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Amazon.co.uk Review
In the wake of Guy Ritchie's re-imagining, the BBC puts its own stamp on Arthur Conan Doyle's sleuth--and sets him in a London filled with cell phones and laptops. In the pilot, director Paul McGuigan (a keen visual stylist) introduces Sherlock Holmes (Atonement's Benedict Cumberbatch) as a "high-functioning sociopath" and Dr. John Watson (The Office's Martin Freeman) as an army veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder. Through a mutual friend, the two become flatmates at 221B Baker Street (Una Stubbs plays their landlady). Holmes, who consults with Scotland Yard inspector Lestrade (Rupert Graves) on his trickier cases, drafts Watson to assist him.
In "Study in Pink," four people commit suicide by poison. When Holmes sets out to establish a link, he falls right into the culprit's clutches. Other cases concern a smuggling operation ("The Blind Banker") and a mad bomber ("The Great Game"). Though he doesn't make a formal entrance until episode 3, Sherlock's archenemy, Moriarty (Andrew Scott), has a hand in each mystery, while the detective's brother, Mycroft (co-creator Mark Gatiss), first appears when he tries to hire Watson as a spy, an offer the good doctor refuses. Through his job at a medical office, Watson also meets Sarah (Zoe Telford), who becomes his girlfriend.
Part of the fun of Jeremy Brett's Holmes (and Agatha Christie's Poirot) came from the period details, so this update takes a little getting used to--as does the occasional mumbled line--but Cumberbatch and Freeman share an enjoyable Odd Couple rapport, marked by flashes of deadpan wit, which compensates for the absence of deerstalker caps (Holmes favors scarves) and journals (Watson maintains a website). Extras include commentary on the finale, the original pilot, and a featurette, in which co-creator Steven Moffat (Doctor Who) notes that Cumberbatch was his only choice for the title role. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
DVD Description
John Watson (Martin Freeman), army doctor, invalided home from Afghanistan, alone and friendless ...
Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch), the most brilliant intellect of his generation, alone and friendless ...
London 2010 - the best and longest friendship in all of fiction is about to begin anew. The most famous detective, the most baffling mysteries, the most thrilling adventures and the deadliest foes, are coming in out of the fog. Sherlock Holmes was always a modern man - it was the world that got old. Now he's back as he should be - edgy, contemporary, difficult, dangerous.
Inspector Lestrade (Rupert Graves) is the best Scotland Yard has got, but he knows he's not as good as a strange young man called Sherlock ...
The world’s favourite detective has come out of the fog.
Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch), the most brilliant intellect of his generation, alone and friendless ...
London 2010 - the best and longest friendship in all of fiction is about to begin anew. The most famous detective, the most baffling mysteries, the most thrilling adventures and the deadliest foes, are coming in out of the fog. Sherlock Holmes was always a modern man - it was the world that got old. Now he's back as he should be - edgy, contemporary, difficult, dangerous.
Inspector Lestrade (Rupert Graves) is the best Scotland Yard has got, but he knows he's not as good as a strange young man called Sherlock ...
The world’s favourite detective has come out of the fog.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Sherlock. As a Doctor Who fan I as bound to watch this with enthusiasm. But the fact that it was written by two writers of the Doctor Who team had me doubting to watch it. I thought that the cries - about how brilliant this show was - weren't 100% objective, where I only heard the side of the 'Whovians'. So I didn't follow it untill it came on the Dutch televion.
How wrong I was to assume that my fellow Whovians were only telling half the truth. When I saw my first Sherlock episode, the BBC could be sure they had another buyer.
The episodes are great fun to watch. Clever written. Enough humor. Quite some oneliners. And very well adapted to our 21th century. The use of mobile phones and other modern objects and software, translating old object into new (old watch to mobile phone, Watson's diary to a blog, Holmes' articles in the newspaper to a website); it was all done perfectly.
Next to that: The writing is original. I love how the authors used those tiny details from the original Doyle stories and yet made brand new out of it. This by mixing different stories into one episode and by taking a complete other turn with the details they've picked out from the original. I like that it is original and new. Cuz if we were to stay 100% true to the stories: Wouldn't the adaptations being made bore us in the end? Wouldn't the original stories loose their uniqueness?
Next to the three already broadcasted episodes this DVD has more things to offer.
First of all the pilot. It was great to watch and see the differences between this 60-minute episode and the 90-minute A Study in Pink. Compared to the later, the pilot looks of lesser quality. But then again they did a very decent job! Where it's shorter it's bound to have differences to the final one, and therefor is something you should really watch. Though while having watched this, my little brother guessed the outcome too early on.
Secondly we have Unlocking Sherlock. Very informative piece of work about how Sherlock came to exist. A bit behind of the scenes. Very nice.
Finally the commentary. Interesting and funny listening material. It's like being part of the conversation yourself. One thing that dissapoints me a little bit is that the commentaries only give the subtitles from the actual episode that's being discussed. For none native speakers or people with hearing problems that's a bit difficult. Manageable, but difficult.
I'd say: If you like Sherlock Holmes, or you like modern detectives: You should really try this out.
How wrong I was to assume that my fellow Whovians were only telling half the truth. When I saw my first Sherlock episode, the BBC could be sure they had another buyer.
The episodes are great fun to watch. Clever written. Enough humor. Quite some oneliners. And very well adapted to our 21th century. The use of mobile phones and other modern objects and software, translating old object into new (old watch to mobile phone, Watson's diary to a blog, Holmes' articles in the newspaper to a website); it was all done perfectly.
Next to that: The writing is original. I love how the authors used those tiny details from the original Doyle stories and yet made brand new out of it. This by mixing different stories into one episode and by taking a complete other turn with the details they've picked out from the original. I like that it is original and new. Cuz if we were to stay 100% true to the stories: Wouldn't the adaptations being made bore us in the end? Wouldn't the original stories loose their uniqueness?
Next to the three already broadcasted episodes this DVD has more things to offer.
First of all the pilot. It was great to watch and see the differences between this 60-minute episode and the 90-minute A Study in Pink. Compared to the later, the pilot looks of lesser quality. But then again they did a very decent job! Where it's shorter it's bound to have differences to the final one, and therefor is something you should really watch. Though while having watched this, my little brother guessed the outcome too early on.
Secondly we have Unlocking Sherlock. Very informative piece of work about how Sherlock came to exist. A bit behind of the scenes. Very nice.
Finally the commentary. Interesting and funny listening material. It's like being part of the conversation yourself. One thing that dissapoints me a little bit is that the commentaries only give the subtitles from the actual episode that's being discussed. For none native speakers or people with hearing problems that's a bit difficult. Manageable, but difficult.
I'd say: If you like Sherlock Holmes, or you like modern detectives: You should really try this out.
138 of 146 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I must admit that I had never read the original Sherlock Holmes stories. I was familiar with them, of course, and have many friends who hold them in high regard. I was also a big fan of the tv show House, whose main character is based on Sherlock Holmes, but that was pretty much my knowledge of it. I watched Guy Richie's 2009 movie Sherlock Holmes, and walked away feeling nothing, despite liking the actors in the movie.
And then I watched BBC's contemporary adaption simply named Sherlock, and there it was, the magic that made me fall in love. I had not expected it at all, but there was no denying that Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss had created something extraordinary. That the stories work so well put into modern times, who would have thought? I think Gatiss made a good point when he in an interview said that one reason it worked so well was that since they did not have to spend a lot of time and energy creating a visually convincing Victorian London, it gave them much more room to focus on the characters. And I am a character-focused viewer, and Sherlock gives us a beautiful and modern take on who two young men like Sherlock and John, as they call each other, would be like today, running around London, hailing cabs, bickering and occasionally grinning at crime scenes.
It also got me into the original Conan Doyle stories, and there is no doubt that Moffat and Gatiss adore them as well. The show is literally littered with reference, names, places and lines and conversations from Conan Doyle's stories, remixed and put into other situations and with other people. The show can be seen by a Sherlock newbie, but I must say that it definitely gives you an even more pleasurable experience watching the show while snickering at all the familiar bits from the old material.
The cast is spot on, too. Benedict Cumberbatch is a perfectly intense, flamboyant and otherworldly Sherlock. Even his physical appearance match with the description of Sherlock Holmes in Conan Doyle's "A Study in Scarlet". As his room mate and newfound friend, Martin Freeman's down-to-earth jumper-wearing everyday man is the perfect anchor for a Sherlock that doesn't always know when he goes too far.
A real gem for both new and old Sherlock Holmes fans indeed.
And then I watched BBC's contemporary adaption simply named Sherlock, and there it was, the magic that made me fall in love. I had not expected it at all, but there was no denying that Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss had created something extraordinary. That the stories work so well put into modern times, who would have thought? I think Gatiss made a good point when he in an interview said that one reason it worked so well was that since they did not have to spend a lot of time and energy creating a visually convincing Victorian London, it gave them much more room to focus on the characters. And I am a character-focused viewer, and Sherlock gives us a beautiful and modern take on who two young men like Sherlock and John, as they call each other, would be like today, running around London, hailing cabs, bickering and occasionally grinning at crime scenes.
It also got me into the original Conan Doyle stories, and there is no doubt that Moffat and Gatiss adore them as well. The show is literally littered with reference, names, places and lines and conversations from Conan Doyle's stories, remixed and put into other situations and with other people. The show can be seen by a Sherlock newbie, but I must say that it definitely gives you an even more pleasurable experience watching the show while snickering at all the familiar bits from the old material.
The cast is spot on, too. Benedict Cumberbatch is a perfectly intense, flamboyant and otherworldly Sherlock. Even his physical appearance match with the description of Sherlock Holmes in Conan Doyle's "A Study in Scarlet". As his room mate and newfound friend, Martin Freeman's down-to-earth jumper-wearing everyday man is the perfect anchor for a Sherlock that doesn't always know when he goes too far.
A real gem for both new and old Sherlock Holmes fans indeed.
193 of 205 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
What more can I say other than I enjoyed them so much that I've watched all three episodes twice? Cumberbatch's dark, thrilling Holmes was perfect for the modern setting and the growing relationship between him and Martin Freeman's quietly brave Watson was kept integral to the plot as it always should be. And what great plots they are, although I would expect nothing less from Stephen Moffat and Mark Gatiss who rarely fail to impress me: They clearly know their Sherlock Holmes and borrow selectively from the original short stories and novels to create something that is new and fresh. Each episode is clever and thoughtful, with interesting modern twists; such as the particularly effective use of text to allow you to see what Sherlock is thinking as he surveys a crime scene or texts on his phone. It really is worth getting past the images of gaslight and hansom cabs that Sherlock Holmes normally brings to mind and letting yourself be drawn into the show. I thought I would hate 'Sherlock' when I first heard about the series and I couldn't have been more wrong.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
An excellent take on Sherlock Holmes
A fan of various series/adaptations, but this version just blew my mind. Great to see all the characters and characteristics kept true to the original books, but adapted to modern... Read more
Published 9 hours ago by Andrew King
Sherlock!!!
This is a brilliant program for Sherlock Holmes fans and for someone who has never even heard of the stories. An amazing modern twist to the original.
Published 3 days ago by Carrie
Sherlock-Series 1
Living in Italy, we bought this and series 2 on the recommendation of a certain Radio 2 DJ who absolutly raved about the new series. Read more
Published 10 days ago by Benemax
R.I.P.
This is as much like Sherlock Holmes as Bambi is.
Complete rubbish. Typical modern film making. Read more
Complete rubbish. Typical modern film making. Read more
Published 10 days ago by Len Loullis
Sherlock for the 21st Century!
What a wonderful modern day take on the Conan Doyle stories. The events are far from obvious, and the outcome always leaves you thinking 'of course, why didn't I realise that! Read more
Published 15 days ago by Mrs R
Amazing!
Oh my gosh..this series.
I've never seen another TV show that has this sort of quality, it's just amazing. Read more
I've never seen another TV show that has this sort of quality, it's just amazing. Read more
Published 18 days ago by Emilia
Fantastic
best new serie ever (with Breaking Bad). intelligent show with funny quotes from Sherlock ;) you will love to hate this genius reflexion
Published 1 month ago by SB
Sherlock Holmes DVD
Was well packed and received very quickly. Did not know much about this series but was told it was good and it was great DVD
Published 1 month ago by J. Roberts
Great stuff....................
If you liked Sherlock on TV you will love this. The first series on DVD is out now but perhaps a little soon after it was aired on the box, as I could remember the outcomes! Read more
Published 1 month ago by D. J. Moores
"Sherlock and John"
While the first episode dragged a little half in, the series has gotten a pretty sorted premiere.
Cumberbatch makes a refreshing interpretation of the most famous sleuth in... Read more
Cumberbatch makes a refreshing interpretation of the most famous sleuth in... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Thomas Nøhr
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