"Great Reverence at the Famous" [HOUN]

The last two days mark birthdays of three legendary actors associated with Sherlock Holmes. Each is known beyond his Sherlock Holmes work, but together their collective Sherlockian CVs are impressive.

Peter Cushing, Vincent Price and Christopher Lee are icons of the screen spanning the majority of the 20th century and into the 21st. They all had a significant impact on the noir, horror and sci-fi realms and had cheekbones that could cut glass.

So let's take a look at these three gentlemen on the anniversaries of their birth and on how they touched the world particularly through their Sherlock Holmes-related roles.

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"Six Cases Which I Have Added to My Notes" [BLUE]

It didn’t take long after the short stories began appearing in the pages of The Strand Magazine in July 1891 for Sherlock Holmes to be not only a hit, but something of a phenomenon. Robert Barr’s parody, “Detective Stories Gone Wrong: The Adventures of Sherlaw Kombs’’ appeared in The Idler in May 1892. In November, 1893, Holmes first trod the boards in the musical satire “Under the Clock” at London’s Royal Court Theatre, just before “The Final Problem” hit the newsstands.

After his supposed death at the hands of Moriarty at the Reichenbach, other authors tried to fill the void with their own more-or-less brilliant detectives—with or without more-or-less dullard sidekicks assisting them. Holmes appeared on the silver screen before he returned to the pages of the Strand to battle a demon hound in Sherlock Holmes Baffled (1900). He is the most filmed fictional character in history. His appearances in fiction, radio, stage, screen and advertising are legion. While his presence in the popular culture has waxed and waned, he is a perennial; always present to help those in need.

Holmes-inspired investigators that sprang up on American TV like problem-solving weeds in the first decade of the 21^st century culminated in his return to the movies in the hugely successful Robert Downey Jr./Jude Law franchise and the small screen with BBC Sherlock and now Elementary.

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"Not Quite So Bad as That" [SIGN]

On May 16, amid the flurry of Sherlock buzz hitting the web, CBS announced its fall schedule and Elementary made the cut, set to air on Thursdays at 10:00 pm, the time slot currently occupied by the Sherlock Holmes-inspired “The Mentalist” (which will move to Sundays).

The initial chatter was limited, due largely to the fact that there wasn't much information available about the series other than its stars, Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu. When compared with the impressively successful "Sherlock," it was natural for some commentators to wonder if the American production was simply borrowing heavily on the British hit.

We'll know for certain on September 27, when the series will premiere on CBS. Now we're seeing a fuller synopsis of Elementary than we’ve yet had, including this tidbit; “Following his fall from grace in London and a stint in rehab, eccentric Sherlock escapes to Manhattan where his wealthy father forces him to live with his worst nightmare – a sober companion, Dr. Watson.”

There was also three minute trailer of  Elementary that Sherlockians  no doubt combed through for clues on the quality of the show as if it were the Zapruder film. In the last couple of weeks, CBS has posted a longer  trailer (video embedded below the jump).

Steven Moffat, co-creator of BBC’s Sherlock told TheInsider.com in May, "What we did with our Sherlock was just take it from Victorian times into modern day. They've got three big changes: it's Sherlock Holmes in America, it's Sherlock Holmes updated and it's Sherlock Holmes with a female Watson. I wonder if he's Sherlock Holmes in any sense other than he's called Sherlock Holmes.”

For months Moffat held the threat of lawsuit over CBS’s head if their Holmes incarnation was not noticeably different from the BBC; now he wonders if the very differences he called for make it anything but Sherlock Holmes. Politics lost a fine spin doctor when Moffat entered show business. Of course spin is a major part of a producer’s job and Moffat is very good at what he does, as even a cursory review of his résumé will confirm.

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"Breaking the News" [HOUN]

BREAKING NEWS

We're pleased to announce that you can participate in a live chat with Mark Gatiss, co-creator and star of Sherlock, right here on The Baker Street Blog at 1 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 14. Details are below.

The #SherlockPBS Twitter chats are one thing, and the  PBS-hosted event in New York was another, but we think this takes things to a much higher level. The PBS Masterpiece Sherlock team are giving you an opportunity to ask questions directly to Mark Gatiss in real-time for all to see! You might consider asking him about the creative process, how he came to realize a Sherlock Holmes for the 21st century, how he collaborates with Steven Moffat, or what he thinks of playing Mycroft Holmes, the much smarter (and usually much heavier) brother of Sherlock Holmes.

In our experience with live chats, there will likely be many more questions submitted than the subject can answer, and not all of the questions may be able to be displayed, due to the rather ponderous administrative task of the moderators. But if you ask insightful and appropriate questions, we can all be the beneficiaries of them if Mark can answer.

If you'd like to be reminded of the chat, simply enter your email address in the form below and select when you'd like to be notified. And if you miss the opportunity to participate live, we'll have the transcript available in the same embedded chat below, so you can replay it at any time. And bookmark this post so you can come back on Monday to participate.

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"Back Upon the Moor Once Again" [HOUN]

#SherlockPBS is back for a second week. As you no doubt recall, Season 2 of Sherlock premiered on PBS's Masterpiece on Sunday, and evidently the ratings were quite strong, with over 3,200,000 viewers. That's a figure that more than doubles the average primetime viewership for PBS.

Even Masterpiece Exeuctive Producer Rebecca Eaton was excited to share the news when she said, "Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman have taken Sherlock and Watson to a whole new level. We're thrilled that viewers have responded so enthusiastically to this groundbreaking series."

As you may recall, we participated in the live Twitter chat during the show in which we shared observations, commentary and discussion related to the characters, inspiration and other elements of "A Scandal in Belgravia." [If you missed the episode, you can still watch it on PBS online until June 15.] There were over 5,000 mentions of the #SherlockPBS hashtag on Twitter and over 15,000 people checked in via GetGlue, which is an a social TV site that connects viewers via the web (where you can earn stickers such as the image above).

On Sunday May 13, you'll be treated to Episode 2 of Season 2, titled "The Hounds of Baskerville." For those of you screaming "That should be 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'!" that's not a typo. In this case, Baskerville is a top-secret military compound where it is rumored that there are biological weapons and experimentation on genetically engineered animals, which may or may not account for "the footprints of a gigantic hound!"

You can see a preview here:

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"Holmes For the Second Time" [ABBE]

#SherlockPBS - a "hashtag" as it's known in Twitter - is a phrase you should get used to. Because beginning on May 6, it's going to reach a fever pitch when the acclaimed series Sherlock (starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman and Mark Gatiss, written by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss) returns to Masterpiece on PBS for its stunning second season.

This second series is expected to be even bigger than the first, as the stars have come into their own a bit and they and the series has been critically acclaimed. The second series also has the confidence of the creators, as the first was something of an experiment. Having ensured that the experimentation was indeed successful, they mined the Canon for the three most intriguing and popular stories for inspiration in season two. As Steven Moffat puts it in shorthand, this season consists of "the hound, the woman and the professor." More formally, those episodes consist of "The Hounds of Baskerville," "A Scandal in Belgravia" and "The Reichenbach Fall."

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"The Woman" [SCAN]

"In his eyes, she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex."

- 'A Scandal in Bohemia'

While you may have heard her mentioned by the name of Irene Adler, in this case, "the woman" is actually Lara Pulver and she is the interview subject on the latest episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere (Episode 41: The Woman).

Sherlock: Season Two originally aired on BBC One in January and now we're poised for it to air on PBS's Masterpiece Mystery in the United States. One of the most intriguing characters of this new series is none other than the adventuress Irene Adler, the antagonist in the first episode "A Scandal in Belgravia."

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"Hung About and Screened" [BRUC]

Would you like a chance to meet Benedict Cumberbatch, the star of the new Sherlock series? Or co-creator Steven Moffat and producer Sue Vertue?

Even better: how would you like a chance to see excerpts from the first episode in Season 2, "A Scandal in Belgravia"? Well, here's your chance.

We have a special offer from the nice folks at PBS Masterpiece (the very same people who gave us a chance to host a Twitter chat when Season One aired in October of 2011) have presented to us and we in turn present to you. We hope that you'll be able to take the time to share this news and participate in this offer for "super fans."

Click image to enlarge

Masterpiece and PBS are hosting an evening event in New York City on Wednesday, May 2, celebrating the premiere of Sherlock, Series 2. There are limited tickets to this public event, but PBS would like you to have the chance to attend! RSVP's will only be taken via e-mail, so get your note in and please feel free to spread the word.

In case you're not convinced, here's a video clip of what you may expect to see:

Watch Sherlock Season 2: A Scene from Ep. 1 on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

And for those of you who are really into the show, here's an opportunity to lock in a pre-order of Sherlock: Season Two (price guaranteed) from Amazon.

When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.
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Pre-order Sherlock: Season Two:

"The Protection of the Law Against an Old Rival" [STUD]

The casting of Lucy Liu as Doctor Joan Watson in CBS’s upcoming pilot "Elementary"  is exciting buzz, pro and con, on the internet. This gives us Sherlockians an entryway into the creation of a television show whose source material we know better that the producers (probably, let’s give them some benefit of the doubt), and the ability to speculate on future content based on innate knowledge of American TV tropes.

Of course, "Elementary" is not the first show to be based on a successful British counterpart. If we go back to the 1970s, "All in the Family" was based on the British sitcom "Till Death Do Us Part" . "All in the Family" (incidentally on CBS) broke new ground by having comedic episodes dealing in race, the Vietnam War, rape, abortion, women’s lib, and many facets human sexuality in frank language. I believe it was the first time on US television that the sound of a flushing toilet was used as a punch line. It ran from 1971 to 1979, was the number one rated TV show for many of those years, and had a number of successful spinoffs, including: "Archie Bunker’s Place", "The Jeffersons", and "Maude". There are other US remakes that could be mentioned, but the point is redoing a British TV show is not an inherently bad idea.

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"It's Lucy That Brings Me Here" [STUD]

As we've previously shared, CBS is planning a New York version of the 21st century adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes stories, in the spirit of the BBC's "Sherlock." It is titled "Elementary" and the release date has not yet been determined.

While we already knew that Jonny Lee Miller would play Holmes as a recovering drug addict, Hollywood Reporter has just noted that Lucy Liu - you read that correctly - of "Charlie's Angels" fame would play his sidekick as Joan Watson.

HR dubiously states that this is the first time that Watson would be "played by a woman." We say "dubiously," because we would take issue with this technicality. Of course, Joanne Woodward portrayed Dr. Mildred Watson, who was treating George C. Scott's Justin Playfair who believed he was Sherlock Holmes in "They Might Be Giants." And Margaret Colin played Jane Watson, a descendant of the good doctor, who brought a cryogenically frozen Holmes back to life in the 1987 CBS (yes, CBS!) television movie and pilot "The Return of Sherlock Holmes."

And lest you think CBS is new at this, in addition to the never picked up pilot of 1987, they also inflicted upon us the 1990 movie "The Hands of a Murderer" with Edward Woodward. Brace yourselves.

Don't say we didn't warn you.

Image credit: bethany.egan (Flickr)

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"Elementary" [CROO]

     "Excellent!" I cried.
     "Elementary," said he.

Of course, any Sherlockian considering him or herself worthy of the name knows that one particular instance in "The Crooked Man" is the only time Mr. Sherlock Holmes uses the word “elementary” in that context. Never in the canon does he actually say “Elementary, my dear Watson.”

Nevertheless, it appears that CBS has hit upon the entirely original idea of updating the Sherlock Holmes stories for the modern day, and will title this show, ahem, Elementary.

Deadline is reporting that CBS has greenlit a pilot that would air in 2012 and would transport the Victorian detective to 21^st century New York.

This news comes, unsurprisingly, after the success of the second series of BBC’s Sherlock, as well as Guy Ritchie’s recent sequel, Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows.

As Holmes would also say, “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data” [SCAN] and so far, data is drastically lacking about this upcoming series. Aside from the screenwriter - Robert Doherty - nothing is yet known, making any speculation about the quality of the series difficult. One hopes, however, that the script and acting will transcend the title and be something rather than “elementary.” 

Anastasia writes at The Itinerant Bookworm. This is her first contribution to the Baker Street Blog.
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"Would You Be Afraid to Sleep in the Same Room with a Lunatic..." [VALL]

Viewers in the UK were treated last night to the latest episode of BBC Sherlock's second season, arguably the most anticipated Sherlockian adaptation in years and certainly one of television's most popular dramas. The well-received "Hounds of Baskerville," with a clever--occasionally frenetically clever--script by Mark Gatiss, followed in "A Scandal in Belgravia's" footsteps with cunning modern twists to the traditional canon.

Henry Knight, as played by Russell Tovey, is one of the series' most affecting clients to date, playing a young man whose father was murdered before his eyes upon the moors--slain by, he believes, a gigantic hound. Is the monster, now a thriving local tourist attraction, the mutant product of a nearby secret military lab by the name of Baskerville? Or is Knight the victim of a series of hallucinogenic delusions? Sherlock and John travel to Dartmoor to discover the truth, and experience a number of terrifying impediments in their quest.

Benedict Cumberbatch, who was just named by the Telegraph as the greatest Sherlock Holmes of all time, begins the episode manic and off-balanced--wielding a harpoon and covered in blood, having just taken the tube home, in a satisfying nod to BLAC and the benefits of exercise before breakfast. He is desperate for brainwork and for cigarettes, chewing the wallpaper in ways that called to my mind Brett's animated interpretation rather than the very still, contained Sherlock of season one. But he soon settles into the case, with John--whose opportunity to pull rank at a military base is gut-deep satisfying--at his side, pursuing an elusive horror that in every way tests each man's mettle.

Gatiss's sly references to canon are interwoven effortlessly; a village scene in which Sherlock attempts to draw out the local hound expert by telling John he's lost a bet is a perfect replica of the exchange with the goose vendor in BLUE, right down to the "pink 'un" in his back pocket. Sherlock's reference to John as a "conductor of light" will not go unnoticed by a single enthusiast, to my mind, and the arc of the story as regards Sherlock adapting to the unnatural (for him) sensations of both fear and friendship is deftly executed.

Martin Freeman's John Watson strikes a phenomenal balance between loyalty and an unwillingness to deal with weapons-grade Sherlock snark. "Oh, please," he sighs after a Holmesian deduction, "can we not do this, this time? You being all mysterious with your...cheekbones, and turning your coat collar up so you look cool?" His grounded, wry John is a phenomenal counterpart to our hero, and in some ways this episode is laying the groundwork for the next installment; with a title like "The Reichenbach Fall," Sherlockian hearts will doubtless crack worldwide come this time next Sunday.

There is a transcript of the thoughtful Q&A on the episode with Gatiss, Cumberbatch, and Sue Vertue, though spoiler warnings do apply here.

For Europeans, pre-ordering season two is as simple as the click of a button. As for season one, if you haven't yet obtained it, then what are you doing here?

Image credit: andiezoe (Flickr)

When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.
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"He Has a European Fame" [REDC]

If you reside in the U.K., then you undoubtedly tuned in on January 1 for the BBC's airing of the long-anticipated second season of the popular and acclaimed series "Sherlock," which is now available for pre-ordering on Amazon.co.uk (for European-compatible DVD players only).

By all accounts, we're off to another solid start with the first episode, "A Scandal in Belgravia," in which Irene Adler is portrayed as a dominatrix to royalty. It had to be a little saucier than simply a photograph in this day and age, and some sexual peccadilloes would seem to fit the bill this time around.

We've been fortunate enough to see the episode and we're satisfied that the series will again be a success. It opens where last season left off, with Jim Moriarty taunting Holmes and Watson poolside until he's distracted by a more important issue. Back in Baker Street again, we see a parade of clients coming through the sitting room and Watson dutifully chronicling the interesting cases on his blog, with titles such as "The Geek Interpreter," which involves a trio of misfits whose comic book tales are coming to life and "The Speckled Blonde," in which a female corpse showed no cause of death other than some spots all over her body.

The two get into a spat about whose web site is more popular - Watson's, that attracts new clients, or Holmes's, that enumerates 240 (note the increase by 100) varieties of tobacco ash. Lestrade calls them "an internet phenomenon," after which the press are seen snapping photos and noting the attraction of "Hat-Man and Robin." In a funny aside, a number of times, Holmes gets flustered about Watson's blog counter being stuck at 1895...

The two are summoned to none other than Buckingham Palace for a client (rather than royalty coming to Baker Street) and find that Irene Adler has some compromising photographs of one of the members of the royal family. As a dominatrix, she routinely blackmails her clients, but in this case, she has the photos for "insurance." Holmes and Watson make a raid on her flat in Belgravia in a scene reminiscent of the kind old clergyman finding his way into Briony Lodge.

We'll leave the synopsis at that for now, as the full 90-minute episode held many twists and turns, with appearances by Mrs. Hudson and quite a bit of Mycroft again. The ending was...well, we won't spoil it. :-)

This first episode was quite well done and really ties to the overall arc of the series, as we can see it developing.

If you're in Europe, you may pre-order season 2 of the BBC series "Sherlock" here. No word on U.S.-compatible availability at this time. We'll be ready and waiting when the U.S. premiere happens. And if you haven't yet purchased season 1, what are you waiting for?

When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.
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"You Will Find That the Clips Are Too" [GOLD]

The BBC series "Sherlock" is making is second series run on BBC One this holiday season.

If you missed the first one (viewed in the United States on Masterpiece Mystery), you're in for a real treat. The series takes the original stories and characters and updates them for the 21st century. Watson is returning from Afghanistan (strange how some conflicts never end) and Holmes is an oddity of a consulting/science machine that lives alone in Baker Street. The two share rooms and Watson is there to chronicle Holmes's cases (albeit with Dr. Watson's Blog rather than the Strand Magazine). And instead of chemical retorts and tobacco ash research, Holmes relies on GPS and his iPhone, among other devices.

Lest you thumb your nose at such a modernization of the character, o traditional Sherlock Holmes fan, let us remind you that the Basil Rathbone series was almost, in its entirety, set in modern-day England. This new series manages to update the stories while paying proper respect to the stories from which inspired it. The co-creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are each students of the Canon.

Here we have a two-video playlist of clips from the upcoming season.

The episodes should be truly excellent, with titles like "A Scandal in Belgravia," "The Hounds of Baskerville," and "The Reichenbach Fall," all clearly taken from "A Scandal in Bohemia," The Hound of the Baskervilles and "The Final Problem."

Have you seen the first series? What are your expectations from the second? Let us know in a comment here on the site.

When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.
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"Obviously Under the Influence" [HOUN]

Many of we Sherlockians enjoy the occasional diversion from the canon - or even pastiche - to partake of something that shows the pervading influence of Conan Doyle and the Great Detective on popular culture. Recently, there were two examples of online content (one a web comic, the other a column written about a specific video release) that were not only influenced by Holmes, but one in particular contains insight into the era.

The online New Comic Day site focuses on the trials and tribulations of a group of comics fans centered around a comics shop. Written by Eric Ratcliffe, the strip has started to focus on a Sherlockian theme, and is leavened with great humor. Here are parts one and two of the Holmes-influenced storyline; updates can be received via RSS feed.

In addition, current Doctor Who producer Steven Moffatt is also working on a second series of Sherlock...but Doctor Who has had a slight Holmesian touch in its past. In October, 1977's Talons of Weng Chiang will be rereleased in a "special edition", with copious amounts of bonus material covering various aspects of the Victorian era (Be sure to check out the documentary on music hall - very enlightening and informative). Please feel free to visit this detailed review from July to gain a greater background, and to also investigate a story that is steeped in atmosphere....

Finally, via the Internet Archive, the first ever Sherlock Holmes-themed film from 1900, entitled Sherlock Holmes Baffled:

Holmes has had an influence on popular culture, and for your enjoyment...a few examples of that influence which span the century.

Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at Blog THIS, Pal!and Comic Related.
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"Pushing Another One in My Direction" [STUD]

Move over, Sherlock. Make room for Sherlock Holmes.

CBS has evidently seen the furor caused by the Robert Downey, Jr. film and more importantly, the television series from the BBC.

The Tiffany network's attempt is being described as "a modern take on the cases of the pipe-smoking private eye created by Arthur Conan Doyle." It will be written by Rob Doherty and produced by Samantha Timberman and Carl Beverly. No word yet on the timing.

As Holmes himself said,

"There is nothing new under the sun. It has all been done before."

And clearly, Sherlock creator Stephen Moffat thought the same:

What do you make of this announcement? More good material for Sherlockians, or a lame effort to benefit from the success of a similar show on the BBC?


Incidentally, for those of you who crave a CBS Eye-inspired magnifying glass (pictured above), you can get one in sterling silver with a sapphire teardrop for the low price of £920 from 20ltd.

We've previously covered the BBC version here:

• "The Rooms at No. 221B, Baker Street" [STUD]
• "Something More Modern" [HOUN]

When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.
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"His Head Girt with Bloody Bandages" [ILLU]

BREAKING: We're all familiar with sight of Holmes appearing with his head bandaged, standing in a triumphant manner before Baron Gruner in "The Illustrious Client."

But now we have news that our more recent Sherlock, Benedict Cumberbatch, is being shown as bloody and being rushed to the hospital.

As reported by the Daily Mail, the filming was taking place for the upcoming second season of Sherlock, which you may recall last saw Holmes meeting his archenemy Professor Moriarty face to face at St. Bart's Hospital. The scenes reported in the Daily Mail took place 70 feet up on the roof of the building being used as the hospital, when Sherlock fell (or was pushed?) off the roof to the street below. According to the paper:

Pictures taken on set of the new series, due for broadcast this autumn, show actor Benedict Cumberbatch with a bloody head as he is put on a stretcher and taken away by paramedics.

And here you can see one of the images:

Screen capture of the Daily Mail website.

What will become of Sherlock in this next season? Will we see him return to active practice after such a devastating injury? We've seen it before in "The Illustrious Client" and "The Dying Detective." But since this particular episode, titled "A Scandal in Belgravia" is based on "A Scandal in Bohemia," we'll simply point out what happened to the non-conformist clergyman when he was "injured" by the crowd at Briony Lodge...


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"A Horror of Destroying Documents" [MUSG]

I've always had a fascination for television pilots - it is interesting to see the original "take" of a series, or even the unseen concepts that could have potentially led to series, but failed. For me, hearing of a pilot disappearing or not being available is like Holmes' fear of destroying documents about his cases: I enjoy viewing the details of what might have been - as well as what happened.

For Sherlockians, a very important (and more recent) example is Stephen Moffatt's initial hour long pilot for the BBC series Sherlock. Although the pilot was scrapped, despite British press to the contrary, having an initial "take" allowed the producers to create a more full-blooded version. Thankfully, the hour long pilot is a bonus feature on disc 2 of the DVD, and is well worth watching, especially knowing that there is going to be a second season. (Although there was a pilot based on Zero Effect, sadly it is unavailable commercially or otherwise, but we know something of its history).

Thankfully, however, at least one "failed" pilot exists - thanks to the Internet Archive, there is a record of a 1951 British pilot produced by Rudolph Cartier, best known for his work on the seminal British science fiction serial Quartermass (itself, one would argue, influenced by Holmes).

So for your enjoyment, here is a "lost" British pilot, loosely based on "The Man With the Twisted Lip" [TWIS] And please share in the comments your thoughts and impressions of this "lost" Holmes pilot.

Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at Blog THIS, Pal! and Comic Related.
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"My Great Teacher" [CREE]

Many Sherlockians are aware of how much influence Joseph Bell - one of Conan Doyle's medical teachers - had on the development on Holmes. In fact, it would be quite fascinating to postulate the kind of relationship that Bell & Doyle had, perhaps even as a precursor to the kind of relationship Doyle portrayed between Holmes and Watson....

Thankfully, a series of movies produced by the BBC a decade ago help redress that, and provide an entertaining slant on the Holmes/Watson Relationship.

The series begins with 2000's Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes - Dr. Bell & Mr. Doyle, starring Robin Laing as Conan Doyle and Ian Richardson as Joseph Bell. Focusing on Doyle's experiences as a medical student, this is actually quite a gripping drama. There's a real-life twist in the plot (which is revealed by a caption at the end), but Ian Richardson takes a very strong Holmesian turn as Dr. Bell. (It doesn't hurt that he had portrayed Holmes some twenty years earlier). The script works because we are so familiar with the material (a consulting detective/his comrade in arms/that unique relationship with the police) that the premise seems all too familiar...and the twist that Bell/Doyle are showing their "influence" over Holmes and Watson doesn't seem forced or inevitable.

One year later, Charles Edwards would take over the role of Doyle, and BBC made four Bell/Doyle movies under the umbrella title Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes. These four movies expand their relationship - we see Doyle's early life as a physician, but more importantly, we see a much greater fondness emerge between teacher and former student. Links to Holmes - and Doyle - are much more apparent in these films: "The Patient's Eyes" takes its central image from "The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist"; Doyle's nascent interest in spiritualism is hinted at in "The Photographer's Chair"; "The Kingdom of Bones" seems to contain elements of Doyle's later Professor Challenger work and foreshadows The Valley of Fear; and "The White Knight Strategem" seems to contain a slightly Moriarity-esque figure.

Sadly, although further Bell/Doyle adventures are hinted at, no further productions were made, nor are there plans to continue. However, for those who want a different flavor of Holmesian adventure - or who wish to imagine the influence that Joseph Bell truly had on Doyle's work - these two DVD sets (Dr. Bell & Mr. Doyle is not included in the same set as Murder Rooms) are quite excellent, and are some "hidden gems" that belong on your video shelf.

      

Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at Blog THIS, Pal! and Comic Related.

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"I Came Away Baffled" [HOUN]

Last evening, the BAFTA Television Awards were handed out, and "Sherlock" came away with two wins: one for best drama series and the other for Martin Freeman as best supporting actor for his role as Dr. Watson in the BBC series.

In his acceptance speech, Freeman remarked, "I really, really, really, really did...expect it," to peals of laughter. He credited Benedict Cumberbatch as "a fantastic Sherlock" and the scriptwriting of Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat. He concluded with, "I know it's very fashionable to pretend you don't care about this stuff, but I'm very very chuffed."

Benedict Cumberbatch was also up for an award - best actor - but lost to Daniel Rigby, played Eric Morecambe in the biographical program "Eric and Ernie". No word on the long sought-after posthumous BAFTA for Jeremy Brett (click through to read our previous coverage on it), however.

It should be noted that it is entirely appropriate that "Sherlock" won two BAFTA Awards on May 22, the birthday of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The second season of "Sherlock" is currently in production.

Our earlier coverage of can be found at "Something More Modern" [HOUN] as well as clicking on the You might also like links (as appropriate) below here on the site.

What do you think? An appropriate rewarding of talent? Let us know.

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