Arsenal at home? On a Thursday afternoon? - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1982) Discussion

[–] themightymartin 17 years ago

Well since all the versions of the Hitchhiker's Guide contradict each other I guess you could call this a 'contradiction of reality'. :)

"Groovy"

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[–] TimMulviel 17 years ago

I see what you mean. The events of the day are so chaotic that appying any logic to them would seem futile.Perhaps the barman has a set of standard conversational 'opening gambits' such as "Nice weather for this time of year", "Is that for a lady or a gentleman?",Sre you going to the match this afternoon?" or " Those bleeding Vogons are getting a bit uppity!" are the sort of thing he learnt at some barman's training course. Corporate imaging; very Thatcher's Britain!!! Thanks for giving this some head space.

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[–] themightymartin 17 years ago

Um... Yeah... That's what I meant :-p

"Groovy"

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] cinema_addict 17 years ago

The only time football matches were played on random weekday afternoons (to the best of my knowledge) was during the "three day week" strikes of the...(not sure about this)...70's. This was because they couldn't use floodlights in the evenings.

Cinema Addict - nothing but movie news:
http://www.cinemaaddict.com

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] UnlovedSeason 17 years ago

1974? Three-day week? But the series was broadcast (and so, we might reasonably assume, set) in 1981. (Those were the days – £5 for six pints and "Keep the change"!!)

I think the fact that Arthur says "This must be a Thursday" does not by any means suggest it actually *is*. The only indication that it is a weekday at all is that there are people in business suits in central London. On the other hand, Arthur is clearly not too bothered about not going to work himself that day (though he has other things on his mind, granted) and the fact that the pub is doing a good trade, along with the landlord's conversation, suggests it's far more likely a Saturday. If that's true, though, Arthur had already had Friday off for some reason, as the workman had caught him at home the previous afternoon and he'd been to the council offices. No wonder he'd lost track of the day of the week... ! ;-]

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] UnlovedSeason 17 years ago

I know what the three-day week was abaout and when, fella! I was saying that it's not relevant to the programme as that was broadcast in 1981! Also, the radio series was 1978 or thereabouts, so well after Heath's infamous folly.

As for the fashions on display, I am afraid we *are* talking contemporary for 1981 in the few scenes featuring modern-day Earth people. But of course Arthur spends the whole time in his dressing gown, most of the cast are in sci-fi costumes and Ford's outfit has been designed to make him look like a man who is trying to blend in and failing totally (as with his choice of name). He has been on Earth for 15 years but is still a sore thumb(-o-matic)! ;-]

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[–] ArizonaKnightWolf 17 years ago

Being an American, I never saw a proplem with this line. I read it and never gave it a second thought. Not familiar with English Soccer, or as call it, FOOTBALL, and being more familair with BASEBALL, whee cames are played almost daily during the season, I thought nothing of it. It is an interesting point, though.

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] UnlovedSeason 17 years ago

I meant no offence. And fair enough about not answering only me; I did not think of that (solipsist!). I am saying that HH always struck me as being set in the present day – so 1978 / 1981(?), and then the film version and (later radio series) in the 2000s. 'Fella' is a (possibly over-)familiar term I use in referring to someone I am talking to, like 'mate'. I'm not on anything, honest! The net does tend to highlight such cultural variance, but as I say, I meant no offence :-]

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[–] laurence01 12 years ago

I think the fact that Arthur says "This must be a Thursday" does not by any means suggest it actually *is*.

Actually it is established as a Thursday. Immediately after Arthur's line the Narrator's speech starts "On this particular Thursday".

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[–] TigerWarg 10 years ago

It's a line that has always grated on me.

Since floodlights have been introduced midweek afternoon matches have been very rare. As someone else pointed out, in the winter of 73/74 there were rolling power cuts, and floodlights couldn't be used. I got into big trouble for playing truant to see a game on a Tuesday afternoon in that period. The other time you get midweek games during the afternoon is on a public holiday (e.g. boxing day). But as the demolition crew wouldn't have been working on a public holiday it's not one of those.

Thursday games are also not so common as Tuesday or Wednesday as the cycle used to be Saturday - Tues/Weds - Saturday. The big exception to that was FA (& League) Cup Replays. In the days before penalty shoot-outs to decide games there could be multiple replays to get a winner. I remember going to a 4th replay one time. As they tried to get the result before the next round, they could have a replay on Tuesday, then a 2nd replay on Thursday, and so on.

Finally, there have been a couple of winters when there were a lot of postponements dues to frozen pitches. This lead to teams playing 3 games per week to make up later.

None of these would provide a reason for a game in 1981 on a Thursday afternoon.

It smacks very much of being written by someone who knows little about football.

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[–] laurence01 10 years ago

None of these would provide a reason for a game in 1981 on a Thursday afternoon.

It is however worth remembering that the line is from the original radio show, so is from 1978 not 1981.

Let Zygons Be Zygons.

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[–] dragonmaster0303 15 years ago

From personal experience, I would advise people not to buy from or trade with this guy. I did and have now waited well over a month and have received nothing but excuses. If you take the time to contact those on the feedback page (as I have now done) you will find out from a couple of them that they have received quite a few emails from people having problems.

It would seem that if he is in the mood then you will be lucky enough to get your discs, but if he cannot be bothered you will get stiffed and all you will get are email replies making up more and more ridiculous excuses. Personally, I would have thought repeat orders would be important to him, but apparently not.

Order from this bloke and it will be 50/50 whether you get anything back or not. I got nothing for my trouble and cost.

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[–] 15 years ago

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[–] hackdon_ga 17 years ago

It may have been a reserve match...I would have added possibly even women's football but I'm not sure if that had kicked off when THGTTG was first written.

Good things come to those who wait…but only the things left behind by those who hustle!

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[–] Edwardcole 16 years ago

The only logical solution lies in the books. In later works, DLA puts forth several alternate realities in which the Vogons never destroyed the Earth in the first place. The character of Fenchurch gets about ten seconds of coverage in the series, and an important role in the books. Therefore, it is entirely possible that the version of Earth destroyed in the series was not our current reality, but an alternate one in which Thursdays and Fridays are the weekends, and football matches on Thursday afternoons are common.

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[–] highlandland 16 years ago

It *is* a Thursday. Peter Jones/Stephen Fry says "On this particular Thursday things were moving quietly through the ionosphere ... " in most versions, I think.

I'm pretty sure the "Arsenal" line was just an oversight on Adams' part. The script went through many changes, starting off as a six-part show where the Earth blew up at the end of each episode, so maybe at one point it was meant to be a Saturday?

If the line had been "Going to watch the cricket?" "No, no point." "Foregone conclusion, then? ... England without a chance" it would have made perfect sense in the story - but it wouldn't have been as funny. (The third book suggests that the world is demolished on a Thursday in September 198-, on the last day of an Ashes tournament. I remember working out as a teenager that that probably meant either 1985).

Therefore I've always thought the radio (and TV) series is meant to happen in 1978, the books finally resolve themselves to happen in 1985, and the film in 2005. The obsession with bureaucracy and local government early on seems very 1970s, but the later books become more "eighties" with their mention of Walkmans and the Yuppies of Islington. And of course the film has mobiles.

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[–] The_Devonian 15 years ago

No no no no my fluffy little rosebuds, you're all barking up the wrong lamp-post! There is a logical solution, and here it is.

The barman's actual words (in the radio series at least) are: "Are you going to see the match this afternoon?". Nothing about actually going to the game itself. He may simply be enquiring about whether they intend to watch it on TV. And as Arthur is supposed to live somewhere in the West Country, it's pretty unlikely he, Ford or anybody else would be hot-footing it to Highbury, which is almost certainly a two or three hour drive away. So far, so simple.

Of course, it is (purportedly) a Thursday. The only football matches played on Thursdays in those days, apart from the occasional cup replay or rescheduled league match, would be European matches. I could be wrong, but as I recall, the (now defunct) European Cup-Winners' Cup matches were played on Thursdays, with UEFA Cup (now the Europa Cup)matches played on Tuesdays and the European Champions' Cup (now Champions' League) matches played on Wednesdays.

However, these games were all played in the evenings, usually kicking off at around 8pm local time, and the match the barman mentions is being played in the afternoon. Since it is not specifically mentioned that Arsenal are playing at home that day, it could be a reasonable assumption that Arsenal are participating in some such match on the other side of Europe, perhaps in some god-forsaken Eastern Bloc toilet, which would mean that, given the time difference, from a British perspective the match does indeed kick off in the afternoon, and this match is being shown on TV. Thus the reasoning behind the barman's quite pertinent question.

QED.

(For any disparities between the barman's actual words in the many incarnations of H2G2, I refer you to DNA's regular excuse that this is all merely to do with the completely random and inconsistent nature of the space-time continuum.)

"Vegetable rights and peace!"

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[–] Ms_Belladonna 12 years ago

This is a bit disturbing....firstly because I never noticed it and thirdly because none of the explanations or rather excuses for this goof ring true.

I have been racking my noggin trying to come up with something to bring me back to the point of suspension of disbelief and I have come up with this....

Ford and the barman have history.

Ford while doing his job (Blending into society to do research) tried to talk "Football" with some of the regulars....however being alien he makes a bit of an idiot of himself and the barman and his regulars soon realise (or think) that Ford is just a posh boy trying to fit in and pretend to know about football.

The greeting is one of the many that the barman gives every time he comes into the pub. "That Kenny Dalglish is a great goalkeeper eh sir?"....."I can't believe that goal was ruled out for being onside the other night, what do you think sir?" are some of the previous greetings the barman has used. All to confirm that Ford knows nothing about football. Thats why the barman asks "are you going to the match" in a derisory, snearing kind of way....knowing there are never football matches on a Thursday afternoon.

I hope this helps with people wanting an explanation.

I'm only half Troll....on my mothers side.

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[–] blufftoni 9 years ago

HHGTTG was so ahead of it's time that it predicted the Europa league.

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