Modern day Sherlock

BBC Entertainment’s series on Sherlock Holmes shows the legendary detective in a contemporary avatar.

Sherlock Holmes is one fictional character who has probably been adapted on screen more times than anyone else. We have seen Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary detective and his associate Dr Watson in films, television series and on stage using their wits and courage to solve crime mysteries. They are back on the small screen in a new series that began on BBC Entertainment last Saturday.

But this time, the setting is contemporary London and Homles and Watson are modern day figures, familiar with cell phones, high-tech equipment and other gadgets. Holmes no longer smokes the pipe (it has been replaced by nicotine patches) and gone also is the deerstalker cap, though he still loves to play the violin.

It’s all a far cry from the popular TV series made in 1984 (with Jeremy Brett as Holmes), which was set in Victorian England and closely followed Conan Doyle. Many still consider that to be the “definitive” Holmes.

In “A Study in Pink”, the first 90-minute instalment of the series last Saturday, Scotland Yard turns to Holmes to solve the mystery of a number of suicides that have taken place in London. The plot isn’t great but the treatment is engrossing. The two remaining parts —“The Blind Banker” and “The Great Game” — will be aired today and on April 9, respectively.

What works in the series is the chemistry between the two lead actors — key to any good Holmes adaptation. British actor Benedict Cumberbatch is quite convincing as Holmes. It’s hard to imagine Holmes as a modern day detective, but Cumberbatch does it quite creditably. He is witty, sharp and brings out Holmes’s eccentricities successfully.

However, Martin Freeman steals the show as Watson. From the first scene where he is depicted as a war-veteran come back from Afghanistan, Freeman is very different from the bumbling fellow he’s usually depicted as. He is more practical, cleverer and a good foil to Cumberbatch’s Holmes. The other characters are disappointing, especially Mycroft Holmes (Sherlock’s elder brother) who is a bit over the top. Mrs Hudson (played by Una Stubbs) doesn’t have too many lines and Inspector Lestrade also doesn’t leave any impression.

The script is patchy in places, where the writers seem to have tried too hard to show Holmes’s wit. However, Cumberbatch and Freeman makes up for these flaws with their performances.

Setting Holmes in contemporary times is always a challenge. Remember Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes (2009), which was flayed by critics who felt that he had turned Holmes into an action hero? The makers of the present series make it work primarily because Cumberbatch’s Holmes retains traits of the classic Holmes. Despite his modern attire, he retains Holmes’s sharp wit, aloofness and sarcasm.

In an interview, Cumberbatch talked about being aware of the responsibility of playing Holmes, particularly as he had received letters from the Sherlock Holmes Society. Many might baulk at the thought of a modern-day Holmes but the series is definitely worth a watch on the weekends.

(Sherlock Holmes, every Saturday at 8 pm on BBC Entertainment)