Sherlock (TV Show)

So I'm watching Series 2 tonight on DVD and Series 3 is in the making so I thought I'd write a little blog to tell you why I think Sherlock deserves all the hype it gets.

***SPOILERS : With most of my blogs if you haven't seen it and don't want to know too much don't read. It isn't majorly spoilery but it will give little bits away (like characters who appear etc)***


So a few years ago the BBC aired the first episode of Sherlock, a series focused on Sherlock Holmes in the modern era.

Sherlock is played by Benedict Cumberbatch and John Watson is played by Martin Freeman.

The series takes Sherlock stories and fiddles with them. Either making short stories longer or else just changing them slightly so that they can fit into modern times.

The two series consist of 6 episodes (3 each) of a length of 90 minutes. It is written by Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss and Stephen Thompson.

The series isn't dark and brooding, it isn't high colored and fantastical. It appeals to people of all ages.

If I had to tell you what I thought was the one thing that made Sherlock stand out I'd say it was the actors. The book and most adaptations show Holmes and Watson as... Well Holmes and Watson. Sherlock shows them as Sherlock and John. This might not be a big thing, you might be scratching your head, but because it is a modern show it shows these characters in a modern setting, therefore a modern friendship. If "bromance" wasn't a thing already they would be the originators of "bromances" world wide.

Whilst playing their characters so well they also add a new sense of friendship into the series. As the series doesn't stick to the stories but takes wild tangents off of it and gives it so much soul and depth.

The star performance for me is Martin Freeman. I wouldn't say he's the worlds best ACTOR but there is something about him. He just fills the character he plays with so much life and depth, his John Watson makes me sad and happy at the same time.

Benedict Cumberbatch is wonderful as Sherlock, he delivers lines perfectly and exact. He might be a bit more stiff then a Holmes should be but he plays a modern intellect very well.

But also the supporting cast have so much love and humanity in them. They aren't 2D characters in a book, they are wonderful rounded characters brought to life by their actors and actresses. From Molly the love struck morgue attendant to Lestrade the bumbling (kind of) inspector and to Mrs Hudson and Mycroft Holmes.

The show has so much of a family feeling, brought together by an eccentric genius who is kept in check by his hetrosexual partner.

But if the wonderful characterizations weren't enough then the show itself is full of wonder itself!

The way they have the text messages and notes all pop up on screen, taking it out of the Victorian era and into the modern era, keeping it dark without going too dark.

It is a wonderful series as it shows the darker side of what Sherlock can do, the books showed him using his skills of deduction to help, this shows what happens when Sherlock gets bored and uses them to "impress" people. Unfortunately it doesn't usually impress people, most of the time it upsets those closest to him.

The stories so far are as follows;
A Study in Pink
The Blind Banker
The Great Game
A Scandal in Bohemia
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Final Problem

The main bad guy stringing the whole of the two series so far is his iconic rival Moriarty.

I have to say if you want to watch it, do it in one. It is a very heart warming series, very cleverly written. A wonderful series. A real must watch!