Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Series

The Discs almost broke my DVD player

Although I was a fan of the series, there are major glitches on Discs one and two. I don't know if its an error in the encoding of the discs themselves or what, but basically you get to a point on these discs during the first episode and the entire DVD player shuts down. And then it won't spit out the disc, causing the DVD player to almost break completely.

You get what you pay for with this folks. Beware July 12, 2008

A bargain & a delight!

Here's a charming example of early television, where style more than makes up for a limited budget & primitive technology. Ronald Howard makes a fine Holmes, younger than usual, played with an amused twinkle in his eye; H. Marion Crawford is a staunch, active Watson, a worthy & helpful companion to the Great Detective; and Archie Duncan makes a flustered but cannier than expected Lestrade.

Of course the 30-minute running time of each episode doesn't allow for complex mysteries to develop. And it's true that corners are cut everywhere. Even so, the series still looks good overall, with a convincing recreation of the Victorian setting, and a genuine warmth between the characters. That's what really counts in these stories, after all -- the relationship between Holmes & Watson. I get a real sense of the actors enjoying themselves & giving their all to the stories.

Granted, the video quality is scratchy & blurred at times, with blemishes popping up here and there. But the series as a whole is quite watchable, and you can't beat the price for this complete package. Any Holmes aficionado will find much to enjoy here -- just allow for the age of the source material, and lose yourself in a time that never really existed, but should have. Recommended! May 15, 2008

Sure got it Locked Holmes

This box set was priced right so I tried it out and it was great. Very entertaining. So muh so that I bought more boxsets of Sherlock Holmes. Ronald Howard would have to be my favorite Sherlock portrayer. Really quirky. Check it out if you like old school mysteries. May 8, 2008

One of the best Holmes deals going

I own this set and have much enjoyed watching it. Ron Howard makes a good upbeat Sherlock Holmes (although the old introductory filmscore is a bit depressing!) as he burns through a host of Doyle's original stories. That is what I like most about these old television episodes -- there's not a huge amount of dramatic license taken with the original Strand stories as has been done with the Rathbone series of films. I love those old films as well but it's nice to get back to some straight Doyle.

Of course, all these episodes are rendered in the original black-and-white and the aspect is full-screen. The digitized film quality is very good, nice clarity.

I would, however, like to let folks know that I bought this exact same package (multiple discs and all, brand new) about a year ago for $6 bucks at Big Lots. They only had a couple of copies left at the store where I purchased mine so I'm not sure if it was a one-time deal, nationwide, or not. But you might also find it, sometime in the near future, lying in one of those jumbled Wal-Mart DVD displays at a discounted price as well. February 28, 2008

Humourous Holmes

This is a classic interpretation of the Sherlock Holmes tales. Definitely not true to the original stories however, entertaining nontheless. This Sherlock Holmes is witty and seems to find much more enjoyment in the adventures and (the stupidity of) Watson. If you are looking for a Holmes and Watson true to the source material do not buy these dvds. Otherwise sit back and enjoy the nostalgia complete with cheese and war propaganda! Of paticular hilarity is the careless suffragete which involves a young lady taking out an advert in the Times entitled "wanted,person who knows how to make bombs" ! It`s bloody hilarious. In short if you are prepared to watch these episodes with your tongue firmly implanted your cheek you`ll love them as much as I do. Classicists should stay well clear. January 23, 2008

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