As fans of the late Douglas Adams and his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, we're thrilled the BBC is producing an hourlong broadcast based on another one of his books, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. But guess what? That's good news for Doctor Who fans, too.
Because Dirk Gently, as it turns out, is based in part on the fourth Doctor's famed unaired episode, "Shada."
Adams had written the episode, about a Time Lord living as a professor at Cambridge University who is visited by his old friend, played by the fourth Doctor, floppy-hat-wearing Tom Baker. Part of it was filmed in 1979, but the rest fell victim to a strike at the BBC.
Fast-forward to 1987, when Dirk Gently hits the stands. It's about an extremely old professor, a scattered, hat-wearing detective, and "the fundamental interconnectedness of things."
We not sure why the BBC would turn the 1987 novel into a one-off television show now, but better late than never. And who knows? Healthy ratings could lead the BBC to expand that single episode into something more.
Dirk Gently doesn't just borrow from "Shada": Parts of the novel are seen in Adams' produced episode, "City of Death." In fact, Adams' work has long since been intertwined with Doctor Who. He turned his unproduced script, "Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen," into the third book in the Hitchhikers series, Life, the Universe and Everything. He even worked on Doctor Who as the script editor for the 17th season.
When it comes to Douglas Adams and Doctor Who, looks like there's no doubt about "the fundamental interconnectedness of things."
(via bleedingcool)
BBC4, apparently.
Because Dirk Gently, as it turns out, is based in part on the fourth Doctor's famed unaired episode, "Shada."
Adams had written the episode, about a Time Lord living as a professor at Cambridge University who is visited by his old friend, played by the fourth Doctor, floppy-hat-wearing Tom Baker. Part of it was filmed in 1979, but the rest fell victim to a strike at the BBC.
Fast-forward to 1987, when Dirk Gently hits the stands. It's about an extremely old professor, a scattered, hat-wearing detective, and "the fundamental interconnectedness of things."
We not sure why the BBC would turn the 1987 novel into a one-off television show now, but better late than never. And who knows? Healthy ratings could lead the BBC to expand that single episode into something more.
Dirk Gently doesn't just borrow from "Shada": Parts of the novel are seen in Adams' produced episode, "City of Death." In fact, Adams' work has long since been intertwined with Doctor Who. He turned his unproduced script, "Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen," into the third book in the Hitchhikers series, Life, the Universe and Everything. He even worked on Doctor Who as the script editor for the 17th season.
When it comes to Douglas Adams and Doctor Who, looks like there's no doubt about "the fundamental interconnectedness of things."
(via bleedingcool)
BBC4, apparently.
