Minor characters from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

There are many minor characters in the various versions of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams. In fact, defining a major character is rather difficult. If the major characters are those the plot focuses on, they are Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Zaphod Beeblebrox, Marvin and Trillian, with the possible inclusion of Slartibartfast, Prostentic Vogon Jeltz, Random Dent and Fenchurch. If they are defined as characters appearing in all the books, they are only Ford Prefect and Arthur Dent. In this case, the definition of major characters will be those in the series with major plot significance not appearing on this list.

Dish of the Day

The quadruped Dish of the Day is an Ameglian Major Cow, a species of dairy animal specifically bred to not only have the desire to be eaten, but to be capable of saying so quite clearly and distinctly. This quite vocal and emphatic desire to be consumed by Milliways' patrons greatly distresses Arthur Dent, and the Dish is nonplussed by a queasy Arthur's subsequent order of a green salad, since he knows "many vegetables that are very clear" on the point of not wanting to be eaten — which was part of the reason for the creation of the Ameglian Major Cow in the first place. After Zaphod orders four rare steaks, the Dish announces that he is nipping off to the kitchen to shoot himself, comforting Arthur only very slightly by stating that "I'll be very humane."

Related Topics:
Dairy animal - Milliways' - Green salad

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Appears in:

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• The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

The character is not present in the original radio series, but does make a cameo appearance in the finale of the fifth radio series. The first appearance of him was in a stage adaption in 1980 at the Rainbow Theatre. Since then he appeared in the second novel, and the television series. In the TV series, in which he was played by Peter Davison, who was at that time Sandra Dickinson's husband. Sandra Dickinson played Trillian in the television series, and suggested casting Davison, who was a fan of the radio series.

Related Topics:
Stage adaption - 1980 - Rainbow Theatre - Television series - Peter Davison - Sandra Dickinson

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