Sherlock!

Today, January 1, 2016, BBC will air the Sherlock New Years Day Special. PBS will also air it as part of Masterpiece (check local listings - I have two nearby PBS stations and each one has a different time). I've been looking forward to this. Even though the BBC Sherlock is set in modern-day, this particular special ("Sherlock: The Abominable Bride") will be set (or appears to be set) in Victorian days, one that many Sherlock Holmes fans are familiar with from the books. It will be interesting to see how the characters react or not react to this setting. Will Mrs. Hudson still say, "Not your housekeeper."? Will John and Mary already be married in this version? Will we see another version of how the characters met? This trailer seems to hint so.

I've always been a fan of Sherlock Holmes. I don't remember which came first - if it was watching the Basil Rathbone movies on television, or reading Arthur Conan Doyle's stories. I was enough of a fan, though, that I received the 2 volume Annotated Sherlock Holmes as a Christmas present when I was in eighth grade.

My friend Barbara Warne created and maintains the Sherlock Guide. She has links not only to the current show, but to an episode guide for Elementary, news about conventions and what the showrunners said at those conventions, links to the episodes of the Russian Sherlock Holmes show (in the news section in 2014) and many other items of interest to Sherlock Holmes fans. Even a video of Arthur Conan Doyle.

There have been many versions of the detective and everyone has their favorite. Some are fans of the Sherlock as portrayed by Jeremy Brett, while others may only know one of the many film adaptations. Basil Rathbone was not the only actor to portray the consulting detective in films, nor Robert Downey Jr. Anyone remember when Christopher Lee played the role? Or when Margaret Colin was a Watson? (no, Elementary was not the first with a gender switch). I still have fond memories of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, a Polish-British production which was shown on A&E back in the 1980s. But not fond enough to find my video tapes of the show and see if it still holds up.

New Years Day for some might be for recovering from parties. That day for me is usually my day to start getting my paperwork in order for taxes. My reward this year will be a new Sherlock on my local PBS. I'm looking forward to see how this Sherlock and Watson will do in this classic of all time periods. I loved the interaction between the characters in the very first trailer.

Who has been your favorite Sherlock? Favorite Watson?

We Live in Such Marvelous Times!

Truly, even when life is hard, we have so much to be thankful for. Friends, family, and the glorious connected world we currently live in.

Since way, way, way back, I've been a fan of Sherlock Holmes. I've read all the originals stories and novels. I've watched lots of the different movies and the older series based on the characters. I've even read fictional works by others who love these characters and are as fascinated by them even more.  (Fred Saberhagen or Carole Nelson Douglas anyone?)

Because of the times we live in, I'm getting to love TWO contemporary and different takes on this old love at the same time.


Guys, say hello to Sherlock and Elementary.

Bennedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman

Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu

If you've not heard of one or the other of these awesome series, make sure you go looking. Sherlock is presented by the BBC through the Masterpiece Theater series (so only 3 movies/episodes a year!), while Elementary is on regular American TV brought to us by CBS. 

These two shows are a wonderful example of characters that resonate with multiple generations. We writers know there's nothing new under the sun, but that it has everything to do with how you tell the story, how you make it unique and yours. 

Watching the different interpretations by the actors and the episode writers for these modern Sherlock Holmes is too much fun. Even more fun is seeing how all those skills which seemed miraculous back at the turn of the century when Arthur Conan Doyle first presented the characters, can be just as fascinating today.

And despite the fact these two shows hail from different countries, this marvelous age we live in makes them readily available to all, no matter where you live. 

Booyahkashaa! 

P.S. As I found out while doing a panel on Sherlock Holmes at Fencon last year - Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller (two Sherlocks in two different countries) worked together on a stage version of Frankenstein done as a character study of the monster as well as the doctor. In this rendition, the two actors would switch roles each night taking turns at playing the monster and the doctor. What are the odds of that?