The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy

The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy (1981) is the cult BBC sci-fi comedy to watch online on iFILM. One ordinary morning, mild-mannered Englishman Arthur Dent lies down in front of a bulldozer to save his house from a bypass — and hours later Earth itself is demolished to make room for a hyperspace bypass, leaving him thumbing a ride off the exploding planet.

His rescuer is his friend Ford Prefect, who turns out to be no out-of-work actor but a roving correspondent for the titular Guide. From there: Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed President of the Galaxy; the human Trillian; and Marvin, a chronically depressed robot with a brain the size of a planet and a mood twice as large. Simon Jones, David Dixon, Mark Wing-Davey and the deadpan voice of Stephen Moore play Douglas Adams' absurdity completely straight, on cheerfully cheap sets.

Alan J.W. Bell directed these six episodes from Adams' own radio scripts, and the author himself slips into a cameo. The Guide's chunky retro animations and Peter Jones' unflappable narration have long since gone meme — this is the version where the cover reads "Don't Panic!" in large friendly letters. Best for anyone who rates wit over special effects and already knows the answer is 42. Stream The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy online on iFILM.