Funny man Douglas Adams, perhaps most famous for his radio series turned novel, A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, will soon have another of his tales brought to life. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is a dramedy that Douglas once described as sort of the kitchen sink of genres; containing bit of horror, murder-mystery, romantic comedy, and even a musical feel.
Dirk Gently is the story of a guy who isn't the brightest crayon in the box and can oftentimes come off as a total sham. With elements that Doctor Who fans will recognize, there are even hints of a time traveling professor among the many other ridiculously hilarious occurrences in the book. There will no doubt be some changes from book to screen, but IDW, Ideate Media, AMC Studios, and BBC America have co-produced something they believe fans will enjoy.
Starring Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings, Last Witch Hunter), Samuel Barnett (History Boys, Penny Dreadful), Hannah Marks (Necessary Roughness, The Real O'Neals), and Jade Eshete (Shades of Blue), Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency can also boast about some exciting behind-the-scenes talent with producer and lead writer Max Landis (Chronicle, Me Him Her) and showrunner Robert Cooper (Stargate TV series'). BBC America released a first look trailer during San Diego Comic-Con 2016 (see above), offering a better idea of what to expect from the show.
BBC America's official synopsis of the series is as follows:
When the bizarre murder of a millionaire thrusts loner Todd (Wood), into the orbit of Dirk Gently (Barnett), an eccentric detective who believes they’re destined to solve the murder-mystery together, his life will never be the same. They’ll cross unlikely paths with a bevy of wild and dangerous characters, each episode landing them a few random steps closer to uncovering the truth.
Given Douglas' other outlandish characters, viewers can expect more of the same from this hodgepodge bunch. Dirk "believes that everything is connected and just by living his life, wandering from place to place, he will be able to solve any mystery put in front of him,” says Landis in an interview with EW. And of how Todd found himself partnered up with such an eccentric personality? “Todd’s an interesting character. He’s honestly not gung-ho about helping Dirk do anything, much less be his assistant,” the writer added.
In the series, we'll also meet Farah Black (Jade Eshete) who is head of security for a billionaire, and a group of anarchist vampires who call themselves the Rowdy 3. Based on what BBC America has put out in the trailer above, the series looks more like an action comedy filled with off the wall characters. Vampires, a quirky detective, and a reluctant sidekick sounds like it could be a lot of fun.
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is an eight-part series that premieres on BBC America on Saturday, October 22, 2016.
Source: BBC America