The character of Sherlock Holmes has been a staple of books, radio, film, and television for a over century. When the orginial stories were still being written, American actor William Gillette became very famous for writing and performing in a play
Sherlock Holmes: A Drama in Four Acts for the majority of his professional career. When the new mediums of radio, television, and film came in Sherlock Holmes has had a remarkable in all three. Basil Rathbone played Sherlock Holmes opposite Nigel Bruce's Dr. Watson first in two films for 20th Century Fox, and then twelve more Universal, as well as appearing in a very popular radio series,
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Acclaimed Shakespearen actors Sir John Gielgud and Sir Ralph Richardson played Holmes and Watson in a series for BBC Radio in the 1950's. Hammer Horror actor Peter Cushing played Holmes first in Hammer's adaption of
The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1959, then on BBC television in the '60's. On film, new original stories were being produced such as Nicholas Meyer's
The Seven Per-Cent Solution starring Nicol Williamson as Holmes, Robert Duvall as Watson, and Sir Laurence Olivier as Professor Moriarty dealing with Holmes' addiction to cocaine. Billy Wilder's
The Private Life of Sherlock featuring Robert Stephens as Holmes, Colin Blakely as Watson, and Sir Christopher Lee as Mycroft Holmes dealt with the real life of the detective outside Watson's artistic embelishments. In the 1980's ITV aired a long running series faithfully adapting the orginal stories starring Jeremy Brett as Sherlock, whom many have hailled as the definite Sherlock Holmes. After that Sherlock Holmes seem fated to wade in a plethora of average made-for-tv movies for the BBC, or Hallmark Channel.
However in 2009 Warner Bros. released Guy Ritchie's
Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. Watson. The blockbuster was a surprise hit and a sequel
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows was soon commisoned. Others were soon to cash in. The BBC began airing
Sherlock, a contempoary update of Sir Arthur's originals in 2010. The show has been a hit both in the UK, and the rest of the world. CBS began airing
Elementary in the fall of 2012, relocating Holmes to New York City.
Guy Ritchie's films are more action oriented than previous films. Still taking place in the Victorian Era, Holmes and Watson are often getting into fist-fights, as much as solving the mystery. Robert Downey Jr. may seem like an odd choice, nothing like the lean gaunt figure envisoned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. But Downey's accent is flawles and he is able to capture Holme's numerous character quirks effectivley that he creates a succesful new interpetation of the character. Scholars and critics have often stuck to the theory that Holmes suffered from some form of autism, and Downey Holmes does. In
A Game of Shadows, he desribes his deductive abilities as a curse. Jude Law makes a fine Watson. Intelligent, loyal, and a man of action very close to Conan Doyle's original vision rather than the bufoon that is in the public concious. The films although over the top are entertaining. The first envokes the supernatural elements of
The Hound of the Baskerville. Holmes is pitted against occultist Lord Blackwood, who claims to control Satanic powers in a bid for global domination.
A Game of Shadows has Holmes' archenemy Professor James Moriarty attempting to start World War I, so he can benefit from the carnage as a war profiteer. The supporting cast includes Eddie Marshan as Inspector Lestrade irritated by Holmes' arrogance, but dependent on him just the same, and Stephen Fry as Sherlock's brother Mycroft.
In the late summer of 2010, the BBC began airing
Sherlock created by
Doctor Who writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. Inspired by the Universal Holmes movies starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce that took place during WWII,
Sherlock takes place in contempoary London. Despite the change of setting, the series are faitfull to the original stories. Benedict Cumberbatch's Holmes is a sef-proclaimed "high functioning sociopath"who solves crimes partially to relieve the boredom that constantly plauges him, and because "genius needs an audience". He seems to lack empathy, and social graces. He's often called in by Detective Inspector Lestrade (Rupert Graves) to work on difficult cases, much to the chagrin of Lestrade's officers who consider Sherlock a "freak". Lestrade puts up him cause he gets results. Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman), is an army doctor discharged after an injury in Afganistan (which is very eerie considering in Doyle's original stories, Watson was in the same scenario, only he was a cog in the British Imperial machine, not fighting terrorism). He's suffering from PTSD, before his friend Mike Stamford introduces him to Sherlock, who's looking for someone to share the rent at 221B Baker Street (just like the original). On their first case
A Study in Pink, a friendship is born. Sherlock is gratified that John is actually impressed by his deductions, and actually seems to like him, while John gets the excitement he's been missing since the war; as Mycroft tells him "you're not haunted by the war Dr. Watson you
miss it." Although John is always frustrated by Sherlock's anti-social behavior, he sticks by him through thick and thin. Sherlock in turn slowly grows to be more empathatic and more caring person. The supporting cast is excellent. In additon to Rupert Graves' Lestarade, you have Una Stubbs as the land lady of 221B, Mrs. Hudson who serves as maternal figure to her two lodgers more than a land lady, she's one of the few people whom Sherlock openly shows affection to. A new addition is Molly Hooper (Louise Brealey) a young mourge worker at Barts Hospital, who harbors an unrequited crush on Sherlock. Series creator Mark Gatiss plays Sherlock's older brother Mycroft Holmes. This Mycroft is a very shady figure who according to Sherlock "
is the Britisg Government, when he's not too busy being British Secret Service or the CIA on a freelance basis". Sherlock does not get along with his brother at all, he seems to resents his meddling in his life, which Mycroft brushes off as "concern" for his brother. Mycroft is even more stotic then Sherlock claiming "caring is not an advantage", although his "concern" for his brother ultimately betrays this. But the scene stealer in the supporting cast is Moriarty. Sir Arthur's Professor James Moriarty was a posh, suave mathematcian. This Moriarty is the exact opposite. Jim Moriary is a complete unfettered pyschopath criminal genius. He commits crimes because he gets "bored", and Sherlock provides an exciting challenge for the consulting criminal, who makes it his mission to "burn" Sherlock. This is an excellent adaption and pleases purists more that the Guy Ritchie films
The American television network CBS wanted to an American adaption of
Sherlock, much like NBC did with
The Office. When the BBC declined to sell them the rights, they decided to go ahead with their own Sherlock Holmes drama,
Elementary. British actor Jonny Lee Miller play Sherlock Holmes, while Lucy Liu plays
Joan Watson. Jonny Lee Miller's Sherlock is vastly different from any other Holmes that's been seen. A far cry from the posh, well-dressed Holmes of the past, this Holmes gives off a punk-rock vibe, preferring t-shirts to well-tailored suits. This Holmes is also more empathitic than other Holmes, he's more ready to sympathize with victims, then be excited by the thrill of the chase. His relationship with his father is a bitter one, because his father was always a way on buisness, and he resents having been sent to boarding school as a boy. He's also a ex-junkie. In this adaption he's lost control of his drug problem, and has just completed a stint in rehab. Prior to this he was a consultant for Scotland Yard, and decides to resume that work for the NYPD, having a contact with Captain Tobias Gregson (named after a Conan Doyle inspector). At the instance of his father he has a sober companion ex-surgeron Joan Watson, who gave up her practice after accidentally killing a patient. Although
Elementary take many liberties with the canon, and the episodes tend to be formulaic like most American crime dramas, it's a unique spin and still fun to watch.
