The first series, Dirk Gently, featuring the character was announced during Hitchcon, a 2009 "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" event to launch the sixth "Hitchhiker's" book. Ed Victor, a literary agent who represents Adams' estate, announced that a television adaptation of "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" was in production. Stephen Mangan played Gently, with Darren Boyd as Macduff and Helen Baxendale as Susan. It was broadcast on BBC Four on 16 December 2010. The hour-long pilot was well-received, leading to three further episodes being commissioned. These aired on BBC4 during March 2012.