"I'm aware that it's a bit of a poison chalice. What I did was take the character, Dirk Gently, and his detection method, and write a new story. It has elements from the book, obviously, in it, but it's kind of a different story. Because if you've ever read the book, the story in there isn't really adaptable for TV. Especially not on the budget we've been made to do it on, because it involves an alien planet and all sorts of weird and wacky ideas." Continue reading...What do you think? Personally, I can't help feeling anxious because Overman's most recent series, BBC2's Vexed, has been a crushing disappointment and makes me suspect he's not naturally adept at writing mysteries. So hearing that Dirk Gently won't follow the plot of any of the novels, but instead pay homage to certain elements while carving out its own unique path, has me slightly worried. I understand why Overman's decided to do this (not least for budgetary reasons), but is he the man for the job?
We'll find out when Dirk Gently airs on BBC4 later this year.
