Sherlock- A New Sleuth For The 21st Century

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.

Created by: Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat

Directed by: Paul McGuigan and Euros Lyn

Production Co. : Hartswood Films and BBC Wales

Channel: BBC 1/ BBC 1 Wales

Based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan- Doyle

"The world's favourite detective has emerged from the fog... this is Sherlock for a new generation" ('Sherlock' DVD info, BBC DVD, BBC Wales & 2 Entertain)

This BBC/ BBC Wales/ 2 Entertain production has become a hit with viewers, and those modern audiences that are fans of the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The narratives of this series are based in modern day London, and include the much loved characters such as Mrs Hudson, Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes.

In the first three episodes ("A Study in Pink" (2010); "The Blind Banker" (2010); and "The Great Game" (2010)) we are introduced to the main characters, Dr. John Watson (Freeman) and Sherlock Holmes (Cumberbatch) when we see them meet by chance in a university lab, and arrange, after a time, to share a flat together- which is traditionally the famous 221B Baker Street in the West End of London in the Sherlock Holmes novels. However, we are introduced to Dr. Watson beforehand and we witness a bit of his past milatery career- when invading Afgahnistan.

In "A Study in Pink", the first episode, we are introduced to characters such as Detective Inspector Lestrad (Rupert Graves) and gradually, an elderly Serial Killer cab driver who murders four strangers including a woman wearing nothing but pink- hense episode title.

The infamous enemy of Sherlock is also present by just a name at first... Moryatti.

Within this episode we are also introduced Mycroft Holmes, who, it is revealed, is Sherlock's brilliant brother.

In episode two, "The Blind Banker", we are introduced to the chinese underworld and black market. We are introduced to the ancient chinese crime syndicate The Tong, and their workings as well as their general known as 'Shan'.

Two murders take place, both connected with the Tong by being hauders of priceless relics. We find that the reason for the murders is that one of the two hauders got greedy and "pinched" a relic to sell to another buyer. Not knowing which of the two stole the relic both hauders are killed. In the end the calpret is not caught, but the relic is found.

In episode three, "The Great Game", we meet the nortorious and just as brillaint Moryatti.

This character becomes Sherlock's nemesis according to the tales told by Conan Doyle. In the series, however, he portrayed as a businessman rather than a hooded and cloaked professor as told in the original stories. The modern Moryatti takes pleasure in strapping thousands of pounds of explosives to his randomly chosen victims purely to torment Sherlock and to entertain his own amusement.

To the audience, this could be a reflection on current affairs, namely terrorist attacks.

However, seeing that certain characters who very rarely appear in the episode, it seems that 'clients' have to write to Moryatti starting with "Dear Jim" which reveals the first name of the shady villain to the audience.

In this episode there is only one murder victim as it turns out that Moryatti wants to play a mind game with Sherlock, giving him time limits and riddles to solve. Not kill random civilians, however, an elderly lady is shot at point blank range, which indicates the ruthlessness in Moryatti's character.

Due to the soundtrack in this episode I would say that it is of the thriller genre and as it is a crime drama generally, one could suggest that this episode partically is of the crime thriller sub- genre.

This series is for all Sherlock Holmes fans, and for a modern audience. Being a serial drama, all general conventions are there, including the contriversial ones.

The program also indicates the attitudes of a modern day audience, which include tolerance of the aspect of alternative and non mainstream lifestyles, whereas back in the day, these elements would be frowned apon as it would be described as "indecent". Mrs. Hudson (Una Stubbs) touches on this, though she is quite comfortable with members of alternative lifestyles. This is shown in her dialogue in "A Study in Pink"- "There is another bedroom if you will be needing two bedroom" to which Watson replies "Of course we will be needing two", and she responds with "Oh, don't worry, we get all sorts around here, Mrs Turner next door has married ones" (reference to tolerance of homosexual couples).

This series is Absolutely amazing!! A must see for all Sherlock Holmes fans!