# Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (2016 BBC Series) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 21, 2016, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246 "2016-10-21T15:19:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/1 "2016-10-21T15:19:35Z")
[http://www.bbcamerica.com/shows/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency](http://www.bbcamerica.com/shows/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency) I just started seeing commercials for this via BBC America. I’ve always loved the books but I’m not sure how this will translate to a series. It does say that it’s an adaptation of the books but there appear to be new characters. The cast list looks interesting, I think Elijah Wood can do a good job but Samuel Barnett isn’t what I’d pictured for Dirk. I never knew there were 4 episodes made back in 2012 [Dirk Gently (the television series) - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745763) that went nowhere. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/2 "2016-10-21T15:22:21Z")
I read the books long enough ago that I will have no baggage to bring in to the series. I know I liked them but I don’t really remember them. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/3 "2016-10-21T15:36:24Z")
I’ve very happy they are making it. I’ve only read the Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul, but I remember it to be quite funny. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/4 "2016-10-21T15:43:33Z")
When does it start? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/5 "2016-10-21T16:04:40Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > When does it start? Tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/6 "2016-10-21T16:08:18Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Samuel Barnett isn’t what I’d pictured for Dirk. Likewise. Dirk (in the novels) is overweight, fairly unattractive and generally looks like a schlump with a stupid hat. I guess that doesn’t make for good television. This doesn’t mean that I don’t wish well for the series. I’ll commit heresy by saying I enjoyed the Gently books more than the Guide books (although that’s probably because of the unfortunate later additions). In any event, I’m all for good things to come from them. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/7 "2016-10-21T16:10:52Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I never knew there were 4 episodes made back in 2012 [Dirk Gently (the television series) - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745763) that went nowhere. My understanding is that they were well reviewed but got killed as a bureaucratic decision by the BBC to run more overseas programming on that particular station. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/8 "2016-10-21T17:26:29Z")
I just realized that both Frodo (Wood) and Bilbo (Freeman) have played the everyman role in two adaptations of Douglas Adams works. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2016, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/9 "2016-10-23T02:42:08Z")
Watched the first episode. Definitely need to watch the second to decide whether I’ll stay with it or not since so much of the first was introducing a dozen characters and general weirdness. It’s very much just “inspired by” the novels – aside from a few Easter Egg style remarks, there’s precious little connecting it to the books. In a sense, that’s fine with me since it’s almost better than feeling like “Well, THAT’S all wrong… and that ain’t right”. Adams’ stuff doesn’t seem to translate well into film in my opinion so not even trying for a direct conversion is probably the right choice. My wife is into the BBC Sherlock & Dr Who stuff and watched it with me with largely the same reaction; not instantly hooked but willing to give it another episode and see if it’ll be something we follow. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/10 "2016-10-27T02:33:56Z")
Too soon to tell. When I was first introduced to Gently’s “fundamental interconnectedness of everything” I welcomed it as a fun way to explain some seeming chaos in my life, and have stolen it for when I want to mess with a co-worker. This Gently is less serious and more insane than the one I imagined; Steve Magnan’s Dirk was closer, and I am a bit afraid to give a listen to Harry Enfield’s interpretation. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/11 "2016-10-27T13:44:54Z")
Are there any plans to show it on BBC America? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/12 "2016-10-27T13:50:15Z")
Yes. Each episode airs on BBC America at 9pm on Saturdays. The first episode was on Saturday, October 22 and the next episode is on Saturday, October 29. Edited to add that this is actually a BBC America original production, in cooperation with Netflix. It’s not a UK import. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/13 "2016-10-27T14:19:38Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Edited to add that this is actually a BBC America original production, in cooperation with Netflix. It’s not a UK import. In fact, the show is set in the US (Seattle, I believe) and Gentley is the only character from the UK. No explanation made (yet) for why he’s in the United States. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/14 "2016-10-27T14:22:14Z")
I thought I saw California license plates on the cars in the first episode. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/15 "2016-10-27T16:24:06Z")
I enjoyed the first episode. It was definitely a bit… hyperkinetic. But I enjoyed the introduction of the interconnectedness of all things and how Dirk’s job is basically to do whatever he wants, but be aware of how things are linked. So we’ll see how it follows. Elijah Wood was pretty good as Todd. Oh, and I really (REALLY) want Dirk’s yellow leather jacket. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/16 "2016-10-27T16:26:28Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > In fact, the show is set in the US (Seattle, I believe) and Gentley is the only character from the UK. No explanation made (yet) for why he’s in the United States. Well, that explains why the accents were less of a problem for me. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/17 "2016-10-27T17:47:42Z")
I really enjoyed the inclusion of a holistic assassin. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/18 "2016-10-27T18:16:11Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I thought I saw California license plates on the cars in the first episode. That’s odd. When I saw the early promos I recognized the Washington plates right away. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/19 "2016-10-27T18:38:16Z")
You might be right. I’ll try to look at the plates in the second episode to see which state they’re from. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246/20 "2016-10-27T23:34:10Z")
British Columbia? Set in Seattle but filmed in Vancouver. BC, not WA. All of the shows filmed there I’m learning my way around. Didn’t Due South play with that, filming an ep set in Toronto in Chicago instead of the other way around? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirk-gentlys-holistic-detective-agency-2016-bbc-series/769246.md?page=2)