The master
The title of this review refers not to Holmes himself, master though he may have been, but to the incomparable Jeremy Brett. Truly, there can be no other actor who has played Sherlock Holmes, who so utterly nailed the role and character of the man as Brett did. An amazing talent and one of acting's most tragic losses.

Now, the series...

This is a unique example among screen adaptations of works of literature: the on-screen product actually surpasses the original written works.

Conan Doyle's stories of the great detective were rather shallow affairs to be honest, although still immensely readable, occupying a favourite place on my bookshelf. But the fact remains, the vast majority of them were only short stories, and those that were novels were only a third or quarter the size of most books published today (maybe only a sixth the size of something like Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix).

This series greatly expands the plot of most of the stories, adding whole new arcs and giving much greater depth to them. The original story of The Final Problem for instance, consisted only of an expository scene in Watson's house, a more or less unremarkable flight across Europe that lasts all of four pages and no "on-screen" climax: the ending being told from Watson's point of view as he tries to deduce what has transpired at the end of the path by the Reichenbach Falls. Literally adapted from the original story, the screenplay would have lasted maybe fifteen minutes, but this effort successfully extends it to sixty.

There are a few criticisms I could lay against this series, but none detract from its self-imbued quality. All are to do with departures from the canon as laid down by the author.

Numerous episodes are placed out of chronological order, with stories that were originally in "The Return" now appearing in "The Adventures", and so on. Also, for the majority of "Adventures" in the original, Watson and Holmes did not share rooms at Baker Street: in the original stories Watson married after only the second story (The Sign of Four) and Holmes spent the entirety of Adventures short-stories living alone. Watson didn't co-habit with Holmes again until Return, as between Holmes supposed death at Reichenbach and his reappearance three years later, Watson was widowed.

The biggest gripe I could have is that so many stories were not made into episodes, including, most unforgivably of all, A Study In Scarlet, the very first story in which Watson meets Holmes for the first time. I believe there was a total of eighteen canon stories left unfilmed.

To end on a positive note (a feedback sandwich as such things are known nowadays), one thing which endears this particular adaption of Holmes to me more than any other, even more than Brett being the only man who has ever portrayed Holmes 100% accurately, is that Watson is not played as a near-imbecile. Other adaptations have shown him to be slow-minded, self-important, close-minded and generally an idiot. David Burke and Edward Hardwicke however, both portray him as he came across in the books: intelligent (if not of the same calibre of intelligence as Holmes himself); warm-hearted; loyal; quick; pragmatic; courageous and steadfast. Erased are the earlier memories of Nigel Bruce and his bumbling idiot of a sidekick: this is Watson as he should have been.

In conclusion, for heaven's sake, buy this adaptation before you even think of looking at any other. For its few faults it is incomparable to any other screen or film version, being by far the best written and starring the best actors, led by Jeremy Brett, giving a performance of almost superhuman capability in the eponymous role.


A Fitting Tribute To Jeremy Brett
What can i say about this fabulous box set. This is a must have for any fan of Sherlock Holmes. This is a masterpeice TV Series. Superbly acted by all, David Burke and Edward Hardwicke are wonderful. (I wanna hug them both!!) Jeremy Brett is simply just outstanding. He IS Sherlock Holmes. he will take you into the very mind of the character. His acting is a masterclass performance. He really should have won a BAFTA for his role. It is a bittersweet thing to watch though to see the decline in his health on screen, but dont let that put you off, he is simply spellbinding. A well presented DVD boxset that is a fitting tribute to one of Britain's much loved actors and sadly missed today. Gone, but NEVER forgotten. If you want to buy a new DVD, buy this boxset. You wont be disappointed!!! .


READ THE REVIEWS
If you can't decide whether you can afford to shell out on these superb dramas, read the many many reviews printed here. They'll make up your mind, and help you reach for your wallet.
These magnificent pieces of television take a lot of beating.
Go get! Enjoy.


Only the manufacturing lets it down
Jeremy Brett lived Sherlock Holmes for the decade spanned by the making of these television adaptations of Conan Doyle's master detective. His energetic and eccentric characterisation is completely captivating. Even when he looks most ill, towards the end, any time Brett/Holmes is absent from the action the story-telling seems to lose some intensity and purpose. Edward Hardwicke is surely also the best Watson put to the screen - the sometimes puzzled and exasperated, but always faithful companion to Holmes and proxy for us, the audience. Patrick Gowers' music is also another particular strength. The production values are generally very high and the ensemble casts excellent, with only one or two exceptions. The early episodes are very faithful to the Conan Doyle stories, and although this does no harm, of course, they sometimes can seem a bit pedestrian - as though the production team had not yet fully come to believe in the potential of the thing. The middle episodes are very fine, look more opulant and are more thoughtfully realised. The latter episodes, including some much longer treatments of certain stories are variable - if anything, the directing goes for too many effects in order to tease out the material. But Brett is consistently and completely true to his part - and the artistic legacy left by him in this series is a television landmark. As to the manufacturing... three of the discs in my set were damaged, and the catch used to hold the discs is so stiff you run the risk of more damage taking them off each time.

Best UK TV series ever.
I am a longtime fan of the stories and of the Basil Rathbone incarnation.
I was surprised at how quickly I elevated Brett's Holmes above all others.
It is the quirky features the sudden yelps and twitches that set this Holmes apart, brilliant and consistent performance from Brett. If you like detective series this is the best, if you like Victorian period drama it does not get better. If you like TV at all, and I am no big fan, then you will enjoy this. All praise to ITV for capturing the period as well as the BBC would have done. My favourite Conan-Dayle story 'The Sign of Four' is superb only the final series is a little inconsistent. I recently spent six months away from home bringing with me a trunk of goods, this was the only DVD I took. Might I recommend you imbibe a mixture of hypnotic sleepers and a bottle of Baileys to truly enjoy.

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