Netflix has scooped international (non-US) rights to Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, BBC America’s new eight-part adaptation of Douglas Adams’ comic novels.
Gently is being played by The History Boys and Beautiful People star Sam Barnett with Elijah Wood playing Gently’s assistant Todd.
Described as a “comedic thriller” and written by Max Landis, the series is being co-produced by AMC, owners of BBC America, IDEATE MEDIA and IDW Entertainment, and will air on BBC America this October.
Netflix will then screen the series outside the US from December.
“Dirk Gently’s characters are complete originals,” said Sarah Barnett, President and General Manager of BBC America when announcing the series in March.
“Sam Barnett and Elijah Wood – who represent genius talent from both sides of the Atlantic – will brilliantly play these unique roles.”
The show follows the bizarre adventures of eccentric detective Gently and his reluctant assistant Todd as they wend their way through one big, seemingly insane mystery a season, crossing unlikely paths with a bevy of wild and sometimes dangerous characters, each episode landing them a few random steps closer to uncovering the truth.
Dirk has strange, psychic abilities that enable him to sense invisible tangential connections.
He’s taken these strange abilities and has invented a new profession for himself: that of “holistic detective,” a term that reflects his belief in the fundamental interconnectedness of all things.
However, his abilities have condemned him to a life very much alone – this master of universal interconnectedness has spent a life ironically without human connection.
