The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy the BBC Series was my first introduction to Douglas Adams’ famous story. It came after the radio series and novel and plays and record, but for some of us, it was the introduction to a comic masterpiece that is as funny today as the day we first read it. PBS showed it here in the US in late 1982 and I still remember dying laughing at the comic situations. And when I found out there was a novel, I was beyond ecstatic about reading it. But does the series stand up almost 30 years later after 7 novels and a Hollywood movie?

The answer, happily, is yes. It is still a wonderful presentation of concept. The special effects are low quality and cheesy, the computer graphics are hand drawn and the costumes are suffering from the styles of the 70s and 80s, but it still is as funny as ever. The 6 episodes cover most of the first two books (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxyand The Restaurant at the End of the Universe) or the first two radio series.

Simon Jones is great as a perpetually confused Arthur Dent and David Dixon plays Ford Prefect as a partial con man who tries to always appear to be on top of whatever situation arises. Mark Wing-Davey (Zaphod Beeblebrox) and Sandra Dickinson (Trillian) aren’t nearly as good, but they aren’t called upon to do that much. As always Marvin steals the show.

If you’ve read the books and seen the movie (if you haven’t seen the movie, then don’t) and listened to the radio shows, then make sure to check out the BBC series. It’s well worth your time.