Sherlock BBC1

[Nick Armstrong]

Well I think if you prepare for dissapointment, you will be dissapointed.

I thought last week's episode was a very ingenious update of the original, and I could not disagree more about the casting of Moriarty. It would have been very easy to go for the cliched TV baddie that we've all seen thousands of times before, but instead we have Andrew Scott's wonderful creation- slightly camp, yet very menacing, and clearly teetering on the brink of insanity. I think he is one of the absolute highlights of "Sherlock", and I can't wait to see him in full flow at 9pm tonight!!!

Knock yourself out, Mr Pee !

And personally, I find the opposite: if one is prepared for disappointment, one is far more likely to be pleasantly surprised

[Anna]

And personally, I find the opposite: if one is prepared for disappointment, one is far more likely to be pleasantly surprised

Or, conversely, To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the true success is to labour. That's me being whimsical in the scullery

[Nick Armstrong]

That's me being whimsical in the scullery

I wondered why Dumbledore was frowning and agitating his wand....

[Anna]

I wondered why Dumbledore was frowning and agitating his wand....

<peeps round scullery door, wiping grimey hands on dimity smock> Oh, it's all clear! Well of course I will watch it, how could I not? But, sorry, it's all been too clever by half and tricksey but possibly the best ever Dr. Who ever. And, of course, made in Wales. Those Baker Street scenarios are actually in Wind Street, Swansea, look you!

[Nick Armstrong]

And, of course, made in Wales. Those Baker Street scenarios are actually in Wind Street, Swansea, look you!

That's at least partial poppycock Anna!

I can see the Marylebone Road in the "Baker Street" scenarios. The exteriors for 221B and the next door greasy spoon café are at 187 North Gower Street, London NW1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sh...et,_London.JPG

[Anna]

That's at least partial poppycock Anna!

I can see the Marylebone Road in the "Baker Street" scenarios. The exteriors for 221B and the next door greasy spoon café are at 187 North Gower Street, London NW1

You forget, the Welsh native cunning for confusion amongst viewers! Edit: Welsh film industry now worth £2.5m pa. And, in series 1, it was Swansea!

[Pabmusic]

Not everything has to be serious drama. As entertainment, Sherlock is an absolute gem. Nobody's pretending it's Harold Pinter.

It's the first time I've seen Sherlock. I've already bought the DVD of the first series because the second is so good. It's surely mistaken to discuss it as if the series is faithful to Conan Doyle; of course it's not. It's just a well written, well cast and well acted - as Mr Pee says, an absolute gem. Part of the fun (for me at least) lies in seeing just how Conan Doyle themes have been played with (Watson's blog is an obvious example, but there are many more subtle ones).

[amateur51]

It's the first time I've seen Sherlock. I've already bought the DVD of the first series because the second is so good. It's surely mistaken to discuss it as if the series is faithful to Conan Doyle; of course it's not. It's just a well written, well cast and well acted - as Mr Pee says, an absolute gem. Part of the fun (for me at least) lies in seeing just how Conan Doyle themes have been played with (Watson's blog is an obvious example, but there are many more subtle ones).

I completely agree Pab - so nice to see a bright Watson too. Delicious fun!

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

well the three new episodes certainly had pace and grip, wit and visual delight .... an exemplar of style for the medium in many respects ... not to forget the cast who were pretty ace all round ..... five stars and whooopee

[Chris Newman]

I am intrigued how he is going to explain things to Watson in the new series.........

[Nick Armstrong]

It's the first time I've seen Sherlock. I've already bought the DVD of the first series because the second is so good. It's surely mistaken to discuss it as if the series is faithful to Conan Doyle; of course it's not.

You'll enjoy the first series, pab I thought they were great. I don't feel quite the same about the current (or rather, recently finished) series. I completely agree about the basis on which one sees this adaptation. The references and modernisations of Conan Doyle's themes were a delight in series 1. I found that series 2 just became a bit too lightweight, to 'flip'... the style seemed to gained the ascendancy at the slight expense of the substance. That said, I haven't seen the last one yet.

[Anna]

You'll enjoy the first series, pab I thought they were great... I found that series 2 just became a bit too lightweight, to 'flip'... the style seemed to gained the ascendancy at the slight expense of the substance. That said, I haven't seen the last one yet.

Which is how I feel, I was glued to Series 1, but not to Series 2 (particularly the Baskerville which was very weak), however I thought last night's was the best of the three and almost made me shed a tear
Edit: BBC confirms there will be a third series next year

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I can understand why Cali and Anna have found it "flip" - but I just don't agree: I found the whole series utterly enjoyable and the last episode a terrific - and often terrifying - reworking of the original. Steve Thompson and Andrew Scott re-created Moriaty as a chilling psychopath (Eric Porter in the Brett series was just too Ruthen Murgatroyd for me) who came so close to annihilating Holmes' reputation and identity; Martin Freeman was compelling as the distraught Watson; and Benedict Cumberbatch gave so much with so little - the simplest twitch of the eye and you could see his confidence crumbling away from him: his real terror, not that others would cease to believe in him, but that he himself would.

And the whole series worked as a unit, Stephen Moffatt (as he does with Dr Who building a complete story through the different episodes), showing us Holmes confused by his own sexuality in the first story, by his own fear in the second and by his own "self" (all those comments by Moriaty, "You're me" worming their way into his psyche) in the third.


And the ending (SPOILER ALERT) - I reckon Molly was involved in some kind of rig-up: it was she, wasn't it who ran into Watson on the bike at the end? But I haven't a clue how, and I bet the "reveal" is brilliant!

Great Stuff!

[vinteuil]

And the ending (SPOILER ALERT) - I reckon Molly was involved in some kind of rig-up: it was she, wasn't it who ran into Watson on the bike at the end? !

Very much so. Remember - she works in a morgue. She has access to (spare?) cadavers, one of which cd be put in the Sherlock coat and thrown off the roof; she has access to drugs (mebbe some of those Baskerville hallucinogens?) with which she cd stab Watson as she whizzes past on the bike - drugs that wd make him "see" what he is supposed to see - and Mycroft's team - or Sherlock's Irregulars - cd easily be those paramedics who scoop up the corpse of "Holmes"... Actually, it's easy peasy to "with one bound he was free" from here on in...

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

cor well spotted ferneyhoughgeliebte! couldn't agree more with your over view of the series ....

and such a contrast to Scandinavian realism eh?