discs, his own radio programmes 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 Radio 4’s Steafel Plus 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.