ITV did - years ago - but they were period adaptations.

ITV now would never have considered this project. They just don't have the imagination - look at the appalling Identity and Married, Single, Other as examples of their idea of drama: re-hashing old ideas and serving them up cold. :yawn::yawn::sleep:

Your right he did play an odious character(Smallweed) and brilliantly, but I think it was Johnny Vegas who self combusted. Bleak House was the BBC at its tip top best.

ITV have certainly proved themselves incapable in the last 20 years.

To be honest no one since Hollywood has considered making a contemporary adaptation of SH.

Pretty entertaining Sunday night fare; but I wouldn't be upset if I missed it next week.

Why would they when their last series ended 16 years ago?

Surely all he had to do was keep hold of the pill, rather than throwing it to the floor, and have the police labs check it and the one the cabbie was holding?

I loved it!

I LOVED it!

I was a bit unsure as to how Martin Freeman would play Watson, but he was great.

Benedict Cumberbatch! I adore this man. He is a superb actor and is absolutely brilliant as Holmes. His powers of deduction were adorable. His dry humour is gorgeous, and his zen-like thinking is just wow! Sorry, I always go totally gooey when I watch Benedict acting.

I couldn't take my eyes off the screen for the full 90 minutes. Very much looking forward to the other 2 episodes.

'Sherlock' is a hit, in my estimations!

ETA: I just recently bought one of those Union flag cushions that Holmes has.

Hello

I really loved it and I've read every thing that Conan Doyle has written.

Is Sherlock <the name> a variation of Shakespeare's Shylock?

Sherlock/Sherlock both demand a pound of flesh, one for criminal misdeeds. The other for fiscal irregularities.

A stretch, maybe.

I seem to remember from the books that Sherlock was immune to most poisons.

He built up tolerance levels.

I thought the pill issue would have been resolved that way.

Probably because this was double the length of a DW episode. DW eps really have a lot of ground to cover in 45 mins which I think is quite limiting.

This was great. I noted stupid negative comments before broadcast and yet afterwards not a single negative comment so far. It was great.

If this was ITV then i would agree that putting it on at this time of year was a way to kill it. However, the BBC does tend to try and sprinkle its big hits all year around, not just in the autumn and winter like ITV. You also have to remember the work cup would have also caused programmes to be moved more in to summer this year.

You also have to remember that had it been on in the autum or winter then it would have faced X-Factor or Dancing on Ice fuelled ITV. Especially as this is really a sunday night programme, more than a week night one.

He was Tim in The Office and played a porn star in Love Actually! Very funny too!

Do you know I was about to post the very same thing. I have very little time for most television drama (certainly the usual dumbed down rubbish produced in this country) and didn't even know this was on. I caught the beginning by accident and couldn't look away.

Sheer unadulterated quality.

Oh, well you are obviously a genius with very good taste then

I don't watch much telly, but I loved this a lot. loved the humour and the fast pace. Holmes and Watson are perfectly cast and well written characters. Looking forward to next week.

Also wasn't the young woman scientist at the beginning with the lipstick the daughter of this Smallweed (I never watched Bleak House, but I'm sure she was in a period drama with Phil Davis)

Ah, I knew about The Office, though I never watched it. I did watch Love, Actually but don't remember much about it.

Don't you mean Phil Daniels?

I was just wondering if me and Benedict - emm Sherlock - could maybe get together for some deduction lessons sometime.


Did someone say there is a website? What's the address?

Yes, you're right! I forgot about J Vegas. Yeah, the BBC can turn out the best quality when it has a mind to!

ooops! Just ignore me, I'm getting everyone mixed up tonight!

I very rarely watch TV, but I was reading my mother's Radio Times and this just caught my interest. Glad I dived in.

As i see it 221 is the deli shop at street level, and 221b is the accomodation above the shop which is divided into three flats.

This wasn't bad, but let's not go overboard.

As I mentioned before it has similarities with the style of Doctor Who.
Much of the BBC's core Sunday night audience, wouldn't have liked it, as they would be more familiar with "traditional" portrayals of the duo.
Still, we're in the; "Last week in July, first week of August" when many of that audience will be on holiday.

As I said earlier, more suited to BBC3 or an earlier slot.
Not up against much though tonight, was it?