28 Sep 07
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency Radio
Next Wednesday, 'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency' will start a six part run on BBC Radio 4. The series is based on the late Douglas Adam's novel of the same name. To describe the plot is not an easy task, but in summery Dirk Gently has an unshakeable belief in the interconnectedness of all things but his Holistic Detective Agency's only success seems to be tracking down missing cats for old ladies. Then Dirk stumbles upon an old friend behaving bizarrely, and he is drawn into a four-billion year old mystery that must be solved if the human race is to avoid immediate extinction.
However, the hardback version of the book which sits lovely adorning my bookshelf proclaims from the back cover that it is a "thumping good detective-ghost-horror-who dunnit-time travel-romantic-musical-comedy-epic". It is, but don't take my word for it- here is a preview of the series:
In the title role is comedian Harry Enfield, along with Lord of the Rings actor Billy Boyd, Fawlty Towers' Andrew Sachs, and Peepshow's Olivia Colman.
Apparently there are going to be three series of six 30-minute episodes based on the two Dirk Gently novels. I believe the books to be some of Adam's finest work, and whilst I hold the Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy as one of the greatest comic novels of all time, Dirk Gently is my favourite creation of Adam's mind. The series contains his trademark philosophical based jokes-such as The Electric Monk:
The Electric Monk was a labour-saving device, like a dishwasher or a video recorder. Dishwashers washed tedious dishes for you, thus saving you the bother of washing them yourself, video recorders watched tedious television for you, thus saving you the bother of looking at it yourself; Electric Monks believed things for you, thus saving you what was becoming an increasingly onerous task, that of believing all the things the world expected you to believe.
The series is adapted and directed by Dirk Maggs, who was chosen by Douglas Adams to conclude the Hitchhikers radio saga. The series is an Above the Title Production, and more information can be found on the specially designed Radio 4 website.
A CD of the series will be available from 8th November, from all good bookshops and as a digital download from iTunes. The commercial release will also contain nearly an hour's worth of exclusive, extra material not included in the broadcast.
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency starts at 6.30pm on BBC Radio 4 from 3rd October.