Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

1965 - United Kingdom

The media's long love affair with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most iconic creation was already firmly established in the public consciousness world-wide when in 1964, as part of a prestige anthology series entitled The Detectives, the BBC presented an hour long version of one of the best known Sherlock Holmes stories. The Speckled Band featuring noted stage screen and film character actor Douglas Wilmer as the latest incarnation of Baker Street's most famous resident. The success of the one episode resulted in the commissioning of a fully-fledged series of twelve black and white episodes in 1965 under the directly simple Sherlock Holmes title,  produced by the experienced David Goddard.

These adaptations again featured Douglas Wilmer as Holmes, the ever-reliable Nigel Stock as Doctor John H. Watson, and rounding out the regular supporting cast was Mary Holder as the long-suffering Mrs. Hudson, Peter Madden as Scotland Yard's Inspector Lestrade and comedy actor Derek Francis as the intellectually brilliant older brother of Sherlock; Mycroft Holmes. 

Although somewhat lacking in dramatic impetus and slightly inclined towards the comedic, the series was nevertheless well received by both public and press alike, mainly thanks to Wilmer's intelligent portrayal of a notoriously difficult character, and, as was noted in the newspaper The Times, the actors "uncanny resemblance" to the sleuth in the original book illustrations by the great Sydney Paget. Ultimately, however, a combination of ever-decreasing rehearsal time and the ever-present wish to further extend his acting skills in other directions, prompted Wilmer to decline to renew his contract with the series. Questioned about his decision to quit and whether he had enjoyed working on the series during a later interview following the announcement that Peter Cushing was to replace him in the role, the actor commented tersely: "...I would rather sweep Paddington Station for a living than go through the experience again. He had my sympathies!" Nevertheless, Cushing starred in 16 further episodes in the 1968 series, which included all the original stories (with Stock continuing in the role of the good doctor) from A Study in Scarlet to the two-part Hound of the Baskervilles. The series was re-titled Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.

Published on January 29th, 2019. Written by Peter Henshuls for Television Heaven.

Read Next...

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

A shining example of a near flawlessly faithful adaptation of a canon of classic literary genius, Granada television's stylishly lavish series redefined the established film and TV image of the world renowned inhabitants of 221B Baker Street.

Also tagged Sherlock Holmes

Get Smart

Comedy spoof of just about every secret agent movie and TV series.

Also released in 1965

The Big Valley

Set in California's San Joaquin Valley, The Big Valley was what the series 'Dallas' may have looked like if it had been set in the 1870s.

Also released in 1965

Branded

An innocent man is branded a coward in this classic US Western series

Also released in 1965

The Short Stories of Conan Doyle

13-part anthology series featuring Conan Doyle's non-Sherlock Holmes stories encompassing many genres, including comedy, romance, crime, medicine, and the supernatural.

Also tagged Sherlock Holmes

The Yellow Pill

Who is the strange man brought by the police to Dr. Frame? Is he a murderer? How did he gain his uncanny knowledge of Frame's private life? Is it possible that he really comes from another time?

Also starring Nigel Stock

Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes

"Ultimately, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes despite its production problems can be viewed as a flawed yet entertainingly successful addition to the Sherlockian television canon."

Also tagged Sherlock Holmes

Hound of the Baskervilles

There's no police like Holmes. But not all his TV exploits have been a success. Here's a classic example.

Also tagged Sherlock Holmes

The Diary of Samuel Pepys BBC TV series

In 1958 the BBC embarked on its most ambitious television series yet. The Diary of Samuel Pepys was a 14-part historical costume drama that had over 120 cast members with 162 speaking parts.

Also starring Douglas Wilmer