The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1985)

Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes is perhaps the best filmed version of Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective, showcasing Holmes's dazzling brilliance without ignoring his unnerving intensity or drug dependencies. First aired on Britain's Granada Television in 1984, the series offered perfect casting (David Burke, replaced later in the run by Edward Hardwicke, played Dr. Watson as Holmes's sturdy companion and chronicler rather than as a buffoon), marvelous period music by Patrick Gowers, and a running time of almost an hour per story, which allowed superior detail and faithfulness to the original source.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes marked the beginning of the long-running series. Highlights of these 13 episodes include "A Scandal in Bohemia," which introduces Irene Adler (Gayle Hunnicutt), whom Holmes uncharacteristically describes as having "a face a man might die for"; the chilling locked-room mystery "The Speckled Band"; the introduction of Sherlock's brother Mycroft (Charles Gray) in "The Greek Interpreter"; and "The Final Problem," in which Holmes confronts his arch-enemy Professor Moriarty (Eric Porter) at Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. The five-disc boxed set is a great bargain compared to previous VHS releases, although bonus features are limited to English subtitles and galleries of Sidney Paget's famous illustrations. The series would continue on Granada with The Return of Sherlock Holmes, The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes as well as the stand-alone treatments of The Sign of Four and The Hound of the Baskervilles. --David Horiuchi Amazon.com

Let the Adventures Begin...

This 1985 boxed DVD set contains the initial Grenada Television offerings of Jeremy Brett in his uncanny incarnation as the famous private detective. In this collection, David Burke does a sympathetic portrayal of Holmes' collaborator Dr. Watson (replaced in later productions by Edward Hardwicke).

The production values for these one hour episodes are exceptional for television, featuring lots of period-appropriate on-location shooting in London and around England, superb period costumes and music, and a faithful recreation of period customs. The story selections actually come from the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes and the Return of Sherlock Holmes as well as the Adventures. Among the highlights: the classic closed room murder mystery in "The Adventure of the Speckled Band", the puzzling code of "The Adventure of the Dancing Men", and the mournful outcome of "The Final Problem."

Jeremy Brett is aloof, energetic and intense as Holmes; his sheer velocity seems to carry along the patient and more personable Dr. Watson in his wake. Their partnership is here more faithfully captured in its various nuances than the older Basil Rathbone versions, where Watson was played as a buffoon.

This collection, and the other Grenada Television DVD collections of Sherlock Holmes, are terrific entertainment for fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous fictional detective. March 22, 2008

Great Mysteries

I bought the collection The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. The background country side and living is outstanding. Country scenery, mansions, horse and buggy, candle and lamps, good imitation of pre modern days. It has 13 episodes. I loved them all. I saw "The Final Problem" before I bought this set and did not want to watch it. This is the one were Sherlock Holmes dies. He is revived in another series but this is the last episode on this one. Jeremy Brett is cockey and to me he seems to overact on his "better" than anyone attitude in most of episodes. He is a good Sherlock Holmes, very sharp, loud at times but a good actor and detective. These stories make a great mystery and Dr Watson played by David Burker in this series is really good..Lots of excitement and mystery. Set is a great buy, I bought a used set from DeeVeeDees on this site and it was like new. March 2, 2008

gotta love these...

OK... I am a total fan of these and think they are the best! Careful attention to every detail, and follow the stories very nicely. If you area a true Holmes fan (you've actually read the stories) you will love the retelling seen here. Jeremy Brett shines in this role as the master sleuth, and really my hat off to a job well done by every cast in every story. And the whole production team at Grenada Studios. A great gift for anyone you know who likes this genre. January 29, 2008

Holmes' Lovers Rejoice

To me, Jeremy Brett is Sherlock Holmes and Brett's portrayal of Holmes in these episodes is great. In addition, David Burke is equally good as Dr. Watson. Not only are the episodes entertaining but the sound and picture quality of the DVD are excellent. The DVD allows for the use of Subtitles and I found this function very helpful (in deciphering accents). If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes, you'll love this boxset. January 18, 2008

Audrey

Very enjoyable, sorry it's not captioned for hearing impaired. Good story & very well acted. January 18, 2008

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