Review - Sherlock (BBC Series)

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson in BBC's 'Sherlock'

I am an avid Sherlockian and my favorite actors to portray the fictional detective are Douglas Wilmer, Peter Cushing and Vasily Livanov.

In my humble opinion, these 3 actors became Sherlock Holmes through their performances. They were supported by 2 of the best Watsons ever: Nigel Stock and Vitaly Solomin.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes

In the latest adaptation, Sherlock Holmes is a high-functioning sociopath. This Holmes is a far cry from the gentlemanly Holmes that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle introduced to us in 'A Study in Scarlet' in 1887. Perhaps, it is a reflection of the modern sensibility that the series makers have taken this decision... It is quite apparent from the international success of the series that this was indeed a smart move.

Sir Doyle had created Dr Watson as a competent and loyal ally of Holmes. The BBC adaptation hits a home run on this count as Martin Freeman is a pitch-perfect Watson. Freeman embodies both humanity and humility, two qualities that Holmes more than often seems to be totally lacking in. He won the BAFTA TV award for Best Supporting Actor for his work and he truly deserved it.

Martin Freeman as Dr Watson

The character of Molly Hooper is not part of the Sherlock Holmes canon and has been created especially for this series. Loo Brealey is a nice addition to the stellar cast and makes Molly the adorable girl-next-door whom many of us have come across in our lives.

Loo Brealey as Molly Hooper with Benedict Cumberbatch in BBC 'Sherlock'

The series has had 2 seasons so far, with each season consisting of 3 90-minute long episodes.

The first episode ‘A Study in Pink’ is based on ‘A Study in Scarlet’, the novel that introduced Sherlock Holmes. This is easily the best episode of the season. Click here to read the full review of the episode.

The second episode, ‘The Blind Banker’ had Sherlock locking horns with an international gang bent on smuggling antiques. This episode is relatively less interesting compared to the first episode. Click here to read the full review of the episode.

The final episode, ‘The Great Game’ introduced us to Jim Moriarty, the modern day version of Professor Moriarty. I found this to be the least interesting episode of the season.

In keeping with the modern times, there are some conspicuous departures from the original stories:

•  Holmes and Watson maintain their own blogs.
•  Holmes texts Watson instead of sending telegraphs.
•  Holmes uses nicotine patches instead of needles.
• Three-pipe problem is now a three-patch problem.

These changes remind us that we are watching a revisionist, albeit an entertaining take on Holmes. Particularly appealing is the way Holmes’s patented system of making observations have been picturized. Using onscreen text and numbers literally to show Holmes’s train of thoughts and deductions, the series makers have successfully introduced Sherlock Holmes to a whole new generation. The series won the 2011 BAFTA TV award for Best Drama Series. Steven Moffat was awarded the 2012 BAFTA Television Special Award for his contribution to television.

Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, co-creators of  'Sherlock'

The second season opened with ‘A Scandal in Belgravia’. We meet a very modernized version of Irene Adler as she tries to outwit Sherlock. Mycroft and Moriarty too have some significant roles in this episode. Click here to read the full review of the episode.

This was followed by ‘The Hounds of Baskerville’, the dramatization of arguably the most famous novel featuring Sherlock Holmes. Most of the supporting characters have been changed. The episode is my favorite in the second season and has Sherlock do some actual sleuthing to solve a mystery. Click here to read the full review of the episode.

The season ended with ‘The Reichenbach Fall’, based on ‘The Final Problem’. The writers have done some of their best work here. Unfortunately, Andrew Scott goes so way over the top as Moriarty that he seems more like a caricature of a criminal mastermind rather than being one. Click here to read the full review of the episode.

Please click here to read the next post, where I discuss the rest of the cast and crew.

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Related Posts

Review - A Scandal in Belgravia - Sherlock (BBC series)

Review - The Reichenbach Fall - Sherlock (BBC Series)

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