Sherlock Holmes

I'm a fan of all things Sherlock Holmes. When I somewhat disillusioned resigned from my latest job to become an at-home dad almost three years ago the first thing I did was to re-read all the Sherlock Holmes stories. I felt a lot better afterwards.

There's much to be said about Sir Arthur, about his silly infatuation with spiritism and how he was fooled by the Cottingley fairies photographs, but I'm glad he invented Sherlock. Of course, Sherlock himself is not always as scientific as I would like him to be, but there's a lot to be said about the feeling of intellectual wonder I get when reading the adventures.

I don't know why it has taken me so long to view the new Sherlock Holmes TV-series, Sherlock, but not owning a TV set might be a part of the explaination. The series won the 2011 BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series and it's a wonderful adaption to modern times. It's based on new material and not just an adaption of the original adventures, but a lot of the material is taken more or less unchanged from the originals. I like the modern twists a lot.

Unfortunately, the new TV-series was only three episodes. I hear a second season is in production and I'm looking forward to see what they make of it.

My only gripe with the series is Moriarty. When we finally meet him he strikes me as more creepy than evil. What a letdown!

Benedict Cumberbatch is great as a young Sherlock and dresses wonderfully in a very good looking Spencer Hart suit and a dramatic Belstaff coat. Of course, in my mind, Sherlock still looks like Jeremy Brett:

I was a little surprised seeing Rupert Graves as DI Lestrade. I don't remember seeing Rupert since he was playing Freddie in A Room with a View, one of my teenage favourites. Yes, I confess that my infatuation with the movie probably had at least something to do with a young Helena Bonham-Carter but I blame Julian Sands, too.