After the original radio series, the only version I saw that came anywhere close to the spirit of the piece was a theatre show which toured Britain in the 80s by a small Welsh company called (Ithink) Theatre Clwyd, from Mold.

They decided there was no way they could capture the huge landscape that you can on radio, (Vogon constructor fleetts and the like) and so didn't even try for flashy special effects. They ley us use our imagination.

Arthur's house was demolished by a toy bulldozer trundling on stage; Zaphod's second head was a ventriloquist's dummy head which he held up with his left hand; The Vogon captain stood on stepladders on stage to deliver his poetry while Arthur and Ford sat in the theatre stalls and screamed; and, best of all, when they materialised in the hold of the 'B' Ark, they wandered round the audience, grabbing audience members and claiming to have found dead telephone sanitisers and account executives.

It was absolute magic, because the story, the characters and the humour were allowed to shine. Other versions seem to have too caught up with wizz-bang sci-fi special effects. THEY'RE NOT THE POINT!