Dancing Girls Dressed as Sherlock Holmes Introduce Bill Cosby

"Dancing with Amusement" [HOUN]

Normally, a video of Bill Cosby - even on such an historic show as The Dean Martin Variety Show - wouldn't be something we'd write about.

But in this case, when he's introduced by dancing girls dressed as Sherlock Holmes (with miniskirts!), we thought we'd have to make an exception. This is from an undated episode, but given that this bit was the basis for Cosby's 1967 album Revenge, that Cosby appeared in I Spy from 1965-68, and that miniskirts were on the rise (literally!), we'd opt for some time in  late 1967 or early 1968.



If you have any information about this episode, please let us know.

Tip of the old deerstalker to Howard Ostrom for this offbeat and excellent find.

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"My Collection of M's Is a Fine One" [EMPT]

This morning we were treated to the news that the major villain in the BBC's Sherlock Season 3 has been announced.  It is none other than a modern-day manifestation of Charles Augustus Milverton: Charles Augustus Magnussen.

The announcement was made by producer Sue Vertue via her Twitter account and the news immediately spread across the web. The villain will be played by Danish actor Lars Mikkelsen, who may be known to a wider audience from his role in The Killing.

Read more...

"Got Out of Gear" [ENGR]

This just came across our desk. It seems that Benedict Cumberbatch made his way onto Top Gear on the BBC.

In this clip, we're treated to seeing Benedict's mother posing with quite a fanciful car, we learn what the BBC Sherlock star drove as his first vehicle, we see host Jeremy Clarkson learn how to take a punch, and determine how well Cumberbatch fared on his timed track laps versus other Star Trek greats.

We also get the secret behind exactly how Sherlock Holmes was able to survive the Reichenbach Fall.

Watch it now:

Credit to Chad Kirchner for this find.

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"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.

Read more...

"Blue in Shade" [BLUE]

The latest parody in the world of Sherlock Holmes involves none other than the cute and fuzzy Blue from the popular children's show Blue's Clues.

The Sherlock in this case seems to be a Benedict Cumberbatch impersontor, but we'd argue that he bears more of a striking resemblance to Emo Phillips. Either way, this is a bit of fun that we hope you'll enjoy.


Sherlock Blues Clues

Have you seen any Sherlock Holmes parodies that are fun and interesting? Please share them with us.

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"Holmes in Animated Conversation" [REDH]

If imitation is the highest form of flattery, what's parody?

We know that there have been Sherlock Holmes parodies (not to be confused with pastiches) in existence for nearly as long as the original stories have been with us. In 1893, Jack Butler Yeats created The Adventures of Chubblock Homes for Comic Cuts, the first British comic strip. And from there, the race was on.

Over the years we've seen parodies go from comics to the stage, film, television, books and more. Charles Brookfield holds the distinction of the first actor to portray Holmes in the parody Under the Clock, also in 1893.  Sherlocko the Monk and Watso (later named Hawkshaw the Detective and The Colonel, after Conan Doyle threatened legal action) appeared in comics in 1910 and later came to the silver screen.

Read more...

"The Great Mogul" [SIGN]

My Sherlockian Reel-Life - or, I Was a Teenage Movie Mogul. On Blaine Avenue, in South Bend, Indiana, from the years 1972-1977, I had cornered the no-budget Super 8 filmmaking industry. I was the preeminent auteur on my block.

With my small company of actors (my brother Patrick and my pal Larry Bilinski), we cranked out a series of "epics" which perfectly reflected not only our adolescent interests, but our lack of movie making expertise as well. These included, but were not limited to, our critically acclaimed remake of King Kong, the bizarre Professional Wrestling/Game Show amalgam, "Sadist Theater"; our homage to Night of the Living Dead, entitled "Dead of the Living Night"; and our science fiction epics "Star Monster," and "Rocketship Zero-G."

My entire movie making career was, however, a mere tune-up for what stands today as the pinnacle of my entire filmography, "Sherlock Holmes vs. The Wolfman." Our most ambitious film, "Wolfman" (as it has come to be known to us insiders) was the third and final installment in what we called our "black and white trilogy" (the first two being the above mentioned Dead of the Living Night; and Star Monster ).Wolfman actually had a budget.

Read more...

"No Question As To the Authorship" [SIGN]

For many Sherlockians, there is a great curiosity to actually see - and hear - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle discuss the background around the creation of the Great Detective's exploits. It is one thing to read his thoughts; it is another to observe him as he discusses his works.

May 22, 2012 marks the 153rd birthday of Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, who brought the world such wonders as Professor Challenger, Sir Nigel, Alleyne, Brigadier Girard and of course, Sherlock Holmes. His work spanned decades and included a variety of written work from the medical and scientific to the fantastic and spiritualistic.

But it is not often that one gets to hear the Scottish brogue and strident voice that are behind the considerable visage we know so well. Now available via the Internet Archive, here is a 1927 newsreel in which Arthur Conan Doyle discusses the origins of Sherlock Holmes. The first five minutes of this video focus on Holmes; the remainder cover his exploration of spiritualism. (Both overlap in a surprising way, but please feel free to watch in order to avoid spoiling).

Enjoy!

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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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"Out of The Black Shadows" [TWIS]

It's a story worthy of Conan Doyle himself - a "lost" early Holmes film that loosely adapts two key stories in the canon, and that is now freely available for viewing.

The Sleeping Cardinal (better known in the USA as Sherlock Holmes' Fatal Hour) is a 1931 film with Arthur Wontner as Holmes and Ian Fleming as Watson, serves as a loose adaptation of "The Adventure of the Final Problem [FINA]" and "The Adventure of the Empty House [EMPT]". Like many early sound movies, the direction is still rather theatrical, focusing mainly on discussions in rooms rather than a more dynamic presentation.

Details about how the film became "lost" can be found its entry on the Internet Archive, which also allows for embedding and (like Public Domain Torrents) downloading the film in various formats.

But judge for yourself - is this a hidden gem ripe for rediscovery? A film that should have remained lost? Or is it just another one of many Holmesian adaptations that just simply needs to be enjoyed on its own merits?

This mystery, dear reader, is entirely yours to solve....

If you're not able to view the Hulu video, it's also available on YouTube.

 
If you would care to purchase the DVD from Amazon.com, it's available by clicking here or via the image below. In addition, the other three titles from the Wontner series are available on DVD: The Sign of Four, The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes and Murder at the Baskervilles. All are worth watching, if only to appreciate the transition of Sherlock Holmes from silent to "talkies" prior to the arrival of Basil Rathbone.

Editor's note: This is a guest post by Gordon Dymowski. Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry for The Baker Street Blog. You can also find him at Blog THIS, Pal! and Comic Related.

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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"Preposterous" [3GAB]

We have an update to share on Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows:

The latest movie posters have been released (on Yahoo! again), one each featuring Holmes and Watson. You may recall we made an update in July ("Long Shadows Trailed Down" [HOUN]) in which we shared the latest posters and the first appearance of the trailer for the film. You may see them again by clicking through to that link.

The updated posters are equally as dramatic, featuring Holmes (again with a pistol) and Watson in profile, the former with the Eiffel Tower in the background, the latter with the Clock Tower behind him. Both can been seen below the latest trailer, which is available on the official website for the movie, http://sherlockholmes2.warnerbros.com. The site is beginning to come to life and we'll keep you updated on what we find.

Is it just us, or does there seem to be even more explosions and action scenes than in the last film?

Here are the posters:






We can tell that there's some Hollywood magic afoot in these images, as there's more smoke around the buildings than in the 1890s London sky...

What do you think? Are you ready for the latest installment in the Guy Richie-directed franchise?

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"A Certain Selection and Discretion" [IDEN]

With the success of the recent Robert Downey Jr. Holmes film - and the speculation and anticipation for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, it would be hard to believe that before now a theatrical film of Holmes with an atypical director would be successful in the marketplace.

After all, one only has to look to 1970's The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, directed by Billy Wilder, as an unsuccessful example....which is a shame, because it is a very underrated gem in Sherlockian film canon, providing a fascinating postmodern look into the Great Detective. Here's a video of the trailer with brief commentary from producer/director Dan Ireland:





In many ways, this version of Holmes is a more radical reinterpretation of the canon than the Downey film. In the first full scene, for example, Holmes (Robert Stephens) begins chiding Watson (Colin Blakely) for "exaggerating" certain things in his writing. (Yes, Wilder and writing partner I.A.L. Diamond are definitely playing "the Great Game.")

Although many critics and commentators have focused on the "subtext" of the Holmes/Watson relationship, what is so much more radical is that Stephens' Holmes seems much more...emotional. Lively. Possessing a certain depth and range of character that approaches a Jeremy Brett-style approach to the role.(Colin Blakely's Watson, however, tends more towards the buffoon-ish). Although Wilder directs this in a more straightforward style than his other work, it only serves to highlight the emotional underpinnings of the film - Private Life not only contains gorgeous footage and a wonderful soundtrack, these bring the performances forward, and quite frankly, make this an underrated gem of a movie.

What's even more remarkable about this film is that it was originally conceived as a three hour movie consisting of four separate stories, one involving Holmes in his youth. Sadly, due to cuts the movie is only two hours long with two distinct stories - one focusing on a Russian ballerina; the other a more intricate plot involving brother Mycroft (played by Christopher Lee, the only actor to play both Mycroft and Sherlock), Inverness, and....well, that would be telling. Thankfully, the DVD release contains scripts, shots, and footage from the "lost" portions of the film as part of the 'Special Features' selection.

Admittedly, there was a certain selection and discretion in what Conan Doyle wrote about in his stories - after all, he lived in a much different time with different standards. Many films have attempted to fill in the gaps of what we knew about Holmes, but The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes does so in an entertaining and thoroughly engaging way.

This is a must-view for any Sherlockians. Very highly recommended.

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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"Long Shadows Trailed Down" [HOUN]

It's here.

The first full trailer for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, the long-awaited sequel to the original Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law, has arrived.

Some key points from the plot description on iTunes Trailers (click for various sizes), edited for our audience:

The duo return as the intrepid sleuth and his faithful friend and colleague, but this time face a more menacing villain: none other than the criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris). When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan), suggests suicide. But Holmes knows better, deducing that the prince has been  murdered.  Holmes tracks the clues to the Diogenes Club, where - you guessed it - he and his brother, Mycroft (Stephen Fry) are toasting Dr. Watson on the night before his marriage. Enter the non-Canonical Sim (Noomi Rapace), a Gypsy fortune teller, who becomes another target in a the larger puzzle that Moriarty has crafted.  

The investigation becomes ever more dangerous as it leads Holmes, Watson and Sim across the continent, from England to France to Germany and finally to Switzerland (!). But the cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead as he spins a web of death and destruction--all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history. 

We're pleased to be able to bring you the first trailer of the sequel - a trailer, incidentally, where we're able to see Moriarty for the first time - with a beard. If you thought there were an overabundance of explosions in the first film, then hang onto your mouse.






And if you'd like a look at the posters, here are the current ones, courtesy of Yahoo! Movies.




Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

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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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"Every Modern Improvement" [MILV]

Recasting Holmes in a more modern context might lead to mixed results - when done right (as in Steven Moffatt & Mark Gatiss' BAFTA-winning series), it has the same thrill and excitement as the Canon; but some efforts have led to mixed results (for example, some people dislike the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce movies from the 1940s, although I would argue that they do have a strong appeal)

But one of the better modern "takes" on Holmes seems more like a pastiche, but 1998's Zero Effect is a great example of "recasting" Holmes and Watson in modern times....with "modern times" a synonym for "1990s Los Angeles & Portland".
It would be easy to simply write this movie off as pastiche, with Bill Pullman's "Darryl Zero" and Ben Stiller's "Steve Arlo" as merely renamed versions of Holmes and Watson and the plot derived rather heavily from A Study in Scarlet. But scratch the surface, and you will see that writer/director Jake Kasdan (in his first feature) has managed to channel Doyle's sense of atmosphere and drive into the movie, providing a great lost example of "translating" Holmes for the modern audience.

First, there's the sense of atmosphere - Kasdan makes 1990s Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon come alive visually - there's very little of the cliche "hard boiled" atmosphere within Los Angeles (although some the dialogue may reflect later Holmes works), and Portland settings (some of which are rather unique) seem visually stunning. (A key sequence at a planetarium stands out as a great cinematic moment). Throughout the movie, Kasdan is able to channel Conan Doyle's ability to create atmosphere, as well as his narrative drive. (Granted, the movie has a relatively low-key tone, but it's the kind of movie that lingers in one's consciousness after viewing).

Most importantly, however, Kasdan's script shares Conan Doyle's knack for characterization through dialogue. It's sharp, incisive, and almost seems plagiarized from Conan Doyle himself. The Internet Movie Database lists a variety of quotes: let me choose a few and let you judge for yourself:

It's an uncompromising standard of his practice. He never meets any of his clients. He doesn't speak with them, or, for that matter, communicate in any direct fashion. That's his policy. But I am his sole representative and he is my only employer; and as such, I have full authorization to speak on his behalf on all his matters of business. I have with me a signed letter to that effect. He doesn't negotiate his fee. He works at a flat rate. Under some unusual circumstances, he'll work pro bono - never in between.

Passion is the enemy of precision. Forget the misnomer 'crime of passion'. All crime is passionate. It's passion that moves the criminal to act, to disrupt the static inertia of morality. The client's passion for this dead woman had facilitated his downfall. And the blackmailer's passion will facilitate hers. When you live with no passion at all, other people's passion come into glaring relief.

Zero Effect is a movie that has great personal resonance for me - it was the last theatrical movie I saw before leaving Chicago for the first time, and was one of the first movies I blogged about. Youthful enthusiasm notwithstanding, it's a film I try to see at least once a year - it not only contains some great nods towards the canon, but also contains some much deeper - and more profound - emotional truths.

This is a film that is well worth seeking out, and can be enjoyed by Sherlockians and non-Sherlockians alike. Have you seen it? Share your thoughts below.

     

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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"Flickered and Went Out" [HOUN]

Actor Edward Hardwicke has died at the age of 78. Perhaps best known for his portrayal of Dr. Watson to Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes in the Granada Television series, he picked up the role where David Burke left off.

Hardwicke was the son of famed actor Sir Cedric Hardwicke, and he took the family business very seriously from an early age, starring in A Guy Named Joe with Spencer Tracy at the tender age of 10. He spent a good deal of his early career on stage and made numerous television and film appearances. He also lent his voice as a narrator to some Sherlock Holmes stories.

Of course, this audience knows him best as John H. Watson, M.D., friend and colleague of Sherlock Holmes in the Jeremy Brett Granada series. It was a role he inhabited from 1986 to 1994. He also played Dr. Watson in The Secret of Sherlock Holmes on stage in London's West End in 1989 for a full year. You'll recall that Jeremy Paul wrote that play.

He was beloved by fans around the world, and particularly embraced by Sherlockians and Holmesians. The relationship was anything but one-way, as Hardwicke participated in events like the first iteration of From Gillette to Brett in 2003.

We can think of no more fitting a way to remember him than to simply leave you with this interview of Edward Hardwicke:





Did you have any personal experience with him? Did you meet Edward Hardwicke at an event or on the set? Please leave us a comment and share with everyone.

One generation's faithful Watson has now crossed the Reichenbach to be with his Holmes. May we stand on the terrace to remember them both.

Update: Hardwicke's obituary from the Telegraph and Matt Laffey's aggregation of remembrances and coverage on the web on the Sherlock Holmes Social Network.

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"It Is a Bust" [EMPT]

You may have heard of the show Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel. Well, the Sherlock Holmes for Dummies team decided to make their own version.

The first episode of "Sherlockian Myth Busters" is now online. Scholars have debated events in the Holmes Canon for decades. But how many have actually put their theories to the test? In this episode we put the disappearing gun trick from "The Problem of Thor Bridge" to the test. Does it work as described? Here we'll find out.

SPOILER ALERT: If you're not familiar with "The Problem of Thor Bridge," you may wish to delay watching this until after you've read it. It is available as part of The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes.

Are there other Sherlockian myths you'd like us to bust? Please leave a comment below or send an email with the subject line "Mythbusters" to bakerstreetblog [AT] gmail [DOT] com.

Editor's note: This column is part of a series called "From the Dummy's Chair" [MAZA] by Steven Doyle, BSI ("The 'Western Morning News'"), author of the Edgar-nominated Sherlock Holmes for Dummies. Because of the limitations in the print world, he wasn't able to completely fit everything he wanted into the book. This series will become a real-time continuation of that labor of love. Steve is also half the team behind the Wessex Press.




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"Oh, My God, It Is Paul!" [GREE]

Earlier this week, news of Jeremy Paul's death was shared on the Scarlet Street Forums. Interestingly, it was shared by Bert Coules, the head writer for the BBC radio adaptations of the Canon. We say "interesting," because Jeremy Paul was an award-winning writer of many Sherlock Holmes adaptations and other televised mysteries and dramas.

Bert shared the following sentiment:

I'm sorry to report that the writer Jeremy Paul has died at the age of 71. He'd been suffering from pancreatic cancer.
Paul is probably best known as one of the mainstay scriptwriters on Granada's Sherlock Holmes series but his TV credits go back to pioneering shows like No Hiding Place and much-loved favourites like Danger UXB, Upstairs, Downstairs, Out of the Unknown, Lovejoy, The Duchess of Duke Street, Midsomer Murders and the two Dominick Hyde science fiction plays.
He also wrote for the stage (notably The Secret of Sherlock Holmes, which ran for over a year in the West End with Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke) and the cinema (Hammer's Countess Dracula).

We remember first seeing his name on the writing credits for the Granada Sherlock Holmes series with Jeremy Brett. In all, Jeremy Paul wrote the screenplay for a number of the episodes, including:

• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984): "The Speckled Band" and "The Naval Treaty"
• The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1988): "The Musgrave Ritual" and "Wisteria Lodge"
• The Case-book of Sherlock Holmes (1991-1993): "The Problem of Thor Bridge," "The Master Blackmailer" and "The Last Vampyre"
• The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1994): "The Three Gables" and "The Red Circle"

Mr. Paul was awarded an Edgar for his work on "The Musgrave Ritual" and was nominated for an Edgar for "The Problem of Thor Bridge."

(L to R) Mark Gagen, BSI, Jeremy Paul, Linda Garwood
and Steven Doyle, BSI

And for those who attended the 2007 conference From Gillette to Brett II (Electric Boogalo?), one of the special treats was a talk by none other than Jeremy Paul himself. The event, which is now in its third iteration, is described on the From Gillette to Brett II website as having "a film festival, Sherlockian vendors, and an all-star roster of distinguished speakers and presenters." If you're interested in another go-around, From Gillette to Brett 3 is coming up later this year. It wouldn't surprise us if the crew there pays some sort of homage to Jeremy Paul.

One of the more interesting aspects of Mr. Paul's involvement with the world of Sherlock Holmes was when Jeremy Brett commissioned him to write a play. The Secret of Sherlock Holmes ran for several hundred performances in London's West End from 1988-1989. It concentrated on the friendship of Holmes and Watson and a surprising secret that Holmes had kept for many years. Both Edward Hardwicke's and Brett's performances were highly acclaimed by critics, and the play continues to enjoy revivals every so often. Below you can see Jeremy Brett speak about the play.

In addition to his work on the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jeremy Paul made a mark as a writer on other mystery shows, including Hetty Wainthropp Investigates and Campion. Without a doubt, Mr. Paul's talents will be missed, as he certainly left an indelible mark on the world of Sherlock Holmes. For that we'll be forever grateful.

Do you have a favorite work of Mr. Paul's? Please share as a comment below.

Below are affiliate links to purchase some of Jeremy Paul's work. Purchasing on Amazon.com through this site helps defray the costs associated with running it.
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"I Saw Them a Moment Later Streaming" [SIGN]

The big news from Amazon is that they have enabled streaming video for Prime members (available only in the U.S. currently). This means that Netflix now has a competitor in the streaming video-on-demand segment.

With this service, Amazon Prime members have the ability to watch unlimited, commercial-free instant streaming of some 5,000 movies and TV shows on your PC, Mac, Internet-enabled television, Blu-Ray players or set-top boxes.

Some of the titles that Amazon highlighted with their announcement that might also appeal to our readership include: Doctor Who, Fawlty Towers and The BBC Office. We also spotted Jeeves and Wooster. But you're probably interested in another subject.

To wit, here is a list of Sherlock Holmes movies and TV shows available for streamingfrom Amazon. From Wonter to Rathbone, Brett, Downey, Cumberbatch and more (including a few surprises!) you'll have a wide variety to choose from.

Are you planning on trying this service? What title(s) in the lineup interest you?

Image credit: Digital Sextant (Flickr)

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