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Douglas Adams

Douglas Adams

Writer and actor, also producer · Died May 11, 2001, aged 49 · Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK

Douglas Noel Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English writer, humorist, and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold more than 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television series, several stage plays, comics, a computer game, and in 2005 a feature film. Adams's contribution to UK radio is commemorated in The Radio Academy's Hall of Fame

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 11, 1952
Died
May 11, 2001 (aged 49)
From
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK
Works as
Writer and actor, also producer
Titles
9 on MovieCove · 25 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 34% in 30 days

What are Douglas Adams' films like?

Across their 5 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Ideas and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Ideas
50%
Self
28%
Society
16%
Bonds
6%
Truth2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 3 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Wry: How sincerely it treats its story and characters, from ironic to earnest. Browse their wry movies.
Tone · Sincerity
ironicearnest

A split, not a type: Ironic 2 · Wry 0 · Earnest 1

Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 3 · Serious 0 · Dark 0

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 1 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 2

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 1 · Intense 0

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 2 · Shifting 0 · Whiplash 1

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 1 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Absurd
5
Contemplative
3
Warm
1
Joyful
1
Tense
1
Other
1

How their films linger

Fun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet2
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Douglas Adams' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 9 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Roku Channel (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Douglas Adams' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

25 credits, 9 with a MovieCove page; 14 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Here After(2020)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Doctor Who: Shada (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Script Editor · Writer

  • Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency(2016)

    Show 18 episodes · Book

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Dirk Gently(2010)

    Show 3 episodes · Creator · Novel

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • A Matter of Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as (archive footage)

  • Parrot Fashion(2007)

    Thanks · as (archive footage)

  • Paris in the Springtime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as (archive footage)

  • The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy(2005)

    Executive Producer · Novel · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Doctor Who: Shada (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Writer

  • Rockstar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director · as Black shoe and blue jeans trouser leg

  • Doctor Who: Shada (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Script Editor · Writer

  • Hyperland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Writer · as Self

  • The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Writer · as Man in Ocean

  • The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy(1981)

    Show 6 episodes · Book · Creator · Writer · as Man in Ocean (uncredited) · as Man in Pub (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • Doctor Who: The Horns of Nimon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Script Editor

  • Doctor Who: Nightmare of Eden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Script Editor

  • Doctor Who: The Creature from the Pit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Script Editor

  • Doctor Who: City of Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Script Editor · Writer

  • Doctor Snuggles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer

  • Doctor Who: Destiny of the Daleks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Script Editor

  • Doctor Who: The Armageddon Factor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Script Editor

  • Doctor Who: The Pirate Planet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Writer

  • Out of the Trees(1976)

    Writer · as Thug Attacking Old Lady

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Monty Python's Flying Circus(1969)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer · Actor

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Doctor Who(1963)

    Show 20 episodes · Script Editor · Writer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

Career shape

A full career of 26 titles from 1963 to 2021.

Biggest box office

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

$104M worldwide

Highest rated

The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1981)

Midcredits 89th

Most popular right now

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

Film career

  • 1981Screen debut· The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting8 of 26: 3 only acting, 5 with another roleDirecting1 of 26: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting20 of 26: 15 only writing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score89thProducing1 of 26: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew4 of 26: 1 only other crew, 3 with another role

26 titles, 7 with more than one role — writing and acting overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1960s3 · 2 acting · 2 crew1970s8 · crew1980s3 · 2 acting · 3 crew1990s2 · crew2000s6 · 4 acting · 4 crew2010s3 · crew2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Douglas Adams' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of the 3 of 4 with a score; across a limited sample of 3 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 74th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Approval · how many liked their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Reach · how many have seen their films

24thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Midcredits score across 8 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 8 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · actor, writer

Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969)

51st percentile spread · 9% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, writer

Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969)

Midcredits 95th · 87% liked

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Douglas Adams work with?

People who share at least 2 of Douglas Adams' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Sam Rockwell shares the most, 2.

Actors

Mixed roles