The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Boxed Set Collection)

This is a TV series from England in case you didn't know. The production is fantastic. Authentic, period correct. Real horses, real carriages, real kids with real carts scooping real horse poop. Everything about the show is top notch. I was especially impressed with Jeremy Brett. He is now my benchmark for Holmes. When I was a kid I thought Basil Rathbone hit the mark because he looked so much like what I thought Holmes would look like. After seeing illustrations from The Strand, the magazine in which Holmes first appeared, he looks very much like him, but I digress. As an adult, I have had occasion to see some of the old movies starring Rathbone and was left a bit flat. Too clinical, didn't seem human. Also, Watson seemed like a buffoon, a hanger-on. After seeing Peter Cushing, Rupert Everett, Christopher Plummer, Matt Frewer, Peter Cook, and Johathan Pryce, my money is still on Jeremy Brett. I look forward to seeing Robert Downey Jr.. Another thing I liked about this series is that Watson is portrayed as a real human. He was sometimes afraid, and sometimes mustered up courage. He did his best to pay attention. He tried his hand at analysis. He is clearly a protege to someone far ahead of him but he is still a man who knows things. He was a doctor after all. He is a real friend to Holmes, not a sycophant or a wannabe. Holmes as portrayed by Brett, is clinical, witty, friendly, emotional, solitary. All in just the right measure. His impatience with situations is tempered with his mentoring of Watson when necessary. You can tell that the two men are great friends and they rely on eachother throughout their adventures. I can't say enough about this series. Buy the whole series. Watch it and enjoy it. The clothing, the locations, the acting all are top drawer. The productions stay true to the original stories. This series may ruin you for any other portrayal of the stories. It's that good!

I've been reading the Sherlock Holmes stories since I was a wee lad of 11. The very first story I ever read was `The Greek Interpreter', then `The Speckled Band'. But I didn't really become an admirer until my late teens, when I bought a volume containing Sidney Paget's incomparable and stunning illustrations of the Master Detective.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 Bohemia' 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.The only gripe I have is not with the actual episodes, but the way they were presented on DVD. MPI did a straight video transfer, without any attempt at cleaning up the prints or agumenting the sound. As a result, we have a slightly grainy transfer which would make any DVD purist die of apoplexy, and a flat sounding mono soundtrack, which fails to convey the drama of either the music or sound effects. I have heard reports that the last two collections in the series (Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Case Book of Sherlock Holmes), have received better treatment. Here's hoping.Other than that - these volumes are the greatest renditions of Sherlock Holmes ever committed to celluloid. Forget Rathebone - Jeremy Brett is THE Sherlock Holmes, and David Burke (and Edward Hardwicke) will always be his Watson.

Sherlock is big right now, thanks in part to the amazing BBC series starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. Add in the CBS series, Elementary, and the big budget films starring Robert Downey, Jr. and it's easy to see interest in the detective is quite high. Well, if you're craving more Sherlock Holmes? You would be well advised to check out this box set, which features, arguably, the definitive take on Conan Doyle's detective.Produced back in the 80's, the Granada series starring Jeremy Brett as Holmes captured fan's attention back then, and it still stands true today. Now granted - the pacing is VERY different from the more recent Sherlock adaptions, but they are also more true to the actual stories, being set in 19th century London with rapt attention being given to the source material; the stories are treated like actual mysteries and not action films.Just about everything about this series is flawless. The care put into each episode is flawless and production values are high. The acting performances by Brett as Holmes and David Burke as Watson are a treat to watch and mesmerizing.Some of the episodes contained in this 13 story set are the most celebrated and well beloved of the Sherlock Holmes cannon. You get Irene Adler's story in 'A Scandal in Bohmeia' and Moriarty in 'The Final Problem' - a must see for those who loved 'The Reichenbach Fall' in BBC's Sherlock.If you're new to Sherlock Holmes and are looking for more of the detective, this is the set you're looking for. You will be hooked and don't be surprised if Jeremy Brett takes over your opinion as being the best Holmes ever. Enjoy!

Nicely restored. I love the old movies