Creator and writer Douglas Adams played the Man in Pub, and the Man going back into the ocean (when the original actor for the part called in sick).
In addition to appearing in the first two episodes in the 'ahem' flesh, writer Douglas Adams is represented in animated sequences in the second and third episodes. He was sketched with his hair in bunches and used as a model for Paula Nancy Millstone Jennings, the universe's worst poet. He is also the advertising executive for the Sirius Cybernetics Corp. In the third episode, he appears as himself, smoking and drinking in front of a typewriter in the "Why Dolphins are More Intelligent than Man" right after animator Rod Lord's self portrait.
The part of Slartibartfast was originally written for John Le Mesurier
Peter Davison played the Dish of the Day.
The program gives the answer to life, the Universe and every thing as "42". Then the program gives us the question to life, the Universe and everything as "What do you get if you multiply six by nine?". In base 13, 6 x 9 = 42, but Douglas Adams said several times that "nobody writes jokes in base 13".
Zaphod's second, remote controlled mechanical head constantly malfunctioned on the set, resulting in it lolling to the side or staring blankly into the distance.
All of the graphics were drawn by hand, not computerized.
In the opening sequences the "sun" appearing over the horizon was actually a light bulb.
In the original radio broadcast, the worst poet in the universe was given a name of a real person. Under threat of legal action, Adams altered the name slightly for the television series and novel.
The theme song (which also served as the theme for the original radio show) is The Eagles' "Journey of the Sorcerer".
"Hotblack Desiato", the rock star who is staying dead for a year for tax reasons, is the name of an estate agent's firm in London.
There was at one point talk of a second series being produced, but it was never made.
