Best tv shows like Dirk Gently
Last updated March 2024
Looking for tv shows similar to Dirk Gently? Share your insights to direct others to tv shows and movies you've viewed before that may likewise appeal to them. Support broadening the network of people mentioning videos to one another. We appreciate your involvement!
Plot Summary:
Dirk Gently is a British comedy detective drama TV series based on characters from the Dirk Gently novels by Douglas Adams. The series was created by Howard Overman and stars Stephen Mangan as holistic detective Dirk Gently and Darren Boyd as his sidekick Richard MacDuff. Recurring actors include Helen Baxendale as MacDuff's girlfriend Susan Harmison, Jason Watkins as Dirk's nemesis DI Gilks and Lisa Jackson as Dirk's receptionist Janice Pearce. Unlike most detective series Dirk Gently features broadly comic touches and even some science fiction themes such as time travel and artificial intelligence. Dirk Gently operates his Holistic Detective Agency based on the "fundamental interconnectedness of all things", which relies on random chance methods to uncover connections between seemingly-unrelated cases. He claims that he follows the principles of quantum mechanics, and although the majority of his clients suspect he may be a conman he often produces surprising results. With the help of his assistant, Richard MacDuff, Dirk investigates a number of seemingly unrelated but interconnected cases. An hour-long pilot episode loosely based on plot elements from Adams' 1987 novel Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency was broadcast on BBC Four on 16 December 2010 and was watched by 1.1 million viewers. Critical reception was generally positive. A full series of three one-hour episodes was subsequently commissioned in March 2011 and was broadcast on BBC Four in March 2012. The series was the first continuing drama series produced for the digital channel.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: UK
Duration: 58 min
Plot tags: detective, humorous, semi serious, captivating, exciting, touching, hilarious, offbeat, suspenseful, witty
Best tv shows and movies like Dirk Gently (2010):
Similar in 87%
Crime Scene Cleaner (2011)
Plot Summary:
Heiko Schotte (Schotty) works for a cleaning company, cleaning all kind of crime scenes. There he sometimes meets weird people and tries to solve difficult situations.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Comedy, Crime
Country: Germany
Duration: 26 min
Plot tags: humorous, semi serious, funny, offbeat, realistic, talky, slapstick
Similar in 89%
Murder, They Hope (2021)
Plot Summary:
After their trip to Middlesbrough turned a little more explosive than they thought, Gemma and Terry finally decide to pack up the smouldering remains of their coach tour business and set out on a new adventure as fully-fledged private detectives.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 495
Genere: Comedy, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: humorous, captivating, suspenseful, semi serious, detective
Similar in 78%
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (2002)
Plot Summary:
No overview found.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 98
Genere: Comedy, Crime
Country: Russia
Duration: 260 min
Plot tags: clever, captivating, realistic, suspenseful, stylized, detective
Similar in 88%
Andy Barker, P.I. (2007)
Plot Summary:
Certified public accountant Andy Barker reluctantly becomes a private investigator after he is mistaken for the former office tenant, who was a private eye.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: humorous, captivating, detective, sitcom, bleak, entertaining, offbeat, realistic, semi serious
Similar in 83%
Second Sight (1989)
Plot Summary:
John Larroquette is the head of a detective agency that is hired to find a missing person, probably kidnapped. They employ the help of a mystic/psychic to help find the missing girl.
IMDB Rating: 4.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Comedy, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: humorous, suspenseful, witty, semi serious, detective
Similar in 90%
The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (1972)
Plot Summary:
When one of the more venerable members of the Bellona Club passes away in the reading room, Lord Peter Wimsey is brought in to determine the time of death for testamentary purposes. But the more he investigates, the more complicated things seem.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 325
Genere: Crime, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 180 min
Plot tags: detective, mind bending, clever, serious, realistic, suspenseful, witty, talky, stylized
Similar in 80%
The Michael Richards Show (2000)
Plot Summary:
The Michael Richards Show is a sitcom that debuted on NBC in 2000. The show starred Michael Richards as reality-challenged but successful private detective Vic Nardozza who gets the job done despite his unconventional methods.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 350
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, suspenseful, semi serious, realistic, detective
Similar in 78%
Republic of Doyle (2010)
Plot Summary:
Republic of Doyle is a Canadian comedy-drama television series set in St. John's, Newfoundland which debuted 6 January 2010 on CBC Television. The show stars Seán McGinley and Allan Hawco as Malachy and Jake Doyle, a father and son who partner as private investigators in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Their cases involve them in all sorts of dealings – not all of them on the right side of the law.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, suspenseful, semi serious, detective
Similar in 87%
Lovejoy (1986)
Plot Summary:
The series concerns the adventures of the eponymous Lovejoy, played by Ian McShane, a likeable but roguish antiques dealer based in East Anglia. Within the trade, he has a reputation as a "divvie", a person with an almost supernatural powers for recognising exceptional items as well as distinguishing genuine antique from clever fakes or forgeries.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: detective, sitcom, exciting, clever, humorous, captivating, realistic, suspenseful, witty, semi serious
Similar in 78%
Private Eyes (2016)
Plot Summary:
Ex-pro hockey player Matt Shade irrevocably changes his life when he teams up with fierce P.I. Angie Everett to form an unlikely investigative powerhouse.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: Canada
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: captivating, detective, semi serious, tense, exciting, suspense, detective series
Similar in 82%
Balabol (2014)
Plot Summary:
A happy-go-lucky detective confronts criminals and solves cases with fast-talking, hard-hitting style.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 45
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Country: Russia
Duration: 52 min
Plot tags: captivating, tense, serious, realistic, semi serious, suspense, suspenseful, detective, exciting, funny
Similar in 80%
Case Histories (2011)
Plot Summary:
Case Histories is a British drama television series based on the Jackson Brodie detective novels by Kate Atkinson. It stars Jason Isaacs as Jackson Brodie.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, tense, touching, serious, suspenseful, crime drama, atmospheric, anime, hardboiled detective, realistic
Similar in 80%
Campion (1989)
Plot Summary:
Campion is a television show made by the BBC, adapting the Albert Campion mystery novels written by Margery Allingham. Two series were made, in 1989 and 1990, starring Peter Davison as Campion, Brian Glover as his manservant Magersfontein Lugg and Andrew Burt as his policeman friend Stanislaus Oates. A total of eight novels were adapted, four in each series, each of which was originally broadcast as two separate hour-long episodes. Peter Davison sang the title music for the first series himself; in the second series, it was replaced with an instrumental version.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 975
Genere: Adventure, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: detective, crime drama, humorous, realistic, suspenseful, semi serious, period drama
Similar in 80%
Jonathan Creek (1997)
Plot Summary:
Jonathan Creek follows the story of Madeline Magellan, an investigative journalist. Like most journalists, she sticks her nose in where it isn't wanted, but this is what makes her such a great journalist! While writing a piece about the death of a prominent artist, she happens across a man named Jonathan Creek. Jonathan makes a living inventing magical tricks for magician Adam Klaus, and has a brilliantly lateral mind.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: clever, detective, anthology, sitcom, crime drama, realistic, serious, suspenseful
Similar in 82%
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (2008)
Plot Summary:
The adventures of Mma Ramotswe, a Motswana woman who starts Botswana's first female-owned detective agency.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Family, Mystery
Country: UK, USA, South Africa
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, semi serious, detective, offbeat, clever
Similar in 78%
Partners in Crime (1983)
Plot Summary:
Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime is a 1983 British television series based on the short stories of the same name by Agatha Christie. It was directed by John A. Davis and Tony Wharmby, and starred James Warwick and Francesca Annis in the leading roles of husband and wife sleuths Tommy and Prudence 'Tuppence' Beresford. Reece Dinsdale co-starred as Albert in all except episodes 3 and 5. The series follows the adventures and exploits of the Beresfords, who have recently taken over the running of a detective agency based in London, and each episode features one of the stories from the book. Among these are a quest for missing jewels, the investigation of poltergeists and a story involving poisoned chocolates. The series followed the short stories closely with two notable exceptions: First, the detective parodies, although alluded to on occasion, were for the most part dispensed with. Secondly, the story arc of the blue Russian letters and the search for the agent known as Number 16 were also dispensed with. For this reason three chapters were not adapted. The series' original run was immediately preceded by transmission on 9 October 1983 of the same production team's adaptation of Christie's second novel The Secret Adversary, which also starred Annis and Warwick in the same roles and which acted as an introduction for viewers to Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 860
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: detective, atmospheric, clever, humorous, realistic, suspenseful, stylized, semi serious
Similar in 84%
The Little Murders of Agatha Christie (2009)
Plot Summary:
In 1930s France, Superintendent Larosière has a passion for beautiful women and solving cases, while hapless young inspector Lampion just tries to keep up. Later series, are set in the mid-'50s, where suave Commissioner Laurence unravels knotty crimes with the help of reporter Alice.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: France, Switzerland
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: humorous, suspenseful, semi serious, realistic, slasher, detective, period drama
Similar in 89%
Partners in Crime (2015)
Plot Summary:
Set in a 1950s Britain rising from the ashes of the Blitz into the grip of a new Cold War, our beekeeping duo stumble into a world of murder, undercover agents and cold war conspiracy. Tuppence is a woman who sees adventure round every corner, throwing herself head first into every mystery with passion and fervour, determined to get to the truth no matter what it takes, much to the dismay of her more cautious husband Tommy.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 55 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, humorous, semi serious, suspenseful, detective, costume drama, realistic, stylized, period piece, detective series
Similar in 80%
Bored to Death (2009)
Plot Summary:
Jonathan Ames, a young Brooklyn writer, is feeling lost. He's just gone through a painful break-up, thanks in part to his drinking, can't write his second novel, and carouses too much with his magazine editor. Rather than face reality, Jonathan turns instead to his fantasies — moonlighting as a private detective — because he wants to be a hero and a man of action.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 34000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 28 min
Plot tags: witty, humorous, intellectual, semi serious, detective, sitcom, funny, neo noir, dark comedy, psychedelic
Similar in 81%
Rosemary & Thyme (2003)
Plot Summary:
Rosemary & Thyme is a British television mystery series starring Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris as gardening detectives Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme. The show began on ITV in 2003. The third series ended in August 2007. The theme is murder mysteries in the setting of professional gardening jobs. It was created by Brian Eastman to entertain his wife, Christabel Albery, who is an avid gardener. The show was directed by Brian Farnham, Simon Langton, and Tom Clegg. Clive Exton, who helped create the show, contributed 10 of the 22 scripts.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 48 min
Plot tags: feel good, realistic, captivating, clever, detective, semi serious, crime drama, suspenseful
Similar in 87%
The Last Detective (2003)
Plot Summary:
The Last Detective is an ITV drama starring Peter Davison as Dangerous Davies. The first series aired in 2003 with three more seasons succeeding this. The first consisted of a pilot and three episodes, the second and the third series both consisted of four normal episodes and the fourth series increased the run to five episodes and the duration of each individual episode to 90 minutes as opposed to the previous 70-minute format. As of 2007 this series had 17 episodes in total.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: detective, clever, realistic, suspenseful, dark, crime drama, semi serious
Similar in 75%
The Dresden Files (2007)
Plot Summary:
A Chicago-based wizard works as a private investigator.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, stylized, detective, anime, mystic, spooky, suspenseful, urban fantasy
Similar in 84%
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (2016)
Plot Summary:
A comedic thriller that follows the bizarre adventures of eccentric “holistic” detective Dirk Gently and his reluctant assistant Todd. An adaptation of Douglas Adams’ wildly successful comic novels.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 56000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: ironic, psychological, detective, intellectual, captivating, tense, funny, inspirational, surprise ending, atmospheric
Similar in 84%
Misfits (2009)
Plot Summary:
When five young outsiders on Community Service get caught in a strange storm, they discover that they have developed superpowers.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 106000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: exciting, witty, cynical, humorous, semi serious, surreal, feel good, social, sitcom, erotic
Similar in 88%
The Listener (2009)
Plot Summary:
Toby Logan is a highly skilled paramedic with a secret – he can read minds. Toby never really knew his parents and grew up in foster care, this coupled with his secret, which he shares with no one, has made him a bit of a loner. Until now, Toby has kept his ability hidden, exploring its possibilities only with his long time mentor and confidante Dr. Ray Mercer.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: Canada
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags: exciting, captivating, serious, emotional, suspenseful, detective
Similar in 81%
Psych (2006)
Plot Summary:
Thanks to his police officer father's efforts, Shawn Spencer spent his childhood developing a keen eye for detail (and a lasting dislike of his dad). Years later, Shawn's frequent tips to the police lead to him being falsely accused of a crime he solved. Now, Shawn has no choice but to use his abilities to perpetuate his cover story: psychic crime-solving powers, all the while dragging his best friend, his dad, and the police along for the ride.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 104000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: exciting, witty, detective, not serious, humorous, talky, realistic, intellectual, funny, offbeat
Similar in 88%
The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1986)
Plot Summary:
Dr. Watson, finds a mystery in an empty house, while Holmes and he later solve the mysteries of an abbey grange, the Musgrave ritual, a second stain, a man with a twisted lip, the priory school, and a half-dozen plaster busts of Bonaparte.
IMDB Rating: 8.7
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, gothic, spiritual, mind bending, serious, realistic, suspenseful, period drama
Similar in 79%
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984)
Plot Summary:
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984–1985), The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1986–1988), The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1991–1993) and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1994), collectively known as Sherlock Holmes, are a series of adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories which were produced by Granada Television and originally broadcast by ITV in the United Kingdom. The series starred Jeremy Brett as Holmes and David Burke (in the Adventures series) and Edward Hardwicke (Return, Case-Book, Memoirs) as Dr. Watson. The programme adapted 42 of the original stories in 41 episodes, with 36 running for 50 minutes (in a one-hour timeslot), and five being feature-length specials. Adventures ran for two series totalling 13 episodes, from April to June 1984 and August to September 1985. Return ran for two series from July to August 1986 and April to August 1988, as well as the specials "The Sign of Four" and "The Hound of the Baskervilles", which aired on 29 December 1987 and 31 August 1988 respectively. Case-Book ran for one series from February to March 1991 and three specials which aired on 2 January 1992 and 27 January and 3 February 1993. Memoirs ran for one series from March to April 1994. A short episode was also produced as part of "The Four Oaks Mystery" which aired during the ITV Telethon in 1992. Sherlock Holmes appeared in the first part, with the casts of Van der Valk, Taggart and Inspector Wexford appearing in the second, third and fourth parts respectively.
IMDB Rating: 8.7
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, serious, stylized, suspenseful, realistic, captivating, atmospheric, intellectual, gothic, spiritual
Similar in 89%
Monk (2002)
Plot Summary:
Adrian Monk was once a rising star with the San Francisco Police Department, legendary for using unconventional means to solve the department's most baffling cases. But after the tragic (and still unsolved) murder of his wife Trudy, he developed an extreme case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Now working as a private consultant, Monk continues to investigate cases in the most unconventional ways.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 82000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: witty, humorous, offbeat, detective, realistic, semi serious, intellectual, sitcom, slapstick, hilarious
Similar in 90%
Sherlock (2010)
Plot Summary:
A modern update finds the famous sleuth and his doctor partner solving crime in 21st century London.
IMDB Rating: 9.1
IMDB Votes: 977000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: clever, detective, witty, captivating, serious, exciting, mind bending, psychological, intellectual, suspenseful