Dirk Gently, détective holistique

I cannot even begin to explain just how upset I am that BBC America/Netflix has decided to cancel this unbelievably funny, witty, face-paced, intelligent, bonkers, funny, dark, twisty, crazy, show that I am here to do add my weight to #savedirkgently for what it's worth.

Full of astonishing loveable and beautifully written characters. So different from the normal, boring, straight, obvious, banal trash that seems to get renewed season after season. Edge of seat tension, laugh out loud funny, hugely high calibre of cast, based on ideas from Douglas Adams (who was always ahead of his time). I am a massive fan of DA and these books were respectful to his ideology, even if they weren't an exact replica of his books. In fact I would say they stand alone as being something quite different, refreshing and new. DA would have LOVED it! Everything IS connected.

Just utterly brilliant and when season 2 ended I was SOOO excited about the possibilities clearly set up and poised for the next season, that when I discovered BBC America had cancelled I was SO confused!

Only the weight of fans beating down the doors of BBC America might get them to re-think their utter lack of respect to their viewing public. THE BBC would never do this (and why I will always be happy to pay my BBC licence, as they are responsible for some of the best telly ever made) but clearly BBC America is just another knee jerk reactionary television maker who make short term decisions based on... What? With the way television is consumed these days you cannot base the success of a program on such a short term set of data. Some programs need time for people to find them. Not all of us can watch when we want to and that is the point of Netflix subscriptions surely? I have recommended to a load of people who are now thanking me for the recommendation, and yet now I feel bad because when Season 2 closes for them, they are going to be as frustrated and upset as I am.

HOW do television makers decide whether to make a sew season? Noone is asking for yet another LOST, where season after pointless season was made, never reaching a satisfying conclusion, and yet that was allowed to happen.

I have NO problem with a fantastic series coming to an end, with a clear drawing of a line, and a full stop - but to set up for a whole new story and then cancel? Nah - that's not on. MAKE THE DAMN SEASON 3 AND REACH AN ENDING!

Don't leave Bart in a dark room. I'll think about her forever and be sad.

I can't recall the last time I was this fulfilled by a television show. I watched the first season this past February, and I was amazed that I hadn't heard of it until then. I quickly fell in love with it due to its refreshing originality, compelling storytelling, and fascinating bunch of characters. This is no ordinary show; it's intentionally wacky and confusing, it subverts tropes and cliches all over the place, and nothing is as it seems at first. Underneath it all, however, everything is connected in the most satisfying and entertaining ways imaginable. The second season just finished airing this past Saturday, and it was somehow even better than the first.

It was revealed yesterday that Dirk Gently would not be brought back for a third season on BBCA, and I can only hope Netflix picks it up, because it would be absolutely devastating if this incredible show didn't get the run it so mightily deserves.

To try and list all the things that make this show special, will take several weeks, so I'll try to cut it short. It is insanely well written, to the extent that something in s1 e1 that seems random is actually a thought-out part of the story that may become crucial in s2. Despite being a show about a possibly psychic detective, that starts with an insane amount of different stories about characters that doesn't seem to have any impact on each other, everything is actually connected and brought together in a brilliant unexpected way in the end. Apart from all this, Max Landis has managed to write every single character interesting, and capable of being the star of their own show. Above all they are relatable, despite or maybe because of them being a bit crazy and a loser in their own way. None of these characters are unflawed and it makes you care about them in a way that I've never been able to care about fictional characters before. Every single actor is hugely talented, and the creative team behind the show must have put such a huge amount of love and effort into bringing Landis's vision to life. The portrayals of women, lgbt+ people, people of color and mentally ill people are so respectful in a unique way that I think is mostly due to the fact that Landis knows how to write them as any other human being. As a woman I experienced a great relief in watching a show where no woman is sexualized in any way, but still considered worthy of love and acceptance. The dialogue is never random, it changes dynamically between hilarious and thoughtful. No clichés ever show up, which is incredibly refreshing. I could go on and on about this show, the beautiful music and cinematography, the powerful messages that are often underlying and sometimes outspoken, the relationships between the characters and the absence of toxic masculinity in the male heroes, but I'm already ranting, so I'm just going to end with this:

Give this show a chance. I can say that it changed the way I look at life for the better, it made me care at a time when I didn't. Let yourself be swept away. Everything is connected.

I will keep this short. You should watch this because is is sharp, funny, well written, well acted and engaging on many levels. Yes - I know it's nothing like the books. BBC UK tried that and it failed. Nobody has ever come close to doing Douglas Adams justice on screen because the insane intricacy and sheer scale of his stories make it impossible. BBC America has been very clever. They have taken the core concept and characters and done something utterly different with it. It is its own thing and stands on its own merits, which are many. If you are a person who gets terribly upset when a script is not faithful to the source material down to the last semi-colon, this show will make your brain implode. If, like me, you can let go of those expectations and enjoy what it is, rather than what you would like it to be, you might just enjoy it as much as I do. I love the books too and if I want the books, I read the books. This is a TV show and a pretty damn good one. If you can't separate the two, this is not for you. Try the UK version - but it ain't half as much fun.

I did not expect much from this show, considering the fact that it is a BBC America production, not BBC UK, and because of tons of negative reviews on the web.

When I start a show, I usually watch one or sometimes two episodes a day. The first season of this one I watched in one breath. I didn't even pause it for the bathroom or making coffee. Eight episodes of 40 minutes each felt like one bit longer movie.

The second season, of ten episodes, is done differently and is not as original and hypnotically addictive as the first, but its witty fairytale style quickly won me over.

Ignore fans of Douglas Adams who bash this show for not being faithful to original novels. It is not faithful, that's a fact, but it does not make it a bad show. On the contrary. Adams is tricky for screen adaptation. I don't think anyone has succeeded yet. He's too impossible and abstract. "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" is just roughly Adams, but it's great in every way.

Any attempt of concise retelling is pointless, because this show is one big puzzle, a labyrinth that perplexes more and more and twists happen every few minutes. "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is much more specific and linear, but I dare you to explain what it is about briefly and that it makes any sense.

If you liked "Misfits," "Happy," "Preacher," "Good Omens," or the new "Doctor Who", and if you like Douglas Adams, but you're not an obsessed fanatic, this is a perfect show for you. But if you expect a verbatim adaptation of the books or if you like linear stories, better skip it.

9/10.