Doctor Who Club of Australia

[Theta Sigma]

Kevin Jon Davies has posted at Gallifrey announcing that BBC Radio 4 has commissioned Above The Title (with Dirk Maggs in charge) to make the radio adaptation of Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently books. It will be 18 x 30 minute episodes. This means that it will be over 3 series of 6 episodes and will begin in October of this year. The series was ordered by commissioning editor for comedy and entertainment Caroline Raphael.

Davies also says that no casting decisions has been made nor any word on how the unfinished novel "Salmon Of Doubt" will be concluded.

The first Dirk Gently book had elements of the Doctor Who serials City of Death & Shada both of which were written by Douglas Adams himself.

[Theta Sigma]

Just listened to the first episode which is available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/dirkgently/ and thought it was quite enjoyable.

The beginning definitely did feel like one of Douglas Adams' Doctor Who stories. (It becomes very obvious which one I am talking about just by listening to it.)

It's too bad that James Fox did not play Professor Chronotis since he did play the character by that name in the Big Finish version of Shada. However Professor Chronotis here in Dirk Gently is played by Andrew Sachs who himself was in that said version of Shada!

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Episode 2:
I found this barely passable.
The flashbacks is ok and of course the porter recognising Richard is something familiar as something similar to this is in Shada.

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Episode 3:
Enjoyed this episode more than the previous episode and quite an interesting backstory about Dirk Gently.

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Episode 4:
As the first series is soon coming to a close this was very fun especially the characterisation of the Electric Monk in this episode.

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Episode 5:
This was an ok but not a great listen. A little shock with the cliffhanger.

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Episode 6:
I really enjoyed this. Towards the end it definitely felt like City of Death and what an ending.

This is the end of the first series. The second series which is the adaptation of the second book The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul begins on June 26 2008.

[Theta Sigma]

The second series based on The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul begins on October 2 instead of June 26 as previously reported.

Included in the cast is Peter Davison:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/dirkgently/cast.shtml

[Theta Sigma]

The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul Episode 1:
Good opening episode.
Quite a funny scene involving gods.
What a shock that came out of Heaththrow airport.

The series has been dedicated to Hitchhiker radio producer Geoffrey Perkins who sadly was recently killed in a car accident.

[Theta Sigma]

The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul Episode 2:
Someone said that Dirk Gently looks like one of the fat Doctor Whos(!) and Peter Davison just happens to be in this series.
What a shock on how Dirk Gently found Anstey.
Not a bad cliffhanger.

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The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul Episode 3:
Interesting device to help make decisions.
What a funny line for the cliffhanger.

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The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul Episode 4:
Funny that Thor has to use the bathroom.
Creepy when the lights went out in Kate's presence.
Ooh what a way for Dirk to meet the Draycocks.

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The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul Episode 5:
Until I listened to this episode I did not know that the day Thursday came from Thor.
Wow what a trip Kate has to Valhalla.
Oh dear for Dirk having to go through something terrible again for the cliffhanger.

[Theta Sigma]

The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul Episode 6:
What a twist regarding the Draycocks and how they last appeared here.
What a shock that Dirk Gently gets at the end in this the end of the second Dirk Gentley series.