The Baker Street Blog

"No Question As To the Authorship" [SIGN]

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon Dymowski) — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:33:52 PDT

For many Sherlockians, there is a great curiosity to actually see - and hear - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle discuss the background around the creation of the Great Detective's exploits. It is one thing to read his thoughts; it is another to observe him as he discusses his works.

May 22, 2012 marks the 153rd birthday of Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, who brought the world such wonders as Professor Challenger, Sir Nigel, Alleyne, Brigadier Girard and of course, Sherlock Holmes. His work spanned decades and included a variety of written work from the medical and scientific to the fantastic and spiritualistic.

But it is not often that one gets to hear the Scottish brogue and strident voice that are behind the considerable visage we know so well. Now available via the Internet Archive, here is a 1927 newsreel in which Arthur Conan Doyle discusses the origins of Sherlock Holmes. The first five minutes of this video focus on Holmes; the remainder cover his exploration of spiritualism. (Both overlap in a surprising way, but please feel free to watch in order to avoid spoiling).

Enjoy!

On the occasion of his birth, what would you say to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle? As a spiritualist, you know he's listening.

Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at Blog THIS, Pal! and Comic Related.

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"Possible Actors in This Drama" [SECO]

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Monty) — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:21:00 PDT

Sherlock Holmes has a long history in the medium of radio, stretching back as far as 1930 and possibly (if certain reports are to believed) even earlier.

Among the notable actors who have played Holmes and Watson on the radio are such luminaries as William Gillette, Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Clive Merrison, Michael Williams, Andrew Sachs, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, John Neville, Cartlon Hobbs and Norman Shelley, among many, many, many others. For every screen appearance by Holmes and Watson there are at least three times that number in the medium of sound.

Do you have what it takes to join their ranks?

This July the Post Meridian Radio Players will be presenting an original live radio adaptation of The Hound
of the Baskervilles as part of their Summer Mystery Radio Theater. The Hound will close out an evening of other classic radio mysteries, including a recreation of the Burns and Allen classic "Gracie Take Up Crime Solving" and the Suspense classic "Sorry, Wrong Number."

For those Baker Street Blog readers of a theatrical bent who are in the Boston area, auditions will be held in
Somerville, MA on the evenings of May 21st and 22nd. Further information on the production can be found on the Hub of the Universe website. Check out their site for information on auditions, including sides and sign-up.

All are welcome.

When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.
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"Breaking the News" [HOUN]

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Monty) — Sun, 13 May 2012 21:52:31 PDT

BREAKING NEWS

We're pleased to announce that you can participate in a live chat with Mark Gatiss, co-creator and star of Sherlock, right here on The Baker Street Blog at 1 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 14. Details are below.

The #SherlockPBS Twitter chats are one thing, and the PBS-hosted event in New York was another, but we think this takes things to a much higher level. The PBS Masterpiece Sherlock team are giving you an opportunity to ask questions directly to Mark Gatiss in real-time for all to see! You might consider asking him about the creative process, how he came to realize a Sherlock Holmes for the 21st century, how he collaborates with Steven Moffat, or what he thinks of playing Mycroft Holmes, the much smarter (and usually much heavier) brother of Sherlock Holmes.

In our experience with live chats, there will likely be many more questions submitted than the subject can answer, and not all of the questions may be able to be displayed, due to the rather ponderous administrative task of the moderators. But if you ask insightful and appropriate questions, we can all be the beneficiaries of them if Mark can answer.

If you'd like to be reminded of the chat, simply enter your email address in the form below and select when you'd like to be notified. And if you miss the opportunity to participate live, we'll have the transcript available in the same embedded chat below, so you can replay it at any time. And bookmark this post so you can come back on Monday to participate.

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=9ea06e3958" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Online Chat with Sherlock's Mark Gatiss&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

We hope you'll have the opportunity to join us on Monday. And as an aside: how appropriate that we found the titular quote above that happens to be from the same story upon which the next episode of Sherlock is based.

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"Back Upon the Moor Once Again" [HOUN]

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Monty) — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:31:45 PDT

#SherlockPBS is back for a second week. As you no doubt recall, Season 2 of Sherlock premiered on PBS's Masterpiece on Sunday, and evidently the ratings were quite strong, with over 3,200,000 viewers. That's a figure that more than doubles the average primetime viewership for PBS.

Even Masterpiece Exeuctive Producer Rebecca Eaton was excited to share the news when she said, "Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman have taken Sherlock and Watson to a whole new level. We're thrilled that viewers have responded so enthusiastically to this groundbreaking series."

As you may recall, we participated in the live Twitter chat during the show in which we shared observations, commentary and discussion related to the characters, inspiration and other elements of "A Scandal in Belgravia." [If you missed the episode, you can still watch it on PBS online until June 15.] There were over 5,000 mentions of the #SherlockPBS hashtag on Twitter and over 15,000 people checked in via GetGlue, which is an a social TV site that connects viewers via the web (where you can earn stickers such as the image above).

On Sunday May 13, you'll be treated to Episode 2 of Season 2, titled "The Hounds of Baskerville." For those of you screaming "That should be 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'!" that's not a typo. In this case, Baskerville is a top-secret military compound where it is rumored that there are biological weapons and experimentation on genetically engineered animals, which may or may not account for "the footprints of a gigantic hound!"

You can see a preview here:

Watch Sherlock Season 2: A Scene from The Hounds of Baskerville on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

And if you're in the mood on Sunday evening, you may once again join us for the Twitter chat (check out the Tweetgrid we've set up to follow it), along with co-hosts Lyndsay Faye (@LyndsayFaye), The Baker Street Babes (@BakerStBabes) and for the west coast, Leslie Klinger (@lklinger).

We hope to see you there!

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"Awaiting the Return of Our Colleagues" [VALL]

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Monty) — Sun, 06 May 2012 23:21:00 PDT

Sherlock mania as at its heights. The second series of the BBC's Sherlock is making its way to the U.S. shores currently, and fandom online and offline is continuing to grow.

On behalf of the show, Burt made his way to New York City on May 2, 2012 for the sneak preview of the new season and question and answer time with some of the cast and crew of Sherlock, including Rebecca Eaton, Steven Moffat, Sue Vertue and of course, Benedict Cumberbatch. About 800 people crowded into a theatre after 10,000 applied for seats, and the reaction - including screams - were reminiscent of the Beatles coming to the Ed Sullivan Show in the 1960s. And this is nothing new; Frank Sinatra garnered a similar reaction at the Paramount in New York City back in the 1940s. Thanks to Burt's courageous reporting, we have some clips from the event and the queue, as well as a question and answer session with the cast, in which we're able to hear and feel the excitement of the crowd.

We've witnessed the #believeinsherlock movement that arose from the BBC airing of the series and how the phenomenon has grown. We discuss a bit of that and we sing our own praises to Sherlock Holmes, in a manner of speaking.

And with such an enthusiastic new group of fans, it's inevitable that we would welcome them to the world of Sherlockians. The Editor's Gas-Lamp from the current issue of the Baker Street Journal. (Vol 62, No. 1), titled "Consider yourself at home," is the perfect way to do so.

Links:

Frank Sinatra causes a riot at the Paramount
The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show
Sherlock on PBS Masterpiece
#SherlockPBS Twitter events
Pre-order your DVD of Sherlock: Season Two (U.S.)
Sherlock Holmes comes to New York:

Watch Sherlock Season 2: A Look at the Sherlock New York Event on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

Listen now:

Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." or simply click on the file to listen, or on the nice box above. (File size: 23.8 MB, 52:10)

Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email, call us at (774) 221-READ (7323) or drop by our Facebook page.

Be sure to check out our sponsors: Wessex Press and The Baker Street Journal

[Editor's note: this was cross-posted from I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere]
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"Holmes For the Second Time" [ABBE]

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Monty) — Sun, 06 May 2012 15:26:26 PDT

#SherlockPBS - a "hashtag" as it's known in Twitter - is a phrase you should get used to. Because beginning on May 6, it's going to reach a fever pitch when the acclaimed series Sherlock (starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman and Mark Gatiss, written by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss) returns to Masterpiece on PBS for its stunning second season.

This second series is expected to be even bigger than the first, as the stars have come into their own a bit and they and the series has been critically acclaimed. The second series also has the confidence of the creators, as the first was something of an experiment. Having ensured that the experimentation was indeed successful, they mined the Canon for the three most intriguing and popular stories for inspiration in season two. As Steven Moffat puts it in shorthand, this season consists of "the hound, the woman and the professor." More formally, those episodes consist of "The Hounds of Baskerville," "A Scandal in Belgravia" and "The Reichenbach Fall."

Watch Sherlock Season 2: Three New Shows on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

And once again, we've been asked by the fine people at PBS and Masterpiece to host a Twitter chat. You may recall that we originally participated in the inaugural chat of the first season ("More to Me Than The Twitter" [ILLU]) and that it was quite a lot of fun - think of it as a giant digital living room in which commentary is flying fast and furious as the show airs. You can follow us at @BakerStreetBlog and we've set up a dashboard that you can follow on Tweetgrid.

May 6 will simply mark the first of three consecutive Sunday evenings in which we'll participate in this exercise, beginning at 9:00 p.m. EDT through 10:30 p.m. EDT. The first episode of course, will be the famed "A Scandal in Belgravia," featuring "The Woman" - an episode not to be missed. If you'd like a little more detail from the woman herself, Lara Pulver, you can catch the exclusive interview with her on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, Episode 41. Blackmail, a dominatrix, "brains are the new sexy," iPhone hacking and more.

And we won't be alone as we twitter our way through the show - also assisting with the chat will be author and adventuress Lyndsay Faye, BSI, ASH (@LyndsayFaye), the ever-enthusiastic podcasting and blogging team of The Baker Street Babes (@BakerStBabes), with the illustrious Leslie S. Klinger, BSI, 2s (@lklinger) following things up three hours later on the west coast.

We'll all be looking for your questions, insights and observations as we move through the episodes. Or if you don't have a Twitter account or would prefer to take it all in, you can just sit back and watch the tweets roll by. We look forward to joining you these next few Sundays.

Helpful links:

Masterpiece Sherlock (main site)
Sherlock: Season Two (episodes)
Sherlock Observation game (fun!)
Tweetgrid tracking dashboard (follow the conversation)
Pre-order Sherlock: Season Two (Amazon - affiliate link)
An interview with Lara Pulver (IHOSE)

When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.
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"His Task Was Successfully Accomplished" [HOUN]

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Monty) — Tue, 01 May 2012 23:21:00 PDT

We recently covered the Steampunk Holmes project underway at Kickstarter ("A Decidedly Nautical Appearance" [NOBL]). With support from a variety of sites such as Geeks Are Sexy, AppAdvice and the Baker Street Babes, there was certainly a good deal of attention drawn to the project, which needed $29,000 pledged by the deadline of May 3.

When we wrote about the Steampunk Holmes Kickstarter, only a little more than 50% of the funds had been raised. Last evening, with 41 hours to go before the project pledge period ended, the project met its funding goals. In a note to backers, the team wrote:

"Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent."

Steampunk Holmes is 100% funded. Thanks to all our fans and followers. Thanks to those who posted and tweeted and blogged about us. Thanks to YOU.

We couldn't have done it without you.
We can't wait to get started.
Any further funds will just go to make it better.

As of the writing of this entry, there are 879 backers for a total of $29,905 pledged. What a thoroughly satisfying conclusion to what seemed like an insurmountable task just two days ago.

If you contributed to the funds or passed along our original post, we thank you for playing an important part in helping to bring this very unique and exciting project to life. We look forward to bringing you further news of its development.

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"A Decidedly Nautical Appearance" [NOBL]

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Monty) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:22:22 PDT

Your help is needed.

There is a Kickstarter project called Steampunk Holmes that has but three days left of fundraising and is just beyond the 50% mark. We have more information on how you can help below.

If you're not familiar with Kickstarter, it's a platform by which people with ideas can seek small amounts of funding from their communities, thus kickstarting their projects. But projects don't get funded unless the goals of the campaigns are met. And if you're not familiar with Steampunk, it's a genre that incorporates elements of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, horror, and speculative fiction, usually in a Victorian or Old West setting.

In this case, we have a passionate group of individuals, namely author P.C. Martin and the Noble Beast team led by Richard Monson-Haefel who are proposing to write a series of seven books across a variety of media - the Web, e-readers (Kindle, Nook, iBooks, etc.), audio players, tablets (Galaxy Tab, iPad, etc.), and print. The first in the series will be Steampunk Holmes: The Legacy of the Nautilus.

The plot sounds quite exicting:

The series starts in the year 1885, when Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson are called in by Sherlock’s sister, Mycroft Holmes, to help find the stolen plans of a very advanced submarine, the Nautilus, recovered from the watery grave of the most notorious terrorist of the British Empire, Captain Nemo. Who stole the plans and what will they do with them? This is a job for the world's greatest Amateur Detective and his trusty bionic sidekick.

When one thinks about it, it makes perfect sense: A Jules Verne-inspired creation meeting a plot similar to "The Bruce-Partington Plans." The fascinating part will be how this all rolls out across a variety of platforms. According to the creators, multi-channel publishing will give readers a choice in how they consume content.

A complete edition of every book in the series will be published on each of the following platforms:

The Web Edition
- A yearly subscription gives you access to the fist interactive novella as well as the seven planned sequels.

The Tablet Edition
- Initially developed for the iPad, we plan to eventually create interactive editions for Android and other Tablets.

The eReader Edition
- for those folks who just want to read the text on their Kindle, Sony, or other eReader we'll have an edition for them too.

The Audiobook Edition
- for those readers who love to listen to audiobooks while driving or cleaning the house, we have a dramatized audiobook that is about two shakes from being completed.

The Print Edition
- We love to curl up with a paper book as much as the next person and so we'll have an illustrated printed edition as well.

And here's a preview for what you can expect from them (email and RSS readers, please click through to view the video):

If you'd like to get more information, their site Steampunk Holmes and their Twitter account @SteamHolmes, are two valuable resources, as well as the Kickstarter page that describes the project in great detail.

But for an even more valuable resource, we thought we should go straight to the Steampunk Holmes team, as represented by Richard Monson-Haefel, who was kind enough to answer these interview questions.

1. Why Steampunk Holmes?
Back in 2009 after seeing Sherlock Holmes movie by Guy Ritchie (3 times) my interest in Sherlock Holmes was re-ignighted and I started reading his adventures again. I found that in my older years I could really appreciate the complexity of the stories and Arthur Conan Doyle's style much better than I did as a kid. I just fell in love with the stories all over again. It was about that time I also re-read The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling which is, in my opinion, the first modern steampunk novel. I had read it years before "steampunk" became a genre and it remains one of my favorite books. After reading that it seemed natural to combine two loves: Sherlock Holmes and Steampunk into one series of adventures, so that's what I did.

2. The Steampunk movement has been around since the early 1990s and traditionally incorporates the Victorian era. Why has no one ever tried adapting Sherlock Holmes to Steampunk before?
I'm not sure. It seems obvious enough once you've thought of it but it just never - to my knowledge - was done before. We have all these mashups right now like Sherlock Holmes vs Jack the Ripper (there must be a dozen of those) and even stranger, cooler things like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (which is excellent by the way) but no one seemed to spot the obvious mashup of Sherlock Holmes and Steampunk until we came out with it.

3. What are some of the challenges in working with Holmes in Steampunk? The advantages?
The biggest challenge with Holmes and Steampunk is preserving the essence of the characters (Holmes, Watson, Mycroft, and Lestrade) while putting them in a completely different universe. P.C. Martin (the author) and I struggled and argued and discussed everything about Holmes and the other characters and how to make them steampunk without loosing the essence of who they are. It was very challenging but in the end I think we did a pretty good job. P.C. Martin also worked very, very hard to get the narrative style to match Arthur Conan Doyle and at this I think she succeeded. It reads to me just like one of his stories only with steampunk devices. The biggest advantage was the fact that we love Sherlock Holmes, which makes a project like this a total joy to work on. But we are not the only ones: the rest of the world loves this Consulting Detective as well. I found out that Sherlock Holmes is the most recognized fictional character in history. In history! That makes title recognition really easy. People know what to expect when they see the name "Sherlock Holmes". Adding the Steampunk part was easy because its just so fun to do a mashup and steampunk is so very cool. It puts a cool twist on a beloved character.

4. Your Mycroft is female. Why the choice to change Mycroft's gender? Is she still part of the British government?
I really enjoy a story with a strong female character. I'm a huge Buffy fan, and don't get me started on Ripley of Alien. When I set out to create this series I had to have a strong female character. I thought about Holmes or Watson, but that sounded too obvious. I also thought about Moriarty, but then I remembered Holmes' brother Mycroft and how much respect Holmes has for him. He stated in the original story that Mycroft is as capable, if not more capable, than Holmes himself. There it was: Mycroft was to be my strong female character. Mycroft is, in every way, Holmes equal and that will be important because Sherlock and Watson can't handle what's coming down the road by themselves. When you look at how Mycroft is depicted, there is really nothing about the original character that requires a fixed gender except Victorian gender trappings. With steampunk you keep what you like about Victorian England and toss out the rest. We tossed out a strong gender bias. Mycroft is still a part of the government, and in fact its her role as head of the British Secret Service that brings her and Holmes together on this case in the first place and will make her a pivotal character through out the seven book series.

5. Will Holmes's traditional arch-enemy Professor Moriarty be making an appearance in the series?
I have to be careful here so that I don't reveal too much. A Sherlock Holmes series without Moriarty is kind of unthinkable and we are not about to make that mistake. Moriarty is in the series. I'll leave it at that.

6. How has the feedback been from Sherlockians so far?
You know I was a little concerned about other Sherlockians taking offense to this project, but I've been really happy to see that they are very supportive. I have not yet heard a single negative statement about what we are doing from a Sherlock Holmes fan. In fact, the feedback has been very positive and supportive. I suppose there will be a few folks who don't like it and we respect that, but I think the movies and the T.V. series has smoothed the way and so Sherlockians seem not only to accept what we are doing but support it.

7. How has the Steampunk universe viewed this project?
They love it! The Steampunk universe is very supportive of creative mashups and we have received nothing but praise from the steampunk community.

8. If the project isn't funded, will you be able to resubmit it for consideration?
I think we can get it funded if everyone who loves this idea can pitch in. What I've found out is that most Sherlockians and Steampunks love this idea. Our concept has been validated and so if we happen to miss the mark we'll definitely keep going. We started this about a year ago as a self funded project and nothing, not even a lack of funding, is going to stop us. 9. What can our readers to do help, in addition to pledging to support the project?

At this point pledging money is the most important thing people can do. If you like this idea then please help us get it funded. Just go to Kickstarter and pledge what you can. That said, we can always use more tweets and Facebook "Likes" from fans. It's this kind of grass roots support that will make or break the project in the long run. If people don't know about it they can't judge the product and discover how great it is. We've put quality ahead of everything, even marketing, so people who find out about it generally love it. The problem is making people aware of the project in the first place.
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The Widowmakr

So there you have it, friends. Steampunk Holmes needs your help. Please share this post via Facebook, Twitter, email or any other method. And more importantly, pledge your support. Even a modest amount helps, and there are benefits for getting involved at a number of levels (see the Kickstarter page for that). Wouldn't it be cool if one of the rewards were something like the Widowmakr?

"Relics of My Adventure" [BLUE]

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Monty) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:44:44 PDT

We all have a favorite Sherlock Holmes story. Whether it's the first one we read, or one that has characters, scenes or a plot that particularly resonates with us, we develop an emotional attachment to it.

We're reminded of Michael Dirda's description of the scene of himself as a fifth-grader reading The Hound of the Baskervilles for the first time, thunderstorm raging outside while he was curled up underneath the covers with an Orange Crush. [Incidentally, Mr. Dirda just won an Edgar® Award for Best Critical/Biographical Work for On Conan Doyle: Or, the Whole Art of Storytelling.] When that classic phrase is shared, it sends chills up our spine:

“Footprints?”
"Footprints.”
“A man’s or a woman’s?”
Dr. Mortimer looked strangely at us for an instant, and his voice sank almost to a whisper as he answered:
“Mr. Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound!”

As we're certain that you must have your favorite story or scene, Steve Mason, a listener of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, is certain that you must have a favorite thing in the Canon. To wit, he has organized a survey that he would like your assistance with. Please use the form below to participate (and if you can't see this form due to reading this update on email or a feed reader, please click through to see the form).

You are given the chance to receive and keep one (1) memento from any of the stories of the Canon. For example, you could ask for and receive: a pipe used by Holmes, the Persian slipper, magnifying glass, or any token of appreciation given to Holmes; any item used by Watson, such as the tin box or his notebook; or you can receive any other item in the Canon -- a Napoleon bust, the orange pips, even the beryl coronet. You must decide which item would be the most endearing to you and why.

Only two rules apply:

The item must be from the Canon itself, and not from a pastiche, movie, or other media.
You must agree to keep the item for the rest of your life, so you cannot immediately re-sale it (takes away the monetary value for greed purposes).

Be creative!

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>
Thank you in advance. Once the results are in, we'll share them.

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"No More Dangerous Man in Europe" [ILLU]

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon Dymowski) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:44:48 PDT

When considering all the pastiches written involving Sherlock Holmes, it is rare to find one that is purely a sequel - most Sherlockian non-canon lore involves crossovers with other public domain characters, integration of science fiction and/or horror themes, or loose adaptations of the canon.

Gary Lovisi's Sherlock Holmes: The Baron's Revenge, published by Airship 27 Productions, is a rare novel - a straightforward sequel to a past Holmes story that manages to be a crackling good read.

The novel servesas a sequel to "The Adventure of the Illustrious Client" from 1927's The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes. Much like of Conan Doyle's later Holmes work, The Baron's Revenge shares a similar hard-boiled, almost pulp-flavored edge as it tells its tale. Thankfully, one does not have to read Conan Doyle's story in order to understand The Baron's Revenge, given various callbacks to the original tale.

It's also a daring book in that it is written (except for one chapter) from Holmes' perspective. Although it would have been easy to fall into cliche and write Holmes as exceptionally omniscient, Lovisi does Holmes a great service by writing the detective at the proper emotional tone. It is easy to "hear" Holmes narrating the story. Rob Davis' illustrations throughout the book provide it with the right sense of pace and atmosphere, almost making it seem like a "lost" edition of The Strand Magazine. (Thankfully, it is a relatively quick read - I finished it within two days while commuting back and forth to downtown Chicago).

The Baron's Revenge is one of those rare Holmes books - an unexpected sequel that is a very good read and well worth checking out. It is available through Airship 27 as well as Amazon.com.

This book is worth owning and reading. Repeatedly.

Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at Blog THIS, Pal! and Comic Related.

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"The Woman" [SCAN]

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Monty) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:44:29 PDT

"In his eyes, she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex."

- 'A Scandal in Bohemia'

While you may have heard her mentioned by the name of Irene Adler, in this case, "the woman" is actually Lara Pulver and she is the interview subject on the latest episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere (Episode 41: The Woman).

Sherlock: Season Two originally aired on BBC One in January and now we're poised for it to air on PBS's Masterpiece Mystery in the United States. One of the most intriguing characters of this new series is none other than the adventuress Irene Adler, the antagonist in the first episode "A Scandal in Belgravia."

In this episode, Burt and Scott are joined by the woman who played the woman in "A Scandal in Belgravia," Lara Pulver. An actress, singer and dancer, Lara has the enviable distinction of playing Irene Adler as perceived in the 21st century. She joined the broadcast from Chichester after a theatre performance and chatted about her experience with Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman on the set of the BBC "Sherlock," and what it was like to inhabit the character of the only woman who beat Sherlock Holmes.

The show closes with an appropriately titled and themed Editor's Gas-Lamp from the Vol. 41, No. 1 issue of the Baker Street Journal.

Links:

The BSJ CD-ROM and other eBooks
Great Sherlockian scholarship: The Grand Game, published by the Baker Street Irregulars
Sherlock on PBS Masterpiece
Pre-order your DVD of Sherlock: Season Two (U.S.)
The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes, who meet the first Wednesday of each month in New York City

Listen now:

Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." or simply click on the file to listen, or on the nice box above. (File size: 28.37 MB, 1:01:50)

Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email, call us at (774) 221-READ (7323) or drop by the IHOSE Facebook page.

I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere is made possible in part by support from Wessex Press and The Baker Street Journal

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"Hung About and Screened" [BRUC]

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Monty) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:36:01 PDT

Would you like a chance to meet Benedict Cumberbatch, the star of the new Sherlock series? Or co-creator Steven Moffat and producer Sue Vertue?

Even better: how would you like a chance to see excerpts from the first episode in Season 2, "A Scandal in Belgravia"? Well, here's your chance.

We have a special offer from the nice folks at PBS Masterpiece (the very same people who gave us a chance to host a Twitter chat when Season One aired in October of 2011) have presented to us and we in turn present to you. We hope that you'll be able to take the time to share this news and participate in this offer for "super fans."

Click image to enlarge

Masterpiece and PBS are hosting an evening event in New York City on Wednesday, May 2, celebrating the premiere of Sherlock, Series 2. There are limited tickets to this public event, but PBS would like you to have the chance to attend! RSVP's will only be taken via e-mail, so get your note in and please feel free to spread the word.

In case you're not convinced, here's a video clip of what you may expect to see:

Watch Sherlock Season 2: A Scene from Ep. 1 on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

And for those of you who are really into the show, here's an opportunity to lock in a pre-order of Sherlock: Season Two (price guaranteed) from Amazon.

When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.
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Pre-order Sherlock: Season Two:

"A Government Matter" [SIGN]

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Monty) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 23:21:00 PDT

Pamela Bruxner, BSI ("The British Government") died on March 28, 2012 at the age of 77. Pam was a medical secretary at Maidstone Hospital and among her many talents, had a great love and knowledge of music. Her secretarial skills and musical knowledge were used to great advantage with several musical and dramatic societies. She was an Associate member of Glyndebourne, an operatic cultural institution, and hosted their annual picnic for groups of friends. The caveat to attend the picnic was that one had to help prepare an elaborate spread and carry chairs and tables to the gardens.

After the death of her musician husband, Mervyn Bruxner in 1973, Pam joined The Sherlock Holmes Society of London. Among her many contributions to the Society was her highly-acclaimed dramatization of "The Three Students," which was performed at the 1988 expedition to Oxford, with the late Bernard Davies directing and appearing as Holmes. Pam served as Meetings Secretary of the Society from 1989 to 2005, edited or co-edited nine of the Society's handbooks, was made an Honorary Member of the Society in 2003, received the Tony Howlett Award in 2006, and wrote the Foreword to Volume Two of The Best of 'The Sherlock Holmes Journal' (2011).

Pam met Geoffrey Stavert on the 1988 Switzerland pilgrimage and, to the delight of their friends, they became inseparable companions. After Geoffrey's death in 2002, Pam moved to a beautiful village on the Kent/Sussex border, where she immersed herself in local artistic and musical societies. Pam's interests also included Jane Austen, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Margery Allingham, and was a member of their societies.

Pamela Bruxner was invested into The Baker Street Irregulars in 1998 as "The British Government."

You may read her obituary from the Sherlock Holmes Society of London by clicking here.

If you have any special memories of Pam that you would care to share, please leave us a comment.

Photo credit: The Sherlock Holmes Society of London (Flickr)

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"A Hundred Years Under" [HOUN]

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Monty) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 23:20:00 PDT

We're all aware that today marks 100 years since the R.M.S. Titanic struck an iceberg and sunk to the depths of the North Atlantic Ocean. The reason we bring it up here is because of a few minor connections with the Canon: the Marconi wireless that was used on the ship, as well as Bill Seil's book Sherlock Holmes and the Titanic Tragedy: A Case to Remember that found the great detective on board the vessel for its maiden voyage.

But we'd like to stop for a moment and simply take this auspicious occasion to remember the 1,517 people who perished that cold night exactly 100 years ago. To do so, we share this short playlist of songs that were said to have been the last played by the band: "Song d'Automne" and two different versions of "Nearer, My God To Thee" from the 1958 film A Night to Remember and of course the 1997 film Titanic.

In addition to those heartfelt notes and tragic images, we also like to listen to Gavin Bryar's very odd and mesmerizing album The Sinking of the Titanic, with its haunting sounds of creaking metal, muffled voices and wistful strings.

These videos and music are a sad reminder of the fragile souls who were taken from the world on that cold April night so long ago. May they and the R.M.S. Titanic rest in peace.

P.S. You may note that while we usually time our posts at 2:21 a.m., this one was posted at 2:20 a.m. This was in observance of the local sinking time of the Titanic.

When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.
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"To a Collector of Fairy Tales" [HOUN]

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Monty) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:21:00 PDT

We're used to seeing Sherlock Holmes in advertising. Indeed, the 2009 Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual was dedicated to that subject. From cigarettes and other tobacco products (naturally) to home security systems, vegetables, baby powder, appliances, cereal and more, Sherlock Holmes has been part of the imagery in advertising for over a century.

"Did you notice nothing curious about that advertisement?" [3GAR]

In this case however, the target of the ad in question is the character himself. Or more specifically, the stories in which he appears.

Ad agency Lowe created minimalist ads that feature storybook characters hidden within storybook characters, to promote the book exchange service at Colsubsidio’s Libraries that allows patrons come in with one book and leave with another.

Titled "Come with a story and leave with another," the three illustrations of iconic characters (Snow White, Harry Potter and Little Red Riding Hood) each feature another famous figure embedded within their familiar faces (Sherlock Holmes, the Trojan Horse and Moby Dick, respectively).

We hope that the campaign will spark some imagination and curiosity among young readers and lead them to Sherlock Holmes.

Originally posted on Headvertising, found via My Modern Met.

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"My Friend and Colleague, Dr. Watson" [NOBL]

noreply@blogger.com (bozwellmd) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 08:51:56 PDT

Editor's note: Recently, an opinion piece on The University Daily Kansan by Lou Schumaker took great issue with the narrator and individual responsible for bringing Sherlock Holmes to our collective attention: Dr. Watson. He referred to Watson as "underdeveloped," going so far as to say, "the only thing he's really good for is to compliment Sherlock Holmes and propose wildly inaccurate theories at crime scenes. He's boring and slow and lifeless and famous." So we asked one of our contributors to craft a response.

If one wants a biographer, one strives to find the best one. It is the better if he is also your dearest friend. The Great Detective of No. 221B, Baker Street, was that lucky. Without John H. Watson, M.D., the world would know nothing of Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

Opinions run rampant within the arts, and this is a good and wonderful thing. For me the fun of it all is the conjecture itself. But I also love “playing the game,” as Sherlockians love to do. Within that realm, Holmes would be the first to stand up and defend his best pal’s good name. And as an admirer of them both, I shall do no less.

But there is more to this than simply believing in the reality of Holmes, Watson and their adventures. The process goes much deeper. As for me, I adore looking between the lines of the text or the images on the large or small screen. Painting a complete picture of the characters makes me appreciate Conan Doyle’s work all the more, as well as its current incarnations.

Indeed it could be argued that Watson (or John as he is now called) is uninteresting or even downright dull. Well, if a wounded Veteran come home from service in Afghanistan (yeah, no relevancy to our times there!) to a glum future who by fate moves in with a wacky genius who fills his life with enough adrenaline-packed adventure to sustain ten lifetimes isn’t interesting, then I guess it isn’t interesting.

As for Watson being ordinary? Yes, that is true. However, that is precisely the point. He is not a superhero, nor does he have the lightning mental reflexes of his best friend. He is normal, just like the viewers/readers. As the lens through which the audience sees Sherlock Holmes (or just plain Sherlock), the late Edward Harwicke said it best when he remarked that Watson “is the audience…Watson really is everyman.” Compared to a genius like Sherlock Holmes, most people would look dull. The differences between these two characters make them all the more intriguing. Yes, scenes without Holmes can tend to be less than stellar at times. In those circumstances, I remember the old phrase about absence making the heart grow fonder.

With the flatmates of 221B Baker Street, it’s all about balance (yes, even when they’re arguing). As ying is to yang, the two men complement each other. Particularly in the BBC’s Sherlock, their weaknesses are largely balanced by their strengths. It serves as both a point of conflict and as a plot carrier. They are so vastly different in all the obvious ways while being strikingly similar just underneath the surface. Like we all are. And who doesn’t love seeing them tell each other off? The witty banter between Sherlock and John is genius script writing, and pays homage to some of the conversations that surely their Victorian counterparts must have engaged in.

Upon a further look beneath the surface of both the text and screen versions, questions arise (at least for me): When Holmes had an injury, who dressed his wounds? When he craved the cocaine bottle, who took him out for a walk or some other nonsense to get his mind off of it? When Mrs. Hudson had an ache, who helped her to soothe it? When one of the Irregulars had a sprained ankle or an infected foot (from not wearing shoes), who tended them and asked for no money? When Sherlock says something a little too snarky for polite conversation, who is there to jerk him up short? Holmes himself might have said that such contemplations are “of course, a trifle, but there is nothing so important as trifles” [TWIS].

If I had to select one enduring quality about John Watson, it would be this: he doesn’t give a rip about the spotlight. The man knows himself and is comfortable in his own skin. True, his blood pumps at the thrill of the chase, but that is true for many people. Watson’s observation (and participation) in Holmes’s cases gives us that bird’s eye view of the Great Detective. As for doing nothing, he was a writer. This meant that he was prone to observation. While he did not possess the ability as adeptly as his associate, it still paid off. After all hanging in the background and later committing what he saw to paper (or to his laptop) made Holmes’s name a household word. I would hardly consider that a fault.

Furthermore, Watson makes up half the crime-sleuthing duo that inspired countless others ever since. Sherlock Holmes and John Watson have one of the most enduring friendships in the history of English Literature. Without that, the stories mean very little.

If my closest friend, the greatest detective who ever lived, regarded me as, “the one fixed point in a changing age” [LAST], let me just say I wouldn’t be worried about what anyone else thought. Enjoy the stories, the films and the episodes for what they are, and take from them what you will. Holmes and his Boswell will continue to be reincarnated in countless adaptations. There will always be those, as Holmes would say who turn what “should have been a course of lectures into a series of tales” [COPP]. Some directors and actors will get it right for our personal tastes, and some will not. Some adaptations will find favor, some will not. But this is immaterial. For as the penultimate lines of Vincent Starrett's poem declare, “though the world explode, these two survive...”

And that is all that matters.

Editor's note: Jennifer has had a life-long interest in English and American literature (particularly of the 19th century), and grew up watching both the Rathbone/Bruce & the Granada incarnations of Holmes and his Boswell. Some of her favorite authors are Charles Dickens, George Gordon Lord Byron, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Washington Irving and Edgar Allan Poe. One of her two current efforts include research into the Holmes Canon for a collection of short stories centered around Dr. Watson. The other is a historic fiction novel-in-progress dealing with reform methods for London prostitutes in the Victorian Era. She has a decade of experience in the field of 19th century living history, and enjoys sharing little tidbits and musings on her blog.
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"The Artist Had Brought Out the Full Effect" [NOBL]

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Monty) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:23:12 PDT

Do you appreciate Sherlockian art? Or perhaps you know someone who does. In either case, you should most definitely take a look at what Nis Jessen has created.

Jessen, an artist native to Denmark, has lavishly illustrated A Study in Scarlet in two editions: a regular and a deluxe edition. This new edition of A Study in Scarlet is fully illustrated by the Danish artist. The more than 600 striking illustrations bring new life to the original text from Beeton's Christmas Annual. This beautiful volume (in oversize: 25 x 35 cm - 10" x 14") consisting of 160 pages of text and illustrations printed on quality paper and bound in fullcolor laminated hardcover, and with dust cover.The deluxe editions are produced in a run of 1,000, come with a slipcase and are personally signed by the artist.

It's clear that Nis enjoys his work, but there must be something else to it as well. We discovered, that like Holmes, he has "art in the blood," and in Jessen's case it was not likely to take the strangest of forms, but to follow in the tradition of his ancestors who were artists and writers. If you take a look at some examples from the book, you can see what we mean:

The Foreword was written by the late Edward Hardwicke, who muses, "the drawings of the characters and Victorian London convince totally, and the action and energy of the American scenes are wonderfully conveyed."

Also, if you're interested, you can purchase posters from two full-page spreads featured in the book, as well as postcards and stickers with Jessen's images on them.

UPDATE: If you do wish to make a purchase, please do so through http://www.jessen-gallery.dk and contact Nis' wife Flerida.

Reader Al Gregory has let us know that Jessen also offers many original pieces of artwork for sale for those who are so inclined. Those art collectors among you should take note and contact Nis Jessen to inquire about such opportunities.

We hope that you can find some inspiring artwork here that is suitable for owning - whether it's the book, some prints for framing and hanging in your Sherlockian sanctum - or as a gift for the rabid Sherlock Holmes fan in your life. It's most unusual and striking artwork that must be seen to be appreciated.

And if you do make a purchase from Nis, please tell him that the Baker Street Blog sent you.

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"I Think That We May Get Started" [LAST]

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Monty) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:21:23 PDT

No doubt you're familiar with the board and video game Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective.

Well, it's the digital era and that means there are all sorts of ways to enjoy the great detective and the various forms of media about him. Or at least, there should be.

Until now, no one has thought to make it a priority to make this fun and interactive game available on multiple devices - such as PC, Mac and mobile devices. But Zojoi has decided to take it on, and here's how they describe how the game will work:

The game is a storytelling/mystery/adventure based on an award-winning board game and revolves around using game "tools" where you choose who/what to investigate and where to direct Holmes and Watson to solve a mystery that appears to be stumping Scotland yard. Using many of these tools will costs you "clue points." Your goal is to solve the case in the fewest number of "clue points" as possible.

The new version of Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective is being developed via a Kickstarter campaign. What's that, you ask? You contribute to the cause (and get others to help as well), and get the satisfaction of collectively bringing a product to market.

And in this case, you may get a credit in the game as well: levels of donation reap different accolades, such as London Constable ($9 or more), Hound of the Baskervilles ($20 or more) Moriarty's Henchman ($30 or more, targeted for the mobile app), Inspector of the Yard ($50 or more) and Reporter of the Times ($100 or more). Each level comes with some benefit, described on the Kickstarter page.

Here's a video to describe the project (please click through to the article link if you're reading this on email or an RSS reader):

And some screenshots of the game itself as it will appear on various devices. The full set is also available on Flickr.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

But this vision will never come to life without your help. Will you join me in making a donation to this very worthy cause? It's a great way to help spread the word of Sherlock Holmes and another fun way to experience his world.

When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.
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"At the Same Instant We Heard Voices" [CHAS]

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Monty) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 14:04:39 PDT

A new episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere is now available.

Episode 40: One Voice of Sherlock Holmes features the talents of one Mr. David Ian Davies. A veteran actor for many decades, having been trained at the London Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, David traces his heritage to England by way of California. But along the way (you may be surprised to hear just how young), he was bitten by the acting bug. Combine that with David's inherent love of Sherlock Holmes and a desire to be the first individual to record the entire Canon, and you'll find a passionate and talented voice of Sherlock Holmes.

Through his production company One Voice Recordings, David has managed to create a nine-volume series called The Consummate Holmes Canon (see below for links), as well as a few other non-Canonical stories.

We had a delightful chat with Mr. Davies that included hearing a few clips from his interpretation and a live reading. He helps the amateurs understand how he as a professional prepares for the roles - and just how many roles there are!

We close this episode with a surprise archival recording from some radio stars from a bygone era who took on some rather unorthodox roles in a special appearance. And we offer an opportunity for our listeners to win one a very special prize.

Episode Links:

Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." or simply click on the file to listen, or on the nice box above. (File size: 35.2 MB, 43:50)

When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.
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David Ian Davies' Recordings from Audible.com:

"A Clear Statement of His Career" [FINA]

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon Dymowski) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 20:56:52 PDT

One of the highlights of both Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and Season Two of the BBC's Sherlock series are their unique takes on "The Adventure of the Final Problem" and "The Adventure of the Empty House." However, there is a third entry which simply serves as a powerful dramatization of these two stories....simply by focusing on the simplicity of Conan Doyle's words.

Big Finish is a company out of England that writes and produces audio dramas around a variety of franchises, most notably Doctor Who. Their kickoff to the second "series" of Sherlock Holmes adventures is a double disc set of The Final Problem/The Empty House. Quite simply, this is simply an excellent dramatization of one of the highlights of the canon, and well worth a listen.

Much of the power of this audio comes not just from drawing from the canon, but also in its staging - beginning with the sound of pen scratching against paper, followed by Watson's (Richard Earl) narration, the story kicks into high gear. It's a moody, atmospheric approach that simply grabs the listener's attention and will not let go. Part of the success is also the way in which Nicholas Briggs plays Holmes - in these stories, rather than play it large, Briggs performs Holmes at almost a whisper pitch, and it is this approach that makes this audio set enthralling, so much so that you will be sorely tempted to order the other audios in the series.

One of the great aspects of the canon is that it can be adapted and molded towards a modern sensibility (witness Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss' Sherlock); however, what Nicholas Briggs and Big Finish have done is to make it appealing to a modern ear by focusing on the clarity and simplicity of the original language, making this as much as testament to the skill of Conan Doyle's writing as much as to the appeal of his characters. The fact that his language seems so appropriate to a 21st century medium - and audience - makes this a clear statement of Conan Doyle's career as an author.

If you are looking for a great listen either for traveling or commuting, please head to Big Finish's web site to order - they allow you to purchase either CD or digital download, and you will not be disappointed.

Especially since the audio does something very few adaptations do - draw upon the strength of Conan Doyle's writing style. Eerily atmospheric, this audio is worth adding to your collection.

Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at Blog THIS, Pal! and Comic Related.

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"Encyclopaedia Down" [REDH]

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Monty) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 23:21:00 PDT

The legendary Encyclopedia Britannica is going out of print.

Those very words are almost as abrupt and arresting as what Jabez Wilson saw when he arrived at 7 Pope's Court, Fleet Street that fateful morning:

The Red-Headed League is dissolved.

According to reports, the 244 year-old print publication is suffering the fate of a world of information that is rapidly changing. The likes of Wikipedia and information at our fingertips by simply typing in keywords on search portals means that it's less likely that individuals will be turning to the printed page for up-to-date information. Rather, the company will focus its efforts on its online information and the services it provides to educational institutions.

The New York Times' Media Decoder blog does a marvelous job of describing the cultural difference between today and that age when information was not quite as ubiquitous as it is today:

In the 1950s, having the Encyclopaedia Britannica on the bookshelf was akin to a station wagon in the garage or a black-and-white Zenith in the den, a possession coveted for its usefulness and as a goalpost for an aspirational middle class. Buying a set was often a financial stretch, and many families had to pay for it in monthly installments.

And of course, Jabez Wilson, as part of his rite of passage as a member of the Red-Headed League, had to copy out the Encyclopedia Britannica. If this story were to take place in the present day, we suppose the perpetrators of that hoax would have to borrow an older edition for this use, or perhaps have Mr. Wilson code his own website for hours on end.

Perhaps you have an idea of what the modern busy work might be in the absence of a physical encyclopedia. Let us know.

When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.
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"The Last Message from Slaney" [DANC]

noreply@blogger.com (Francine Kitts) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:21:00 PST

Alfred A. (Fred) Levin, BSI ("Abe Slaney") died in a suburb of Chicago on February 17, 2012 at the age of 83. He worked for various chemical companies as an organic chemist and upon retirement worked at Scotland Yard Bookstore until it closed. He then went on to work for an on-line book selling business.

Fred was a pillar of not only his temple, but several others, as his temple didn't have daily services.

His many passions included the Civil War, sports (Cubs, Black Hawks, Bulls, and Bears), Tolkien, and classical music. He had opera and symphony subscriptions for many years. Fred and his wife Sunnie traveled extensively in Europe and enjoyed dining in gourmet restaurants.

His love of all things Sherlockian extended to amassing an extensive collection of foreign editions of the Canon. Fred was one of the founders of Torists International, President of the Criterion Bar Association, Treasurer of The Watsonians, Board member of The Scotland Yarders, and belonged to many other scions, including STUD Sherlockian Society, Hugo's Companions, The Hounds of the Baskerville (sic), and Maiwand Jezails.

Fred Levin was invested into the Baker Street Irregulars in 1993 as "Abe Slaney."

We apologize for the size of the photo; if you have a larger photo of Fred, please let us know and we'll gladly update it.

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"If the Matter Is Beyond Humanity..." [DEVI]

noreply@blogger.com (Gordon Dymowski) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 23:21:00 PST

Very few Sherlockians would make the argument for Holmes as a vehicle to discuss religious or spiritual principles. In fact, quite the opposite - Holmes may be seen as the ultimate in rational thinkers, keeping himself within this world and staying within the realm of sheer intellect.

That would be a mistake, for as Stephen Kendrick suggests in his book Holy Clues, many spiritual lessons can be learned from Holmes' approach. (Recently, I had an opportunity to revisit the book, having read it a few years ago)

Subtitled "The Gospel According to Sherlock Holmes," the book uses Holmes' approach - with a liberal helping of other thinkers - to suggest a way of approaching spirituality through a more skeptical lens. Granted, the book may tactfully avoid the darker aspects of the canon, but Kendrick provides multiple examples of ways in which a Holmesian approach may strengthen one's spiritual convictions.

Thankfully, there is an open approach towards integrating different trains of spiritual thought, with Zen/Buddhist concepts given equal weight with Judeo-Christian ideas. It's a book that provides a great deal of enlightenment, and that may spark a great deal of debate and discussion amongst Holmes aficionados.

Granted, this is an unusual approach to the canon - treating it as a way of determining a spiritual lifestyle. Kendricks, however, manages to perform an impressive feat in Holy Clues, suggesting that matters beyond humanity are not necessarily beyond anyone....including Holmes.

Very highly recommended.

Have you read it? We would be interested in your opinion in the comments below.

Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at Blog THIS, Pal! and Comic Related.

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"The Protection of the Law Against an Old Rival" [STUD]

noreply@blogger.com (James C. O'Leary) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:19:25 PST

The casting of Lucy Liu as Doctor Joan Watson in CBS’s upcoming pilot "Elementary" is exciting buzz, pro and con, on the internet. This gives us Sherlockians an entryway into the creation of a television show whose source material we know better that the producers (probably, let’s give them some benefit of the doubt), and the ability to speculate on future content based on innate knowledge of American TV tropes.

Of course, "Elementary" is not the first show to be based on a successful British counterpart. If we go back to the 1970s, "All in theFamily" was based on the British sitcom "Till Death Do Us Part" . "All in the Family" (incidentally on CBS) broke new ground by having comedic episodes dealing in race, the Vietnam War, rape, abortion, women’s lib, and many facets human sexuality in frank language. I believe it was the first time on US television that the sound of a flushing toilet was used as a punch line. It ran from 1971 to 1979, was the number one rated TV show for many of those years, and had a number of successful spinoffs, including: "Archie Bunker’s Place", "TheJeffersons", and "Maude". There are other US remakes that could be mentioned, but the point is redoing a British TV show is not an inherently bad idea.

Nor is updating Sherlock Holmes to the present a bad idea. "House", "The Mentalist", "Monk", and "Law and Order: CriminalIntent" are all shows that have a Holmes-like character. Gregory House, Patrick Jane, Adrian Monk, and Robert Goren are not Holmes. They have their own personalities and foibles. We can appreciate their Holmesian qualities, but enjoy them for themselves.

I remember, before BBC’s "Sherlock" aired, the consternation in some quarter of taking Holmes and setting him in the 21st century. Holmes couldn’t be Holmes if set in the present day. He was too much a Victorian to be updated. Such naysayers forgot that until 1939’s "The Hound of theBaskervilles", all the film Holmes were set in the present day. Updating The Sign of Four from 1888 to 1932 does not, in retrospect, seem to be that big a deal. Indeed, Holmes himself could have gone the cinema nearest to his cottage on the South Downs to see how Rathbone portrayed him in 1939. But the chasm of 129 years between A Study in Scarlet and “A Study in Pink” would seem too great a hurdle for Holmes to jump. However, series creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss did an admirable job of making the detective a man of today.

I am not, however, a fan of the cinematic Holmes. I find all the film treatments of the Canon wanting in comparison to Doyle’s original. Rathbone was a great Holmes but I'm afraid that Nigel Bruce's Watson ruins the films for me. And while the production values of the Granada series is incredible, I wish I liked Jeremy Brett's Holmes better. I find his odd line readings off-putting and his treatment of people sometimes anachronistic. And don’t get me started on Robert Downey, Jr. As for the BBC's "Sherlock," I watched it with some trepidation due to its updating to the present, but I was pleasantly surprised. “A Study inPink” was well done and Cumberbatch and Freeman were well cast. “The Blind Banker” was less successful. By the time of “The GreatGame” I was very disappointed. The fey, manic, dancing, young "Jim" Moriarty---that's the Napoleon of Crime? A professional criminal committing a series of crimes just because he’s bored and wants to play with Sherlock? I was surprised that the laser-sighting marksmen at the end of the episode didn't put a round into "Jim" put him (and the audience) out of his misery. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are many things to like about BBC’s "Sherlock." Moffat and Gatiss know their Canon and the Sherlockian touches tucked into the episodes are delightful. I have not yet seen series two, but I look forward to PBS’s broadcast of them in May.

The point is that BBC's "Sherlock" is no more Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes than Fox’s "House." This brings us to "Elementary." Usually when US TV imports a show, it’s done in conjunction with the British producer. It appears that CBS did go to the BBC to do a remake of "Sherlock" but that nothing came of the offer. As the character of Sherlock Holmes is in the public domain, CBS went ahead with their version. This led Moffat to tweet, “Dear CBS. A modern day Sherlock Holmes? Where, oh where, did you get THATidea? We’ll be watching.”

The media friction between BBC and CBS is fascinating to watch. The casting of Jonny Lee Miller as Holmes is a case in point. Miller is a British actor who starred in "Trainspotting" and 2009’s "Emma". He’s familiar to American television viewers as the star of the short-lived ABC show "Eli Stone" and his turn as a serial killer on the fifth season of Showtime’s "Dexter". In Danny Boyle's production of the National Theatre's "Frankenstein" last year, Benedict Cumberbatch and Miller alternated daily between playing Victor Frankenstein and the Creature and, indeed, won a joint Best Actor prize. This lead "Sherlock’s" producer Sue Vertue to tell the British newspaper TheIndependent,

"Jonny is a very fine actor....Let's hope their pilot script has stayed further away from our Sherlock than their casting choice. We have been in touch with CBS and informed them that we will be looking at their finished pilot very closely for any infringements of our rights."

Of course, the "Sherlock"/"Elementary" controversy should be familiar territory to Moffat and Vertue. It is doubtful that Moffat and Vertue’s "Coupling" (BBC2 2000-2004) would have existed without "Friends" (NBC 1994-2004). The similarities between the shows are more than superficial. That said, "Coupling" is the far superior show of the two. British television, indeed, world television, would be much poorer if NBC threatened action against BBC2 upon reading of the upcoming series in the trades and the Beeb caved.

This fear of a lawsuit may have led to the casting of Liu as Watson. As Deadline reported on February 27,

“The project, written by Robert Doherty, is set in present day and stars Jonny Lee Miller as eccentric Brit Sherlock Holmes, a former consultant to Scotland Yard whose addiction problems led him to a rehab center in New York City. Just out of rehab, Holmes now lives in Brooklyn with “sober companion” Joan Watson (Liu), a former surgeon who lost her license after a patient died, while consulting for the NYPD.”

Not an army surgeon back from Afghanistan, but disgraced medico.

This highlights a couple of problems for "Elementary". One is the legal sword BBC is holding over the head of CBS. There are certain traits that make the character of Sherlock Holmes Holmes and as well that make Dr. Watson Watson. Doyle’s Watson is proud of this military service. He refers to himself as an “old campaigner” more that once in the Canon. The symmetry of a 19th century Watson and a 21st century Watson both serving on the frontlines in Afghanistan is just too brilliant to pass up. It serves the character perfectly. It is in the public domain. Despite roles in "Kill Bill" and "Charlie’sAngels," I cannot image an actor least likely to be an army doctor under Taliban fire than Liu.

Show biz is not a virtuous profession. We may look at it as Watson did of the late Irene Adler, as “dubious and questionable.” Intellectual theft is a misdemeanor at best in Hollywood. Holmes’ perennial popularity is now on an upswing and I see no problem with the American appropriation of a modern day Holmes. In fact, CBS needs to tell Moffat and Gatiss, in that pithy British phrase, “Piss off!’

The second problem for "Elementary" is the state of TV storytelling. Protagonists nowadays need a tragic back-story to make them interesting. Joan Watson lost her license when a patient died. Sherlock Holmes is a recovering drug addict. Please.

Holmes drug use can only be seen through a contemporary lens on TV, but the reality of Victorian cocaine use is much more complex than network television can portray. (For one thing, cocaine wasn’t illegal and could be picked up at the corner chemist.) Watson can’t be an Afghan veteran (too close to "Sherlock"), but there has to be something to give the character sleepless nights. Hence, the lost medical license. A psychic wound, then, rather than a physical one.

While casting Watson as a woman takes "Elementary" a step away from "Sherlock" (and a step closer to Rex Stout), it takes "Elementary" several steps away from the Canon. One of the fundamental aspects of the Canon is the friendship of Holmes and Watson. Christopher Morley called the Canon a Textbookof Friendship. And it is one that is more complicated that the bromance that popular culture perceives between Cumberbatch and Freeman or Downey and Law. I do not doubt that a deep friendship between a man and woman can exist, just network television ability to depict it. Sexual tension between major characters is just television scriptwriting 101 and I wonder if the producers of "Elementary" have the strength to stay away from it.

After all, unlike "Sherlock", which has only three 90-minute shows a season to get plot, character and dialog right, CBS will have to crank out 22 one-hour episodes and the temptation for scripting shortcuts in that pressure cooker will be great. I’m not sure of the Sherlockian background of the producers or writers, or whether they have hired a Holmesian as a consultant (as Warner Bros. did with Les Klinger), but titling the series "Elementary" alone makes me wonder if can expect writing on the level of "Sherlock" or of, say, "Holmes and Yo-Yo".

“Elementary” will ultimately survive or fail on its own merits. If it fails, it will be no more that a footnote in the history of “Sherlock”. If it succeeds, then the majority of fans the world over will proclaim the British version superior, and Moffat and Gatiss’ glory will be that much greater. Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly may yet pleasantly surprise us. Only time will tell. We should keep our minds and eyes open to further developments, but like Holmes refrain from theorizing before one has the facts. No matter how fun it is.

Image credit: Pesky Library (Flickr)
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Editor's note: James is a long-time Sherlockian and a huge fan of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. This is his first contribution to the Baker Street Blog.

"It's Lucy That Brings Me Here" [STUD]

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Monty) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:12:32 PST

As we've previously shared, CBS is planning a New York version of the 21st century adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes stories, in the spirit of the BBC's "Sherlock." It is titled "Elementary" and the release date has not yet been determined.

While we already knew that Jonny Lee Miller would play Holmes as a recovering drug addict, Hollywood Reporter has just noted that Lucy Liu - you read that correctly - of "Charlie's Angels" fame would play his sidekick as Joan Watson.

HR dubiously states that this is the first time that Watson would be "played by a woman." We say "dubiously," because we would take issue with this technicality. Of course, Joanne Woodward portrayed Dr. Mildred Watson, who was treating George C. Scott's Justin Playfair who believed he was Sherlock Holmes in "They Might Be Giants." And Margaret Colin played Jane Watson, a descendant of the good doctor, who brought a cryogenically frozen Holmes back to life in the 1987 CBS (yes, CBS!) television movie and pilot "The Return of Sherlock Holmes."

And lest you think CBS is new at this, in addition to the never picked up pilot of 1987, they also inflicted upon us the 1990 movie "The Hands of a Murderer" with Edward Woodward. Brace yourselves.

Don't say we didn't warn you.

Image credit: bethany.egan (Flickr)

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