(no subject)
I was never entirely satisfied with past portrayals with Sherlock Holmes or Dr. Watson. They were either invariably portrayed as overly arrogant (Peter Cushing as Holmes), or as buffoons (Nigel Bruce as Watson). It wasn't until I discovered the work of Jeremy Brett (via an Amazon.com search), that I finally found THE DEFINITIVE portrayal of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson - one that will probably never be surpassed in my lifetime. I was absolutely stunned at every aspect of each and every episode. Their attention to detail -everything from Production Design to the performance of every single actor, is a pitch perfect rendition of Sherlock Holmes adventures, straight from the pages of the Strand Magazine. And Jeremy Brett's very countenance is the exact mirror image of Sidney Paget's drawings -from his distinctive nose to his eloquent and articulate mannerisms.
Every single episode in this collection is an absolute classic. Interestingly enough, although they contain two recurring characters, each story has a different tone and atmosphere. `A Scandal in Bohem ia' has a delightfully romantic and baroque feel, while `The Speckled Band' has all the tensions and scares of a horror story. But the crowning glory of each and every episode is Jeremy Brett's performance as Sherlock Holmes, and David Burke's rendition of Watson. Burke brings a positive aggression and proactive stance to Watson, that has never been seen in any rendition of the character before or since (with the exception of the always excellent Edward Hardwicke). And Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Holmes is pitch perfect in every single way imaginable -from the tiniest inflection, to the timbre of his voice.
Forget Rathebone -Jeremy Brett is THE Sherlock Holmes, and David Burke (and Edward Hardwicke) will always be his Watson. (c)
Zack Davisson:
You won't find a better adaptation of Sherlock Holmesthan this original Grenada series "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." There are other good adaptations out there, but this is the best. Jeremy Brett masters the difficult character of Sherlock Holmesperfectly. He might have sprung whole from "The Strand." The arrogance, the brilliance, the sharpness and even the appearance, every aspect of Holmes is alive in Jeremy Brett. Of equal effect is David Burke as Watson. Although not quite "as brown as a nut," he is still a rugged, useful Boswell for Holmes.
The selected stories for this first series are all winners as well, with "the damn woman" in "Scandal in Bohemia" and the outstanding "The Blue Carbuncle." Not every story is adapted faithfully, as is shown with the inclusion of Moriarty in "The Red-Headed League," but there is respect and quality. Every episode is great.
The detail of the stories is amazing as well, taking more from the books than the familiar film-adaptations. Gone is the Calabash pipe and the superhero costume of Deerstalker cap and matching cloak. Instead, Holmes smokes the straight wooden pipe of the stories, and changes his outfits accordingly. (c)
wysewomon:
Jeremy Brett is the Master. If you haven't seen these episodes, or any of the others featuring the late Mr. Brett, you're missing a treat. I was a great fan of Basil Rathbone until I stumbled upon the Brett/Burke duo some dozen years ago. Now I can't imagine anyone else bringing Sherlock Holmes to life.
There are thirteen great episodes actually based on what Conan Doyle wrote. This is Holmes in all his moody eccenticity, from the mouse coloured dressing gown to the seven percent solution. This is also a Watson I was relieved to see, not the bumbling idiot that Nigel Bruce made him, but a solid reliable citizen with his own sort of intelligence: the perfect foil for a Holmes who pointedly ignores social convention. (Edward Hardwicke took up the role of Watson after this season, but I really prefer David Burke's portrayal.) The translation from page to screen is not exact -- e.g., bits of conversation from "The Sign of Four" appear in "Scandal in Bohemia" -- but there's nothing that came out of the blue. (c)
a beautiful mind:
Ooo, ooo, ooo, Jeremy Brett. I just can't get enough of him as Sherlock 'olmes! He's so fabulous to look at, such an interesting face, and the dialogue, and the gestures! But enough about him. I was afraid we wouldn't like this as well as, say, "Hound of the Baskervilles," because Edward Hardwick, who plays Watson after this first season of Holmes, does not play Watson in this set. David Burke is Watson. But you know what? He's just fabulous as Watson! In fact, I've deduced that they chose Edward Hardwick to play Watson based on David Burke! Anyway, not to fear, Burke is at least an equal to Hardwick. And Burke certainly holds his own next to Brett: Check out the scene in "The Solitary Cyclist" where Sherlock (Jeremy) is ostracizing Watson (David) for his inferior investigative skills...absolutely wonderful interaction between the two. (c)
Mary Gibson:
Brett WAS Holmes. As there are already plenty of other reviews here detailing the specific episodes, let me just toss in my opinion along with the others that Jeremy Brett played the most authentic Sherlock I can imagine. His body, his voice, his mannerisms, his very BEING was true to the portrait of Holmes that Doyle wrote of. Even now, when I go to read the stories of Sherlock and Watson, Brett is easily pictured as Holmes--all the way down to his graceful fingers and small brief smiles. It was a tragedy to lose Brett, but we can be thankful that he was able to bring these classic mysteries to life before leaving us.
Holmes wasn't the only character that was played so perfectly, the role of John Watson is also played quite well by David Burke throughout the "Adventures" section of the Holmes series. In the later sections ("Return", "Casebook", "Memoirs" and all the longer stand-alone movie-episodes) Edward Hardwicke took over as Watson. I am not sure why Hardwicke took over, but I must say of the two I do prefer Hardwicke's Watson over Burke's. In any case, for this "Adventures" DVD set, it is Burke's Watson that you will see, and he does do an admirable job that in no way detracts from the spirit of Watson.
In one other area this entire series excells--the care taken with each and every episode. The people behind this series must have truly loved Doyle's Holmes. Every scene is done perfectly, from the idea of the locations to the photography to the scenery. The "mood" is set, and with Brett and Burke prowling the city and countryside, the stories of Sherlock Holmes come to life here like never before (and because of Brett's death, never again). If you love Holmes, you MUST see these! (c)
Theodore Csernica:
This is probably a must-have for those like myself who consider Jeremy Brett as having given us the definitive Sherlock Holmes. He's moody, given to odd fits and starts, rude to his clients -- in other words, he's the eccentric genius Doyle had always intended him to be. No calabash pipe here: Holmes always smokes straight wooden or briar pipes. (Attentive viewers will notice a visual joke. Laying on the mantlepiece near Holmes' pipe collection is a meerschaum-lined calabash. He never smokes it.)
This first series featured David Burke as Watson, who brought a fresh perspective to this character. No longer the bumbling idiot of Nigel Bruce, he's an intelligent man, talented in his field, and an able medical practitioner. He's out of his depth next to Holmes when it comes to criminal detection, but one gets the feeling that if you place him next to Lestrade he wouldn't look so dense. Edward Hardwick did a good job in the later series, but we have Burke to thank for redefining the role.
These episodes are not always taken verbatim from the stories, but in many ways they managed to improve on the originals. I won't give any spoilers, except to say that episodes such as "The Greek Interpreter" and "The Norwood Builder" are rather more dramatic and sinister to watch than they are to read. The plots are simplified by making Watson a single man and Holmes' roommate, where in some of Doyle's stories Watson was married and lived elsewhere. Not all the episodes are of equally high quality, but all of the are a good deal better than the next best thing, and Brett and Burke always turn in splendid performances.
Every single episode in this collection is an absolute classic. Interestingly enough, although they contain two recurring characters, each story has a different tone and atmosphere. `A Scandal in Bohem ia' has a delightfully romantic and baroque feel, while `The Speckled Band' has all the tensions and scares of a horror story. But the crowning glory of each and every episode is Jeremy Brett's performance as Sherlock Holmes, and David Burke's rendition of Watson. Burke brings a positive aggression and proactive stance to Watson, that has never been seen in any rendition of the character before or since (with the exception of the always excellent Edward Hardwicke). And Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Holmes is pitch perfect in every single way imaginable -from the tiniest inflection, to the timbre of his voice.
Forget Rathebone -Jeremy Brett is THE Sherlock Holmes, and David Burke (and Edward Hardwicke) will always be his Watson. (c)
Zack Davisson:
You won't find a better adaptation of Sherlock Holmesthan this original Grenada series "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." There are other good adaptations out there, but this is the best. Jeremy Brett masters the difficult character of Sherlock Holmesperfectly. He might have sprung whole from "The Strand." The arrogance, the brilliance, the sharpness and even the appearance, every aspect of Holmes is alive in Jeremy Brett. Of equal effect is David Burke as Watson. Although not quite "as brown as a nut," he is still a rugged, useful Boswell for Holmes.
The selected stories for this first series are all winners as well, with "the damn woman" in "Scandal in Bohemia" and the outstanding "The Blue Carbuncle." Not every story is adapted faithfully, as is shown with the inclusion of Moriarty in "The Red-Headed League," but there is respect and quality. Every episode is great.
The detail of the stories is amazing as well, taking more from the books than the familiar film-adaptations. Gone is the Calabash pipe and the superhero costume of Deerstalker cap and matching cloak. Instead, Holmes smokes the straight wooden pipe of the stories, and changes his outfits accordingly. (c)
wysewomon:
Jeremy Brett is the Master. If you haven't seen these episodes, or any of the others featuring the late Mr. Brett, you're missing a treat. I was a great fan of Basil Rathbone until I stumbled upon the Brett/Burke duo some dozen years ago. Now I can't imagine anyone else bringing Sherlock Holmes to life.
There are thirteen great episodes actually based on what Conan Doyle wrote. This is Holmes in all his moody eccenticity, from the mouse coloured dressing gown to the seven percent solution. This is also a Watson I was relieved to see, not the bumbling idiot that Nigel Bruce made him, but a solid reliable citizen with his own sort of intelligence: the perfect foil for a Holmes who pointedly ignores social convention. (Edward Hardwicke took up the role of Watson after this season, but I really prefer David Burke's portrayal.) The translation from page to screen is not exact -- e.g., bits of conversation from "The Sign of Four" appear in "Scandal in Bohemia" -- but there's nothing that came out of the blue. (c)
a beautiful mind:
Ooo, ooo, ooo, Jeremy Brett. I just can't get enough of him as Sherlock 'olmes! He's so fabulous to look at, such an interesting face, and the dialogue, and the gestures! But enough about him. I was afraid we wouldn't like this as well as, say, "Hound of the Baskervilles," because Edward Hardwick, who plays Watson after this first season of Holmes, does not play Watson in this set. David Burke is Watson. But you know what? He's just fabulous as Watson! In fact, I've deduced that they chose Edward Hardwick to play Watson based on David Burke! Anyway, not to fear, Burke is at least an equal to Hardwick. And Burke certainly holds his own next to Brett: Check out the scene in "The Solitary Cyclist" where Sherlock (Jeremy) is ostracizing Watson (David) for his inferior investigative skills...absolutely wonderful interaction between the two. (c)
Mary Gibson:
Brett WAS Holmes. As there are already plenty of other reviews here detailing the specific episodes, let me just toss in my opinion along with the others that Jeremy Brett played the most authentic Sherlock I can imagine. His body, his voice, his mannerisms, his very BEING was true to the portrait of Holmes that Doyle wrote of. Even now, when I go to read the stories of Sherlock and Watson, Brett is easily pictured as Holmes--all the way down to his graceful fingers and small brief smiles. It was a tragedy to lose Brett, but we can be thankful that he was able to bring these classic mysteries to life before leaving us.
Holmes wasn't the only character that was played so perfectly, the role of John Watson is also played quite well by David Burke throughout the "Adventures" section of the Holmes series. In the later sections ("Return", "Casebook", "Memoirs" and all the longer stand-alone movie-episodes) Edward Hardwicke took over as Watson. I am not sure why Hardwicke took over, but I must say of the two I do prefer Hardwicke's Watson over Burke's. In any case, for this "Adventures" DVD set, it is Burke's Watson that you will see, and he does do an admirable job that in no way detracts from the spirit of Watson.
In one other area this entire series excells--the care taken with each and every episode. The people behind this series must have truly loved Doyle's Holmes. Every scene is done perfectly, from the idea of the locations to the photography to the scenery. The "mood" is set, and with Brett and Burke prowling the city and countryside, the stories of Sherlock Holmes come to life here like never before (and because of Brett's death, never again). If you love Holmes, you MUST see these! (c)
Theodore Csernica:
This is probably a must-have for those like myself who consider Jeremy Brett as having given us the definitive Sherlock Holmes. He's moody, given to odd fits and starts, rude to his clients -- in other words, he's the eccentric genius Doyle had always intended him to be. No calabash pipe here: Holmes always smokes straight wooden or briar pipes. (Attentive viewers will notice a visual joke. Laying on the mantlepiece near Holmes' pipe collection is a meerschaum-lined calabash. He never smokes it.)
This first series featured David Burke as Watson, who brought a fresh perspective to this character. No longer the bumbling idiot of Nigel Bruce, he's an intelligent man, talented in his field, and an able medical practitioner. He's out of his depth next to Holmes when it comes to criminal detection, but one gets the feeling that if you place him next to Lestrade he wouldn't look so dense. Edward Hardwick did a good job in the later series, but we have Burke to thank for redefining the role.
These episodes are not always taken verbatim from the stories, but in many ways they managed to improve on the originals. I won't give any spoilers, except to say that episodes such as "The Greek Interpreter" and "The Norwood Builder" are rather more dramatic and sinister to watch than they are to read. The plots are simplified by making Watson a single man and Holmes' roommate, where in some of Doyle's stories Watson was married and lived elsewhere. Not all the episodes are of equally high quality, but all of the are a good deal better than the next best thing, and Brett and Burke always turn in splendid performances.