Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoilers)

[Dorian Thompson]

I've never been particularly interested in the fictional character of Holmes or of Dr. Watson. I didn't see either of the recent movies with Robert Downey Jr; I never had the inkling. Never read any of the mysteries. One night stuck at work in the boss's office finishing up his paperwork as usual, I checked out his online BBC feed out of sheer boredom and took a break to watch this ridiculous show about some sort of 21st century Sherlock Holmes. What an absurd set up. It sounded stupid. I ended up visiting a BBC site on my home computer to catch the five other episodes.

Is it my imagination, or is this one of the best shows I've ever seen? Are American writers just crap compared to British/UK writers and I've never acknowledged the chasm between talent levels? I had to go to work early the next day; I was exhausted but I just had to see another episode before I went in. It's bloody brilliant and so are the two leads.

I often hear "punch me in the face" when you're talking Sherlock but it's usually in the subtext.....

Thank God no one saw that....saw what?....you taking off my clothes near a darkened swimming pool...people will talk

A severed head...a severed head in the fridge...it's a bloody head....where was I supposed to put it?

Do me one last favor, Sherlock. One last miracle. Don't be...dead.

Six episodes and I'm bawling about this friendship. I knew Sherlock had to be alive before we saw him yet the whole sequence had me in tears: the goodbye on the roof. John with the psychiatrist later. John at the cemetery. Martin Freeman doesn't receive nearly enough accolades, but Benedict Cumberbatch is bloody brilliant. Is it the writing or is it those two? Lightning in a bottle? And how did Sherlock fake it? I know the bicyclist must have knocked John down as part of the plan, of course. Freeman broke my heart as Watson in those last moments. He loves his friend dearly, but it isn't schlocky in the least.

I have never been interested in SH in my entire life and I was enthralled by this. How long do we have to wait for the meager three episodes of season three? Does anyone know? And is that Cumberbatch in the ST trailer? That baritone voice is pretty unmistakable. He's a step up for the Trek franchise. He may overshadow the cast.

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

Re: Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoiler

I think you'll find there's a substantial fan following for Sherlock here. It's one of those shows that just gets absolutely everything right from the writing to the casting. Cumberbatch is a revelation.

Man, the wait until 2014 is going to be grueling. Star Trek commitments are delaying Cumberbatch, and Hobbit commitments are delaying Freeman. They won't start shooting until next spring at the earliest, now.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Re: Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoiler

Follow the author, Steven Moffat.

He's currently the executive producer for Doctor Who.

For his older work...

Jekyl is very serious.

Coupling is not.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Re: Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoiler

Next spring? Noooooooo.....I need more now!! Waaaaaaa......

Jekyl, huh? As in Jekyl and Hyde? That intrigues.

But seriously--how could Sherlock have survived that fall? I realize he was crying because he was probably afraid and because he was trying to convince John that he was nothing but a fraud and the idea of John believing it must have been painful...but how could he survive? Can the writers plausibly pull it off?

Man, Freeman had me in tears....

 

[Guy Gardener]

Re: Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoiler

He didn't jump.

Probably just said I'm going to jump and then chucked his coat over.

Power of persuasion.

Because you were expecting to see him jump, that's what you saw.

Your mind filling in the gaps.

OR!

It was all prepalanned and that lorry that passed by, because there was a lorry that passed by, was full of mattresses and marshmallows.

 

[iguana_tonante]

Re: Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoiler

Is it my imagination, or is this one of the best shows I've ever seen?

It's not your imagination.

 

[Relayer1]

Re: Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoiler

It is indeed probably the best thing on TV. Ever.

It doesn't mean all UK TV is that good though. I'd say at least 60% of my viewing is American shows. I know we only buy the very best of US TV and even then, its not all great, but you do have some great shows. BSG, Californication, Soprano's, Game Of Thrones, The Wire, Homeland, etc. etc.

Oh, and Trek was, er, American...

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Re: Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoiler

Perhaps I was a bit hyperbolic. The Wire and the Sopranos were indeed fantastic television. So was season one of Homeland. Don't get me started on the crapfest that is season two, though. How such a brilliant show went soooo wrong....ugh.

Breaking Bad doesn't suck too much. I guess I was thinking more of the glut of CSI, L&O, NCIS crime and "mystery" shows. Now they are unfettered feces compared to Sherlock.

Is Martin Freeman playing whatshisface in the Hobbit? I thought I heard that. He cracked my shit up when he started beating up Sherlock on the way to Irene's.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Re: Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoiler

Next spring? Noooooooo.....I need more now!! Waaaaaaa......

No broadcast date has been set yet.

Filming begins in March. Probably autumn for the UK, and sometime after that for the US.

 

[Relayer1]

Re: Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoiler

He is indeed playing Bilbo. Peter Jackson wanted him so much he delayed filming to accommodate filming Sherlock season 2.

Whilst it is superb, you have to take into account that they produce three per year while a season of, say, Elementary is over 20 episodes. In the UK we can't compete with high volume output - many of our shows have seasons of five to ten episodes. Twelve maximum, apart from soaps.

I do believe your crap TV is probably way worse than our crap TV though...

PS - I wouldn't get your hopes up for too many more Sherlocks - both leads are becoming movie stars and probably haven't signed long term contracts for Sherlock.

 

[Agent Richard07]

Re: Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoiler

^ Hustle is another great British series. 8 seasons, 6 episodes per season and each episode received the care it needed.

Jekyl, huh? As in Jekyl and Hyde? That intrigues.

It's a 6-episode series from 2007. It's the best version of the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde story I've seen to date.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Re: Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoiler

How many orders of magnitude is Sherlock more awesome than Elementary?

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Re: Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoiler

It's a 6-episode series from 2007. It's the best version of the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde story I've seen to date.

Ahhhhhh. Must search for this. Thank you.

Yeah, I figured if we get 6 more episodes of Sherlock, it's a blessing. They both seem to enjoy it--neither give off a diva attitude during interviews but they are both supremely talented; that much is obvious. They come across as extremely genuine. You can always tell if a star is full of shit or not. They'll be in demand. Still, with the short seasons one can always hope they can manage both at least for a little while.

Man, that chemistry of theirs is off the bloody charts. It just crept up and grabbed me. I totally bought Watson's grief at the supposed death of his friend. How Freeman could be that heartfelt while being totally subdued is beyond me. That's lightning in a bottle. You either have it or you don't. Incredible stuff. Last time I saw chemistry that good was Vorenus and Pullo on Rome.

Does anyone think Cumberbatch bears an astonishing resemblance to Ridge Forrester on "The Bold and the Beautiful"? Except that Cumberbatch can act.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Re: Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoiler

How many orders of magnitude is Sherlock more awesome than Elementary?

Allowing for differences in format (UK -- 90 minutes movies without commercials, US -- 42 minute episodes broken up with commercials), I find the two series on par with one another.

Steven Moffat likes to say that Sherlock is inspired by the Canon, but Elementary is more Canonical than most people think.

Miller's Holmes and Cumberbatch's Sherlock are comparable. Martin Freeman and Lucy Liu aren't really comparable because their characters are so vastly different, but I can't say that either is wrong for their role.

The one place I give Elementary the edge is in the police departments. Aiden Quinn's Gregson is heads and shoulders over Rupert Graves' Lestrade, and NYPD Detective Bell leaves more of an impression than the rest of Lestrade's crew.

 

[Christopher]

Re: Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoiler

Moffat's Jekyll is available for streaming on Netflix.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Re: Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoiler

Sweet. Heading over to my netflix account right now. Thank you.

 

[Skywalker]

Re: Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoiler

James Nesbitt, the star of Jekyll, is also in The Hobbit along with Freeman and Cumberbatch, playing one of the Dwarves. I'm starting to see a pattern here.

I'm glad you discovered Sherlock, it's truly an excellent series.

 

[Christopher]

Re: Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoiler

Jekyll also features Michelle Ryan and Leverage's Gina Bellman, as well as Denis Lawson, who was Wedge Antilles in the original Star Wars trilogy.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Re: Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoiler

Oh bother, my netflix is glitching out this evening. I'm sure it will right itself soon enough. Pardon my ignorance since I've been working massive overtime until about 2 days ago--this Elementary--it's a BBC series or an American one? Lucy Liu as Watson? Who the hell thought that was a good idea? Turning Watson into a woman is bad enough, but to turn him into the charm free Lucy Liu? Blech.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Re: Anyone familiar with the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes? (spoiler

I don't know if you didn't have to explain where Michelle is from because she is the most beautiful woman in the world, or because reminding us that she was the Bionic Woman makes us doubt her inner beauty which disqualifies her from being the most beautiful woman in the world.