Not that I was really around to enjoy them when they were finally dying, but I actually very much dig the Star Wars and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio shows. I'd like more stuff like this, even though I am not what you would call a typical sci-fi fan in the sense that I'm not really receptive to most space things unless toys are somehow involved. The TV HHG2G was something my dad taped when I was like three or four to show me when I was 10, so that kinda stuck. I listened to the Guide before bed last year and am going for a second run-through nowish.
The whole format is really nifty because, well, it's cheap. It's like someone made a cartoon without the drawings. I hear there's a lot of Doctor Who stuff like this out there but I can't say I honestly consider myself a big fan of the franchise. And sure, there's a lot of audiobooks, but it doesn't seem like there's a lot of stuff out there quite like these shows, produced after the late 1970s, that I've seen yet.
If you've never heard these, they're pretty great. The downside of the Star Wars ones is that it's an incredibly long series. Star Wars is a hair over 6 hours, Empire Strikes Back clocks in at 4:22, and Return of the Jedi is the short one at 3:12. Keep in mind, these are based on films which run about 2 hours... so there's a lot of expanded background goofiness here. I hear there's a Dark Empire one but I have yet to find it. Maybe I should do that.
This is going nowhere, other than me getting at "I like this sort of thing." I'm a little surprised NPR or the BBC or someone isn't doing more of this kind of thing for podcasts, just for kicks, but maybe it's too expensive given the audience is probably old-time radio fans and about twelve nerds. There's gotta be more of a market for this kind of stuff. On that note, are they doing the sixth Adams-free And Another Thing for radio? I hear they're reading it over the air but I mean like some fancy-pants production with more than three voices.
...not that I could tell you what I'd be particularly interested in hearing in this format. If I had more time I'd research to see if podcasters were dong anything like this of interest, but if by chance you've heard of something good do let me know. Otherwise it's back to the 1970s for my ears.
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Oh, man, I love me the H2G2 radio dramas, although I've only technically heard the 3-5 phases. Phase 1 I've only quasi-heard via the record version that took phase 1 and rerecorded it. Never heard phase 2. I put the entire 5 phase CD set on my Christmas list.
At Half Price Books a few weeks ago I stumbled upon the radio drama of the first Dirk Gently book. The second one was also turned into a drama, and I hear they're working on Salmon of Doubt.
Right now, the only version of And Another Thing is the abridged reading that's been on BBC Radio. I've forgotten to record it since part 2. Oops.
Don't know if AAT will be dramatized -- I hope so.
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