Douglas Adams Continuum (DAC)

Well, what did you think?
For me, I quite enjoyed it as a show and it had amusing moments and some quite clever plot ideas but it wasn't Douglas's type of humour and, to be honest, the use of his characters was actually pretty pointless. It was littered with references to both of the books which really eliminated any possibility of the future series using the books' plots. Dirk and Richard were very good but Helen Baxendale, who I normally like, was horribly wooden.
If people who have never read Douglas do so because they saw this, it is a good thing but I think anybody familiar with his work will find it unsatisfying.

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D.
The Thirteenth Triskaidekaphobe
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Of course I missed the halved cat and other gems of the book but it was said from the very start that they wouldn't stick too closely to Douglas' plot. I enjoyed it anyway and I really liked the cast, including the very lovely Helen Baxendale. Stephen Mangan was marvellous as Dirk!

Dear BBC, can I have some more, please?

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Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
(Douglas Adams, "Last Chance to See")

Well I loved it.
I think it had more of Douglas' spirit then I expected. It started strongly, sagged a bit in the middle, but finished well.
Cast was great except for Dirk's secretary. Story held together well, and it was reassuringly quirky.
I'm sure if/when the series comes they'll find a way of getting round the various plot references.

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The drug purportedly affected an area of the brain called "Shatner's Bassoon"

I used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in my body. Then I realized who was telling me this.
http://s267.photobucket.com/albums/ii297/h2g230/

Lots to like. A few things things that jarred slightly, particularly lack of use of Gilks and Janice, but then they only had 60 minutes. All that outweighed by some great little bits of Adams's Dirk Gently reproduced on screen. Some little nods, some bigger nods. Enjoyed it - want more. Many things set up for a full series.

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(... don't piss us off)

The reviews look good:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-enter ... 62609.html

http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/reviews/85069 ... irk-gently

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/ ... se-made-me

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(... don't piss us off)

Oh, forgot to mention a very DNA style plot hole - the iPhone was something Douglas surely would have approved of but how did it remain charged for 15 years?
Even old Steve Jobs wouldn't claim it was that magical:)

Edit:
Just watched it again and liked it a lot more. Still think Susan miscast but noticed a lot more little touches. Yes, could stand a series of this.

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D.
The Thirteenth Triskaidekaphobe
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My review is here and yes i quite liked it too :

http://lifednah2g2.blogspot.com/2010/12 ... eview.html

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http://www.douglasadams.eu

http://www.voyageurgalactique.com

I liked it, a few niggles but I liked it. There are many detective TV shows out there and they all need their own angle and this is essentially what we're getting with Dirk Gently. I see nothing wrong with taking this unique idea of a holistic detective and developing it into a series. Of course no one can write like DNA but if they can find writers who understand the character well enough then this could become a successful series. This would have to be fresh stories of course which wouldn't need to be very close to the original books. I think Douglas came up with a great concept for a TV series without even realising it!

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Her mouth opened, her eyes patients, the variety of age and constitution as a pullets egg, with some gobbits of fat, and the heavy sand.

(... don't piss us off)

I've just watched it for the second time as well, and still enjoyed it, although Helen Baxendale was probably the wek link.

I'm sure there is material for a series, after all they managed to produce an hour worth of TV on obviously a limited budget. I also saw an advert on News 24 advertsining Tuesday's re-run.

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I'm going to start a new company. It's going to be called 'Easy McApple.' The revenue stream will be based on betting who will sue me first...

The cast will often change between the pilot and the series. If the series gets commisioned it will be interesting to see who stays and who goes...

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Her mouth opened, her eyes patients, the variety of age and constitution as a pullets egg, with some gobbits of fat, and the heavy sand.

(... don't piss us off)

Did you recognise all the locations, Scratch?

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D.
The Thirteenth Triskaidekaphobe
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Funny was that the school location in Dirk Gently was the same as the college location in the latest George Gently episode.

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Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
(Douglas Adams, "Last Chance to See")

Most of them Gusty why, did you want a tour?!

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Her mouth opened, her eyes patients, the variety of age and constitution as a pullets egg, with some gobbits of fat, and the heavy sand.

(... don't piss us off)

Yes please.

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(... don't piss us off)

Sounds like a cunning plan for the next DAC meet!

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D.
The Thirteenth Triskaidekaphobe
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I really liked this adaptation, It kept all the things essential to the unfolding of the plot they picked, recombined them, and actually made it understandable to a normal TV watching audience! I didn't think that was even possible, I saw the play version of Dirk in LA, and I'd say most of the audience was terribly confused.

I sure hope they do more, I think the contents of the remaining one-and-two-halves dirk books could be made into at least 3 more episodes, if they continued to bisect story components. I think these characters in this format has the where-with-all for a full series, so some original ideas and new writers are going to be needed!

I need to write Stephen Mangan a letter complimenting him on his fine job, glossing over how i watched it in the US, and maybe including some fanart for his version, anybody got his mailing address?

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"Sir, please restrain your grandmother or I'll be forced to dump expensive champagne on her head and charge you for it."

"You're the rudest waiter I've EVER MET!"

"Thank you! Would you putting that in writing? I'm trying to win the Maitre D Society's Annual Prize."

http://www.donteatanybugs.com

Stephen Mangan c/o United Agents, 12-26 Lexington Street, London W1F 0LE

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(... don't piss us off)

Cheers Davey, my old mate!

Incidentally, the flashback of them and the car at university -- that was cambridge, wasn't it?

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"Sir, please restrain your grandmother or I'll be forced to dump expensive champagne on her head and charge you for it."

"You're the rudest waiter I've EVER MET!"

"Thank you! Would you putting that in writing? I'm trying to win the Maitre D Society's Annual Prize."

http://www.donteatanybugs.com

No, apparently it was all shot in Bristol in 10 days.

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(... don't piss us off)

I thought it was quite good, it had some very funny parts and I think it has potential. And Stephen Mangan was very good. At the same time, I didn't finish it going "Oh, amazing!" I thought it could have been a bit more Adams-y, somehow. Still, I hope it gets a series, I think it could be very good.

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You know what you are? You're a beard with an idiot hanging off it.