Dirk Gently returns for three-part series

Following the hugely popular pilot, Douglas Adams’s holistic detective will be back on our screens for a further three episodes of eccentric case solving

The other Douglas Adams story made the transition to the small screen last year. Following huge viewing figures for the channel, the show will return for a miniseries starring Stephen Mangan as the self-styled Holistic Detective.

The script is in immensely skilful hands, with the three episodes penned by genius Howard Overman (creator of Misfits and a Merlin regular), Matt Jones ( Doctor Who ’s “The Impossible Planet”/”The Satan Pit”) and Jamie Matheson ( Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel / Being Human ).

Story-wise, they follow on from the first series, with each individual episode featuring a new story while maintaining the spirit of Douglas Adams’s books. It's not overly spoilery, but we've blanked this episode summary to avoid accidental giveaways – highlight to read: In Episode 1, Dirk discovers the link between a client who believes the Pentagon are trying to kill him, and a seemingly unrelated client who’s horoscopes appear to be coming true. In Episode 2 Dirk returns to his old university to protect a valuable woman-shaped robot which is stolen, plunging Dirk and Macduff into a murder mystery where they’re the prime suspects. Episode 3 sees Dirk’s old clients being murdered at random, with him as the only connection.

Speaking to the BBC website star Stephen Mangan said, "Slipping back into Dirk's pointy shoes to renew my double act with Darren Boyd for three brand new episodes is, for me, about as good as it gets. I wish I WAS Dirk."

The series airs on BBC Four in early March, with a plethora of stars such as Helen Baxendale, Jason Watkins and Lisa Jackson lined up to take part. Clips and information about the 2011 pilot can be found at the official site here . Check out the next issue of SFX magazine for more info, on newsstands Wednesday 7 March 2012.

This article written by Helena Cole

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