TV Preview: Sherlock
The famous Victorian detective Sherlock Holmes gets a modern-day “re-imaging” tonight in the form of the BBC’s new three-part drama series starring Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch in a version created by Mark Gattis and Steven Moffat.
There is, without a doubt, something about Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation of Sherlock Holmes – the Victorian private detective – that caught something in the public’ imagination. Much like Agatha Christie’s own detective, Hercule Poirot, the iconic detective remains popular to this very day. The novels featuring Holmes by Doyle continue to sell well – just as Christie’s novels do – and around the world various adaptations of Sherlock Holmes down the years continue to be played.
Last year Sherlock Holmes was given the big-screen treatment in a adaptation by Guy Ritchie starring Robert Downey-Jr as the detective with Jude Law as the ever faithful Doctor Watson. Although some object to the homo-erotic undertones present in the film it was a huge box office hit and a sequel is planned – doubtless the BBC is hopeful that Sherlock will prove just as popular with audiences.
However, the new spin on the tales of Sherlock Holmes, this time around penned by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, come with a twist – the stories are set in the modern day. Traditionally the various adaptations of the Sherlock Holmes stories have stuck with the Victorian setting but the new BBC version has bought the stories bang up to date – perhaps offering fans a new twist on the tales but also something new. After all how many times can Hounds of the Baskervilles be adapted and still feel different and new?
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch is the latest actor to take on the iconic role of Sherlock Holmes. Down the years many actors have played the detective – some more successfully than others – in all over 75 actors have reportedly played the role in various versions. On television actor Basil Rathbone played Holmes alongside Nigel Bruce as Doctor Watson in 14 films between 1939 and 1946 – also reprising their roles for several radio plays too. Ronald Howard played the character for 39 episodes of an American Television series.
However, perhaps by far the most fondly remembered for television viewers in the UK was Jeremy Brett’s portrayal in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Just as David Suchet is considered the definitive Hercule Poirot by many so too is Brett considered the definitive Sherlock. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes were produced by Granada Television and created by John Hawkesworth (whose previous work included Upstairs, Downstairs & The Duchess of Duke Street) and ran for nine seasons between 1984 and 1994, clocking up 41 episodes.
So Benedict Cumberbatch has a tough legacy to follow; many actors have played Sherlock but few have so successfully pulled it off. Fans of Sherlock Holmes will be watching the new adaptation to see how well it has been transferred into the 21st century and what changes have been made to accommodate the new setting – they’ll also pay careful attention to Cumberbatch’s portrayal and will be quick to pass judgement.
The three 90 minute episodes of Sherlock will air on Sundays on BBC One at 9pm, starting Sunday 25th July. The episodes will air also on the BBC HD Channel as well. Episode One, A Study in the Pink, will see Sherlock and Doctor Watson meet for the first time as they investigate a series of murders. Starring alongside Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch will be Rupert Graves, Una Stubbs, Louise Brealey, Vinette Robinson and Phil Davis.
Sherlock: A Study in Pink – Sunday at 9pm on BBC One/BBC HD Channel.
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Jeremy Brett, is regularly repeated on ITV3. A Boxset of films featuring Basil Rothbone in the role is out now on DVD.
