 At the time of production, BBC policy required all television comedy  to have a canned "laugh track". Before its broadcast debut, episode  1 was screened to 100 science fiction fans (with laugh track and a  rather amusing introduction by Peter Jones (I) (qv)). Armed with  the fans feedback, Douglas Adams (qv) and Alan J.W. Bell (qv)  were able to convince BBC executives to change the policy, and the  laugh track was removed before broadcast.