The Sherlock Holmes Collection [DVD] [1968]

Disc 1:
A Study in Scarlet - The first Sherlock Holmes story written by Conan Doyle fits quite nicely into the single episode 50 minute format. The lengthy novel condenses well and omits much of the back story instead focusing on Holmes' investigation and adding a music hall sequence. The film/video sequences are less jarring as much of the story takes place at night or in dark rooms keeping a continuity that is lost in other episodes.

The Boscombe Valley Mystery - A very substandard episode with very little action and some poor performances from all but Cushing and Stock. The episode has dated terribly with some groovy psychedelic special effects towards the end!

Disc 2:
The Hound of the Baskervilles - The story is presented in its original 2 episode format and manages to remain relatively faithful to the novel given the expanded running time. The main fault with the story is that Holmes is missing for much of the time and it falls upon Nigel Stock to carry the first episode alone. With a good deal of location footage shot on Dartmoor itself the production probably looks the best of the lot.

Disc 3:
The Sign of Four - Another full length story which was compressed down to 50 minutes but this time doesn't work as well which is a shame is it is a great story. The Jeremy Brett adaptation remains the superior version but it is nice to see Cushing in some classic scenes although the entire second half is rushed.

The Blue Carbuncle - The final story of the series is probably the most enjoyable remains very close to Conan Doyle's original. There is some nice interplay between Cushing and Stock and the story captures the sense of period very well despite the obvious hectic schedule and shoddy production values.

It's too bad so many episodes of this fine series were lost (including, apparently, the episode that has an appearance by Edward Hardwicke). But the surviving episodes are worth watching for the casual Holmesan and mandatory for the Holmes obsessives. It is shot in videotape in the studio and on film outside the studio, but some of the best British television ever was done the same way, such as "The Pallisers" and "Lillie." At its worst, "Sherlock Holmes" looks no more stagey than "I, Claudius".

Peter Cushing was too diverse an actor (and too well known, especially in the States) to be identified with Holmes the way Brett was. Holmes is just another in his wide array of performances. But he is a good, if not definitive, Holmes and the series holds up as well as anything else made during its period. Because it was set in the Victorian era it avoids the garish 1960's decor that tempted other contemporary shows, even those as good as "The Prisoner", and putting them in a time capsule. It may not surpass the first few Brett series, but this box set of dvds can sit proudly beside the Brett Holmes on the shelf with its chin up.

Cushing first played the great detective in the Hammer film, Hound of The Baskervilles in the late 1950's. He then reprised the role a decade later in the series contained in this DVD. Cushing then played the role one further time in the TV movie The Masks of Death in the mid 1980's.

The only previous release from the 1960's series was a limited release of The Hound of The Baskervilles a few years ago. The other stories contained in this release have not been rebroadcast in the UK since their original transmission, which gives them a considerable rarity.

It has to be said that the production leaves something to be desired. Cushing was always unhappy that each story was recorded at too fast a pace, leaving little time to correct errors. This is apparent in the transmitted stories, with fluffed lines and jerky camerawork.

If you are prepared to tolerate this, then there is much to appreciate. Peter Cushing gives a wonderful performance, ably assisted by Nigel Stock, who falls somewhere between the amiable buffoon of Nigel Bruce and the subtler David Burke and Edward Hardwicke.

The five stories contained on this boxset are The Hound of The Baskervilles, The Sign of Four, The Blue Carbuncle, A Study In Scarlet and The Boscombe Valley Mystery. Hound has a running time of 100 minutes whilst the others run for 50 minutes.

An essential purchase for fans of Holmes, Cushing or classic British television.