BBC Four has commissioned a three-part series of Dirk Gently, the sci-fi comedy drama starring Stephen Mangan as a detective who uses unconventional tactics to solve mysteries.

Dirk Gently is BBC Four's adaptation of the Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency novel series written by Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy creator Douglas Adams.

Stephen Mangan, who plays Dirk in the show, a detective who believes in the "fundamental interconnectedness of all things", wrote on Twitter this morning: "Dirk Gently gets recommissioned! BBC4 have asked for 3 x one hours."

The actor added: "No news yet on what they will be about / which bits of the books will be there / when they will be on."

Responding to the news, writer Howard Overman has added: "I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to write more episodes of Dirk and look forward to seeing where his unique detective methodology and perspective on life takes me."

The pilot of Dirk Gently was broadcast in December 2010. Starring alongside Mangan were Darren Boyd as Richard MacDuff, Helen Baxendale as Susan, and Jason Watkins as Detective Inspector Gilks. The pilot was loosely based on the first Dirk Gently novel by Adams, adapted by Misfits creator Howard Overman.

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, was written by Adams in 1987, with a second novel about the detective, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, published the following year. Adams was in the middle of writing a third book, The Salmon of Doubt, when he died in May 2001 - however, he was unhappy with the work and stated that he planned on 'salvaging' some of the plot and detail for a sixth Hitchhikers outing instead.

The first two books were adapted for BBC Radio 4 in 2007 and 2008, with Harry Enfield playing Dirk Gently.

The three new episodes for BBC Four will be filmed later this year.