GreenWingandFreeAgentsstarStephenManganistoplaytheleadroleinBBC4'sadaptationofthelateDouglasAdamsDirkGently'sHolisticDetectiveAgency. ManganwillbejoinedbyDarrenBoydashissidekickRichardMacDuffandColdFeetandFriendsactorHelenBaxendale，asMacDuff'sgirlfriendSusan. AdaptedbytheBafta-winningwriterHowardOverman–whoisalsobehindMisfits，VexedandMerlin–DirkGently'sHolisticDetectiveAgencyfollowstheexploitsofAdams'schaoticcharacterasheuseshisunusualmethodstosolvecrimes. Mangansaid∶"I'vebeenafanofDouglasAdamseversincetheHitchhiker'sradioserieswhichIusedtorecordasachildandlistentooverandoveragaininmybedroom.It'ssuchathrilltonowbeplayingoneofhisbrilliantcharacters. "Dirkisachaotic，anarchicforceofnaturewithatotallyuniquetakeontheworld.Heisdescribedas'lazy，untidy，dismissiveandunreliable'.I'veabsolutelynoideawhytheythoughtI'dberightfortherole." TheDirkGentlybookshaveformedthebasisofaplayandaBBCRadio4seriesbuthaveneverbeforebeenfilmedforTV. Adams'sagent，EdVictor，said∶"ForalltheyearsIrepresentedthelate，greatDouglasAdams，themostsubstantialfrustrationforbothofuswasthatwecouldn'tgetfilmsmadeeitherofHitchhikerorDirk. "Douglasoncesaid，memorably，that'gettingafilmmadeinHollywoodwasliketryingtocookasteakbyhavingabunchofpeoplecomeintotheroomandbreatheonit'.Well，wedideventuallygetafilmmadeinHollywoodofHitchhikerand，tragically，Douglasdidn'tlivetoseeit.NorwillheseethisadaptationofDirk–butit'sworthbearinginmindthatDouglasalwaysthoughtDirkwouldmakeabetterfilmthanHitchhikerandIfeelsurethatthisnewTVdramawithaterrificscriptbyHowardOvermanwillprovehispoint." ShootingbeginsthisweekinBristolonthe60-minutedrama，whichisbeingmadebyITVStudiosinassociationwiththeWeldedTandemPictureCompany. TheDirkGentlyproductionistobedirectedbyDamonThomas–whoalsodirectedBBC4dramaTheFirstMenintheMoon–andwillairearlynextyear.