The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Future

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Future was a four-part radio series hosted by Douglas Adams. It was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April and May 2001. Because the radio series turned out to be Adams's final project for the BBC before his death (a week after the first broadcast of the final episode), all four episodes are still available for download from the Radio 4 website. Extracts from the four programmes are also available for listening within the Douglas Adams at the BBC collection.

The Episodes

• Programme One: Music

Original Transmission: 10:30 am, Saturday 14 April 2001, BBC Radio 4

Adams discusses the future of music in the "Internet Age" (which at the time was mainly limited to discussion of illegal download services, such as the first version of Napster - it would be another two years before the iTunes Music Store opened to the American market, and legal music downloads would start to become popular). Topics include digital music creation and online distribution. Adams interviews Brian Eno, Michael Nesmith and Peter Gabriel.

• Programme Two: Publishing

Original Transmission: 10:30 am, Saturday 21 April 2001, BBC Radio 4

Adams discusses the future of publishing with Peter Cochrane, Muriel Gray and Stewart Brand. Topics include the online distribution of e-books and e-book readers.

• Programme Three: Broadcasting

Original Transmission: 10:30 am, Saturday 28 April 2001, BBC Radio 4

Adams discusses the future of TV with John Browning, Dylan......
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