Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently Series Heading to TV

[WldCard]

Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently Series Heading to TV

IDW Entertainment, Ideate Media, and Max Landis team to bring Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency to the small screen.

For many scifi fans, Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has long been considered required reading. This time around, though, it's the star of Adams' other scifi/fantasy series that's stealing the spotlight. Earlier today, IDW Entertainment and Ideate Media announced that they have jointly optioned the worldwide rights to the Dirk Gently novels, with plans to bring the "holistic detective" to television and comics.

First introduced in Adams' 1987 book, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, and revisited in the 1988 sequel, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, Adams' titular character was best known for his belief in the "fundamental interconnectedness of all things" and his "depressingly accurate knack for making wild assumptions" (just don't call him "psychic"). Since that time, Dirk Gently has been brought to life in two BBC radio shows and again in a short-lived 2012 BBC television series.

To help bring Dirk Gently to a new audience, IDW and Ideate have tapped Chronicle writer, Max Landis, to script the pilot and to act as an Executive Producer for the series.

"Alongside the obvious yada yada I'm a lifelong fan, Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul is one of the best books ever," said Landis. "This is any writer's ultimate project, and in the current TV space, it fits ridiculously well. Imagine a playground where you could come with any mystery, no matter how improbable, convoluted, or totally insane and then, simply by finding the right connections, you could tie it all down to one man, one private eye. If you're familiar with the property, you know: there's no freaking rules. Ancient gods? Sure. Larceny and petty crimes? Of course. Extra-dimensional aliens? I mean, probably; as long as you can make it funny, Dirk's on the case. This is a dream project of mine, no joke, and I absolutely positively couldn't be happier."

According to IDW, Dirk Gently won't just be setting up shop in the confines of television sets. The publisher also announced that it will be teaming with Ideate to bring the Gently's adventures to comic book fans as well, developing a new series of comics scheduled to debut in Spring 2015.

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[Reaper195]

So...it's going BACK to TV?

I'll be okay if they bring back the same actors as from the 2012 episodes. They were perfect.

 

[MetalMagpie]

I was a bit confused by the title as the only place I've come across Dirk Gently before was TV! I assume it should read "Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently Series Heading to American TV".

 

[TwistedEllipses]

I don't if it's available anywhere, but the BBC's brief 4 episode run was pretty entertaining...

 

[Covarr]

The fact that he had the sense to specifically call out the second book as being amazing is a good sign. It was near perfection, leagues better than the first, which was merely good.

P.S. Thanks

 

[LavaLampBamboo]

I have to agree with the previous posts and say that I'd really like to see them bring back the cast from the 2012 series. Stephen Mangan was an excellent Gently and Darren Boyd was great as MacDuff. Seems unlikely they'll come back, but we can hope.

 

[WldCard]

I was a bit confused by the title as the only place I've come across Dirk Gently before was TV! I assume it should read "Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently Series Heading to American TV".

Actually, the reason I didn't specifically mention "American" TV (and believe me, I thought about it for a second), is that IDW only announced the show's development. It didn't specify which market, though U.S. market IS most likely. Of course, it could just as easily end up anywhere from global syndication to SyFy in the US to Space in Canada. Without any distribution deal in place, it wouldn't be professional for me to just take a guess and to put words in IDW's mouth. I did make a point, though, of mentioning both the short lived BBC television series and the two BBC radio shows in the article.

 

[FalloutJack]

You know, I wish someone would tell me these things, so like...you know...I could go BUY them.

 

[CriticalMiss]

I'll reserve a spot for the series next to Red Dwarf in the filing cabinet of poorly executed American remakes of British comedy. Although it is actually kind of fun to see things remade for American audiences, I hope someone tries to make Father Ted and Black Books just to see how much they miss the mark.

 

[Covarr]

I hope someone tries to make Father Ted

...but so much of this show is dependent on its Irish setting... it wouldn't even make sense to remake it. Like, Life on Mars (US) was terrible, but it wasn't the setting that caused it to be so. It was literally everything else they could possibly fuck up and then did. But Father Ted? I don't see how it could even be done.

P.S. Thanks

 

[octafish]

Ugh! I don't think Dirk Gently can be translated to American without destroying the entire character. What is he going to drive if not Inspector Morse's Marwood's Jag? (I from Withnail and I) Actually Stephen Mangan's Princess was a worthy substitute. He just won't work in America.

A shame really as I think Max inherited some of his father's brilliance, and I'd like to see him work on something likely to succeed. They tried four times to Americanize Fawlty Towers and failed every time, The Office is the exception that proves the rule, and that shares nothing with the UK version but the title and the product.

 

[Isalan]

The fact that he had the sense to specifically call out the second book as being amazing is a good sign. It was near perfection, leagues better than the first, which was merely good.

P.S. Thanks

Can't agree enough with this. First book was pretty good, but Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul might be one of the best books ever written. Still re-read it every couple of years to remind myself what a great mind can do.

Besides, I've always liked Dirk Gently as a character. Anyone who has a method of getting around known as Zen Navigation (find someone who looks like they know where they're going and follow em) has to be ok in my book.

 

[shadowstriker86]

Did anyone else read this as Dick Gently or Gentle Dick?

 

[Jorpho]

I wouldn't say Neil Gaiman ripped off Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul when he wrote American Gods, but if you've read both you might find yourself questioning the limits of Gaiman's creativity.

It so happens American Gods is also heading to TV presently. Coincidence..?

 

[MetalMagpie]

I was a bit confused by the title as the only place I've come across Dirk Gently before was TV! I assume it should read "Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently Series Heading to American TV".

Actually, the reason I didn't specifically mention "American" TV (and believe me, I thought about it for a second), is that IDW only announced the show's development. It didn't specify which market, though U.S. market IS most likely. Of course, it could just as easily end up anywhere from global syndication to SyFy in the US to Space in Canada. Without any distribution deal in place, it wouldn't be professional for me to just take a guess and to put words in IDW's mouth. I did make a point, though, of mentioning both the short lived BBC television series and the two BBC radio shows in the article.

Then I guess "Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently Series Heading back to TV" would work better.

 

[carpathic]

Oh boy,oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, Oh boy,oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, Oh boy,oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, Oh boy,oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, Oh boy,oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, Oh boy,oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, Oh boy,oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, Oh boy,oh boy, oh boy, oh boy


Rarely have I read books that contained such excellent humour coupled with a pretty solid mystery. I loved these books. Hopefully TV won't screw it up too badly!
\

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my, yes I would love to watch that... Ever so damn much. I want it now, along with American Gods. Between those two I'd binge watch the hell out of 'em.
So sad that Douglas Adams isn't around to see this and have a hand in the scripting...

 

[CriticalMiss]

I hope someone tries to make Father Ted

...but so much of this show is dependent on its Irish setting... it wouldn't even make sense to remake it. Like, Life on Mars (US) was terrible, but it wasn't the setting that caused it to be so. It was literally everything else they could possibly fuck up and then did. But Father Ted? I don't see how it could even be done.

P.S. Thanks

But that would be the best part. Seeing how they try to convert it and fail. In fact I'd rather see a reality TV show where writers are tasked with attempting it.

'Maybe instead of being Irish Catholic priests... they are black guys in the hood?'
'Brilliant! We'll call it Brotha' Ted. Make five seasons immediately!'

Then they could air the original show afterwards to show how much better it is.