Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Granada Television Series (12 DVD)

 

 

Create your own review

In his foreword to Bantam's "Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories," Loren Estleman called the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson literature's warmest, most symbiotic and most timeless: rightfully so. Not surprisingly, film history is littered with adaptations of Conan Doyle's tales and Holmes pastiches (using the protagonists but otherwise independent storylines). Yet - and I'm saying this with particular apologies to the fans of the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce canon - none of these prior incarnations can hold a candle to the ITV/Granada TV series produced between 1984 and 1994, starring Jeremy Brett as Holmes and first David Burke, then, beginning with the second ("Return of Sherlock Holmes") cycle and in near-seamless transition, Edward Hardwicke as a refreshingly sturdy, pragmatic, unbumbling Dr. Watson.

Jeremy Brett was the only actor who ever managed to perfectly portray Holmes's imperiousness, bitingly ironic sense of humor and apparently indestructible self-control without at the same time neglecting his genuine friendship towards Dr. Watson and the weaknesses hidden below a surface dominated by his overarching intellectual powers. The series takes the titles of its four cycles of shorter episodes - "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," "The Return of Sherlock Holmes," "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" and "The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes" - from four of the five short story collections featuring London's self-appointed only "consulting detective" (published 1892, 1905, 1894 and 1927, respectively); thus nominally omitting the 1917 collection "His Last Bow," which is, however - but for its title story - completely represented in individual episodes spread out over the other four cycles. While the grouping of instalments doesn't necessarily correspond with Conan Doyle's original story collections, and the series's premise - Holmes's and Watson's shared tenancy of rooms at 221B Baker Street - was no longer true even at the beginning of the "Adventures," this excellently produced series is a must-have for any mystery fan. This is particularly true for the first two cycles ("Adventures" and "Return") and the movie-length versions of the novels "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "The Sign of the Four," which alone makes this set well worth the purchase; even if the movie-length dramatizations of the short stories "The Eligible Bachelor" (a/k/a "The Noble Bachelor") and "The Last Vampyre" (a/k/a "The Sussex Vampyre") are less than faithful to Conan Doyle's originals: in fact, their quality rests almost exclusively on an already ailing Jeremy Brett's shoulders (as well as in "Vampyre" on the extraordinary guest performance of Roy Marsden in the episode's title role), thus emphasizing even more the significance of Brett's achievement.

This set contains (in "volumes" or episodes grouped on discs as originally released):

THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
* A Scandal in Bohemia
* The Dancing Men (from "Return")
* The Naval Treaty (from "Memoirs")
* The Solitary Cyclist (from "Return")
* The Crooked Man (from "Memoirs")
* The Speckled Band
* The Blue Carbuncle
* The Copper Beeches
* The Greek Interpreter (from "Memoirs")
* The Norwood Builder (from "Return")
* The Resident Patient (from "Memoirs")
* The Red-Headed League
* The Final Problem (from "Memoirs")

THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
* The Empty House
* The Abbey Grange
* The Second Stain
* The Six Napoleons
* The Priory School
* Wisteria Lodge (from "Last Bow")
* The Devil's Foot (from "Last Bow")
* Silver Blaze (from "Memoirs")
* The Bruce-Partington Plans (from "Last Bow")
* The Musgrave Ritual (from "Memoirs")
* The Man With the Twisted Lip (from "Adventures")

THE CASEBOOK OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
* The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax (from "Last Bow")
* The Problem of Thor Bridge
* The Boscombe Valley Mystery (from "Adventures")
* The Illustrious Client
* Shouscombe Old Place
* The Creeping Man

THE MEMOIRS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
* The Three Gables (from "Casebook")
* The Dying Detective (from "Last Bow")
* The Golden Pince-Nez (from "Return")
* The Red Circle (from "Last Bow")
* The Mazarin Stone (from "Casebook")
* The Cardboard Box (from "Last Bow")

THE FEATURE FILMS
* The Sign of Four (adaptation of the 1890 novel)
* The Hound of the Baskervilles (adaptation of the 1901 novel)
* The Last Vampyre (adaptation of the short story "The Sussex Vampyre" from "Casebook")
* The Eligible Bachelor (adaptation of the short story "The Noble Bachelor" from "Adventures")
* The Master Blackmailer (adaptation of the short story "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton" from "Memoirs")

For completion's sake, this leaves only the first and last Holmes novels ("A Study In Scarlet," 1887, and "The Valley of Fear," 1915) as well as the following short stories unrepresented in this series:

From THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES:
* A Case of Identity
* The Five Orange Pips
* The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb
* The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet

From THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES:
* The Adventure of Black Peter
* The Adventure of the Three Students
* The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter

From THE CASEBOOK OF SHERLOCK HOLMES:
* The Blanched Soldier
* The Lion's Mane
* The Veiled Lodger
* The Retired Colourman

FROM THE MEMOIRS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES:
* The Yellow Face
* The Stock-broker's Clerk
* The "Gloria Scott"
* The Reigate Puzzle

From HIS LAST BOW:
* His Last Bow

Six stars!! One of the all time best TV series in English ever made. It is a sophisticated show that requires your attention, but rewards it with one pleasurable scene after another.
This is an outstanding collection of dramatic representations of the stories of Sherlock Holmes. Both the artistic and production values are very high.

The scripts are well-written, the directing is fine, and the acting is wonderfully good, especially Jeremy Brett who captured the role flawlessly. He is brilliant: cold, self-centered, at times ruthless in both his logic and his treatment of intellectual inferiors; but, also, strangely considerate and even unexpectedly sweet to vulnerable souls.

The sets, costumes, and props are perfect, lending an air of credibility to the stories that is absolutely essential in order for us, the audience, to keep our attention on what really matters: the unfolding narrative.

Each one of the episodes is a pleasure to watch again and again and again. I first saw them on A & E (when it was the best network...before it crashed and burned), and was mesmerized. This is a sound investment and, I think, suitable for children (age 12 and up).

As a sidenote, the only other actor who played Holmes and came close to Brett in rightly interpreting the character was Robert Stephens, the Shakespearean actor, in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, written and directed by Billy Wilder. This is a fair re-invention of the character, if you consider only the last two-thirds of the movie. The first third is devoted to Wilder's personal fascination with the bizarre, casting an outlandish light on the main character. Despite this obvious flaw, Stephens plays the role well.

This is by far the most well produced televsion series to date. All the directors (Peter Hammond, John Madden, etc) skillfully allow the actors to create the ambiance of an age long gone by and intersperse the indoor shots with slow pans, beautifully crafted tracking shots and long panoramic views of the English countryside. Peter Hammond (The Master Blackmailer) uses his camera like a paint brush to create idyllic images of bourgeois life, as the world around is wracked with deceit and thievary. John Madden visually illustrates the claustrophobia of a reputable public school in "The Priory School."

Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes is nothing short of brilliant, with his abrupt and often cutting remarks leaving the police and clients bewildered and tongue-tied. He also displays a growing impatience for a world that is not ready to receive his intelligence, skill and deductive reasoning and often cruelly rips into Dr. Watson, his trusted friend and accomplice. Holmes' distrust of the romanticized representation of rural England is apparent in his discomfort at leaving the hustle-bustle of Baker Street. However, we are also shown another side of Holmes' inner persona, not by way of gratutious dialogue but through close-ups of his usually cold and expressionless face, which gives way to tender glances, gestures and the occassional smile, only reserved for his faithful Watson. Edward Hardwicke as Watson is superbly restrained, and is the perfect alter ego to Holmes's impatient bluster and belligerance.

I love the series because it is beautifully written, which is a rarity in anything that is produced for television today. The design and production is painstakingly planned and everthing from the art direction, costumes, lighting and cinematography is of very high quality. This collection is for anyone who enjoys watching compelling theatre, as the characters do manage to transport you to another world.

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 16 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

 

5.0 out of 5 stars The Quintessential Collection for mystery lovers
First off, I haven't bought this (yet?). However, I do have many of the episodes recorded on VHS from my PBS days in the 90's. Read more

Published 2 months ago by K.

5.0 out of 5 stars Stands the Test of Time
There have been so many other renditions of Sherlock Holmes, yet this series is the definitive version. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Rejean Vermette

4.0 out of 5 stars Special Features did not work
Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Granada Television Series (12 DVD)

All of the episodes ran perfectly and were as good as I remember. Read more

Published 3 months ago by William Mcintyre

5.0 out of 5 stars Sherlock Holmes Complete Box Set
Jeremy Brett in my humble opinion was the definitive "Holmes", Basil Rathbone a very close second both extremely first rate. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Greg B.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great dvd set
One of the main reasons for watching this series is the lead actor, Jeremy Brett. I can imagine no better characterization of this role than that given up by this man. Read more

Published 6 months ago by Paperchase

5.0 out of 5 stars Sherlock Rocks.
Great program! Excellent acting and production values. Only about 1/2 way through so far, but this is highly enjoyable if you are a Sherlock fan.

Published 12 months ago by Cr8zeeCanuck

5.0 out of 5 stars |The Essential Sherlock Holmes
As someone else has expressed in their review, apologies to the fans of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce who have been the yardstick in measuring the popularity of the Sherlock... Read more

Published 13 months ago by MileHi

5.0 out of 5 stars SUPERB
The MUST HAVE library of the best portrayal of Sherlock Holmes-not only is the acting fantastic, but the settings are beautiful. Takes you back in time. Read more

Published 23 months ago by Patti M. McNab

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely fantastic
Can't say much more than to say this boxed set is worth every penny. Jeremy Brett has always been my only choice of actor to portray Sherlock Holmes ever since I first saw these... Read more

Published 23 months ago by M. Cooper

5.0 out of 5 stars The great detective
Everybody knows him -- the pipe-smoking detective on Baker Street (with or without the deerstalker), who is able to deduce all sorts of things just by glancing at a person... Read more

Published on May 26 2010 by E. A Solinas

Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

› See all 16 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Search Listmania!