The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1994)

The last series with Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes consists of 6 stories, all of the standard 1-hour length.  This series has the unusual feature that Mycroft (Charles Gray) appears prominently in two episodes.  In the first - The Golden Pince-Nez - he was a stand-in for Watson.  In the second - The Mazarin Stone - he was the stand-in for Holmes!  Claudine Auger - Bond girl from Thunderball (1965) - appears as a cougar out to marry a wealthy young lord in The Three Gables.  There are a number of actors who would be noteworthy in later years but not yet.  Ciaran Hinds plays a cuckold in The Cardboard Box, Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey's Lord Grantham) plays a man addicted to heroin in The Dying Detective, and Frank Finlay plays an invalid professor in The Golden Pince-Nez.

Much as I like Charles Gray, his replacing Sherlock was off-putting.  His pursuit of the villain was like something out of a horror film as the villain would shoot at the approaching Mycroft only to then discover he was not there.  The episode was begun with a brief scene of Sherlock having to leave for Scotland and ended with him congratulating his brother on solving the case.  Worse yet, the story was a mashup of two Sherlock Holmes mysteries that were poorly stitched together.

Overall, Jeremy Brett made an outstanding Sherlock Holmes.  Edward Hardwicke was an excellent Doctor Watson, providing some humanity that Holmes often lacks.  Rosalie Williams had a long run as Mrs. Hudson and offered more character to the role than one would expect.  The Granada series is a definite must-see for the Sherlock Holmes enthusiast.

Recommended.

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1991-93)

Holmes and Watson are back again to solve the various mysteries that plague late Victorian England.  A new series of fairly faithfully adapted Arthur Conan Doyle tales are featured in the first season (1991).  The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax is particularly good as it has Watson detailing his vacation in correspondence to Holmes only to see Holmes arrive to say Lady Frances was in grave danger.  Watson once again plays Archie Goodwin to Holmes' Nero Wolfe.  I wonder if Rex Stout was inspired by this story.  The Mystery of Thor's Bridge is another standout.  Also of note, a very young Jude Law appears in Shoscombe Old Place.  Highly recommended.

Season 2 consisted of only one feature-length episode - The Master Blackmailer - in which the normally likeable Robert Hardy has a turn as one of Holmes' most daunting foes.  Hardy is downright creepy as Charles Augustus Milverton, the ruthless blackmailer.  The ruination of his various victims dramatically expanded what had been detailed in the short story.

Season 3 followed in the footsteps of Season 2 by producing feature-length TV movies, but with considerably less success.  The Last Vampyre is turned on its head and sees bonus characters trained in hypnotism, an outbreak of influenza for Dr. Watson to attend, and an old story about vampires from a century earlier.  Very disappointing.  Then it became worse with a mishmash of The Noble Bachelor and The Veiled Lodger.  Efforts to squeeze the two stories together resulted in a complete mess.  Villains become victims and victims become villains.  Worse, Holmes suffers nightmares that prove to be premonitions of the coming mystery, including scenes that do unfold as shown in his dreams.  Really?  Holmes has become a seer, not a detective.

The Case-Book starts strong but ends poorly.

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1988)

Sir Charles Baskerville has died at Baskerville Hall, leaving no heirs.  The property is transferred to the nearest relative, Sir Henry Baskerville, an American.  No sooner has he arrived than he receives threats to stay away from the estate.  He engages Holmes and Watson to determine who is threatening him.  Of particular note, there is a legend about a demonic hound that killed a Baskerville who had caused the death of a young maiden during the English Civil War.  So much nonsense as far as Holmes is concerned but large canine footprints were found near Sir Charles.  Had he been scared to death?

Holmes and Watson travel with Sir Henry to the gloomy moors of Devon.  After spending a night and meeting some of the locals, Holmes returns to London while leaving Watson in charge of security for Sir Henry.  Sir Henry balks at being sequestered in his hall with Watson but accepts it, for now.  It is well-known that an escaped murderer is hiding in the moors, that there are eerie howls at night, and there is talk of a massive hound prowling!  Danger abounds.  With Holmes absent for a large portion of the tale, it is left to Watson to send frequent correspondence regarding developments to Holmes and for Sir Henry to chafe at Watson's constant protection, which interferes with his desire to woo a local woman.

Brett is quite good as Holmes, as usual.  Hardwicke plays centerstage for an extended period, doing an excellent job of carrying the story.  This Watson is highly-competent, not merely a sounding board for Holmes, or worse, a comic sidekick.  Where most Holmes' adventures are mysteries, this one crosses into the horror genre at times.

Highly recommended.

The Sign of Four (1987)

Mary Morston (Jenny Seagrove) arrives at Baker Street to consult Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett).  Watson (Edward Hardwicke) is immediately drawn to her beauty.  She explains how her mother died when she was an infant and her father, who was posted in India, sent her to live in England.  When she was 17, her father was to visit.  She went to his hotel, and he was absent.  She did recover a peculiar map that bore a mark, 4 in Sanskrit.  "The Sign of Four," Holmes remarked.  That was 10 years ago, and she has no idea what happened.  However, six years ago, she received a pearl.  There was a note enclosed that said she had been wronged and the pearl was payment.  Each year since then, another pearl has arrived.  Holmes grew impatient with her tale.  That morning, she had received a summons and was allowed to bring two companions, provided they were not police.

The trio arrived at the home of Thaddeus Sholto (Ronald Lacey), son of Major Sholto.  Coincidentally, Sholto was a former comrade of Mary's father in India.  Thaddeus explains that Mary's father had confronted his father about a treasure, died of a heart attack during the argument.  His father died six years ago, failing to reveal the location of the mysterious treasure to his sons though he did have a necklace adorned with pearls, the very pearls that Mary had been receiving.  His brother has finally located the treasure and Thaddeus is determined to share with Mary.

The four depart to meet with Bartholomew Sholto but find him dead in a room locked from the inside.  The treasure is gone.  The police immediately arrest Thaddeus.  Can Holmes unravel the clues and locate the murderers?  Obviously.  Like The Crooked Man, this mystery tracks back to events during the Indian Mutiny (1857).  It is just a matter of Holmes laying hands on the criminal and then having him explain the backstory.

Very entertaining.  Holmes makes use of the Baker Street Irregulars, which is both funny and brilliant.  His band of street urchins comb the city to make a search that he could not hope to perform.  Holmes also demonstrated his talent for disguise.  The one failing is that young actors should have portrayed some of the characters during the mutiny; the same man playing both 20 and 50 just didn't work.

Highly recommended.

The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1986-1988)

It is 1894 and Watson (Edward Hardwicke) is a practicing physician.  It has been four years since the death of Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett).  Inspector Lestrade wants his input on a recent murder, which Watson is only too happy to provide.  The two decide this was just the sort of murder that would interest Holmes.  Upon returning to his office, Watson is accosted by an elderly man who wants to sell him some books.  Watson is disinterested but polite.  The man proves to be Sherlock Holmes, resurrected!  Holmes explains the true events at Reichenbach Falls and his subsequent 3-year absence.  The remains of Moriarty's gang is still pursuing Holmes, but this recent murder offers a chance to turn the tables.  Holmes and Watson resume their old ways to take down the final threat in "The Empty House."  Holmes and Watson have another 10 adventures in this series.

David Burke, who played Watson throughout The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, was replaced by Edward Hardwicke.  This was a bit jarring initially, as Hardwicke is a smaller and older man, but he proves to be an excellent Watson.

One peculiarity was that Brett insisted that Holmes overcome his drug additions.  As part of The Devil's Foot, a side plot has Holmes overcoming his cocaine addiction and burying his hypodermic on a lonely beach.  Though outside of canon, Brett didn't want to be a bad influence on children who admired his portrayal of Holmes.  Fair enough.  This is one of the few versions of Holmes that included his use of cocaine; Rathbones' Holmes was a paragon by comparison.

Tales of the literary Holmes continue.  Very entertaining and highly recommended.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984-1985)

In this series, Jeremy Brett took the pipe and dearstalker and made them his own.  Though many actors had played Sherlock Holmes, Basil Rathbone was the definite Holmes when Brett took up the challenge.  His success cannot be overstated.  Brett's Holmes has far more range and nuance, adhering to the character that Doyle wrote.  Indeed, Brett had the benefit of bringing the short stories to screen, rather than some adapted screenplay with only slight links to the source material.  He is ably assisted in his portrayal by a first-rate Dr. Watson, played by David Burke.  Rather than the amiable clueless oaf of the Nigel Bruce era, Burke is a competent ally and sounding board for Holmes.  His role as a moderating influence, personal chronicler, and only friend are abundantly clear.  The only failing, which is minor, is that both are too old for the roles.  Holmes and Watson should be at least a decade younger.

The series begins with A Scandal in Bohemia, which is the only story to include Irene Addler, the usual love interest of Holmes.  As the only woman to ever outmaneuver him, he holds her in high regard though not as an object for his affection.  The series concludes with The Final Problem, where Holmes and Moriarty plunge to their presumed deaths at the base of Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland.  In between, there are many well-told tales from the pages of The Strand Magazine.  Charles Gray reprises his role of Mycroft Holmes; he had played the role nearly 10 years earlier in The Seven-Per-Cent Solution.

Brett played the character for another decade, though Burke's run as Watson concludes with The Final Problem.  I very much liked Burke in the role and wonder how I'll view his replacement.

Highly recommended for fans of Sherlock Holmes.  This is the closest depiction to the literary character.