Adams's unfinished novel heads to R4

Douglas Adams's unfinished Dirk Gently novel is to be adapted for Radio 4.

Douglas Adams' final Dirk Gently novel to be adapted for Radio 4

Spice World writer Kim Fuller has been enlisted to adapt and complete Douglas Adams' final and unfinished Dirk Gently novel for BBC Radio 4.

Series two of Dirk Maggs's brilliant dramatisation and production of Douglas Adams's cosmic sleuth, and if the first episode is anything to go by the next six weeks of The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul should just surf by on a wave of surreal laughter.

It has to be admitted that knowing the book probably helps the listener to follow the plot, which seems at this early stage to be a bit all over the place.

We find Dirk Gently (Harry Enfield again, wonderful again) somewhat on his uppers (a scene in which he prizes the arrival of an envelope containing a charity appeal for the free pen that comes with it - very Ed Reardon). We also discover that Odin, Thor and other gods have been reduced to appearing in commercials. No doubt it will all start to come together next week. But even if it doesn't, who cares?

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