My temporary thoughts on the various live action Sherlock Holmes series

Basil Rathbone is definitely the most natural at portraying Sherlock Holmes. He does well at talking in a stern yet aloof manner. I’d say this version would be my favourite, if I only liked Nigel Bruce’s Dr Watson better. There’s nothing wrong with Bruce’s acting, but his version of Watson is much more talkative than what I’m used to and sometimes comes dangerously close to the “bumbling fool” role that Inspector Lestrade already occupies. Every character in this series seems to be dumbed down both for comedic effect, and to make Holmes seem like the smartest man in the room. Making Watson a comedic relief also makes the friendship between Holmes and Watson feel less… genuine. It’s almost like Holmes only keeps Watson by his side because he finds it amusing, like looking at a lovable but derpy golden retriever dog. Holmes sees and treats Watson as an equal in the books, and this friendship is a big part of why I love these characters in the first place. Bruce’s version of Watson has grown on me the longer I watched, but I cannot look past it, because the dynamic between Holmes and Watson is affected too. I rate this Holmes and Watson 6 out of 10 stars.

When I was reading the books, I pictured Dr Watson to be a thoughtful, observant, and inquiring fellow who mostly keeps to himself. David Burke’s Dr Watson comes the closest to this, out of what I’ve seen so far. Jeremy Brett plays Holmes with Burke. (At least, for a short time. See addendum.) This series is in colour, by the way! I think Brett’s portrayal of Holmes is the most artistic (…?) one; it is much more dramatic and overt than Rathbone’s. In the books other characters acknowledge how Holmes has a flair for the dramatic, so Brett’s interpretation is one that makes sense, and equally as enjoyable! I might even prefer it over Rathbone’s version! This Holmes has more emotion and nuance. His voice is awesome and matches the character too. I just wish he’d raise his voice less at times, and be a tad nicer to Ms Hudson. Holmes seemed so respectful of the nice landlady in the books, but Brett’s version felt condescending at times. This show on the whole fleshes out Watson and Holmes as characters a tiny bit more, while the first series (Rathbone) are centered around the mystery and the case itself. I rate this Holmes and Watson 8.9 out of 10 stars.

Addendum: Edward Hardwicke replaces Burke as Dr Watson for most of the series. Hardwicke is by no means a bad Watson, but Burke IS Watson, just like Richard Harris IS Dumbledore! It would be senseless to even attempt to compare the two performances. Even though Watson is a relatively passive character by nature, Burke had great presence in every scene he was in, and made Watson come to life while staying true to the original material that we know and love. I wish Burke stayed on. I do appreciate Hardwicke’s version; Watson becomes his own character in a slightly different way from the books, but still reminiscent of it. Perhaps that ended up working better in a film medium, especially since the story is not bound to the perspective of Dr Watson. I rate this Watson 7 out of 10 stars.

So two series with different visions, equally delightful to watch. Yipee!

Lastly… Bennedict Cumberbatch. Sigh. I have not watched the BBC series. I’ve seen a single trailer, and I don’t know if I want to… I think he could potentially make a very good modern Sherlock Holmes. Casting Martin Freeman as Dr Watson is very interesting, though. I think Freeman completely embodied the role of Bilbo in The Hobbit. I can see the similarities between Dr Watson and Bilbo. Both are people who like to lead ordinary, quiet lives, but also curious of the idea of a thrilling adventure every once in a while. Perhaps someday I’ll get around to watching the BBC series just to find out how Bilbo and Holmes get along! I rate this Holmes and Watson croissant out of xylophone stars.

This concludes my completely unwarrented (and frankly quite inexperienced) opinion of live action Sherlock Holmes! It’s less about how much I like the shows/series as a whole or the characters, but rather how much each version of the main characters matched the Holmes and Watson in my mind from reading the books. Just because I rated some performances lower here doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it!

P.S. Don’t get me started on the other detective series! That’s for another time.