I'm actually coming to these BBC modernisations of Conan Dolyle's creation backwards having watched the second series first, but my appetite suitably whetted I was delighted to get the opportunity to go back to the beginning for this introductory episode and unsurprisingly I wasn't disappointed.
Even if Benedict Cumberbatch's title character does seem to have arrived out of nowhere, unlike the full back story we're given for Martin Freeman's Dr Watson (Army doctor, served in Afghanistan), this only adds to his necessary mystique. The writers skilfully weave in the traits of the literary original as it goes on, down to the great man's predilection for cocaine, culminating in the first mention of his nemesis Moriarty, with almost literally, the programme's last breath.
It is possible to recognise in Holmes the qualities which attracted writers Moffat and Gatiss after their successful reinvention of another British maverick icon, Dr Who, but here they don't get the freedom of expression that science-fiction writing conveys and in addition have chosen to defer to Conan Doyle by using his original characters for inspiration, including dotty housekeeper Mrs Hudson, scheming older brother Mycroft and long-suffering catch-up police inspector Lestrade. More than that, they have to deliver telling murder mysteries too and somehow update Holmes to the 21st Century with its modern technology of mobile phones, blogging, texting etc and I have to say they do it brilliantly.
In ninety minutes we get to meet all the main characters and get a devilishly clever "serial suicide" plot, not forgetting the nod in the title to the original, obviously riffing off his debut in "A Study In Scarlet". Holmes's quicksilver analytical thought-processes are cleverly conveyed demonstrating just how far ahead of the methods of everyday police practice he is.
The acting is excellent especially Cumberbatch in the crucial title role. He gets across the unique other-worldliness of Holmes' character right down to his apparent sex-lessness, giving rise to some wry humour about the Holmes-Watson relationship. He just looks and acts the part but in a more Basil Rathbone than Robert Downey Junior way. I took some time to get used to the familiar Martin Freeman as ordinary foot-soldier Watson, but I'm there now and the concentration on his character, as well as humanising proceedings only further highlights the offbeat strangeness of Holmes.
Throw in some sharp dialogue (Mycroft to Watson at their first meeting - "You don't seem scared of me", Watson "That's because you're not very frightening") and some pacy direction and you have the perfect recipe for probably the best Holmes and Watson I've yet seen.
The game is well and truly on!
Even if Benedict Cumberbatch's title character does seem to have arrived out of nowhere, unlike the full back story we're given for Martin Freeman's Dr Watson (Army doctor, served in Afghanistan), this only adds to his necessary mystique. The writers skilfully weave in the traits of the literary original as it goes on, down to the great man's predilection for cocaine, culminating in the first mention of his nemesis Moriarty, with almost literally, the programme's last breath.
It is possible to recognise in Holmes the qualities which attracted writers Moffat and Gatiss after their successful reinvention of another British maverick icon, Dr Who, but here they don't get the freedom of expression that science-fiction writing conveys and in addition have chosen to defer to Conan Doyle by using his original characters for inspiration, including dotty housekeeper Mrs Hudson, scheming older brother Mycroft and long-suffering catch-up police inspector Lestrade. More than that, they have to deliver telling murder mysteries too and somehow update Holmes to the 21st Century with its modern technology of mobile phones, blogging, texting etc and I have to say they do it brilliantly.
In ninety minutes we get to meet all the main characters and get a devilishly clever "serial suicide" plot, not forgetting the nod in the title to the original, obviously riffing off his debut in "A Study In Scarlet". Holmes's quicksilver analytical thought-processes are cleverly conveyed demonstrating just how far ahead of the methods of everyday police practice he is.
The acting is excellent especially Cumberbatch in the crucial title role. He gets across the unique other-worldliness of Holmes' character right down to his apparent sex-lessness, giving rise to some wry humour about the Holmes-Watson relationship. He just looks and acts the part but in a more Basil Rathbone than Robert Downey Junior way. I took some time to get used to the familiar Martin Freeman as ordinary foot-soldier Watson, but I'm there now and the concentration on his character, as well as humanising proceedings only further highlights the offbeat strangeness of Holmes.
Throw in some sharp dialogue (Mycroft to Watson at their first meeting - "You don't seem scared of me", Watson "That's because you're not very frightening") and some pacy direction and you have the perfect recipe for probably the best Holmes and Watson I've yet seen.
The game is well and truly on!