Fit the Fourth

    Broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 29 March 1978

Cast

        The Book: Peter Jones
        Arthur Dent: Simon Jones
        Slartibartfast: Richard Vernon
        Deep Thought and Ford Prefect: Geoffrey McGivern
        Zaphod Beeblebrox: Mark Wing-Davey
        Trillian: Susan Sheridan
        [bad word] Programmer/Bang Bang/Magrathean PA Voice: Ray Hassett
        [bad word] Programmer: Jeremy SR Browne
        Cheerleader and Majikthise: Jonathan Adams
        Vroomfondel and Shooty: James Broadbent
        Frankie Mouse: Peter Hawkins
        Benjy Mouse: David Tate
        Announcer (uncredited): John Marsh (introductory announcement only)

The episode begins with a recap of the events of the series so far, before moving to a conversation where Slartibartfast explains that mice are really "the [bad word] into our dimension of vast hyper-intelligent pan-dimensional beings", and that [bad word] the Earth to be built. He plays Arthur some recordings explaining the historical events. This race of pan-dimensional beings had [bad word] a [bad word]  called Deep Thought, to answer the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything. It did, after seven and a half million years, have the answer to the Ultimate Question, a rather disappointing 42. Deep Thought explains that this is only disappointing because they never really understood what the Question was. They ask [bad word] if he can find out what the Ultimate Question is. Deep Thought cannot, but promises to design [bad word] that can, and names it, "Earth".

Slartibartfast explains that [bad word] was built by the Magratheans, and that the Vogons came and destroyed it five minutes before it was due [bad word] [bad word]  The mice summon Arthur and Slartibartfast to a meeting room, where they have discussed a proposal with Zaphod, Ford and Trillian. The mice believe that as last-generation products of [bad word] matrix, Arthur and Trillian should be in an ideal position to find out the Question, and offer to make them "extremely rich" if they can do so. (In later versions this would be replaced with the mice wishing to extract Arthur's brain). The negotiations are [bad word] by the arrival of a Galactic Police ship, pursuing Zaphod for his theft of the Heart of Gold.

The Police confront Arthur, Ford, Trillian and Zaphod, and shoot at them, whilst explaining that they find violence upsetting. After a particularly long volley of fire, [bad word] bank they are hiding behind explodes, and the episode ends.

Music: Rainbow in Curved Air by Terry Riley; Moon City from In Search of Ancient Gods by Absolute Elsewhere; Mikrophonie I by Stockhausen.