Sherlock - Series One (TV Series on DVD)

Being a huge Sherlock Holmes fan and having seen my fair share of Sherlock Holmes movies, TV shows and whatnot; to hear that there would be a more up-to-date version coming to TV seemed a little bit of a stretch... I mean, how could you modernize a classic like the stories of Sherlock Holmes?

Amazingly enough, the series, created by the BBC, does it incredibly well. Co-written by Mark Gatiss, one of the co-stars of the series and also one of the writers of the Doctor Who series, the show incorporates very creative interpretations of the original Sherlockian canon of stories.

The first series involves only three episodes, A Study in Pink, The Blind Banker and also The Great Game. The first, revolves at first around how both Holmes and Watson meet and their familiarizing themselves with one another; whilst also solving a case involving the deaths of a number of supposed suicide victims. The other two episodes revolve around a smuggling ring and a race against time to save innocents from being blown up, leading to the final conclusion where we see the cliffhanger moment by which the series leaves us, baiting the audience to wanting more.

Benedict Cumberbatch seems quite young but holds his own as the self-titled lead, with an air that speaks volumes. Cumberbatch in his mannerisms and attitude cries out "Sherlock Holmes" in so many ways you literally get sucked into this world where the essence of Holmes actually resides in a thrity-something year-old man in the twenty-first century. Sherlock (it seems that both Holmes and Watson now refer to each other by their first names) displays a very Asperger-esque manner by which he works his way through one clue to the next. Martin Freeman, a seasoned actor, shows his strength as the war-ravaged and sometimes comical Doctor John Watson.

For a DVD series, I'm eagerly awaiting the release of the second series on TV and hoping the DVDs come out as quickly. By far, a brilliant piece of work, even though at times it does detract from the original stories. This series will be receiving 4½ stars, and I hope series two receives the same.