Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency - Netflix series

Art

Art the artist
Joined
Mar 29, 2011
Messages
8,216
Location
Vancouver
Centers on the titular holistic detective who investigates cases involving the supernatural. Based on the "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" novel series, written by Douglas Adams and published by Simon and Schuster in 1987.
Just finished with the pilot on this thing. Must say it's quite different than most shows that pop up today with good actors even. Netflix really is the gift that keeps on giving.
 

Mockney

Not the only poster to be named Poster of the Year
Joined
Jan 27, 2009
Messages
40,956
Location
Editing my own posts.
Annoyed me. I've no idea who the main character is playing, but it's not Dirk Gently. More Sheldon Cooper by way of Dr Who mixed with an American idea of a "Camp quirky Englishman" dialled up to "super annoying"

If Max Landis wanted to do his own holistic detective thing, he should've done. This current obsession with tenuously anchoring everything new to an already existing property does neither the new or the old any favours, and is yet more brand recognition nostalgia bait at worst.

It's not hateful or anything, but it's trying to do way too many things, and didn't need an "American remimagining" only a few years after the BBC proper did one. Especially since it's no interest in being anything like the source material anyway. Most egregiously, by not being funny.
 
Last edited:

Smores

Full Member
Joined
May 18, 2011
Messages
25,526
Annoyed me. I've no idea who the main character is playing, but it's not Dirk Gently. More Sheldon Cooper by way of Dr Who mixed with an American idea of a "Camp quirky Englishman" dialled up to "super annoying"

If Max Landis wanted to do his own holistic detective thing, he should've done. This current obsession with tenuously anchoring everything new to an already existing property does neither the new or the old any favours, and is yet more brand recognition nostalgia bait at worst.

It's not hateful or anything, but it's trying to do way too many things, and didn't need an "American remimagining" only a few years after the BBC proper did one. Especially since it's no interest in being anything like the source material anyway. Most egregiously, by not being funny.
To be fair i think most people can enioy a series for what it is without letting the fact it deviates widely from the original portrayal.

Seems a very pointless and petty thing to get so hung up on.
 

Mockney

Not the only poster to be named Poster of the Year
Joined
Jan 27, 2009
Messages
40,956
Location
Editing my own posts.
To be fair i think most people can enioy a series for what it is without letting the fact it deviates widely from the original portrayal.

Seems a very pointless and petty thing to get so hung up on.
Tbf, I hated the main character, regardless of who he was playing. A jumbled mix of fey 'TV' affectations that was ill-fitted and (for the most part) completely irrelevant to the rest of the show.

But you're right that things can work on their own merits. I just can't get my head around the motivation for making a largely straight drama out of a Douglas Adams conceit. It's like putting a barely recognisable version of Zaphod Beeblebrox into an episode of Star Trek and going "Yep, that sorta works. Lets call it Hitchhikers!"
 
Last edited:

GhastlyHun

Full Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2015
Messages
12,792
Location
Bavaria
Supports
Bayern München
It doesn't have a whole lot to do with Douglas Adams' novels, but it was fun watching those 8 episodes for the largest parts.
 

Ubik

Nothing happens until something moves!
Joined
Jul 8, 2010
Messages
18,882
Annoyed me. I've no idea who the main character is playing, but it's not Dirk Gently. More Sheldon Cooper by way of Dr Who mixed with an American idea of a "Camp quirky Englishman" dialled up to "super annoying"

If Max Landis wanted to do his own holistic detective thing, he should've done. This current obsession with tenuously anchoring everything new to an already existing property does neither the new or the old any favours, and is yet more brand recognition nostalgia bait at worst.

It's not hateful or anything, but it's trying to do way too many things, and didn't need an "American remimagining" only a few years after the BBC proper did one. Especially since it's no interest in being anything like the source material anyway. Most egregiously, by not being funny.
Ugh. Will avoid.
 

okLaptop1

Full Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2013
Messages
4,594
Supports
Minnesota Vikings
To be fair i think most people can enioy a series for what it is without letting the fact it deviates widely from the original portrayal.

Seems a very pointless and petty thing to get so hung up on.
I don't think it's petty to want a show called Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency to at least somewhat resemble Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. And even beyond issues of being faithful to the material, it's just not a great show. It's not nearly as cute or as witty as it thinks it is, and the "quirky" humour he's going for falls very flat for me. As someone who actually doesn't mind Max Landis, even I see all his worst qualities in this show.

Gave up after the pilot, before someone convinced me that it gets better. Watched episode 2 and gave up again.
 

dellboyy

Full Member
Joined
May 8, 2013
Messages
927
Location
Manchester
Yeah it took me a couple of episodes to get my head into the strangeness of things, but i really ended up enjoying it!

With the exception of the main character, he's just bloody annoying :)
 

noodlehair

"It's like..."
Joined
Apr 1, 2004
Messages
16,319
Location
Flagg
I started watching it but where's the humour? The best thing about Douglas Adams is how he incorporates the humour into the imagination. I guess you don't have to stick too much to the source material but at least stick to the idea/theme of the source material. Otherwise why even bother basing it on the source material? It feels kind of like a token effort in that respect. Like someone just looked up Dirk Gently on Wikipedia and decided to make a TV series.

Not interesting enough in it's own right to hold my attention in spite of this. Just feels like a bit of a waste.
 

Ducklegs

Part of first caf team to complete Destiny raid
Joined
Jun 17, 2011
Messages
8,761
It is awful.

Properly bad.

Which is not usual for a Netflix series, but this is proper dogshit TV.
 

VeevaVee

The worst "V"
Scout
Joined
Jan 3, 2009
Messages
46,261
Location
Manchester
I just watched the first episode. No idea what the hell is going on and Dirk is pretty annoying. Would've been better with someone more quirky than camp (although I've no idea what the original Dirk is like). Can't decide whether to stick with it after reading everyone else's thoughts on it.
 

squiggle

Full Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2013
Messages
836
Location
Cape Town
Supports
Ligue 1, Arsenal
I have it downloaded but haven't got around to watching it yet.

The advice I've been given is forget it has anything to do with the books and you'll enjoy it. Even people who don't usually like Max Landis' work seem to like it.
 

Smores

Full Member
Joined
May 18, 2011
Messages
25,526
I just watched the first episode. No idea what the hell is going on and Dirk is pretty annoying. Would've been better with someone more quirky than camp (although I've no idea what the original Dirk is like). Can't decide whether to stick with it after reading everyone else's thoughts on it.
Takes id say 4 episodes for it to start to settle. Me and the missus liked both seasons as easy tv, it's not amazing but its decent enough to fill the easy tv slot.

I find the caf tends to class tv programs as either amazing or shite though
 

prateik

Full Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2005
Messages
42,182
Just started watching season 2. Its weird alright.. But I'm in. Its not dirk gently from the books, so dont go in expecting that.

I really like there title theme
 

Sylar

Full Member
Joined
May 15, 2007
Messages
40,454
So...I started this on Netflix

And I love it. It's quirky so that's maybe why I like it. Already gone though season 1 and I'm liking where s2 is going

Edit: I didn't realise how old this is and when it initially came out. I thought this was a 2018 show

Edit 2: just realised there's no s3 so hopefully s2 has a nice ending and just ends there
 

Wibble

In Gadus Speramus
Staff
Joined
Jun 15, 2000
Messages
88,991
Location
Centreback
I think it was cut after S2 finished so I have a feeling it might not have a very satisfying ending.

I never watched it as I loved the book and liked the sequal, and didn't mind the UK TV version but an American version didn't appeal.
 

Fingeredmouse

Full Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2014
Messages
5,641
Location
Glasgow
I think it was cut after S2 finished so I have a feeling it might not have a very satisfying ending.

I never watched it as I loved the book and liked the sequal, and didn't mind the UK TV version but an American version didn't appeal.
It's nothing like the book at all (it shares a title and that's about it) but really great. I expected to hate it but loved it.
 

AkaAkuma

Full Member
Joined
May 15, 2012
Messages
3,203
I enjoyed both seasons and as i remember the ending was fine.

Its light hearted and not particularly bingeable
 

Cheimoon

Made of cheese
Scout
Joined
Jun 22, 2020
Messages
14,339
Location
Canada
Supports
no-one in particular
Yeah, apart from some general conceptual link, the series got nothing to do with the books. The humor is rather different also. I liked it though!

Each season is kinda standalone, so no worries of getting an incomplete series. Season 2 does build on season 1, but the series could have been ended after season 1 and it would've been fine - just as the season 2 ending is fine for the series as a whole. (I still would've liked another season though!)
 

Sylar

Full Member
Joined
May 15, 2007
Messages
40,454
I enjoyed both seasons and as i remember the ending was fine.

Its light hearted and not particularly bingeable
Yeah ending was fine. Think s3 would have ventured with Ken pretty much changing sides but overall s2 ended as a good finale so satisfied unlike with something like Scorpion
 

Edgar Allan Pillow

Ero-Sennin
Joined
Dec 7, 2010
Messages
41,417
Location
┴┬┴┤( ͡° ͜ʖ├┬┴┬
Just started on this. Both Dirk and Todd come across as super annoying earlier. But the plot and overall bizarreness kept me watching and started picking up after 3 or 4 episodes. Liking it so far.

Probably that I haven't read the books or know the character helps going previous comments.

Still one of more bingeable fun series out there.