[BBC]Sherlock

[metallicorphan]

Sunday just gone was the first episode of BBCs new Series Sherlock,its a modern day Sherlock Holmes still set in London




this series is acting as a pilot as it is only 3 episodes,the first episode was called 'A study in Pink',so as you can tell they are vaguely still connected to the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories(his first was A Study In Scarlet)

the first episode was quite well recieved and apparently they have set the wheels in motion to make more

the series has been created by Mark Gatiss and Stephen Moffat who you guys may know better as Doctor Who writers,the second of the 3 episodes is directed by Euros Lyn,who has also directed episodes of Dr Who

Sherlock Holmes is played by Benedict Cumberbatch,who i have never seen before(after looking him up,he has been in various small roles),Dr John Watson is played by Martin Freeman(from The Office-UK version and the Film adaptation of Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy)


usually i don't go for these modern day versions of older stories,especially usually because its Sherlock Holmes.....but because its SH,i finally checked it out,and was surprised that i quite enjoyed it,it was good fun

check out the trailer for it here (43 seconds)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSQq_bC5kIw

interview with Sherlock(2 minutes 13 seconds)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdobejKyFoU

and Watson(2 minutes 12 seconds)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0EvnEHzRPI


if it comes to your side of the pond,make sure to check it out

[CeeKay]

I think I saw a commercial for this on BBCAmerica.

[EngineNo9]

Huh, I'd be interested in at least giving that a shot.  Hopefully it does come to BBCAmerica.

Also, Martin Freeman is looking quite a bit older in that picture. 

[Bullwinkle]

Very interested.  Moffat's great.

I think the bags under Freeman's eyes are due to sleepless nights when he thought HHTTG ruined his career.

[metallicorphan]

Very interested.  Moffat's great.

I think the bags under Freeman's eyes are due to sleepless nights when he thought HHTTG ruined his career.

i never actually saw that,i knew it didn't do too good...i remember watching the BBC series years ago though,some special effects looked crappy back then so christ knows how it looks now if i was to see it again

i do like Martin Freeman however,and he was good in this,although...not that different from anything else really,just more grumpy perhaps,LOL

[Huw the Poo]

I still haven't seen the HHGTTG film either.  I'm a massive fan of the books and radio and TV series, and I'm too afraid that the film will suck.

[Bullwinkle]

"Sucked" is probably too strong, but it was very disappointing.

[metallicorphan]

this weeks second episode was good,but not nearly as good as last weeks opener this weeks was called 'The Blind Banker',i don't think it is based on a Conan Doyle story like last weeks 'A study in Pink'...but it has been awhile since i have read the original stories

only 1 more to go   

[Pyperkub]

Looks like we have to wait until October 24th in the States, and it will be on PBS:

Sherlock launches Sunday, July 25th at 9 pm GMT on BBC One and October 24th on PBS' Masterpiece Mystery.

[metallicorphan]

Looks like we have to wait until October 24th in the States, and it will be on PBS:

Sherlock launches Sunday, July 25th at 9 pm GMT on BBC One and October 24th on PBS' Masterpiece Mystery.

ahh,thats cool then it will be interesting to hear what you guys think of it

[CeeKay]

Looks like we have to wait until October 24th in the States, and it will be on PBS:

Sherlock launches Sunday, July 25th at 9 pm GMT on BBC One and October 24th on PBS' Masterpiece Mystery.

ahh,thats cool then it will be interesting to hear what you guys think of it

dang, I could have sworn I saw BBC America advertising this.  I'm not sure how else I would have seen the commercial.

[metallicorphan]

just got to watch the final episode


this episode was much better than last weeks...Holmes has to solve various puzzles from a mad bomber,while taking clues from the victims..who are dictating to Sherlock over the phone what the Bomber wants him to hear

it played a little on the disguises Holmes uses as well,and talks about how he uses the Homeless as a 'network'


yesterday it has been officially announced that there will be a second series...if you can call 3x90 minutes the first series

i am glad that the BBC has come up with something for me to watch again(its been dead to me for years),only for now it to be over

[JCC]

I finally got a chance to finish watching Sherlock this evening, and it is quite awesome. Even the "weak" 2nd episode is pretty entertaining.

[Blackjack]

Freeman's about 39, but he always has seemed a little older than his years. I wonder how much of his Watson look is just plain old makeup.

While doing a search on him, ran into this text interview:
Sherlock: Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman interview
http://www.denofgeek.com/television/544958/sherlock_benedict_cumberbatch_and_martin_freeman_interview.html

You mention being a fan of the original, how did you react to the update, bringing the characters into the 21st century?

MF: I immediately felt that that would be a bad idea, initially. And I was mindful of it, just because of in everyday, normal telly land, there's a lot of anachronism, a lot of self-congratulatory telly that thinks it's cool.

I don't like 'cool telly'. I like genuinely cool telly, but if it thinks it's being really cool, if it's being all 'look at what we're doing, we're fucking with the form', I don't care.

But by the time I got to page two, I thought that this was genuinely brilliant, regardless of when it's set, or when it is. It is fantastically written, really gripping, as Ben says. And I think it stands.

I always preface it by saying, if it was described to me as 'we're doing Sherlock Holmes, but we've updated it', part of me wants to hate it. Why? You're really thinking you're doing something cool? But I think it really stands.

I think it was Steven who said that all of Ian Fleming's books have been updated with Bond, so why not this? And I think you don't see a line where we think we're being clever.  It's just a really, really gripping - and I think fantastically told - story.

If it's a hit, I'm sure a US network will pick up a remake that's set in Los Angeles, and where Watson keeps having things dumped on his head, and muttering "Holmes!" while a laugh track plays in the background...  

[farley2k]

While US studios have screwed up many British shows (Coupling, Faulty Towers, etc.)  they have done a pretty good job with The Office.

[metallicorphan]

While US studios have screwed up many British shows (Coupling, Faulty Towers, etc.)  they have done a pretty good job with The Office.

yeah i quite like the American Version of The Office....i didn't know there was a US version of Fawlty Towers

Sanford and son was quite successful,right?(it was Steptoe and Son in the UK,which is still very much loved)

not sure how Life on Mars did in the US(US version that is)

[Bullwinkle]

While US studios have screwed up many British shows (Coupling, Faulty Towers, etc.)  they have done a pretty good job with The Office.

yeah i quite like the American Version of The Office....i didn't know there was a US version of Fawlty Towers

Sanford and son was quite successful,right?(it was Steptoe and Son in the UK,which is still very much loved)

not sure how Life on Mars did in the US(US version that is)

The US version of Life on Mars tanked hard.  I actually really liked it.  Especially because they saw the writing on the wall well before it was over and developed a "What the fuck" attitude about things they'd try.  The ending is supposedly very different.  We have the BBC version, but I haven't been able to get the wife to jump in.

[Huw the Poo]

Sanford and son was quite successful,right?(it was Steptoe and Son in the UK,which is still very much loved)

Oh man, Steptoe and Son is an all-time classic.  So, so funny.  Unforgettable performances from the two leads.

[Bullwinkle]

Sanford and son was quite successful,right?(it was Steptoe and Son in the UK,which is still very much loved)

Oh man, Steptoe and Son is an all-time classic.  So, so funny.  Unforgettable performances from the two leads.

And one of them is Paul's grandfather.  He's very clean.

[Blackjack]

I love the U.S. version of The Office, but there have been an abundance of wretched attempts to translate British shows. Sometimes they just shouldn't be translated at all (because the concepts just don't work for or make sense to U.S. audiences), and sometimes the U.S. version blossoms once it develops its own characters and style (like The Office) instead of carbon-copying the British show (as the U.S. The Office pilot did).

Some fans ask why U.S. networks don't just buy the rights to the British TV shows and re-broadcast them. But part of the problem is British shows have such short seasons (often just six-eight episodes in a season) that they're almost more like a mini-series, whereas U.S. seasons tend to glutton up to 22, 25 or more episodes per season. And few UK shows go on more than 2 seasons (can you imagine a U.S. network not bleeding a show to death for X# seasons as long as the ratings are good?). They did a UK Life on Mars sequel of sorts (Ashes to Ashes), and managed to actually push that to three seasons (24 episodes).

Anyway, I don't have BBC America, but I'll keep this on my list of DVDs to watch for somewhere down the road. 

[Isgrimnur]

That sort of thing really makes me wonder about the sort of work environment that British actors have.  Do they go make multiple series in a year?  Go make 2or three movies in between production?

And as for the studios, they're putting these sets in storage for nine months at a time.  It would seem to me to be cost prohibitive to build a large number of sets and then not use them for more than six weeks a year.

[JCC]

Anyway, I don't have BBC America, but I'll keep this on my list of DVDs to watch for somewhere down the road. 

Sherlock isn't airing on BBC America. It begins airing on PBS in October on Masterpiece Mystery.

[Bullwinkle]

That sort of thing really makes me wonder about the sort of work environment that British actors have.  Do they go make multiple series in a year?  Go make 2or three movies in between production?

And as for the studios, they're putting these sets in storage for nine months at a time.  It would seem to me to be cost prohibitive to build a large number of sets and then not use them for more than six weeks a year.

It's funny because you will hear everyone from actors to writers to producers on the bonus features talking about how exhausting it is.

[Huw the Poo]

Blackjack, I read somewhere that they tested Red Dwarf in America and nobody could understand Lister's accent (he's from Liverpool) so it was never taken any further.  A pity, because the first six series (of eight total) are comedy genius.  Here, try a sample.

I could totally understand if we were talking about something like Rab C Nesbitt though.

[Bullwinkle]

Blackjack, I read somewhere that they tested Red Dwarf in America and nobody could understand Lister's accent (he's from Liverpool) so it was never taken any further.  A pity, because the first six series (of eight total) are comedy genius.  Here, try a sample.

I could totally understand if we were talking about something like Rab C Nesbitt though.

I love British humor, but somehow I've never found Red Dwarf to be that funny.  It always seems to be trying too hard.

[metallicorphan]

Sanford and son was quite successful,right?(it was Steptoe and Son in the UK,which is still very much loved)

Oh man, Steptoe and Son is an all-time classic.  So, so funny.  Unforgettable performances from the two leads.

And one of them is Paul's grandfather.  He's very clean.

LOL



mark me down for Red Dwarf,i loved that......some of it was quite clever as well(backwards episode for one)

there were rumours in the early 90s that the US remake Movie was going to have Ted Danson as Rimmer and Eddie Murphy as Lister....bloody glad that didn't happen


as for how long between series for UK(as they only have 6-8 episodes as said)..i think its roughly a year

[Bullwinkle]

What's interesting, too, is that you guys used to have longer series, right (what we Americans would call "normal length seasons").  I was watching some Only Fools and Horses on DVD and there seemed to be 20 or so in that.  Red Dwarf had a similar number, I thought.  When did that change?

Speaking of Red Dwarf, they apparently did give it a shot here.  It never went past a pilot, though.  It did star Daphne from Frasier and a kid I went to school with as Rimmer!

[metallicorphan]

Only Fools and Horses had i think 6 per series but they were at first 30minutes long and then went longer to 50 minutes....the fact is though that Only Fools and Horses has about 10 seasons with feature length episodes(90 Minutes)every now and then

EDIT:okay,looked it up...there are 13 feature length episodes and 7 series with 6,7 and 8 episodes(they vary)

it was a bit of a tradition to have an 'Only Fools' Christmas episode every year,that's why there are so many feature length episodes



Red Dwarf started with 6 episodes,but then went to 8...again though,that had 8 series and a 3 parter that was shown on DAVE last year


as far as i know,i can't think of anything that has had a lot of episodes in a series...Monty Python was 13 episodes for the first 3 series and then the last series was 6 episodes


although to add....sometimes,the series/season lengths are different in US/UK

Futurama for one has 5 series(including the one being broadcast for UK)..not included the feature length films before this series,in America its 6 series

season 1
UK-13 episodes
US-9 episodes

and it carries on like that,and that's why we have one less season than you guys,yet the same amount of episodes

[Rumpy]

For those in Canada, Showcase is showing this tonight. No idea which part it is though. I assume it's the first one.

[metallicorphan]

For those in Canada, Showcase is showing this tonight. No idea which part it is though. I assume it's the first one.

looking on Canada Showcase site,it has a 02 next to where it says Sherlock,but when i clicked on it,it was certainly the first episode(A Study in Pink)...however,they may be including the original Pilot that never went out(and is included in the DVD collection apparently)

i am surprised its showing at 5pm..not sure what Canada's watershed is like,although i can't think of any swearing or blood in the Episodes

[Rumpy]

Actually, Canada's far more liberal when it comes to cursing and blood in TV shows. Even nudity. Thanks for checking though It's also playing at 10.

[Rumpy]

Ok, well, I saw an episode tonight. I think it was actually The Blank Banker that I had recorded yesterday, which didn't correspond with the episode number on the website. We get a certain lack of information in our guides in Canada. When there's no info, it's hard to find on the websites. I just got around to watching it today. In short, I wasn't really impressed.  Had a very generic mystery show feel to it and I didn't see any unique characteristics about it. Not sure if I'll keep watching. Almost fell asleep near the end. I'll admit that the actors played their parts well, but they weren't entirely convincing. I felt that the modern technology kind of took away from the charm of Sherlock Holmes and I didn't feel there was much atmosphere to it, like there would be in a victorian era Holmes. It felt too clinical if that makes any sense. Too modern/urban and clean looking.

A much better modern Sherlock Holmes in my opinion is the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series on HBO. Ok, so it's not Sherlock Holmes, but it has the vibe of old-school Sherlock Holmes adventures along with the a similar style of crime solving and oozes atmosphere.

[Huw the Poo]

I felt that the modern technology kind of took away from the charm of Sherlock Holmes and I didn't feel there was much atmosphere to it, like there would be in a victorian era Holmes. It felt too clinical if that makes any sense. Too modern/urban and clean looking.

That's exactly why I was unimpressed when the BBC announced the series.  Why on Earth do we need a modern Sherlock Holmes when Doyle left a great body of work that stands up on its own?  Why couldn't they just invent some amazing detective who happens to live in modern times?  It just shows how bereft of ideas the BBC is.  I have such a love/hate relationship with the Beeb.  It's a fantastic corporation in many, many respects, but there are some things it really ought to leave to other companies.  Its dramatic output is, in my opinion, shockingly poor.

[metallicorphan]

i was in exactly the same frame of mind when i heard about a modern day Holmes,but when i saw the 3 episodes i was impressed...and The Blind Banker is the second episode,which was the worse of the 3..so i guess it was episode 2 afterall

as for the BBC,its been dogshit for ages now...the only things i watch are Sherlock(currently awaiting series 2),Being Human(Currently waiting series 3),F1 and Mock the Week.....their Sit-Coms are non existent now

[Rumpy]

Well, at least I gave it a chance. It's safe to say that it doesn't work for me though. Just feels so run of the mill and rather dull.

[Blackjack]

Well, at least I gave it a chance. It's safe to say that it doesn't work for me though. Just feels so run of the mill and rather dull.

I'm confused. Isn't that what you said about Star Trek Online?   You should keep that post ready to paste in all types of other threads too. 

[Rumpy]

Well, at least I gave it a chance. It's safe to say that it doesn't work for me though. Just feels so run of the mill and rather dull.

I'm confused. Isn't that what you said about Star Trek Online?   You should keep that post ready to paste in all types of other threads too. 

Uh, I don't know. I might have at some point in time. I know I was very vocal about STO, but in the end, I can't even play it because I don't have a good enough computer. As for Sherlock, I just felt it had a generic feel to it.

[Pyperkub]

Looks like we have to wait until October 24th in the States, and it will be on PBS:

Sherlock launches Sunday, July 25th at 9 pm GMT on BBC One and October 24th on PBS' Masterpiece Mystery.

Reminder, this starts tonight in the states.

[Misguided]

The wife and I loved the first one. I really hope they get Cumberbatch as Dr #12 when the time comes.

[Bullwinkle]

The wife and I loved the first one. I really hope they get Cumberbatch as Dr #12 when the time comes.

My wife and I thought the same thing.  Frankly, he's more The Doctor than he is Holmes (but it works).  I have no doubt he was in the running.