BBC DRAMA ‘SHERLOCK’ & GUY RICHIE’S MOVIE ‘SHERLOCK HOLMES’ GO HEAD TO HEAD IN ‘THE GREAT SHERLOCK HOLMES DEBATE’

“Oh, look at you lot. You’re all so vacant. Is it nice not being me? It must be so relaxing.”

Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch, ‘Sherlock’, 2010)

Under the rain sodden clouds of the London sky, two men hail a black cab outside 221b Baker Street; the brilliant and unique Consulting Detective Sherlock Holmes and his friend, colleague and confidant John Watson, a doctor who served in the British army during the war in Afghanistan. They’re on their way to a crime scene. Scotland Yard has a case on their hands they cannot solve, and when that happens they always know just whom they need to go to.

Twenty first century London is a far cry from the city Arthur Conan Doyle knew, and yet which were we describing? A victorian or modern day Sherlock Holmes? A century and half later and arguably Doyle’s greatest invention, Sherlock Holmes, is as relevant and fitting in modern day as he was of his time, whether he still resides in his Victorian era or today’s busy streets. Since 2009, Sherlock Holmes has come back with a vengeance; exciting, intelligent and fun, in short he is the height of cool again!

“I never complain! How am I complaining? When do I ever complain about you practicing the violin at three in the morning, or your mess, your general lack of hygiene, or the fact that you steal my clothes?”

Dr. John Watson (Jude Law, ‘Sherlock Holmes’, 2009)

‘Sherlock’ was announced as a single 60-minute drama production at the Edinburgh International Television Festival in August 2008, filming took place in early 2009 with broadcast set for mid- to late 2009. The intention was to produce a full series should the pilot prove to be successful. However, upon seeing it the BBC commissioned three 90-minute episode filming in early 2010, finally broadcast in July/August of the same year.

Back in March 2007 however, Warner Bros. chose to produce a film adaptation of ‘Sherlock Holmes’, seeing similarities in the concept with ‘Batman Begins’. Arthur Conan Doyle’s estate had some involvement in sorting out initial legal issues, and Neil Marshall was set to originally direct the film, but later left the project. Guy Ritchie was then brought in to replace Marshall in June 2008. Filming began in October of that year, and the film was finally released in December 2009. 

Both the film and television series proved to be great successes and on 16th December ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”, Guy Richie’s sequel, will hit the cinemas. The second series of BBC ‘Sherlock’ will be broadcast on BBC One in January 2012. Returning with a further three episodes, Sherlock will be seen solving three of his most famous cases; ‘A Scandal in Belgravia (Originally ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’), ‘The Hounds of Baskerville’ (‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’) and ‘The Reichenbach Fall’ (‘The Final Problem’.)

BBC ‘SHERLOCK’

Setting: 21^st Century London

Characters: Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) Consulting Detective, Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman) Doctor/Ex-Army fought in Afghanistan, Lestrade (Rupert Graves) Scotland Yard Detective, Mrs. Hudson (Una Stubbs) 221B  Landlady

A contemporary take on the classic Arthur Conan Doyle stories, Sherlock is a thrilling, funny, fast-paced adventure series set in present-day London. 

John Watson, fresh from fighting the war in Afghanistan, has a chance encounter that brings him into the world of the loner, detective and genius, Sherlock Holmes. A woman in pink lies murdered in an abandoned house. The fifth victim of a seemingly motiveless killer. D.I. Lestrade is the best Scotland Yard has got. But he knows he’s nothing compared to a young man called Sherlock. Sherlock can tell a software designer by his tie, an airline pilot by his thumb. He has a unique analytical brain unlike anyone else in the world, who earns his living and staves off boredom by solving crimes. The weirder and more baffling the better…

The two men couldn’t be more different, but Sherlock’s inspired leaps of intellect coupled with John’s pragmatism soon forge an unbreakable alliance. Across three, 90-minute, thrilling, scary, action-packed and highly entertaining television movies, Sherlock and John navigate a maze of cryptic clues and lethal killers to get at the truth.

GUY RICHIE’S ‘SHERLOCK HOLMES’

Setting: Victorian London

Characters: Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr) Consulting Detective, Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) Doctor/Ex-Army fought in Afghanistan, Lestrade (Eddie Marsan) (Scotland Yard Inspector), Mrs. Hudson (Geraldine James) 221B Landlady 

On a quest to solve a string of mysterious and brutal murders, Sherlock Holmes and his trusted ally Watson plunge into a world of dark arts and startling new technologies, where logic, and a good right hook, are the best crime fighting weapons. Explosive action, baffling mystery and astonishing intrigue follow the two in a race to uncover and foil a terrifying plot that threatens to destroy the country.

On Thursday 10th November at 8pm GMT (3pm EST), a worldwide online debate will be held by MX Publishing.

“BBC’s Sherlock vs Guy Richie’s Movies - which is more beneficial to Holmes in the 21st Century?”

The format of the panel will be two teams of leading Holmes authors, historians and commentators (for those confirmed so far, see below). After a brief introduction, each team captain will have five minutes to put forward their case, which will be followed by an open debate between the teams.

There will be 100 free online seats at the debate (all you need is an internet connection) where members of the audience from around the world will be able to put their comments and questions though to the panel. Places will be released some time in October on a first come first served basis.

To have a chance of a seat at the debate and keep up with the latest news click the ‘like’ button below for the debate’s Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Great-Sherlock-Holmes-Debate/161705877248289

BBC SHERLOCK TEAM:

• Roger Johnson [Editor, The Sherlock Holmes Society of London Journal] – UK
• The Baker Street Babes [Podcast team of 11] – USA/UK
• Charlotte Walters [Author, Barefoot on Baker Street] – UK
  
• Kate Workman [Author, Rendezvous At The Populaire] – USA
  
• Dan Andriacco [Author, Baker Street Beat, No Police Like Holmes] – USA
• Alistair Duncan [Author, winner of the 2011 Howlett Literary Award - Sherlock Holmes Book of the Year] – UK
• Sherlockology [World’s No.1 Fan site for BBC Sherlock] – UK

GUY RICHIE’S SHERLOCK HOLMES TEAM:

• Gerry O’Hara [Director, film/tv] – UK
• Jamie Mahoney [Blog - Better Holmes and Gardens] – USA
  
• Gerry Kelly [Author - The Outstanding Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes] – UK
• Larry Feldman [Founding member of The Montague Street Lodgers of Brooklyn] – USA
• Kieran McMullen [ Author and military expert, Watson’s Afghan Adventure] – USA
• I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere [Podcast team] – USA

SO… THE GAME IS ON… OR IS IT AFOOT…? YOU DECIDE BY JOINING US ON 10^TH NOVEMBER FOR ‘THE GREAT SHERLOCK HOLMES DEBATE’.