Dirk Gently (2010–2012) User Reviews (13)

Funny.

[sagei · 8/10 · 31 March 2012]

Still laughing at dogging behind bush.

Nailed the cast. Gently, Macduff and Gilks work well. Janice and co are competent.

Holistic detective Gently relies on the universe to unravel mysteries based on the 'interconnectedness of all things'. He is not above giving the universe a hand though and will stalk complete strangers but won't pay his bills.

Macduff is cynical, contemptuous, carping, cautious and yet surprisingly committed assistant/partner.

Together they make for a bromance far more engaging than any manufactured romance would have been. Oddly reminiscent of Caine and Kingsley - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096454/ . That was a Sherlock spoof. This one isn't but comparisons with new sherlock may spring to mind.

Writing is good. Banter is brisk. Cases are crazy. As is the secretary. Not to mention the domestic help.

Lovelorn AI to cleaner/assassin from Poland. Nonsense that still keeps your eyes glued to the screen.

Absurd but addictive.

Time well spent.

Wish them well.

Thank you.

Channels the book well

[tlloydesq · 7/10 · 11 August 2013]

This is "based on Douglas Adams' book" well, the names are the same. Not a huge problem though as I think Adams would be happy with this programme.

Dirk Gently runs a "holistic detective agency" and believes in the inter-connectivity of events. He is accompanied in his quests by Richard MacDuff. So yeah, it's Holmes and Watson to some extent.

What I like about these programmes is that they don't dwell too long on analysing the crimes or digging into the characters' backgrounds. The writers concentrate more on providing a slightly off-beat story. While features of Dirk Gently (and to some extent MacDuff) are constants through all 3 programmes, there is no attempt to shove them "in yer face". There is also a degree of ambiguity about the setting although I guess it is around the time it was produced. I sometimes think producers place too much time on getting the background right while, quite frankly, I don't care.

Stephen Mangan is a tad irritating in the first programme with his Holmesian deliveries but this begins to work the longer you watch. He carries the lead role well. And Darren Boyd has never impressed me in the past but he works well as the sidekick. I like the portrayal of the Janice/secretary character. It is quite one dimensional (not a bad thing) and isn't over used.

The producers have struck a balance with the actors, story and setting. I am disappointed that this looks like the only time we will see this combination as I enjoyed all three episodes.

Wonderful little series

[lamerok · 9/10 · 11 September 2015]

I love Douglas Adams but it has been many years since I read the Dirk Gently books. This television series definitely captures the flavour of the novels even if it is not a direct adaption of the books.

I thought the casting was excellent. I was not familiar with any of the actors in this series but I am interested to see what else they have done. The two leads (Stephen Mangan as Dirk Gently and Darren Boyd as Richard MacDuff) worked perfectly together with Boyd playing the straight man or foil to Mangan's very funny and eccentric character.

The episodes were all amusing and engaging. My only complaint is that there are only four of them. I would have loved to see more of this show and I highly recommend this series for anyone who has enjoyed the works of Douglas Adams or anyone who thinks they might enjoy a quirky English detective show.

Crazy and funny

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 26 February 2015]

Stephen Mangan is a riot as Dirk Gently, who runs a "holistic detective agency." Gently believes in the interconnectedness of all things and that the universe will solve his cases. The universe might, but they won't pay his bills or clean his office. Darren Boyd is sort of his partner, MacDuff, and Gently drives him nuts.

This is a wildly funny show, with one client paying Gently to find out who is stalking him, which turns out to be Gently himself, in another case he works on finding a cat and uses time travel, that sort of thing.

Mangan is intense and outrageous as Gently, with wild hair and a declamatory voice. Everyone around him looks fairly discouraged. Unfortunately this series only lasted one season, but I notice there's a TV movie made in 2015. Maybe it will be back.

Would make Adams proud

[jimjoe12543 · 10/10 · 20 September 2017]

I have multiple copies of each Dirk Gently book, including soft covers, hard covers, first editions, and signed copies. This show kept Dirk pretty darn close to the true spirit of the originals. The stories are reminiscent of something Adams may have written in the early 2010's.

Mangan is the perfect casting for Dirk, and plays him naturally. MacDuff is a bit more bland than the novels, but is played well by Boyd.

It is a shame that there are so many people that don't appreciate how well done this show as, from the perfectly themed and timed musical cues, to the cinematography itself.

Any true DNA fan prefers this adaptation to the horrid, new atrocity playing on TV.

fun character

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 17 February 2018]

Holistic detective Dirk Gently (Stephen Mangan) solves his cases by deciphering the interconnectivity of everything no matter how incredible. His cases range from a missing dog to a murder linked to the Pentagon. Richard MacDuff invests into his agency despite his girlfriend Susan Harmison's objections.

Stephen Mangan is great and I love him in Episodes. MacDuff is a bit of a dud. His character doesn't have much charm. I'd rather have more Susan Harmison. She's a great foil to the Dirk character. This is based on Douglas Adams work and it has his irreverent touch. The first episode has a hilarious take on Schrödinger's cat. I need more of that and a better second to Dirk. Otherwise, this is pretty fun with a wacky character.

It's the Pink Panter meets the Twighlight Zone

[brailsford · 9/10 · 23 February 2019]

This series is amazingly bizarre, Amazingly Funny and leaves you guessing where the story is going often leading you down a rabbit hole that only concludes when you've looked at the most improbable solution to the problem possible. Dirk Gently is a detective who solves cases Holistically believing every thing is interconnected in the universe and that by pursuing every solution for one case he will often solve other cases, while this often appears to his partner McDuff like he is doing nothing on one he has a way of one thing from one case coming back and helping him work the other cases. His cases aren't always simple cases with obvious clues though as they often result in super science and solutions that push improbability to the limits.

The two lead characters personalities play off each other well and the actors do a good job establishing these traits.

Different kind of series but fun

[rmalcusa · 7/10 · 17 December 2020]

Not familiar with the book series. Reminds me of a cult film like Buckaroo Bonsai

Underrated and Hilarious

[ojgrether · 8/10 · 3 October 2020]

Truly deserved more than 4 episodes, i miss this show dearly. Both characters are funny and entertaining! The episodes are unique and interesting, and Stephen is great as always

Enjoyable - but gone before its time

[kevinslegg · 7/10 · 15 May 2021]

This was another one of our 'catch-up's' vial BritBox.

Whilst my daughter had read the books I had not, not did I really know much about the story.

I found the cast was well chosen, and the story's amusing - but there are so few episodes (the Pilot + 3) you haven't really 'bonded' with the characters before its all over. It's a shame as it hadn't really found its feet and I wonder what it would have been like with a few more seasons.

However, it's certainly worth a watch.

How can you not admit brilliance?

[Bobonthecouch · 9/10 · 3 September 2017]

How can you not admit the brilliance of stealing a character from an extremely popular show such as "Orphan Black" three years in the future? It doesn't get any more holistic than that. Beyond that playful jab at Siren555, this is typical British inanity. Enjoyable but not memorable. I am about to watch the second episode about a month after I'd seen the first and must admit I recall very little from the pilot. Yet I'm sure I will smile often, chuckle occasionally and potentially laugh out loud once or twice. It is what it is, you get what you pay for and caveat emptor.

Ps. Apparently the first episode was not the pilot. I'll have to try and find it.

Wellalright... found the pilot. Excellent! I gave it a 9. Amidst all the silliness was actually an imaginative mystery. Mysteries I should say. The twists at the end were Hitchcockian/Serlingesque. Very entertaining and worth every minute.

Addendum: The way I rate shows... I don't usually review anything less than a 7 because 6 would be a failing grade and I won't waste my time watching it. I'm old; I don't know how much time I've got left. Since I probably turned it off before getting even halfway through, it wouldn't be fair to rate or review it. 7 is watchable but I may go a while between episodes since, though somewhat entertaining, there are other shows more interesting or compelling. 8 would be a regular in my lineup. 9 is a must see and probably bingeable. 10 is just the epitome of superbity and headed for my all-time favorites list. I'm adding this to my reviews because it seems there are a lot of binary reactions to pretty much everything these days. I am not a like/unlike kind of guy. I see a lot of grays so if I give something a 10 it doesn't mean the only alternative is a 1.

A Mixed Bag

[MnemonicDevice · 5/10 · 4 April 2021]

The best thing about this series is the casting. Stephen Mangan makes for a nearly pitch perfect Dirk Gently and Darren Boyd is a suitably bland (not in a bad way) and dry-witted Richard MacDuff.

The worst thing, unfortunately, is the writing. There are many references to-and direct lifts from-the novels (especially the first one), but they are often handled in an inartful manner and are frequently devoid of the full context that made them funny and/or poignant. More significantly, this show made the bizarre decision to excise most of the characteristic pulpy weirdness of the novels. Mostly gone are the ghosts, aliens, alien robots, ancient gods, et al. Of the books. There are only really two notable sci-fi nods in this series and both are fairly unsatisfying, instead this show seems to have strangely made the decision to position itself as simply a less deductive version of Sherlock.

The worst

[tristanrahn · 1/10 · 24 January 2019]

It had terrible acting terrible plot just terrible everything.