Sherlock

Sherlock Holmes. What don’t we know about Conan Doyle’s iconic detective? Now over a century old – his first adventure was published back in 1887 – Sherlock has forever lingered in our collective imagination. The man himself has been portrayed by close to a hundred different actors, his many triumphs celebrated in film, television, radio and literature, with every twist and turn of his tale ingrained in popular culture.

So, back in 2009, when Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat announced that they would be re-treading the escapades of the world’s most famous detective, I was far from enthused. A BBC backed Sherlock, set in modern day London, starring that guy from The Office and Benedict Cumber-something? No thanks.

After all, Guy Ritchie and Robert Downey Jr. had very recently done a fine job of reinventing the long-serving icon for a contemporary audience. What could Gatiss and Moffat possibly bring to the table that hadn’t already been done to death in countless previous incarnations?

Clearly, I couldn’t have been more wrong. The conversion process didn’t take long – about 25 minutes into the pilot episode, to be precise – and I am now an unabashed fan of Sherlock. Not only is it the best TV show I’ve seen this side of True Detective – it’s probably the best British television production I’ve ever seen. Who addicts and Luther fans can grumble all they like, but Sherlock is king of British telly, and with good reason.

For starters, the decision to subject Sherlock to the demands of everyday, contemporary life is a stroke of simple genius. Conan Doyle’s London may have changed dramatically over the course of the past century, but it remains as prominent a character in the adventures of his titular hero as it ever did. Horses make way for the iconic black cabs, and telegrams have been replaced with the digital technology we now rely upon so heavily. Yet despite this, we never feel far away from Conan Doyle’s original vision of the Victorian cityscape; in a delightfully self-aware sequence, Holmes dons the iconic deerstalker so firmly associated with Sherlock mythology in an attempt to shield his face from the press – a decision he later regrets; “How do you stalk a deer with a hat?” he sullenly complains.

That Gatiss and Moffat are able to mould Conan Doyle’s original tales into legitimately interesting modern day mysteries, whilst keeping the audience guessing (most of the time) is testament to their undeniable writing ability. The dialogue crackles with energy, Sherlock’s deductions are endlessly entertaining, and his relentless (often brutal) tirades are magical. To say Sherlock is funny would be a crude understatement – it’s clear that cast and crew alike are having a ball, relentlessly poking fun at the legend of Sherlock. The whip smart writing ensures that the laughs come thick and fast, and the dynamic, ever evolving relationships that exist between the central characters never fails to disappoint.

Which brings us to the man himself; Sherlock. Benedict Cumberbatch joins a long list of prestigious actors in portraying Conan Doyle’s eternal hero; Christopher Lee, Charlton Heston, Michael Caine and Peter O’Toole have all enjoyed time in Baker Street. Yet, of all these great names, it is Cumberbatch’s Sherlock who stands head and shoulders above the somewhat more traditional incarnations.

Relatively unknown (at least back in 2010), Cumberbatch infuses Sherlock with the colossal intelligence for which the character is best known, but with previously unexplored baggage – Sherlock Holmes, a drug addict?! Sherlock’s monstrous intellect has isolated him from his only brother, and indeed society as a whole; by his own admission, Sherlock is undoubtedly a sociopath – albeit an extremely high functioning one. Cumberbatch’s performance has since seen him appear in the excellent Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Spielberg’s War Horse, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy and most recently The Imitation Game. Not a bad few years then.

And yet for all Cumberbatch’s fireworks, no iteration of Sherlock Holmes would be complete without trusty sidekick John Watson. Martin Freeman, now world renowned as Bilbo Baggins, is the reliable Ying to Sherlock’s zany Yang. It’s easy to see why Peter Jackson so desired the Brit to play the titular role in his Hobbit trilogy. Often out of his depth, aimlessly following an incomprehensible Cumberbatch, Freeman is the perfect “everyman” – which is ultimately the reason he makes such a terrific Bilbo, and an even better Watson.

Cumberbatch and Watson find staggeringly good support in Una Stubbs (Mrs Hudson), Rupert Graves (Lestrade) and Louise Brealey (Molly). Even creator Mark Gatiss posts consistently impressive performances in his regular appearances as Sherlock’s genial elder sibling, Mycroft. Most impressive of all is Andrew Scott’s Moriarty – Sherlock’s greatest nemesis. Outwitting Sherlock at every opportunity, Scott’s villain is menacing, unpredictable, and often hilarious – the scenes he shares with Cumberbatch are never short of captivating.

Despite their recent meteoric success, both Cumberbatch and Freeman are keen to further develop their Sherlock legacy. Cumberbatch himself recently stated that he would love to play Sherlock deep into his senior years, such is his fondness for the character. And with a Christmas special penned for 2015, and a fourth season scheduled for release in 2016, Sherlock is far from finished.

Indeed, if Cumberbatch has his way, we have yet to scratch the surface of what has already proved to be a magnificent television spectacle.

The game is afoot!