Sherlock

[stonemaybe]

Any UKers see this on BBC on Sunday evening?

The BBC website calls it:

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson's adventures in 21st Century London. A thrilling, funny, fast-paced contemporary remake of the Arthur Conan Doyle classic.

And you know what? I found it quite thrilling, quite funny, very very imaginative and extremely enjoyable. It was by no means perfect, but a really good innovative approach.

90 minutes long, first of three episodes. I recommend the rest of the world check it out when it reaches your screens.

Co-created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Sherlock stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the new Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as his loyal friend, Doctor John Watson. Rupert Graves plays Inspector Lestrade.

The iconic details from Conan Doyle's original books remain – they live at the same address of 221b Baker Street, have the same names and, somewhere out there, Moriarty is waiting for them.

Steven Moffat says: "Conan Doyle's stories were never about frock coats and gas light; they're about brilliant detection, dreadful villains and blood-curdling crimes – and frankly, to hell with the crinoline. Other detectives have cases, Sherlock Holmes has adventures, and that's what matters."

[Cagliostro]

I really like Martin Freeman. I'll give it a try when I am able. Thanks for the heads up.

[stonemaybe]

I didn't enjoy tonight's episode as much as last week's, but thinking about it, that was just because I knew what to expect with the characters and setting - the actual mystery tonight was better than last week's.

It's very bizarre when you have Sherlock doing a bit of deducting, realises that two people involved in the mystery both have a certain book, which is also the book I'm in the middle of reading at the moment. (Transition)

[Phantasm]

Watched the first one last week, thought it was excellent.

Have recorded the second one and hope it's as good as the first.

Hopefully this will evolve into a proper series - 3 episodes seems like it's a dip their toe in the water exercise to see if it takes off.

[CovenantJr]

I completely missed this. My mum thinks I'll like it though, and since we're both fans of the 1980s Jeremy Brett Holmes I'm hoping her recommendation is solid.

[Prover of Life]

Not sure if BBC America is going to get it. However, if you're in the Dallas viewing area, PBS Channel 13 will be showing all three on Masterpiece Theater October 24, 31, and November 7.

[finn]

Aired here last evening, I thought it was very good it'll be interesting to see how they further reflect the details of the Holmes/Watson lifestyle in the modern era. However they seem perfectly able to tackle it and refer to the ludicrous natue of anyone having an "arch" enemy in this day and age.

So far so good and Watson seems to be a far abler sidekick than the amiable buffoons portrayed in most Holmes series (Ben Kingsley aside). He's an understandable character with traits that have some logical root and history, whereas Holmes is as ever, an enigma. Looking forward to the DVD release, I've seen enough to think it worth waiting for but can't abide spending so much time being advertised to on free to air!

[Zahir]

I've now seen all three episodes, and am frankly hooked! I especially like how Watson is indeed portrayed as someone who might be the friend of such an odd, brilliant person as Sherlock Holmes.

More I appreciate the tributes. So many things translated from The Study in Scarlet into the modern era for Episode One, so many from The Sign of Four in Episode Two. Number Three contained the Brude Pardington Plans as well as the Five Orange Pips as well as The Final Solution (I had a wild idea about Moriarty's identity...)

[Loredoctor]

As I have been a massive fan of Benedict Cumberbatch, and coworkers said I'd love Sherlock, I bought the DVD. Wow. Completely loved the first season. I cannot wait for the next one.

[CovenantJr]

Finished the first episode a few minutes ago. I'm quite impressed. Sherlock is quite annoying, but I suspect he's meant to be.

[Phantasm]

New series coming soon ( I hope) to our screens here in the UK.

It's on a trailer of all the new series coming up on BBC this season. (Including Dr Who )

[CovenantJr]

Finished just now. The third episode is the best of the three. The previous ones both began to drag a bit towards the end, but this one was strong throughout. Nicely tense too.

In my opinion, Sherlock does have one flaw, though. I'm not sold on the contemptuous relationship between Sherlock and John (I'm sticking with the series' use of their first names). A review of the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes collection said it quite well:

Jeremy Brett was the only actor who ever managed to perfectly portray Holmes's imperiousness, bitingly ironic sense of humor and apparently indestructible self-control without at the same time neglecting his genuine friendship towards Dr. Watson

There are moments in Sherlock when we see Sherlock himself making throwaway remarks about being lost without John, and the very brief "you're disappointed in me" moment in the last episode could have been quite touching, but it never really comes across. I suspect this is intentional, and perhaps we may even see Sherlock and John's friendship gradually developing in the second series. But in Brett's Holmes (the benchmark against which I measure all others), for all that Holmes sometimes grows frustrated with Watson's incomprehension, Watson is the only person who ever sees him off guard and at ease. Only Watson ever sees the reality of Holmes' paranoia and surprising fragility. I don't get that feeling from Sherlock and John. No one knows him, including John Watson.

In all other respects, Sherlock is excellent. I just think that John Watson would probably have walked out by now. The magnetism of Sherlock's genius isn't enough reason to stick around and take that abuse.

EDIT: One other thing just struck me. In my mind (and as the reviewer above mentioned), Sherlock Holmes has a dry, almost acerbic sense of humour and a keen eye for amusing irony. The Sherlock Holmes of Sherlock seldom shows any such quality. He treats almost everything with an intensity and a literal...ness...(ahem) that seems to go beyond being serious into being actually uncomprehending of humour.

[finn]

Have you ever seen the Basil Rathbone Holmes? I felt that Brett was highly influenced by those performances. For me he is the original and the one I benchmark against. Neither he nor Brett or Cumberbatch for that matter offers much of a sense of humour; at best feigning it to accomodate expectations.

However seldom (imo) has Watson been played as well. He fits perfectly as the both Jiminy Cricket and Doc Holliday and has the background to be believable in both roles. Played superbly (so far), but also extremely well crafted and written.

[stonemaybe]

New 3-parter starts here on Jan 1.

[stonemaybe]

...and part 1, surprisingly, exceeded my expectations!

[Orlion]

Just finished A Study in Pink. Fantastic!