Sherlock - Series 1 [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.

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.

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.