Sherlock Series 1

Sherlock Holmes is without a doubt one of the most recognisable fictional characters of all time in the literary world. The character is one of the most well-defined and intrinsic characters to have ever graced the written pages of books and has now found its way onto the television screen through the scripts of the well known Steven Moffat, with the assistance of Mark Gatiss. Of course, recreating an iconic character such as Sherlock Holmes is no walk in the park and Moffat has done it justice in his own right with his modern adaptation of this great classic.

Each season is made up of three episodes, each with a runtime of approximately 88 to 90 minutes. The first episode, titled A Study In Pink, is the tale of multiple deaths, all of which appear to be suicides. Sherlock is under the impression that the suicides are in fact a series of murders and sets off on his hunt for a serial killer. The second episode is titled The Blind Banker and begins with a break in at a corporate office. A case of vandalism and later murder arouses Sherlock’s interest as he takes on the case to try and decipher codes that will solve the mystery. The third episode is titled The Great Game and is a revelation of Sherlock’s archenemy as he is left clues by a psychopathic bomber who has rigged up helpless people with explosives and uses them as a mouthpiece to send Sherlock chasing after and solving puzzles to ultimately lead to a final showdown and cliffhanger.

Sherlock is introduced to Dr. John Watson in the beginning of the first episode when he is in need of a roommate and Watson is looking for a home to move into. The script then revolves around the cases that Sherlock takes on as ‘the only consulting detective in the world’ as he helps Scotland Yard in and around their abode at 221 B Baker’s Street.

Sherlock Holmes is represented as a modern image of his classic being. He is an eccentric character, which is a trademark from other characters crafted by Steven Moffat. He is never at ease with living a mundane life which drives him to find new and interesting puzzles for him to solve. He is constantly on the lookout for excitement to keep his mind occupied and ignores any cases he believes he would be able to solve easily. He is a modern adaptation who uses the assistance of cell phones and the internet to crack down his cases and has a network of underground informants which includes graffiti artists and homeless people to keep him updated. Dr. John Watson on the other hand is a rudimentary character which goes along with everything Sherlock says and hangs on his every word.

Sherlock is portrayed as a character who is very confident and self assured with everything he does. He has a keen sense of observation and deduction which helps him solve cases and arrive at conclusions at a faster rate than most other people. However, he is portrayed as a character that is fallible and does not necessarily know about everything. His dependence on technology and informers is a nice modern touch to a classic character. He is brought to life by actor Benedict Cumberbatch whose only flaw may be during dialogue delivery when Sherlock cracks a case and rants about his findings. At times like this, it becomes difficult to follow what Sherlock is saying, but then again, that is a classic Sherlock Holmes trait; minus the gloating that comes with this modern adaptation.

A great viewing experience that brings a classic character to life in the modern world with relevance, the television series is no let down. In fact, as mystery television shows go, it may be one of the best available. It must go down as a classic.