About half way through the first ep and I'm really enjoying it so far.
Sherlock - BBC ONE & HD - Sunday 25th
- Thread starter Bob The Skutter
- Start date
Well, that was great!
Freeman played a different role than his usual everyman-bumbler, and did it very well. Cumberland Grumblebum was a very good Holmes, I thought.
And...
So - great stuff, can't wait for next week!
Freeman played a different role than his usual everyman-bumbler, and did it very well. Cumberland Grumblebum was a very good Holmes, I thought.
And...
Phil Davis played a blinder as the killer, but I didn't like how he basically fessed up and revealed all so we could shortcut to the endgame. Oh well.
And I just knew that Gatiss was Mycroft right away! Sneaky old Moff trying to fool us into thinking he was Moriarty...
And I just knew that Gatiss was Mycroft right away! Sneaky old Moff trying to fool us into thinking he was Moriarty...
Thought that was really good, actually, much better than Hollywoods take on the subject. Much closer to the source material despite seeming to be further away.
Wasn't too keen on the text speak that floated around the screen tbh, but I can live with that.
Wasn't too keen on the text speak that floated around the screen tbh, but I can live with that.
I Saw Mycroft coming but I wish I didn't see Moriarty. Can we not seem to do one without bringing him into it. I was kinnda annoyed that there wasn't a better motive fro our killer, something that we could trace back ourselves. But, seen as they were adapting Study in Scarlet, I'll let them off.
The book was around before motices and all that.
The book was around before motices and all that.
Thoroughly enjoyed that. Glad they made it in to 3 episode series rather than the 1 off it started as. Just hope they make it a returning series.
I liked the floating text and the way they showed Sherlock's deductions. It was different and made it so there wasn't quite as much exposition as you usually get.
I liked the floating text and the way they showed Sherlock's deductions. It was different and made it so there wasn't quite as much exposition as you usually get.
Just watched this.
As can be read upthread, I went into this fairly sceptical. But I have to admit really enjoying it. I think this was the first 90 minutes of TV I've watched without browsing the net or otherwise multi-tasking for ages.
Things I liked:
- no post-modern nods to the Sherlock Holmes books.
- lots of faithful touches/echoes from the books: Sherlock horsewhipping the meat, Rache subverted, chasing the taxi through the streets by using shortcuts, interpreting the mobile phone scratches as signs of alcoholism, etc, etc.
- Mrs Hudson "I'm your landlady, not your housekeeper", but still making the tea.
- Mycroft. I knew it must be him not Moriarty as soon as he diverted the CCTV cameras, plus the British Civil Service uniform he wore, but it was great payoff to have it confirmed at the end
- the appropriate use of modern technology (this was my biggest fear; that modern tech would make Holmes' deductions seem redundant, but it was all well integrated into the storyline and enhanced the deductions)
-the text "thought bubbles" flagging up the things Holmes notices. Especially well done when examining the pink lady in the room.
- American TV style fast pacing to plot development
- Holmes' bitchiness to the black policewoman and the forensic examiner about their affair
Things I didn't like:
- one "are Sherlock/Watson gay" joke is funny, three or four is getting yawnsomely repetitive
- Sherlock being slower than me when it came to figuring out that is was the taxi driver, not the passenger, that was the murderer. Sherlock should always be faster than his readers/watchers. This was my biggest problem with the show, but they redeemed themselves by moving past it very quickly.
- "stupid therapist" syndrome (more a general pet professional peeve at how shrinks tend to get depicted in TV/movies than specific to this production though)
Overall, very good indeed. And I look forward to seeing more. Consider me converted.
Was this a one-off or the start of a series? Hope it's the latter!
EDIT - I see that question's been answered already upthread; thanks! Do we really need spoilers for all this though? Is it even broadcast anywhere else?
As can be read upthread, I went into this fairly sceptical. But I have to admit really enjoying it. I think this was the first 90 minutes of TV I've watched without browsing the net or otherwise multi-tasking for ages.
Things I liked:
- no post-modern nods to the Sherlock Holmes books.
- lots of faithful touches/echoes from the books: Sherlock horsewhipping the meat, Rache subverted, chasing the taxi through the streets by using shortcuts, interpreting the mobile phone scratches as signs of alcoholism, etc, etc.
- Mrs Hudson "I'm your landlady, not your housekeeper", but still making the tea.
- Mycroft. I knew it must be him not Moriarty as soon as he diverted the CCTV cameras, plus the British Civil Service uniform he wore, but it was great payoff to have it confirmed at the end
- the appropriate use of modern technology (this was my biggest fear; that modern tech would make Holmes' deductions seem redundant, but it was all well integrated into the storyline and enhanced the deductions)
-the text "thought bubbles" flagging up the things Holmes notices. Especially well done when examining the pink lady in the room.
- American TV style fast pacing to plot development
- Holmes' bitchiness to the black policewoman and the forensic examiner about their affair
Things I didn't like:
- one "are Sherlock/Watson gay" joke is funny, three or four is getting yawnsomely repetitive
- Sherlock being slower than me when it came to figuring out that is was the taxi driver, not the passenger, that was the murderer. Sherlock should always be faster than his readers/watchers. This was my biggest problem with the show, but they redeemed themselves by moving past it very quickly.
- "stupid therapist" syndrome (more a general pet professional peeve at how shrinks tend to get depicted in TV/movies than specific to this production though)
Overall, very good indeed. And I look forward to seeing more. Consider me converted.
Was this a one-off or the start of a series? Hope it's the latter!
EDIT - I see that question's been answered already upthread; thanks! Do we really need spoilers for all this though? Is it even broadcast anywhere else?
^Started life as a one off, but that one off turned in to a pilot and then turned in to a 3x90 minutes series. Hoping it will be a returning series because that was a cracking start to the series.
Definitely!
BTW, I chuckled at the psychopath vs. high functioning sociopath argument Holmes had with the forensic examiner about what disorder he actually had. In truth all these terms and several others, like dissocial and antisocial, have very confused usage both casually and professionally. Personally, I think Holmes is closer to a narcissistic and histrionic personality (he would score very strongly on the first part of Hare's psychopathy checklist, for instance).
Probably the simplest thing would be to say he scores very highly along some Cluster B personality traits, but without the borderline aspects.
^The thing with the cabbie was something I spotted quickly too, but I think the fact is we're all people who've watched way too much film and TV and that's how film and TV works so we spotted it, would we have jumped to that conclusion if it were real? Personally I'm willing to overlook the fact it took him longer than me to work out it was the cabbie.
The pilot may show up on the DVD box set.
Oh was that announced somewhere? It'd be a nice extra.
Wasn't bad - easily the most entertaining BBC series outwith Dr Who this year - but Benedict Cummerbund isn't going to take the "generation's best Holmes" crown from Downey Jr. He was good - obviously still doing his Dr Who audition, as well as wearing Matt Smith's winter street clothes -and he'll do as a best TV Holmes for now.
Mark Gatiss' appearance threatened to turn it into a League of Gentlemen sketch, but it jumped the shark with Holmes walking off with the killer two thirds through...
Martin Freeman was a revelation though- getting away from his comedy persona and almost channeling a Daniel Craig style, especially in the close-ups. Maybe it's the hairstyle..
Overall direction, tone and style, and dialogue (obviously) were great - all top-notch - but the middle third was the best part. The music needs re-scoring though, as it was too obviously knocking off Zimmer's score from last year's movie, to my ears anyway.
Overall verdict - flawed, but a good sunday night's entertainment and I'll be tuning in next week.
I wonder who they'll get to play Moriarty...
Mark Gatiss' appearance threatened to turn it into a League of Gentlemen sketch, but it jumped the shark with Holmes walking off with the killer two thirds through...
Martin Freeman was a revelation though- getting away from his comedy persona and almost channeling a Daniel Craig style, especially in the close-ups. Maybe it's the hairstyle..
Overall direction, tone and style, and dialogue (obviously) were great - all top-notch - but the middle third was the best part. The music needs re-scoring though, as it was too obviously knocking off Zimmer's score from last year's movie, to my ears anyway.
Overall verdict - flawed, but a good sunday night's entertainment and I'll be tuning in next week.
I wonder who they'll get to play Moriarty...
As soon as he said "who hunts in a crowd" I immediately said "minicabs" to the wife...
Oh I really liked that! Moffat sir, you are a bloody good writer!
Thought Benedict was brilliant, loved the killer cab driver, the text bubbles was slightly annoying, mainly when Sherlock actually verbalised what he'd figured out anyway! I did like the wrong texts everyone was getting, initially I thought they were coming from the killer
I'd agree that Sherlock should have figured out it was the cab driver before we did, and I was hoping for something more oblique for how the cabbie made them take the pill, but I guess most writers are better at set up than resolution.
I loved the way it was shot, managed to look both very modern yet curiously old fashioned as well. I did get slightly worried when Gatiss turned up doing his John Steed impression (guessed at the end who he was but still a nice trick) Be interesting if Moriarty is in face Sherlock as well (he is clearly bonkers after all)
And was that really Aunt Sally as Mrs Hudson?
The gay jokes were funny, but I hope it isn't a recurrant theme, one thing that really pisses me off about modern telly seems to be the fact that no two characters can ever be just friends anymore (don't get me started on Mulder/Scully!)
Oh and one last point. Martin Freeman. I was expecting him to be shit and he was bloody fantastic, probably the best thing about it. Roll on next Sunday and let's hope that unlike Jekyll, this one gets a second series!
Thought Benedict was brilliant, loved the killer cab driver, the text bubbles was slightly annoying, mainly when Sherlock actually verbalised what he'd figured out anyway! I did like the wrong texts everyone was getting, initially I thought they were coming from the killer
I'd agree that Sherlock should have figured out it was the cab driver before we did, and I was hoping for something more oblique for how the cabbie made them take the pill, but I guess most writers are better at set up than resolution.
I loved the way it was shot, managed to look both very modern yet curiously old fashioned as well. I did get slightly worried when Gatiss turned up doing his John Steed impression (guessed at the end who he was but still a nice trick) Be interesting if Moriarty is in face Sherlock as well (he is clearly bonkers after all)
And was that really Aunt Sally as Mrs Hudson?
The gay jokes were funny, but I hope it isn't a recurrant theme, one thing that really pisses me off about modern telly seems to be the fact that no two characters can ever be just friends anymore (don't get me started on Mulder/Scully!)
Oh and one last point. Martin Freeman. I was expecting him to be shit and he was bloody fantastic, probably the best thing about it. Roll on next Sunday and let's hope that unlike Jekyll, this one gets a second series!
let's hope James Nesbitt doesn't turn up as Moriarty...
Bleeding Cool did some investigative work; the pilot (also "A Study in Pink") has been cleared by the BBFC with a 12 rating.
That could work actually.
Before Going Postal I'd have said that would be as bad, but now I think it could work.