Dirk Gently (2016 - )

[cosmichobo]

G'day,

I have just stumbled upon the latest take on Douglas Adam's Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency:

Produced by BBC America and Netflix (debuting 2016), and staring Samuel Barnett and Elijah Wood, this series briefly mentions Adam's 2 novels featuring the titular detective, before embarking on a whole new adventure in the inter-connectedness of all things.

I originally found a copy of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency in the early 90's after having gorged myself on Adam's best known work - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I couldn't put the book (Dirk) down - finishing it in one afternoon. Whilst the sequel didn't appeal quite as much, it's remained a favourite through the years, and whilst there's been various other attempts at adapting Dirk to tv, this is - I believe - the best (because it's the only one I've watched).

Dirk_Gently_UK_front_cover.jpg

Whilst some may feel it sacrilegious to set the series in the USA (Barnett is at least English), I simply went in with an open mind, and have to say - whilst it took 2 episodes to really get into it - by the time I got to the end I was dying for more! ... and thus extremely pleased to learn there is a second series... and pissed that it's not on Australian Netflix as yet!

To those who are not familiar with the novels - well - having grabbed my copy off the shelf - here's the blurb from the dust jacket of the original novel.

Dirk Gently is a detective - well, a sort of detective. There is a long and honourable tradition of great detectives and Dirk Gently does not belong to it. Sherlock Holmes observed that once you have eliminated the impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. Dirk Gently, however, does not like to eliminate the impossible. He is far more interested in quantum mechanics, conjuring tricks and pizza than in fiddling around with fingerprint powder, and so his investigations tend to produce startling results.

In fact, that does little to describe BBC America/Netflix's series. Let me try again.

A downbeat bellhop faces the worst day of his life as he is attacked by his landlord, discovers a horrifically bizarre murder scene, loses his job, and suffers a home-invasion by his new best friend - a detective who believes in the inter-connectedness of all things. He soon finds himself in the middle of a mystery spanning more than a century, on the hunt for a missing girl, whilst in turn being pursued by a volatile array of deviants.

Cute kitty...

If you haven't caught this one yet - give it a go!

I hope the second series comes to AU soon. I wont wait long.

cheers
cosmic

PS Damn - didn't realise I had frowny-faced the post's title! Can't fix it either... D'oh.

[Spimman]

I really like this show. It is unusual in so many ways but really works for me. I even feel like S1 really built well into S2 while at the same time each season pretty much stands on its own. While set in the US, the show has a very British feel to it in my mind in that hard to quantify way.

[cosmichobo]

Just got to the end of Season 2... And it's been cancelled.

BBC America announced at the end of December that they have cancelled the show. Only just read that now having gone looking to see when we'd be getting S3...

There's a petition to keep it going, but we all know those things are futile (other than Doctor Who circa 1985).

Very sad that we won't get to see at least 1 more season, especially given the last 5-10 minutes of the finale which so very very obviously was setting everything up for a continuation...

The reveal at the end of the huge sign was a marvelous event for the fans of the novels... (though it should have been bronze if memory recalls )



Gutted, as this show has really stolen me away.

Time to read the books again I guess... It has been a long while.

[Spimman]

Bummer, I hadn't heard.

[cosmichobo]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/bright...sexual-assault

There has been social media accusations of sexual misconduct against Dirk Gently's creator, Max Landis.

This may be why the show has been cancelled by BBC America, as they try to distance themselves from him before things potentially escalate.

Some fans are petitioning Netflix to take over the production of Dirk Gently from BBCA, whom they co-produced the first 2 series. This is not outside the realms of possibility. In late 2017 Netflix premiered another Landis production, "Bright", starring Will Smith. Netflix have apparently requested a sequel, however without Landis' involvement.

https://www.polygon.com/2018/1/3/168...dis-david-ayer

At this point, no word from Netflix...