Elementary, my Dear Reader...!

Earlier this Year, myself and Doctor Who head honcho Steven Moffat had a bit of a falling out. I kid you not; we’ve actually not spoken for months. It wasn’t because I disliked his new series of Who, but I did find it a bit of a hard, infuriating watch at times. Moffat’s a great writer, but his style of writing for the Show was perhaps a little bit jarring for me.

Thankfully, we’re on talking terms again this Week, thanks to Moffat’s latest shining success, the Sunday Night Detective Drama Sherlock (BBC1). Created by Moffat and fellow Doctor Who scribe Mark Gatiss, the Show is a modern retelling of Arthur Conan Doyle’s super sleuth Sherlock Holmes, whisking Holmes and Watson into the 21st Century for a new set of original adventures and mysteries. Gone are the pipe, the deerstalker hat, and the gothic Victorian setting, instead replaced with a laptop, a modern designer scarf and the bright lights of contemporary London. Watson is now an army doctor who served in Afghanistan, whilst Sherlock is a consulting detective for New Scotland Yard.

What could have been a disaster of epic proportions has thankfully turned out to be a clever piece of TV magic. The modernisation of Sherlock Holmes has been tried and tested many times before in the past, and in the past many times before they’ve all failed miserably. Thankfully, Sherlock is clever enough to avoid falling into a trap full of cheesy clichés, and instead relies solely upon clever writing, intricate plotting, and brilliant humour, as well as well developed characters, and plenty of chills and thrills.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock is a marvel. He gets all the nuances of the character spot on, as well as injecting some of his own in to the mix as well, creating a well rounded & likeable character, whilst at the same time giving us poor viewers a sense of unrest. Martin Freeman is also on fine form as Watson, giving us an interpretation of a beloved character that is both fresh and enjoyable. At first it seems as though he’s playing the same old Freeman-stock character, but he uses that to his advantage, giving us a more real, vulnerable portrayal of Sherlock’s sidekick that adds layers to the character.

The execution is superb. The style daring and imaginative. The casting top notch. The stories bold and exciting. Truly, Sherlock is one of the best, most exciting and brilliant Dramas to come out of the BBC. It would be truly criminal if this Show fails to make it to a second season. Thankfully, it looks more than likely that more adventures for the super sleuth are definitely on the cards. Proof that there is some justice in the TV world.

Steven Moffat? All is forgiven.