British Comedy Guide
Dirk Gently. Image shows from L to R: Dirk Gently (Stephen Mangan), Richard MacDuff (Darren Boyd). Copyright: The Welded Tandem Picture Company
Dirk Gently

Dirk Gently

  • TV comedy drama
  • BBC Four
  • 2010 - 2012
  • 4 episodes (1 series)

Stephen Mangan stars as Douglas Adams's holistic detective who believes he can solve crimes due to the interconnectedness of all things. Stars Stephen Mangan, Darren Boyd, Helen Baxendale, Jason Watkins and Lisa Jackson

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Dirk Gently. Image shows from L to R: Dirk Gently (Stephen Mangan), Richard MacDuff (Darren Boyd). Copyright: The Welded Tandem Picture Company

Key details

Genre
Comedy Drama
Broadcast
2010 - 2012
Channel
BBC Four
Episodes
4 (1 pilot + 1 series)
Creator
Douglas Adams
Stars
Stephen Mangan, Darren Boyd, Helen Baxendale, Jason Watkins and Lisa Jackson
Writers
Howard Overman, Matt Jones and Jamie Mathieson
Director
Tom Shankland
Producers
Chris Carey, Saurabh Kakkar, Brian Minchin and Howard Overman
Companies

BBC Four comic drama based on Douglas Adams' cult novel, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.

Stephen Mangan stars as the detective. He is joined by Darren Boyd as his unwitting sidekick Richard MacDuff, with Helen Baxendale playing Richard's girlfriend Susan.

Anti-hero Dirk Gently operates his eponymous detective agency based on the fundamental interconnectedness of all things. Perpetually broke, hopelessly chaotic and utterly infuriating, most people suspect Dirk is nothing more than a cheap conman. And they might be right - but nevertheless his methods, though unusual, do often produce surprising results...

When Dirk sets out to solve an apparently simple and harmless disappearance of a cat from an old lady's house, he unwittingly uncovers a double murder which, in turn, leads to a host of even more extraordinary events.

Stephen Mangan says: "I've been a fan of Douglas Adams ever since the Hitchhiker's radio series which I used to record as a child and listen to over and over again in my bedroom. It's such a thrill to now be playing one of his brilliant characters."

"Dirk is a chaotic, anarchic force of nature with a totally unique take on the world. He is described as 'lazy, untidy, dismissive and unreliable'. I've absolutely no idea why they thought I'd be right for the role."

Additional details

Also known as
  • Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (Original novel title)
Production
Location
Camera set-up
Single camera
Picture
Colour

Website links

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Thursday 16th December 2010 at 9pm on BBC Four
Most recent repeats
  • Thursday 9th July 2015 at 1:55am on BBC4 - Episode 3
  • Wednesday 8th July 2015 at 10:00pm on BBC4 - Episode 3
  • Thursday 2nd July 2015 at 1:55am on BBC4 - Episode 2

Recording details

  • Bristol - Pilot filmed on location in October 2010

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