Below are the DIRK GENTLY synopses that have appeared on the BBC AMERICA website.
Date: March 22, 2016
BBC AMERICA announced today Elijah Wood (The Trust, Cooties, Wilfred) has been cast as “Todd” in the network’s new original scripted series Dirk Gently, set to premiere in Fall 2016. Penned by Max Landis – the mind behind cult classic Chronicle – the (8 x 60) series is a co-production of AMC Studios, IDEATE MEDIA and IDW Entertainment with Circle of Confusion producing.
Dirk Gently is a comedic thriller that follows the bizarre adventures of eccentric “holistic” detective Dirk 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.
He’s not a sidekick. Todd’s just flat out better than Dirk at a lot of things. He always attempts to solve matters with the fewest steps possible; despite being a compassionate, sweet, smarter-than-average man with biting wit, Todd often finds himself at the intersection of morally gray crossroads. Thus, his bad habits of lying and stealing have dire consequences that he can’t put off forever, even though he tries. Todd’s not a bad person. He’s not a good person yet, either, but he’ll get there.
As Todd describes himself to Dirk Gently: “I am not your Watson, asshole. I am not available for side-kicking on something I am not involved with. I am my own messed up person with my own messed up problems.”
The series is an adaptation of Douglas Adams’ (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Doctor Who) wildly successful comic novels, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency and is set in the unexpected world of the hyper, absurd, eponymous detective Dirk Gently.
In addition to creator, Max Landis, executive producers include Ted Adams and David Ozer for IDW; David Alpert and Rick Jacobs for Circle of Confusion and Zainir Aminullah and Arvind Ethan David for IDEATE MEDIA.
Dirk Gently is the newest addition to BBCA’s scripted slate including Orphan Black, Doctor Who, Undercover, Thirteen, London Spy, The Living and The Dead, Luther and Class.
Date: May 24, 2016
BBC AMERICA announced today the start of production on its highly anticipated new series, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. Penned by Max Landis and from the producers of The Walking Dead, the series is a comedic thriller that follows the bizarre adventures of eccentric “holistic” detective Dirk Gently (Samuel Barnett) and his reluctant assistant Todd (Elijah Wood). This season, Dirk and Todd wend their way through one big, seemingly insane mystery, 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. The series is an adaptation of Douglas Adams’ (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) wildly successful comic novels, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, and is set in the unexpected world of the hyper, absurd, eponymous detective. Filming in Vancouver runs through August and the series premieres Saturday, October 22nd on BBC AMERICA.
“Douglas Adams might have said we ended up with the cast we were meant to have. I’d add we’re extremely happy about it,” said showrunner Robert Cooper.
The series also stars Hannah Marks as Todd’s sister Amanda, a former rebellious punk riot grrl, now sidelined and housebound by a painful genetic disorder.
The latest additions to the cast include: Jade Eshete as Farah Black, the athletic, self-doubting, bad-ass, hyper competent but utterly anxious Security Officer to a billionaire; Mpho Koaho as Ken, a nerdy, friendly-faced tech trapped in increasingly difficult and bloody circumstances; Fiona Dourif as Bart Curlish, the terrifying, homicidal, deranged, fearless and nearly invincible self-identified “Holistic Assassin”; Michael Eklund as Martin, violent ring leader of the Rowdy 3 with an inexplicable sensitive side; Miguel Sandoval as Colonel Scott Riggins, beleaguered CIA head of a defunct secret bureau investigating the paranormal; Dustin Milligan as Sergeant Hugo Friedkin, Riggin’s subordinate, unpredictable, wildly ambitious and dangerous moron; and Aaron Douglas as Gordon Rimmer, an enigmatic loser with an impressive series of horrible secrets. Also joining the inaugural season is Neil Brown Jr. as Estevez and Richard Schiff as Zimmerfield, missing person’s detectives operating increasingly off book as they follow the trail of a complex and mystifying case. Additional casting for the series will continue over the course of production.
When asked about casting, show creator Max Landis responded: “I couldn’t be happier. We got such wonderful actors, it’s really a shame we’re killing so many of the characters.”
In addition to Max Landis and Robert Cooper, Dirk Gently’s executive producers include Ted Adams and David Ozer for IDW; David Alpert and Rick Jacobs for Circle of Confusion and Zainir Aminullah and Arvind Ethan David for IDEATE MEDIA. Oscar-winning director Dean Parisot will direct the series’ first two episodes.
Dirk Gently is the newest addition to BBCA’s scripted slate including Doctor Who, Orphan Black, Thirteen, Undercover, The Living and The Dead, London Spy, Luther and Class.
EVERYTHING. IS. CONNECTED!
Date: September 15, 2016
Corpses – cops – traps – cult – assassins – Pararibulitis – vampires – lottery ticket – kitten – corgi – everything is connected in this bizarre world. It all begins on the absolute worst day of Todd’s life. After his drug dealing landlord trashes his car, he trudges onto a Seattle bus to make it to his job as a bellhop. Dispatched to the hotel penthouse, the horrific scene of murdered millionaire, Patrick Spring, begets a peculiar chain of events that makes him a person of great interest…and gets him sacked from his job.
Enter Dirk Gently, the fast talking, eccentric detective hired to investigate the case. Dirk, whose philosophy hinges on the interconnectedness of all things, wholly believes he and Todd are destined to untangle the mystery together, and tries his hardest to convince Todd to embrace the madness because let’s face it, what else has he got going on… Once half-convinced, Todd’s world is infiltrated by a collection of wild and dangerous characters who further complicate his life, all because of Dirk Gently.
In addition to Todd’s ailing sister Amanda (Hannah Marks), a former punk-chick, now a Pararibulitis sufferer, there’s Farah Black (Jade Eshete), a security officer assigned to protect the murder victim’s daughter, and friend of Dirk Gently, The Rowdy 3 (Michael Eklund, Osric Chau, Viv Leacock and Zak Santiago), Yes, a quartet of psychic vampires who constantly target Dirk Gently, Zimmerfield (Richard Schiff) and Estevez (Neil Brown Jr.), detectives assigned to investigate the same complex case Dirk Gently was hired to investigate, Gordon Rimmer (Aaron Douglas), a loser cult leader with deep secrets, who’s lost dog is tied to the case, and Colonel Riggins (Miguel Sandoval), the leader of a failed CIA secret experiment and his idiot officer, Sergeant Friedkin (Dustin Milligan) who are ordered to capture Dirk Gently.
Far away from the city, Ken (Mpho Koaho) too is having a really bad day. While minding his business of hacking into a mainframe to make a few bucks, a seemingly deranged assassin, Bartine “Bart” Curlish (Fiona Dourif) insinuates herself into his life…after she tries to murder him…because she mistook him for Dirk Gently…without actually knowing if he was Dirk Gently…because Bart is not a very thorough assassin. But she is a holistic one, that kills whomever the universe tells her to. And you guessed it, it’s told her to kill Dirk Gently.
Each week, viewers will enter the escape room-esque mystery that’ll weave these characters together through seemingly innocuous events; somehow bringing everyone closer to solving the case of the murdered millionaire. And maybe, help to rid Todd of Dirk Gently, and restore his mundane, unvarying, shallow, depressed and boring, BORING sex life…
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency is an eight-part co-production of AMC Studios, IDEATE MEDIA and IDW Entertainment, with Circle of Confusion producing for BBC AMERICA. Max Landis writes and executive produces the series with Robert Cooper (Stargate Atlantis, Stargate Universe) serving as executive producer and showrunner, and Oscar-winning director Dean Parisot (Justified, Masters of Sex) serving as executive producer and director of the series’ first two episodes. Arvind Ethan David and Zainir Aminullah for IDEATE MEDIA executive produce along with Ted Adams and David Ozer for IDW and David Alpert and Rick Jacobs for Circle of Confusion. Kim Todd serves as producer.