Are you guys watching Sherlock? (BBC Series)

[hgokuh]

The new Holmes show on the BBC in modern times? I LOVE IT!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSQq_bC5kIw#ws

[Dus]

Something I should definitely check out.
Unfortunately, the BBC doesn't let you watch any of its contents if you don't live in the UK...
At first I thought that was Robert Webb playing Holmes. I would have liked that (with David Mitchell as his Watson of course^^)
Am I right in suspecting that Holmes is no longer allowed to smoke? I can understand if they don't want to portray him as an opium user, but his addictions are one of his few imperfections...

[Commi-Ninja]

Yes, that is unfortunate.  If it is ever aired on BBC America, I'll probably watch it.

[Eve]

Yes, that is unfortunate.  If it is ever aired on BBC America, I'll probably watch it.

[hgokuh]

(Edit: Minor spoilers removed; may as well give people a chance to watch it since I just posted some DDL links ~Jd-)

Well, you have two alternatives, getting a UK VPN, they can go as low as $3 a month and watch it on the BBC website, or download it, for example with torrents at eztv.it
There are only 2 episodes so far. Very funny the interactions between Holmes and Watson.

[Jd-]

I've been raving about this series for the past two weeks; nobody should miss it!

Nobody, I say!

It's a great series so far, definitely worth checking out. The showrunners are more concerned with showcasing the Holmes & Watson relationship while preserving the core of their characters and, in my opinion, that was the best way to go. If you're going to do a modern update, there's no real reason not to just work in elements from multiple stories while creating new, era-consistent cases. I was once totally against everything that deviated from the canon but after so long, I've come to enjoy them for what they are.

The first episode (and let it be known these are actually TV movies) is perhaps (surprisingly) the most faithful filmed version of STUD, despite deviating greatly for the actual mystery. For those not keeping score: To date, we really do not have a definitive adaptation of it unfortunately. Nonetheless, they incorporated a few bits here and there from other parts in the canon, but the actual origin story from STUD is almost entirely intact. It's very impressive what they've done with it.

The second episode again goes its own way but finds means of incorporating a number of elements from a few of the stories, but mostly from SIGN. The actors are all very good and the production doesn't overextend itself. It has a seemingly perfect budget with a very focused cast and purpose; nothing ever comes off as half-done or anything of the sort.

The charisma of the actors really brings new life to what is usually a pretty doomed experiment. Everyone does very well, but particularly Benedict Cumberbatch, who I buy as a younger, modern-minded Holmes with no qualms whatsoever. Martin Freeman (who comedy fans will recognize as Tim from The Office) plays a very likable Watson and plays off of the rest of the cast quite well. Excellent casting aside, this series has proven that Holmes and Watson can work very well in a modern setting and really don't have to be relegated to Victorian London for their timeless investigations.

[hgokuh]

Well written JD. Watch it everyone  :)
For those who prefer torrents, get them here
http://eztv.it/

[tantei okuoku]

Thanks JD I am definitely going to check this out. I don't get BBC anymore so this is the only way I was going to get it. it looks interesting, and the made for tv movie of murder n the oriental express was well done (even if I am not a big Agatha Christie fan) 

[Eve]

Ohhh NICE! I'm gonna watch when I have time ^^

[Sherlock3]

this sounds really interesting... i might just give it a try

[Dus]

I've managed to download the 2 episodes and I agree with JD.
Everyone should watch it. It may not be a faithful rendition of the mysteries, but they managed to transport the characters into contemporary London perfectly. It's definitely true to the spirit of the original series and the actors are doing a great job.
The writers of Sherlock have previously worked on such gems as Dr Who or Coupling.
If you hate everything British, excellent mysteries,  fun, entertainment,yourself and life in general, you should avoid this like the plague.
Everyone else:
Watch it! Now!

[kyuuketsuki]

Sherlock has my seal of approval <3

[dilbertschalter]

General Thoughts (in the tags because a few things are spoiler-ish)

[spoiler]
Insanely trivial quibble- shouldn't Holmes be able to tell whether it is 'Afghanistan or Iraq?' This is a non-important point, but shouldn't there be some clue in Watson's skin tone, mannerisms, something that should clarify where he served.

What about the more relevant things you say...?

The first episode was very good, though I did have some problems with it. To describe it poorly, I would say that it was too 'shiny'. Part of the appeal of Holmes (the applies to both the stories and to many of the screen adaptations I've seen) is the roughness and grittiness of the world being explored. In this rendering, however, the world, though often spooky, seemed a bit sterile and upmarket. The scene where the final confrontation took place, for example, seemed lifeless- dull, bland and unexciting- that was the point to a degree, but I still didn't like it very much. Another issue I had, that is similar to my initial quibble, though slightly more valid is the slowness of Holmes. The cab chase scene made it pretty obvious who the killer was (or, to be more accurate, what the killer was), but Holmes took awhile to get there (the killer came to him after all). Also, the conclusion, was expected x1000 (I wasn't even surprised that Watson killed someone, as he had mentioned before that he had a 'death sentence' anyway).

Anyway, there was a ton to like as well. As many people have mentioned, the Holmes-Watson chemistry is superb. There are a lot of better actors than Cumberbatch and Freeman who have played Holmes and Watson in the past, but many them simply haven't hit off on each other. The villain is a classic creepy soft-spoken killer (though the inclusion of Moriarty's funding was unneeded) and the scene with him and Holmes is a classic battle of wills. I also loved the character of Inspector Lestrade- though his portrayal wasn't entirely faithful, there was something about him that I found deeply endearing.

My feelings about the second one were similar, except that they did a much better job of getting to the 'underbelly' of the city- that being said I found the villain to be almost unimaginably cliched- there's nothing wrong with using a stock type as a villain (it's often necessary), but it's good to deviate from convention in at least a few ways.[/spoiler]

[Dus]

[spoiler]

General Thoughts (in the tags because a few things are spoiler-ish)

Insanely trivial quibble- shouldn't Holmes be able to tell whether it is 'Afghanistan or Iraq?' This is a non-important point, but shouldn't there be some clue in Watson's skin tone, mannerisms, something that should clarify where he served.

Yes, it would have been much more impressive if he had been able to tell that. However, in the late 19th century, Afghanistan was Britain's only major war (if you don't count the Zulu war that is). Iraq and Afghanistan are also roughly in the same region and climate zone, so the tone of Watson's skin wouldn't give the game away. It's hard to think of a reason why Holmes would be able to tell right away that it was Afghanistan instead of Iraq.

The cab chase scene made it pretty obvious who the killer was (or, to be more accurate, what the killer was), but Holmes took awhile to get there (the killer came to him after all). Also, the conclusion, was expected x1000 (I wasn't even surprised that Watson killed someone, as he had mentioned before that he had a 'death sentence' anyway).

Someone as clever as Holmes should have been able to tell after the chase. To be fair, I wasn't able to put the pieces together (completely forgot how the original ended). But when you've actually located the phone in your flat and there's a cabbie at your doorstep, he should be the obvious suspect. That seemed completely ooc.

My feelings about the second one were similar, except that they did a much better job of getting to the 'underbelly' of the city- that being said I found the villain to be almost unimaginably cliched- there's nothing wrong with using a stock type as a villain (it's often necessary), but it's good to deviate from convention in at least a few ways.

Stereotyping of foreigners is far too common in classic mysteries. I agree, she was a rather bland character, the cabbie was much better. I do like the recurrent theme of Moriarty being behind all these crimes. Makes them feel less like their just loosely connected episodes.[/spoiler]

[kyuuketsuki]

[spoiler]

General Thoughts (in the tags because a few things are spoiler-ish)

Insanely trivial quibble- shouldn't Holmes be able to tell whether it is 'Afghanistan or Iraq?' This is a non-important point, but shouldn't there be some clue in Watson's skin tone, mannerisms, something that should clarify where he served.

Yes, it would have been much more impressive if he had been able to tell that. However, in the late 19th century, Afghanistan was Britain's only major war (if you don't count the Zulu war that is). Iraq and Afghanistan are also roughly in the same region and climate zone, so the tone of Watson's skin wouldn't give the game away. It's hard to think of a reason why Holmes would be able to tell right away that it was Afghanistan instead of Iraq.

The cab chase scene made it pretty obvious who the killer was (or, to be more accurate, what the killer was), but Holmes took awhile to get there (the killer came to him after all). Also, the conclusion, was expected x1000 (I wasn't even surprised that Watson killed someone, as he had mentioned before that he had a 'death sentence' anyway).

Someone as clever as Holmes should have been able to tell after the chase. To be fair, I wasn't able to put the pieces together (completely forgot how the original ended). But when you've actually located the phone in your flat and there's a cabbie at your doorstep, he should be the obvious suspect. That seemed completely ooc.

My feelings about the second one were similar, except that they did a much better job of getting to the 'underbelly' of the city- that being said I found the villain to be almost unimaginably cliched- there's nothing wrong with using a stock type as a villain (it's often necessary), but it's good to deviate from convention in at least a few ways.

Stereotyping of foreigner is far too common in classic mysteries. I agree, she was a rather bland character, the cabbie was much better. I do like the recurrent theme of Moriarty being behind all these crimes. Makes them feel less like their just loosely connected episodes.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]I agree with almost everything that Dus said. There is no way to tell. Mannerisms? Unlikely because he is with his troop, troop is British, so mannerisms would be that of a British soldier. Which he pegged along with a medical man. Skin tone is unlikely. Since people of that region have very similar tone. So unless he had JUST come from war, or if he had something on him from either place... There is really no way to tell.[/spoiler]