I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Remembering Michael Pennington

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Mon, 11 May 2026 02:21:00 -0400

“give my little impersonations your kindly praise” [MAZA]

Even though Sherlock Holmes holds the record as the literary figure most portrayed on film, it is shocking when we lose an actor who has played the role. The death of Michael Pennington (IMDb) at the age of 82, announced this weekend, takes one such impersonator from us.

His obituary in The Telegraph notes he was “acclaimed for its intelligence and flawless diction”, which one would hope from the founder (with Michael Bogdanov) of the English Shakespeare Company, the author of ten books on his craft, and over a half-century of stage work that any actor would envy.

But Sherlockians recall Pennington for a more particular distinction. In the span of six years, he played both halves of the most legendary archrivalry in literature: Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty. Few actors have stood on both sides of the abyss at Reichenbach. Fewer still have done so with his pedigree.

The 80s Sherlock Holmes Renaissance

“and in 1887” [TWIS]

To understand how Pennington landed in Baker Street at all, you have to understand the strange weather of the 1980s. Sherlock Holmes had never quite gone away (he never does), but the decade brought an extraordinary convergence. The Holmes stories had passed into the public domain in Britain in 1980, fifty years after Conan Doyle’s death, and a pair of producers, Sy Weintraub and Otto Plaschkes, seized on the opportunity, signing Ian Richardson for a planned six-film series. Only two were filmed before Granada’s rival production scared the rest off the field — The Sign of Four and The Hound of the Baskervilles, both in 1983 — but Richardson’s urbane, mischievous Holmes set a high bar for the decade.

That rival was, of course, the production at Granada Television in Manchester, where Jeremy Brett began in 1984 what would become the most exhaustive and, for many of us, the definitive screen treatment of the Canon. Brett’s Holmes was a force of nature — sharp, mercurial, and pitched at a key the role had never quite been pitched at before. By 1986, the Granada series was hitting its stride with its own The Return of Sherlock Holmes season, the very title resonating with the centenary that loomed.

For 1887 was the year Sherlock Holmes first appeared print, in Beeton’s Christmas Annual, in a story called A Study in Scarlet. The hundredth anniversary did not pass unnoticed: scion societies held celebrations, publishers commissioned new editions, the BBC and broadcasters worldwide commemorated, and producers on both sides of the Atlantic angled for a piece of the moment. It was into this fizzing centenary year that an American TV movie called The Return of Sherlock Holmes (with a sly nod toward both the centenary and the Granada series) arrived on CBS, on January 10, 1987.

A Holmes Out of Time

“The date being—?” [CREE]

The premise was the stuff that gives more traditional Sherlockians hives. A Boston private investigator, Jane Watson (played by Margaret Colin), great-granddaughter of the good doctor, discovers in her ancestral estate a cryogenic capsule containing one Sherlock Holmes — placed there in suspended animation after an attempt on his life by a previously unsuspected brother of Professor Moriarty, who had infected him with bubonic plague. Thawed, cured, and dragged into the late twentieth century, Holmes is hauled off to America to help Jane with a case that draws (loosely) on The Sign of Four: a man named Small, a woman named Morstan, and a long line of grudges.

It is, frankly, a weak premise. It was also a backdoor pilot for a series that never came. The script is uneven, the science is silly, and the second-act tour of suburban America with Holmes marveling at copy machines is exactly what you fear it might be.

And yet Pennington plays Holmes straight: alert, courtly, baffled but never broken, allowing the comedy to come from the world’s strangeness rather than from any softening of the man. His Holmes is tall, ascetic, slightly melancholy, and uncannily watchful. He looks, in fact, the way Holmes is supposed to look.

Reviews at the time were mixed (the New York Times harrumphed about a “felonious assault on the memory of Arthur Conan Doyle’s great detective”), but the IMDb reviews speak for themselves: more than one of them notes regret that the proposed series was never picked up. The chemistry with Colin worked, and the picture has a small but real cult following.

For those who haven’t seen it, or who’d like to revisit:

From Holmes to the Napoleon of Crime

“I could not but think what a terrible criminal he would have made” [SIGN]

The TV movie wasn’t Pennington’s only contribution to the Sherlockian entertainment world, though. In November 1992, BBC Radio 4 broadcast its long-running, faithful, story-by-story dramatization of the Canon with Clive Merrison as Holmes and Michael Williams as Watson, an ensemble that would in time produce the first complete radio adaptation of all sixty stories in the Canon.

The story that month was “The Final Problem,” and for the role of Professor James Moriarty, the producers cast Michael Pennington. He returned to the part for “The Adventure of the Empty House,” broadcast in February 1993.

We spoke with head writer Bert Coules, BSI (“The Whole Art of Detection”) in Episode 69 and actor Clive Merrison in Episode 202.

There is a particular pleasure in this casting. Pennington’s Holmes had been a man of warmth beneath the surface; his Moriarty, in voice alone, was something else — a dry, scholarly, unforgiving intellect. The voice is what does it on the radio, and Pennington’s voice was one of the great instruments of the British stage: deep, deliberate, with that famous “flawless diction” the Telegraph singled out.

He could, when he wanted, make a line of verse sound like a knife being drawn. As Moriarty, he made the famous interview at Baker Street feel exactly as it ought to feel: two enormous minds taking each other’s measure, and one of them appalled at what he sees.

Few actors have played both halves of this rivalry. Orson Welles played Holmes in the 1938 radio adaptation of William Gillette's play and Moriarty in the 1954 radio version of “The Final Problem,” opposite John Gielgud. And Anthony Higgins played the title role in 1994 Baker Street: Sherlock Holmes Returns (1993) and the professor who became Moriarty in Young Sherlock Holmes (1985).

Pennington’s Non-Sherlockian Career

“my long professional career” [LION]

None of this, of course, is what Michael Pennington was famous for. He was famous, in Britain, for Shakespeare. He had joined the Royal Shakespeare Company straight out of Trinity College, Cambridge, having never having attended drama school, and he stayed loosely in the company’s orbit for the rest of his career, an Honorary Associate Artist by the end. His Hamlet at the RSC in 1980 was the role for which he turned down The French Lieutenant’s Woman, opposite Meryl Streep. He said simply: “I realised I couldn’t let Hamlet go. It is one of the prizes.”

Two years after that, he played Posthumus in the BBC Cymbeline; the year before Return of Sherlock Holmes, he played Oedipus on the BBC. In 1986 he and Bogdanov founded the English Shakespeare Company, whose seven-play Wars of the Roses cycle toured the world, with Pennington taking Richard II, Prince Hal, Henry V, and Jack Cade.

He was nominated for four Olivier Awards across his career — the first for Mercutio in 1976, the most recent for Antigonus in Kenneth Branagh’s 2015 Winter’s Tale with Judi Dench. At 70, he played King Lear in Brooklyn to ecstatic American notices; the New York Times’ Ben Brantley called it “devastating.” In 2020, in the first weeks of lockdown, he played Prospero in a tiny studio production at the Jermyn Street Theatre — the last great Shakespearean role he had not yet attempted — and the reviewer for the Telegraph noted that “the great globe itself” speech, in his “hypnotically sonorous delivery,” acquired “a charge of almost unbearable poignancy.”

He toured for decades with his one-man Chekhov show; he wrote a book about it; he wrote three Shakespeare user’s guides, a memoir, a book about Lear in Brooklyn, and a book about being an actor called Let Me Play the Lion Too.

He played Jung opposite David Suchet in the BBC’s 1984 Freud. And he was, to a generation of children, the Imperial officer who tells Darth Vader the Emperor is on his way down: Moff Jerjerrod in Return of the Jedi, a part he was good-natured about and slightly bemused by, since he never quite escaped fans asking after it at the stage door.

With Pennington’s dual roles in the Sherlockian world, it would be easy to mention the Reichenbach or him being “the best and the wisest man whom I have ever known.” Perhaps a more fitting valedictory message to the actor who chose Hamlet over Hollywood and gave half a century to the classics, is a Shakespearean line:

“Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

The Great Hiatus Reimagined: A New Sherlock Holmes Series Coming in 2027

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Fri, 8 May 2026 11:21:00 -0400

“Three years had certainly not smoothed the asperities of his temper” [EMPT]

Rafe Spall and Deleila Piasko (Sky)

Of all the periods in the Canon that have tantalized Sherlockians, there are two that consistently are intriguing, the first of which is Sherlock Holmes's formative years. The now-classic film Young Sherlock Holmes and the more recent series Young Sherlock have taken on this period with gusto.

The other period is the Great Hiatus — those mysterious years between Holmes's plunge over the Reichenbach Falls on May 4, 1891, and his startling reappearance in Watson's consulting room in the spring of 1894. Conan Doyle gave us only the briefest sketch of Holmes's wanderings to Tibet, Persia, Mecca, and Khartoum. The rest has been left to our imaginations — and has proven to be fertile ground for scholars, pasticheurs, and screenwriters alike.

The latest entry in this venerable tradition comes from a Swiss-German-Belgian co-production titled The Death of Sherlock Holmes (working title), which began filming this spring and is slated for a 2027 premiere.

A Cast and Crew of Note

“extends over many nations” [SIGN]

Rafe Spall (Under Salt Marsh, Trying) takes up the deerstalker — or whatever passes for one in his amnesiac state — alongside Deleila Piasko (The Exposure, Transatlantic).

The series is the brainchild of Claudia Bluemhuber (Fallen, Robin and the Hoods), André Küttel (Needle Park Baby, Die Beschatter), and Pierre Monnard (Needle Park Baby, Winter Palace), with Küttel and Simone Schmid (Die Beschatter) handling the scripts. Monnard and Bluemhuber share directing duties.

Producer Silver Reel, fresh off a 2025 International Emmy win for the YA series Fallen, is steering the project alongside Sky Switzerland, SRF, ARD Degeto, and Umedia. Sphere Abacus is handling international distribution, while Sky has acquired exclusive U.K. and Ireland broadcast rights.

According to SRF, filming will take place in Switzerland, South Tyrol, and Bavaria.

What Happened After Reichenbach?

“It was, indeed, a fearful place” [FINA]

Here is where the premise gets interesting for those of us who have spent considerable time pondering the Hiatus. Set against what the producers describe as the "majestic and merciless" Swiss Alps, the story opens with an Englishman pulled barely alive from an icy mountain stream by a local woman named Alma and her young son Franz. When the village doctor turns up murdered, suspicion falls on the boy — leaving the amnesiac stranger as his only ally.

The man remembers nothing of his past. But flashes of razor-sharp deduction begin to surface, betraying a hidden history. As fragments of memory return, he must reckon with a question that no Sherlockian will find suspenseful in the slightest, but which our hero apparently must work out for himself: who is he, really?

What begins as an isolated Alpine mystery widens into a far-reaching conspiracy, inching him toward the legendary name he may once have borne. It is, in essence, the Great Hiatus told as a memory-loss thriller, with the Holmes compelled to deduce his own identity.

A Crowded Field and a Welcome Addition

“So many have said so, and yet here I am” [THOR]

SRF notes that there are more than 250 Sherlock Holmes screen productions — making him the most-portrayed literary character in cinema history. Adding another television series to that already groaning shelf might seem redundant, particularly at this time, but the Hiatus has always been fertile ground precisely because Conan Doyle left it so sparsely filled in.

From Nicholas Meyer's The Seven-Per-Cent Solution to Caleb Carr's The Italian Secretary and Anthony Horowitz's The House of Silk, writers have repeatedly returned to the question of where Holmes went and what he did.

What sets this production apart is its geography. Filming in the very Alps where Conan Doyle dispatched his hero — and where Sherlockians have made annual pilgrimages to Meiringen and the Reichenbach Falls for decades (the most recent by the Sherlock Holmes Society of London having just concluded) — promises an authenticity of setting that no soundstage can replicate.

Whether the storytelling rises to the level of the locations, we shall have to wait until 2027 to discover.

For now, we will be following with great interest. As Holmes himself observed upon his return:

“My dear Watson, I owe you a thousand apologies. I had no idea that you would be so affected.”

We trust you will be affected by this latest addition to the canon of the Sherlockian screen.

What May 4 Means for Sherlock Holmes Fans

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Mon, 4 May 2026 12:18:00 -0400

“It is with a heavy heart that I take up my pen” [FINA]

Find yourself anywhere online today and you’ll come across the phrase or hashtag “May the Fourth be with you.” But it’s not a date recognized only by fans of Star Wars.

For anyone who has read “The Final Problem,” the date of May 4 is less celebratory than melancholy, as that’s the short story in which Sherlock Holmes confronts his archenemy Professor Moriarty (who we’ve inexplicably never heard of up until this point in the Canon) and both of them tumble off the cliff into the Reichenbach Falls.

Sherlockian Road Trip

“come away with me for a week to the Continent.”

As you may recall, after Holmes appeared in Watson’s consulting-room and recounted his interaction with Moriarty, the two fled to the Continent, eventually landing in Switzerland:

“It was upon the 3rd of May that we reached the little village of detour, where we put up at the Englischer Hof, then kept by Peter Steiler the elder. Our landlord was an intelligent man, and spoke excellent English, having served for three years as waiter at the Grosvenor Hotel in London. At his advice, upon the afternoon of the 4th we set off together with the intention of crossing the hills and spending the night at the hamlet of Rosenlaui. We had strict injunctions, however, on no account to pass the falls of Reichenbach, which are about half-way up the hill, without making a small detour to see them.”

It was here that Conan Doyle chose the final resting place for Sherlock Holmes - a rest that was intended to be eternal but that we now know lasted nearly a decade. The description of the Reichenbach Falls is a fitting one for the epic struggle of good versus evil that took place later in the story:

“It is, indeed, a fearful place. The torrent, swollen by the melting snow, plunges into a tremendous abyss, from which the spray rolls up like the smoke from a burning house. The shaft into which the river hurls itself is an immense chasm, lined by glistening, coal-black rock, and narrowing into a creaming, boiling pit of incalculable depth, which brims over and shoots the stream onward over its jagged lip. The long sweep of green water roaring forever down, and the thick flickering curtain of spray hissing forever upwards, turn a man giddy with their constant whirl and clamour. We stood near the edge peering down at the gleam of the breaking water far below us against the black rocks, and listening to the half-human shout which came booming up with the spray out of the abyss.”

Watson Gets Fooled

“In a tingle of fear I was already running down the village street”

And after Watson was lured back to the Englischer Hof with the story of a patient in need (good old Watson!), he returned to the falls to find a note from Sherlock Holmes along with his alpenstock and silver cigarette case. He was led to conclude that that inevitable happened:

“An examination by experts leaves little doubt that a personal contest between the two men ended, as it could hardly fail to end in such a situation, in their reeling over, locked in each other’s arms. Any attempt at recovering the bodies was absolutely hopeless, and there, deep down in that dreadful cauldron of swirling water and seething foam, will lie for all time the most dangerous criminal and the foremost champion of the law of their generation.”

Sidney Paget’s frontispiece for the story in the Strand, which is a major spoiler

But aside from the colorful descriptions of both the setting and the action, this story above many others shows Watson’s emotional side. Over the course of two short years, readers had gotten to know Holmes and Watson through 12 stories that made up The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and 11 stories that comprised The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (as well as the previously published A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four). That’s less than half of what would eventually become the entire Canon of 60 stories — stories that would be published over the course of the following 35 or so years.

For Watson as well as for the readers, that’s an intense run of stories — tales that fill us with wonder as we’ve been learning about the habits, eccentricities, limits and capabilities of the most intriguing detective that the world has ever known.

Is it any wonder then that his sudden and tragic loss affected us so deeply?

Spoiler Alert

“It is with a heavy heart that I take up my pen to write these the last words in which I shall ever record the singular gifts by which my friend Mr. Sherlock Holmes was distinguished.”

When a story opens with that kind of line, the reader has a sense of what they’re in for. We’ll never forget reading that line for the first time and feeling a little stab in the gut. The modern equivalent would be exclaiming, “Wait — what?”

Imagine Watson’s realization that this would be the case. He describes is first reaction:

“It was the sight of that alpenstock which turned me cold and sick...I stood for a minute or two to collect myself, for I was dazed with the horror of the thing.”

Even Holmes understood how his untimely departure would affect his friend, writing in his farewell note,

“I fear that it is at a cost which will give pain to my friends, and especially, my dear Watson, to you.”

The Public Reaction

“in the interests of the public”

The pain was palpable to readers at the time. There is an apocryphal legend that grown men in London wore black armbands in a demonstration of mourning. We have yet to see any definitive evidence of this occurrence (and the Baker Street Journal once offered a bounty for anyone who could prove it).

But it rings true to the spirit of what happened at the time, which was an outpouring of grief over the loss of a literary character. Letters flowed to The Strand Magazine and to Arthur Conan Doyle himself, one even beginning “You brute!”

At least modern readers don’t have to wait eight years for Holmes to reappear in The Hound of the Baskervilles or ten years for the first of the stories that would make up The Return of Sherlock Holmes. Can you imagine what it must have been like to have to put Holmes to rest in one’s mind and to blindly wait to see if he would ever reappear?

We’re fortunate that the public outcry (and, let’s face it, a hefty payday) convinced Conan Doyle to take up his pen once more to provide us with such rich and wonderful stories to fill our desires, fuel our imagination and enrich our friendships. While May 4 may seem one for us to mourn, we’re fortunate that, as Watson observed upon Holmes’s return in “The Empty House,”

“once again Mr. Sherlock Holmes is free to devote his life to examining those interesting little problems which the complex life of London so plentifully presents.”

May the Fourth Be With You

“no braver man in the regiment” [BLAN]

Image credit: bonniegrrl (Flickr)

One of the things that we enjoy about the Sherlock Holmes stories and those devotees who follow it, is the ability to weave in so many of life’s other interests. If you’ve got another hobby or passion, odds are you’ll find a way to incorporate it into your love of Sherlock Holmes.

Over the years, we’ve met Sherlockians who are also interested in horse racing, railroads, P.G. Wodehouse, pin collecting, the Titanic, antiques, handwriting analysis, coin and stamp collecting, woodworking, needlepoint, jewelry making, wine, pipe collecting, music, period firearms, Victorian attire — the list goes on and on.

Really, there’s no limit to the connections we can make between our interests, if we’re passionate enough about them.

So it was with little surprise — but with great amusement — that we looked at the above photo sent by a colleague of the individual who is a Holmes Trooper.

We couldn’t help but think:

“May the force be with you, old chap.”

The Star Wars / Sherlock Holmes Connection(s)

Star Wars and Sherlock Holmes. Hmm. There are seemingly endless possibilities

Well, if you consider that Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee appeared in the George Lucas series — albeit Cushing never made it past the first film (in carbon form, at least) and Lee managed to do damage in the final trilogy — and are actors who have portrayed Sherlock Holmes, there’s your connection.

Of course, the more astute among you will remember that Lee also portrayed Sir Henry Baskerville in Hammer’s 1959 version of The Hound of the Baskervilles. And he holds the distinction of being the only actor to portray Holmes and his stately brother Mycroft, whom he played in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes.

Challenge

Here’s an interesting challenge: can you go through the Star Wars universe and find connections between that cast and the Sherlock Holmes universe?

Drop a comment below.

The game's afoot!

Baker Street Elementary – Yeah Right

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Sun, 3 May 2026 10:28:00 -0400

“listen to his not too delicate sarcasms” [SIGN]

Merriam-Webster defines sarcasm as:
the use of words that mean the opposite of what one intends to say especially in order to insult, to show irritation, or to be funny : a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on ironic and usually bitter and caustic language often directed against an individual.

It is a form of humor that requires both intelligence and either a closeness with the individual on the receiving end — a relationship that will tolerate such barbs — or disdain. In the case of the disdainful, the victim may often not realize the intention as they smile and nod along.

Given Sherlock Holmes's impatience with the official police, it is surprising there aren't more than two mentions of sarcasm in the Canon. What is not surprising is that both have to do with Scotland Yard. And both take place in the early days: the very first two Sherlock Holmes stories to be published.

In A Study in Scarlet, Holmes is dealing with inspectors Gregson and Lestrade. They're interested in his conclusions after examining the body of Enoch Drebber and the room in which he died. Watson tells us "There was a world of sarcasm in his voice as he spoke."

“It would be robbing you of the credit of the case if I was to presume to help you,” remarked my friend. “You are doing so well now that it would be a pity for anyone to interfere.”

We know Sherlock Holmes was none too impressed with Athelney Jones in The Sign of Four. As Holmes, Watson, and Mary Morstan arrived at Pondicherry Lodge to find a dead Sholto, Holmes remarked:

“And I shall see what I can learn from Mrs. Bernstone, and from the Indian servant, who, Mr. Thaddeus tell me, sleeps in the next garret. Then I shall study the great Jones’s methods and listen to his not too delicate sarcasms. ‘Wir sind gewohnt, daß die Menschen verh¨ohnen was sie nicht verstehen.’ Goethe is always pithy.”

While Jones wasn't present for this remark, the Goethe reference directly indicts his inability to understand Holmes' methods and conclusions, leading Jones to use sarcasm in an uninformed way. The Goethe quote is translated as ‘We are used to people belittling what they do not understand.’

Let's see what kind of understanding is happening at Baker Street Elementary...

Baker Street Elementary follows the original adventures of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, as they and their friends work through the issues of elementary school in Victorian London. An archive of all previous episodes can be viewed at the Baker Street Elementary website.

Episode 333: 75 Years of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 15:00:00 -0400

“the celebrated Mr. Sherlock Holmes” [SCAN]

The Sherlock Holmes Society of London marks its 75th anniversary in 2026, and today we talk with coordinator Ashley Mayo about the year-long celebration, and his deep-rooted connection to the world of Baker Street. Ashley gives us a grand tour of the 2026 program, including Victorian-costumed pilgrimages in the Swiss Alps, a special event at Hammersmith’s Riverside Studios, a weekend symposium at the University of Cambridge, and much more.

You’ll also hear about his introduction to the Society at the landmark 1987 centenary dinner for A Study in Scarlet, and how his passion for Sherlockian scholarship led to the creation of “The Scrapbook,” a digital archive that provides easy access to decades of articles from the Society’s Journal, organized by case and theme.

Our “Learned Societies” segment kicks off with Sherlockian society activities coming up in the first half of July. Then, it’s a new edition of “Examining the Pictures,” with the film critic, journalist, and author Christian Monggaard, BSI, as he reviews Sherlock, Jr.

Finally, the Canonical Couplet quiz will test your Sherlock Holmes knowledge, with a set of Sherlock Holmes Society of London coasters for the winner. Send your answer to comment @ihearofsherlock.com by May 14, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. All listeners are eligible to play.

As a reminder, our supporters can listen to the show ad-free and have access to occasional bonus material. Join us on the platform of your choice (Patreon | Substack).

And if you need some show swag or gift ideas, or if you want to show off your good taste to other Sherlockians, check out our Merch Store, with mugs, notepads and more.

Download [Save As] | File size: 62.1 MB, 1:05:59

Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify; listen to us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Baker Street Elementary – Monographically Speaking

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:10:00 -0400

“Why do you not write them yourself?” [ABBE]

Have we ever questioned why Sherlock Holmes wrote monographs? After all, he was admittedly a specialist in his field, unique in all of police work:

“That is why I have chosen my own particular profession,— or rather created it, for I am the only one in the world.” [SIGN]

He may have had a compunction to lay claim to being the first to identify and discuss various aspects of work related to crime detection. Ego is a powerful motivator. Or he may simply have been fascinated enough by a subject that he wished to explore as much of it as he could and commit it to writing.

What resulted were monographs that we find littered throughout the Sherlock Holmes stories — topics as wide-ranging as The Book of Life, on the ashes of 140 different varieties of pipe, cigar, and cigarette tobacco, upon the tracing of footsteps, upon the influence of trade upon the form of a hand, upon the dating of documents, upon secret writings, two articles on the variability of human ears, and Practical Handbook of Bee Culture, with Some Observations on the Segregation of the Queen.

And that's not even a comprehensive list!

We discussed this subject in full in Episode 43 of Trifles. and you can listen here or wherever you get podcasts.

Without a doubt, Sherlockians can relate, as Christopher Morley once wrote, "Never before has so much been written by so many for so few."

Let's see what the few at Baker Street Elementary are avoiding writing this week...

Episode 332: Irregular Chronicles of the Early ’Fifties

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:21:00 -0400

“That chronicle of our successes” [NORW]

After a 25-year pause, the definitive history of the Baker Street Irregulars finally continues. Join our chat with editors Bill Mason and Julie McKuras to discuss their new work, Irregular Chronicles of the Early ’Fifties. Their 350-page volume picks up the mantle from the original five-volume series, now bridging the historical gap from the post-war era through 1955.

Bill and Julie take us behind the scenes of their collaboration, sharing how they began, how they structured this ambitious, year-by-year account, and how they selected the contributors who help bring the era to life. You’ll hear about famous broadcaster and Irregular Elmer Davis, and explore how the book breaks new ground by looking at the BSI in the context of an age coping with the rise of the suburbs, television, and consumer culture. It’s a long-awaited look at the personalities and events shaping the BSI during a time of rapid change.

We also have some additional conversation just for our supporters. Listen to this bonus material on Patreon or Substack by becoming a paid supporter.

Our “Learned Societies” segment kicks off with Sherlockian society activities coming up in the second half of June. Then, it’s a new edition of “Examining the Pictures,” with the film critic, journalist, and author Christian Monggaard, BSI, as he offers a thoughtful review of the 1976 American made-for-television film Sherlock Holmes in New York.

Finally, the Canonical Couplet quiz will test your Sherlock Holmes knowledge, with a copy of Irregular Chronicles of the Early Fifties for the winner. Send your answer to comment @ihearofsherlock.com by May 14, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. All listeners are eligible to play.

As a reminder, our supporters can listen to the show ad-free and have access to occasional bonus material. Join us on the platform of your choice (Patreon | Substack).

And if you need some show swag or gift ideas, or if you want to show off your good taste to other Sherlockians, check out our Merch Store, with mugs, notepads and more.

Download [Save As] | File size: 64.4 MB, 1:05:24

Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify; listen to us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Baker Street Elementary – Easter Eggs

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Sun, 5 Apr 2026 19:03:00 -0400

“so trivial a matter as cooking an egg” [THOR]

One of the great bits of fun when planning a Sherlockian meeting is selecting the menu. The Canon is ripe with references to food and drink in many different settings.

We're keenly aware of Mrs. Hudson's morning cuisine dependably being described as "as good an idea of breakfast as a Scotch-woman," and the rather curious dish that followed in that story.

Here's a fun assignment: at your next meeting, quiz your fellow Sherlockians on this: when it comes to that breakfast staple, the humble egg, which stories did it appear in? We'll give you the quotes, you supply the story. Answers are below.

1. “But you have had enough of the case. Better have your ham and eggs first.”

2. He received us in his quietly genial fashion, ordered fresh rashers and eggs, and joined us in a hearty meal.

3. “Good! What are you going to take, Mr. Phelps—curried fowl or eggs, or will you help yourself?”

4. Sherlock Holmes swallowed a cup of coffee, and turned his attention to the ham and eggs. Then he rose, lit his pipe, and settled himself down into his

chair.

5. “I must really apologize, Hopkins,” said Sherlock Holmes; “I fear that the scrambled eggs are cold. However, you will enjoy the rest of your breakfast all the better, will you not, for the thought that you have brought your case to a triumphant conclusion.”

6. “There is little to share, but we may discuss it when you have consumed the two hard-boiled eggs with which our new cook has favoured us.”

7. “Why, this article,” I said, pointing at it with my egg spoon as I sat down to my breakfast. “I see that you have read it since you have marked it.”

8. “My dear Watson, when I have exterminated that fourth egg I shall be ready to put you in touch with the whole situation. I don’t say that we have fathomed it—far from it—but when we have traced the missing dumb-bell—”

9. In the morning I was up betimes, but some toast crumbs and two empty egg-shells told me that my companion was earlier still.

Answers are below.

Let's see what Easter treats await at Baker Street Elementary...

Answers

1. SIGN

2. ENGR

3. NAVA

4. NAVA (again!)

5. BLAC

6. THOR

7. STUD

8. VALL

9. RETI

Episode 331: The Amateur Mendicant Society

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:21:00 -0400

“Those were the early days” [VALL]

Join us as we explore the roots of Sherlockian tradition in the Motor City with Christopher Music, archivist and Commissionaire of The Amateur Mendicant Society, and the group's Gasogene, our own Scott Monty. As one of the "Original Eight" scion societies in the U.S., the Mendicants hold a unique place in literary history — from their 1946 founding held on the same night as an early meeting of The Speckled Band of Boston, to producing the first-ever televised Sherlock Holmes performance of a society.

Chris discusses the founding members of the group, including newspaperman Russell McLauchlin, who was welcomed into the BSI by Vincent Starrett himself. You’ll hear about the Mendicants’ evolution, and look ahead to April 25, 2026, when the group will return to their original Detroit meeting site to celebrate 80 years of fellowship.

Our “Learned Societies” segment kicks off with Sherlockian society activities coming up in the first half of June. Then, it’s a new edition of “Examining the Pictures,” with the film critic, journalist, and author Christian Monggaard, BSI, as Christian offers a fascinating perspective on the television series Elementary.

Finally, the Canonical Couplet quiz will test your Sherlock Holmes knowledge, with a copy of something from the IHOSE vaults for the winner. Send your answer to comment @ihearofsherlock.com by April 14, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. DST. All listeners are eligible to play.

As a reminder, our supporters can listen to the show ad-free and have access to occasional bonus material. Join us on the platform of your choice (Patreon | Substack).

And if you need some show swag or gift ideas, or if you want to show off your good taste to other Sherlockians, check out our Merch Store, with mugs, notepads and more.

Download [Save As] | File size: 64.4 MB, 1:05:24

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Baker Street Elementary – Life After Logic

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 07:41:00 -0400

“For the love of Heaven!” [ENGR]

As Sherlockians, we often observe the irony that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of one of the most widely recognized thinkers in all of literature, put his faith in mediums, seances, and the practice of spiritualism.

It has nothing to do with science or the scientific method of course, but speaks to something deeper: faith. Conan Doyle sincerely believed we could contact those who departed this mortal plane.

But what about his creation? Did Sherlock Holmes believe in the afterlife?

We need look no further than "The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger," where Holmes confronted Eugenia Ronder, who seemed determined to take her own life out of sheer despair and desperation.

In his conversation with her, Holmes expressed some sympathy for her situation and indicated his belief in another plane:

“Poor girl! The ways of fate are indeed hard to understand. If there is not some compensation hereafter, then the world is a cruel jest.”

The only logical conclusion is that Holmes must in fact believe in the hereafter.

Let's check in on the current life at Baker Street Elementary...

Basil Rathbone at the Oscars

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 02:21:00 -0400

“The credit of the execution is due to Monsieur Oscar” [EMPT]

When watching the 2026 Academy Awards (the Oscars), we didn't expect any Sherlock Holmes connections. But then we were pleasantly surprised.

First, the announcer for the evening was Matt Berry (IMDb profile), who was being patched in from London. Matt's smooth British accent provided a sophistication that (let's be generous) isn't quite Conan O'Brien's style. For our purposes, though, Matt's inclusion brought a welcome connection to Sherlock Holmes: in the CBS drama Watson, he voiced Sherlock Holmes in Season 1, Episode 7 ("Teeth Marks").

For a more obscure Sherlock Holmes connection in his resume, Berry played Sherlock Kush in two episodes of Season 2 of Lucas Bros Moving Co: "Tales from the Hoodie" and "Escape from Momma".

What truly caught our attention, though, was a mention of Basil Rathbone during the Oscars. More on that context below.

Basil Rathbone (IMDb profile) was nominated for two Academy Awards as Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Can you name the two films for which he was nominated? We'll give you a moment.

If you guessed The Adventures of Robin Hood or Captain Blood, we're afraid we have bad news for you. Rathbone was nominated for an award in neither.

His first nomination was for his role as Tybalt in the 1937 production of Romeo and Juliet. His competition that year included Akim Tamiroff (The General Died at Dawn), Mischa Auer (My Man Godfrey), Stuart Erwin (Pigskin Parade) and winner Walter Brennan (Come and Get It).

Rathbone's second and final nomination came two years later in 1939 as Louis XI in If I Were King, when he was up against John Garfield (Four Daughters), Robert Morley (Marie Antoinette), Gene Lockhart (Algiers) and Walter Brennan, returning for a win (Kentucky).

The reason Rathbone's name came up at all? It was an exchange between O'Brien and Berry, when the host acknowledged the announcer's contributions for the evening. Watch:

Transcript

O'Brien: The Oscars are an international event. In that spirit, please welcome live from London, our announcer, Matt Berry.

Berry: Thank you, Conan. It's a huge honor and a thrill to be here tonight.

O'Brien: We're thrilled to have you, Matt. Who are you excited to see tonight?

Berry: I've always been a fan of Benecio Del Toro, Sigourney Weaver, and of course Basil Rathbone.

O'Brien: I'm sorry to tell you, Matt, Basil Rathbone died almost 60 years ago.

Berry: Is that right? Well, that's live TV for you!

Episode 330: And It Is Always 1895

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 14:21:00 -0400

“A collector of obscure volumes” [EMPT]

Today we honor the enduring legacy of Vincent Starrett — the legendary journalist, bibliophile, and founding member of the Baker Street Irregulars — as we approach the 140th anniversary of his birth. To celebrate, the Torists International S.S. will host a landmark conference from October 23-25, 2026, in Starrett’s longtime home of Chicago.

The event's organizers, Jonathan Shimberg and Linda Crohn, share the inspiration behind the gathering and their own storied history within the Sherlockian community. They explain how the conference came together, and why Starrett’s influence remains so vital to readers and collectors today.

Our “Learned Societies” segment kicks off with Sherlockian society activities coming up the last half of May. Then, it’s a new edition of “Examining the Pictures,” with the film critic, journalist, and author Christian Monggaard, BSI, as he reviews Guy Ritchie’s new Amazon Prime series, Young Sherlock.

Finally, the Canonical Couplet quiz will test your Sherlock Holmes knowledge, with a copy of something from the IHOSE vaults for the winner. Send your answer to comment @ihearofsherlock.com by March 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play.

Oh, and make sure you stay until the very end of the episode. There's a special audio clip included after the closing theme.

As a reminder, our supporters can listen to the show ad-free and have access to occasional bonus material. Join us on the platform of your choice (Patreon | Substack).

And if you need some show swag or gift ideas, or if you want to show off your good taste to other Sherlockians, check out our Merch Store, with mugs, notepads and more.

Download [Save As] | File size: 64.9 MB, 1:06:24

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Baker Street Elementary – Motherly Love

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Sun, 8 Mar 2026 12:24:00 -0400

“by the honour of your mother” [SIGN]

Because of traditional gender roles (and inheritance and property laws) fathers typically commanded the households in the Sherlock Holmes stories — we're looking at you, Grimesby Roylott and Jephro Rucastle.

But here and there, we find mothers who stepped up and took charge. Or at least made their wishes clearly known.

Mrs. Ferguson let Mrs. Mason know what was going on, in order that her baby would be under watchful eyes ("The Sussex Vampire")
Mrs. St. Claire took it upon herself to go in search of her husband in some of the seedier areas of London ("The Man with the Twisted Lip")
Mrs. Munro hid her daughter from her second husband, for fear of rejection ("The Yellow Face")
Mrs. Maberley stood by her decision to remain in her house ("The Three Gables")
And of course, the matronly Mrs. Hudson kept things running at 221B Baker Street

The number of mothers in the Canon is small, as we're not definitely told about whether many of the married women we come across have children. But we can rest assured that they cared deeply about their families.

If you don't believe us, go ask your mother.

221B Con Panels Are Up

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Wed, 4 Mar 2026 15:15:00 -0500

“it is buzzing like an overturned bee-hive” [BRUC]

The game is afoot in Atlanta as Sherlockians of all stripes are preparing for the annual pilgrimage to 221B Con.

The official panel schedule for 2026 has just been released, and it promises a weekend as diverse and intriguing as the index of Holmes’s own commonplace books.

Here are a few selections from the dozens of options that will be available to attendees.

From Baker Street to the Big Screen

This year’s programming leans heavily into the ever-expanding world of Sherlockian media. Attendees can look forward to deep dives into the newest adaptations, including Mark Gatiss’s latest venture, Bookish, and the new Young Sherlock series from Amazon Prime. For those keeping a wary eye on the American landscape, there’s a dedicated session for the CBS Watson series, as well as a fan panel for the podcast that has taken the fandom by storm, Sherlock & Co.

The Scholarly and the Strange

For the traditionalists and researchers among us, the "Most Boring Panel All Con" (their words, not ours!) returns with Sherlockian Chronology 221, where the brave souls of the Chronology Guild attempt to untangle Watson’s notoriously flexible dates. Other historical highlights include Victorian Poisons and Toxic Treatments, a look at the real-life "Napoleon of Crime" Adam Worth, and an exploration of Arthur Conan Doyle’s own supernatural stories.

A Fandom of One’s Own

What makes 221B Con truly unique is its celebration of the community. From the Drunk Canon Book Club to workshops on fanfic craft and representation, there is a space for every kind of enthusiast. And, of course, the weekend wouldn't be complete without the Saturday night Queer Prom, which this year adopts the whimsical theme of "Nautical Nerds."

Special Appearances

Keep a weather eye out for our friends Curtis Armstrong, BSI ("A Fine Actor) and Ashley Polasek, BSI ("Singlestick") who will be hosting their own uniquely entertaining session, as well as a screening of the 1971 classic They Might Be Giants.

221B Con remains one of the most inclusive and vibrant stops on the Sherlockian calendar. Whether you’re a lifelong Sherlockian or a newcomer who just finished their first episode of Sherlock, there is a seat for you at the table.

The convention takes place April 10–12, 2026. You can find the full, detailed list of panels and register for the event over at the 221B Con website.

Will you be in Atlanta this April? Which panel is at the top of your list? Leave a comment below or send us a telegram.

Episode 329: The Epilogues of Sherlock Holmes

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 14:21:00 -0500

“Only one word of epilogue” [DANC]

Today we're joined by Bob Katz, BSI, the founder of The Epilogues of Sherlock Holmes, a scion society that spent over three decades exploring the world of 221B Baker Street. Bob named the group after the subhead of "His Last Bow," observing that an epilogue, after all, is something that follows — and for thirty years, the group followed the Great Detective through meetings dedicated to friendship and story discussions.

All of their meetings were held in the resonant walls of a Quaker meeting house, with the group soon adopting a two-story format, where discussions of two of Watson’s cases were followed by unearthing the hidden links and echoes between them.

Beyond the scholarly deep dives, the Epilogues were legendary for their informal, affordable atmosphere, fueled, in large part, by Peter McIntyre’s celebrated homemade ice cream. Having now concluded their own Great Hiatus, the Epilogues will officially kick off a new chapter with their first online meeting later this year.

Join us as we discuss the group's history, the art of finding connections between stories, and their relaunch this coming May, when they invite a new generation of Sherlockians to join the conversation. And sign up to be notified.

We kick off our “Learned Societies” segment with Sherlockian society activities in the first half of May. Then it’s a new edition of “Examining the Pictures,” with the film critic, journalist, and author Christian Monggaard, BSI. This time, Christian explores Bill Condon’s 2015 film, Mr. Holmes, with the script by Jeffrey Hatcher, BSI.

The Canonical Couplet quiz then tests your Sherlock Holmes knowledge, with a copy of something from the IHOSE vaults for the winner. Send your answer to comment @ihearofsherlock.com by March 14, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play.

As a reminder, our supporters can listen to the show ad-free and have access to occasional bonus material. Join us on the platform of your choice (Patreon | Substack).

And if you need some show swag or gift ideas, or if you want to show off your good taste to other Sherlockians, check out our Merch Store, with mugs, notepads and more.

Download [Save As] | File size: 77.7 MB, 1:23:50

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Remembering Robert Duvall

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 17:11:00 -0500

“Why, it might be a description of Watson!” [CHAS]

Over the years, we have had a parade of actors who have done their best to inhabit the persona of the Canon's main character and narrator, Dr. John H. Watson. Some tiptoe around the scenes like polite visitors at 221B Baker Street — competent, forgettable, grateful for the tea.

And then there are those who settle into the basket chair beside the fireplace, and become not only Sherlock Holmes's biographer, but his friend and custodian as well.

Today we mourn Robert Duvall (1931–2026), and for those of us who keep green the memory of Sherlock Holmes, we remember him not only as an American acting titan (in roles such as Tom Hagen, Lt. Colonel Kilgore, or Augustus McCrae, or any of the towering men he embodied) but as a most unusual Dr. John H. Watson.

Because in 1976, in a film as strange and audacious as any pastiche ever put to celluloid, Duvall stepped into Watson’s shoes in The Seven-Per-Cent Solution — and in doing so, gave us one of the most human portrayals of the good doctor ever committed to film.

A Holmes Who Needed Help

“the strain caused by his immense exertions” [‘The Reigate Squire’]

We all know the premise: adapted from Nicholas Meyer’s bestselling novel, was that Sherlock Holmes was not merely eccentric. He was addicted to cocaine. And that dependency led him to an obsession with Professor Moriarty, eventually leading to Holmes's health collapse.

And so it was Watson, not only a physician but Holmes's only friend, who duped him into traveling to Vienna to be treated by none other than Sigmund Freud.

That reversal is what makes Duvall’s performance so essential to Sherlockian history. For once, Watson was not the amiable biographer, the loyal chronicler scribbling in the margins of genius. He was the moral center. The steady hand. The man with the courage to deceive his friend in order to rescue him.

Duvall, despite being an American in London, delivered that moral truth that dedicated Sherlock Holmes fans required of such a role.

A Compassionate Watson

“your affectionate regard for me” [‘The Empty House’]

Robert Duvall did not play Watson as a bumbler. Nor as a foil. Nor as comic relief. He played him as Watson was, first and foremost: a physician.

Duvall's Watson is calculating without being cold, concerned yet restrained, and deeply sorrowful as he watches his friend unravel under the weight of paranoia and narcotics.

He is conflicted about having to deceive Holmes, but resolute in his effort to do so, as this is the only way to save him. Under his stalwart exterior, there is a quiet steel in his performance that modern portrayals often forget: Watson is not merely loyal; he is brave.

In an era of increasingly stylized Holmes adaptations, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution gave us something rare: a Watson whose love for his friend was expressed through admiration and true love as well as action.

Robert Duvall and Samantha Eggar as John and Mary Watson

A Strong Watson

“who is supported... by another who is as clever as himself” [A Study in Scarlet]

Sherlock Holmes has always been the main attraction of the stories. But every enduring Holmes story ultimately depends on Watson — not merely to narrate the adventures, but to humanize them. Watson was our everyman.

It was through his eyes that the world of Sherlock Holmes became a reality to the world. We mere mortals had little hope of acquiring or applying the skills and methods of the great detective. But we could easily relate to his friend, who acted and reacted just as we would have, if we were in Baker Street.

Through Meyer's book and screenplay, the Watson we experience in The Seven-Per-Cent Solution is exactly that, and Duvall picked up on it.

His Watson is the man who chooses compassion over pride. Who risks a friendship to preserve it. Who believes that even the greatest mind in England deserves help.

In an age when portrayals of Watson swing between comic sidekick and action hero, Duvall’s interpretation remains something rarer: restrained, dignified, and human.

Duvall's Watsonian Legacy

“It is with a heavy heart that I take up my pen” [‘The Final Problem’]

Robert Duvall’s career spanned decades and genres, from Westerns to war films to family dramas. But on the Sherlockian screen, he occupies a singular space.

He played the doctor who healed Sherlock Holmes.

And for readers and viewers who understand that Watson is the heart of Baker Street, that matters.

As the lamps dim a little tonight, one imagines Watson closing his notebook, setting down his pen, and offering a final, quiet benediction:

Well done, old friend. Bloody well done.

We have a special offering: a conversation with author Nicholas Meyer, BSI ("A Fine Morocco Case"), author of the book and the screenplay in which he tells the story about how Robert Duvall got the part of Dr. Watson in The Seven-Per-Cent Solution.

It stemmed from wanting the audience to view the characters in a very different light. But it took a good deal of convincing director Herbert Ross to accept Duvall as the appropriate actor for the part.

Listen on Substack or Patreon.

Episode 328: On the Shoulders of Giants

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 14:21:00 -0500

“I cultivate a large number of friends” [WIST]

What does it take to build a legacy that lasts nearly a century? Today we’re joined by Peter Eckrich and Rob Nunn to discuss their new book, On the Shoulders of Giants. It’s a portrait gallery of twenty-one of the influential men and women who founded and fueled the Sherlock Holmes literary scene from its infancy in the 1930s.

We dive into the lives of these bookish, clubbable people, who were all as knowledgeable as they were sociable. Whether you’re a lifelong Sherlockian or a newcomer to the Great Game, our conversation takes a fresh look at the "Giants" whose scholarship and camaraderie created the community we know today.

Our “Learned Societies” segment kicks off with Sherlockian society activities in the second half of April. Then it’s a new edition of “Examining the Pictures,” with the film critic, journalist, and author Christian Monggaard, BSI. This time, Christian explores Disney’s 1986 success, The Great Mouse Detective.

Then the Canonical Couplet quiz tests your Sherlock Holmes knowledge, with a copy of On the Shoulders of Giants for the winner. Send your answer to comment @ihearofsherlock.com by February 27, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play.

As a reminder, our supporters can listen to the show ad-free and have access to occasional bonus material. Join us on the platform of your choice (Patreon | Substack).

And if you need some show swag or gift ideas, or if you want to show off your good taste to other Sherlockians, check out our Merch Store, with mugs, notepads and more.

Download [Save As] | File size: 79.6 MB, 1:20:22

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Baker Street Elementary – DC Comic

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 07:28:00 -0500

“I got them at six hundred” [BERY]

As we celebrate the 600th strip of Baker Street Elementary (you haven't seen all 600 here — for that you need to visit the Baker Street Elementary website), a little numerology is in order.

The number 600 has significant associations dating back to ancient times. In the bible, the number 600 often signified strength and unity: Noah was 600 when he boarded the ark; Moses and the Israelites were pursued by 600 Egyptian chariots. Ancient armies organized in groups of 600 for optimal strategic effectiveness.

In numerology, the number 600 is an "angel number," with the number six signifying unity and harmony, and the number zero signifying infinity. We take that as a sign that the comic strip, which just marked nine years here on the IHOSE site, is in harmony with us (and is evidently slated to remain with us forever). It's been a lovely collaboration.

And it didn't escape our notice that 600 in Roman numerals is DC.

Here's to those characters in the strips, as well as Steve, Joe, and Rusty, the creators of Baker Street Elementary...

Baker Street Elementary – A Glancing Blow

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Sun, 1 Feb 2026 09:51:00 -0500

“In glancing over my notes of the seventy odd cases” [SPEC]

The "you see but you do not observe" crowd loves a good demonstration of Sherlock Holmes's abilities.

What makes his skills particularly impressive is how he makes mental calculations and draws conclusions in an instant. We certainly know that famous introductory scene, where Holmes casually remarks "You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive," after shaking Watson's hand.

From that impressive first meeting, Watson gave us "the list" in A Study in Scarlet, outlining Holmes's limits, including:

6. Geology.—Practical, but limited. Tells at a glance different soils from each other.

"At a glance." That phrase indicates the instantaneous recognition that so impressed Watson. In fact, in the same story, Holmes later used that phrase to describe a number of his skills and observations:

“I can distinguish at a glance the ash of any known brand, either of cigar or of tobacco.”

But in all of this admiration for Holmes, we sometimes miss the astuteness of Dr. Watson. While Holmes may have chided him for seeing and not observing, his years as a medico left him trained with an eye for details:

“It was clear to me at a glance that he was in the grip of some deadly and chronic disease.”
[BOSC]

“The candle in his hand shone upon his eager, stooping face and told me at a glance that something was amiss.” [ABBE]

As we'll see at Baker Street Elementary, sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. And sometimes it falls far short.

Episode 327: The 2026 BSI Weekend In Review

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 14:21:00 -0500

“I was invited to a week-end gathering” [LAST]

Join us as we look back on four whirlwind days of Sherlockian festivities in New York City, when hundreds of Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts gathered for plays, dinners, luncheons, lectures, auctions, and — most importantly — each other’s company, from January 7 to 11, 2026.

We recap the full slate of events, from intimate meals to the grand annual Baker Street Irregulars Dinner, an invitation-only evening that remains the centerpiece of the weekend. Along the way, we share personal travel stories, New York side adventures, and the rich history behind several of the luncheons and receptions, including tributes to honorees and a memorable lecture by the award-winning composer, singer-songwriter, dramatist and author, Rupert Holmes.

Our conversation reflects what makes these gatherings special: not just Sherlock Holmes, but the friendships, traditions, and shared enthusiasm that bring this community together year after year.

Then it’s on to Sherlockian society activities in the first half of April in "The Learned Societies" segment, and we introduce a major new segment: "Examining the Pictures," featuring the prominent film critic, journalist, and author Christian Monggaard, BSI. We are delighted to bring Christian’s extensive knowledge of Sherlock Holmes and the cinema to our listeners.

The Canonical Couplet quiz then tests your Sherlock Holmes knowledge, with a souvenir from the BSI Weekend for the winner. Send your answer to comment @ihearofsherlock.com by February 14, 2026 at 11:59 a.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play.

As a reminder, our supporters can listen to the show ad-free and have access to occasional bonus material. Join us on the platform of your choice (Patreon | Substack).

And if you need some show swag or gift ideas, or if you want to show off your good taste to other Sherlockians, check out our Merch Store, with mugs, notepads and more.

Download [Save As] | File size: 79.6 MB, 1:20:22

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Baker Street Elementary – A New Wiggins Begiggins

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 07:43:00 -0500

“Wiggins has just been up to report” [SIGN]

A little institutional history lesson today. Earlier this month, Michael Kean, "Wiggins" of the Baker Street Irregulars announced that he would be stepping down and that Steve Doyle would be succeeding him.

When Edgar Smith began administering the Baker Street Irregulars, the leadership was divided into the following roles, according to the BSI's Constitution and Buy-Laws:

The officers shall be: a Gasogene, a Tantalus, and a Commissionaire

While those titles were never used officially, Edgar informally called himself "Buttoms-cum-Commissionaire," and when Julian Wolff took over following Smith's untimely death in 1960, he assumed the title "Commissionaire."

It wasn't until Tom Stix was placed in the role in 1986 that the title "Wiggins" was used. Tom reasoned that it was the perfect selection, as Wiggins was the most senior of the band of street urchins ("One of their number, taller and older than the others" [SIGN]) who regularly helped Sherlock Holmes.

We're introduced to "the Baker Street division of the detective police force" in A Study in Scarlet, as the band of them rush into the sitting room at 221B:

“’Tention!” cried Holmes, in a sharp tone, and the six dirty little scoundrels stood in a line like so many disreputable statuettes. “In future you shall send up Wiggins alone to report, and the rest of you must wait in the street.”

A sensible order. But evidently one that didn't register with the boys, as the scene repeated itself in The Sign of Four and Holmes had to reissue his order:

As he spoke, there came a swift pattering of naked feet upon the stairs, a clatter of high voices, and in rushed a dozen dirty and ragged little street-Arabs...
“In future they can report to you, Wiggins, and you to me. I cannot have the house invaded in this way.”

Evidently, the boys on Baker Street need a little discipline and reminding every now and again.

Episode 326: But I Digress

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 14:21:00 -0500

“All good comradeship and friendship” [ABBE]

Bob Sharfman’s first impression of Sherlock Holmes came from Basil Rathbone’s movies. Bob read Watson’s cases later in life, and met others who shared his interest almost accidentally, when he came to a meeting of Hugo's Companions, a Chicago group then led by the legendary Vincent Starrett.

Although Bob became a serious player of the “Great Game” just a few years ago, his gifts for storytelling, research, and writing earned him the investiture of Killer Evans in 2024. His ideas about the canon and its events have made him a popular speaker, and dozens of Sherlockians have embraced him as a fast friend. Join us as we explore his essays, note his upcoming 90th birthday, and discuss his new book, … but I digress, the Musings of a Sherlockian Motormouth.

Then it’s on to Sherlockian society activities in the second half of March in "The Learned Societies" segment, and the Canonical Couplet quiz tests your Sherlock Holmes knowledge, with a prize from the IHOSE vaults for the winner. Send your answer to comment @ihearofsherlock.com by January 29, 2026 at 11:59 a.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play.

As a reminder, our supporters can listen to the show ad-free and have access to occasional bonus material. Join us on the platform of your choice (Patreon | Substack).

And if you need some show swag or gift ideas, or if you want to show off your good taste to other Sherlockians, check out our Merch Store, with mugs, notepads and more.

Download [Save As] | File size: 73.4 MB, 1:22:16

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The 2026 BSI Weekend – Awards and Honors

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 14:21:00 -0500

“a brief review of what had passed” [THOR]

In the next episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, we'll be covering some of our own personal experiences at the 2026 BSI Weekend that ran from January 7 – 11, 2026, during which some 300+ Sherlockians descended on Midtown Manhattan to celebrate the 172nd birthday of Sherlock Holmes.

For the purposes of this update, we're focused on the accolades from the weekend, which happened over a series of events.

On Thursday, January 8, the ACD Society held its annual meeting at the Mysterious Bookshop, which once again included the running of the Wessex Cup, with 16 entered horses. After seven heats, the winner was Garnet, owned by Karen Ellery.

Click to enlarge

Doylean Honors

The ACD Society also had a more august role, which was the conferring of its annual Doylean Honors.

For Lifetime Service:

Clifford S. Goldfarb, a Toronto lawyer who has had many roles over the years, including Chairman of the Friends of the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection at the Toronto Reference Library and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the ACD Society; author of The Great Shadow (a book on Arthur Conan Doyle’s Napoleonic War writing), editor of Rodney Stone, wrote the introduction to The Complete Brigadier Gerard; and much more.

For excellence in the "Performing Arts" category:

Hal Glatzer for the play, “A Musicale in Mrs. Hudson’s Parlor”

For excellence in the "Fiction and Poetry" category:

Chris Chan for the poetry collection, “Sherlock Poems”
Margie Deck for the story collection, Sherlock Holmes Into the Fire
Laurence Trujillo for the short story, “The Statement of James McCarthy, Criminal”

For excellence in the "Visual Arts" category:

Carla Coupe for “A. Conan Doyle Egg”
Jeremiah Schiek for the illustrations in the graphic novel, “Sherlock Holmes: The Phantom Masquerade #1”

For excellence in the "Scholarly Writing" category:

Richard Fallon and David Hone for the chapter, “Arthur Conan Doyle, Michael Crichton, and the case of palaeontological fiction,” in Palaeontology in Public: Popular science, lost creatures and deep time, edited by Chris Manias (Manchester Univ. Press 2025)
Andrew Singleton and Matt Tomlinson for “Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Wanderings of a Spiritualist: Missionary work in Australia, 1920-1921,” in their book, Let the Dead Speak: Spiritualism in Australia (UCL Press 2025)

Congratulations to all! A recording of the entire awards ceremony will be available soon via Doings of Doyle.

Susan Rice Mentorship Award

On Friday at the Gillette Luncheon, the assembled diners bore witness to the latest recipient of the Susan Rice Mentorship Award.

The Susan Rice Mentorship Award was established in 2022 to recognize the activities of a member of the Sherlock Holmes community who has been a mentor to others, in the spirit of Susan Rice.

This year's honoree, announced at the William Gillette Luncheon, was our very own Burt Wolder, BSI ("The Third Pillar from the Left").

Burt Wolder accepts the Susan Rice Mentorship Award at Connolly's. Photo credit: Will Walsh

Previous honorees of the Susan Rice Mentorship Award:

Peter Blau, BSI ("Black Peter")
Evy Herzog, BSI ("The Daintiest Thing Under a Bonnet")
Francine Kitts, BSI ("Lady Trelawney Hope")
Julie McKuras, BSI ("The Duchess of Devonshire")

Plaudits From the BSI Dinner

As ever, the swirling curiosity and interest are centered on the Baker Street Irregulars annual investitures of new members. But before that, we were greeted with other substantial news.

The Woman

The Woman, an honorific given to the spouse of a Baker Street Irregular was announced at the pre-dinner reception. This year's honoree was Ann Brauer Andriacco, wife of Dan Andriacco, BSI (" St. Saviour’s, Near King’s Cross"). She was toasted and introduced by Robert Sharfman, BSI ("Killer Evans"), who is affectionately known as "Ann's boyfriend." Ann gave her own touching and humorous remarks.

The Morley-Montgomery Award

Each year, one article in the Baker Street Journal (as determined by a panel of judges) is chosen for the Morley-Montgomery Award.

This year, the award was given to Fabienne Courouge, BSI ("Henri Fournaye ") for her article “Edmond Locard, the Forensic Pioneer Inspired by Sherlock Holmes,” appearing in the Summer 2025 issue of the BSJ.

The Honours List (Investitures)

And then we arrived at the announcement of the latest investitures into the Baker Street Irregulars. Membership is granted by Michael Kean, BSI ("General Gordon"), who serves at the BSI's "Wiggins." Each member receives an investiture — a phrase from the Sherlock Holmes canon that is significant or in other ways meaningful to that person.

The BSI's Class of 2026 is a large one, and is as follows:

Michael Barton - "Baron Von Herling"
Matt Hall - "The Earl of Maynooth"
Linda Hein - "The Hotel National"
Jen Kneeland - "The Haymarket Theatre"
Richard Krisciunas - "William Morris"
Max Magee - "Cyril Morton"
Rusty Mason - "John Mason"
Ashley Mayo - "Capital and Counties Bank"
Madeline Quiñones - "Sir Joshua Reynolds"
George Scheetz - "John Clayton"
P.J. Sullivan - "The Ancient Cornish Language"
Tom Ue - "London University"

Evelyn Herzog, BSI ("The Daintiest Thing Under a Bonnet") and Denny Dobry, BSI ("A Single Large Airy Sitting-Room") both received the Two Shilling Award, for service above and beyond.

BSI Class of 2026. Photo credit: Will Walsh

We're particularly pleased to note that listeners of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere will recognize the names Rich Krisciunas and Madeline Quiñones, who have appeared on and contributed to the show. Rich appeared on Episode 236: The Legion of Zoom, and of course Madeline was our special correspondent who reviewed podcasts in her "A Chance of Listening" segment in over 30 episodes.

Transitions

One of the charms of the BSI is it is "one fixed point in a changing age," with traditions of decades that continue apace. This necessarily requires a change in leadership from time to time. While Mike Whelan held onto the title of "Wiggins" for 25 years, Michael Kean decided to pass the torch after six short but very momentous years (having led the organization through the pandemic).

"Just one more thing..."

In doing so, he named Steve Doyle, BSI ("The Western Morning News") as the new Wiggins, as Kean takes on the mantle of Wiggins Emeritus.

The Two Wigginses

One of the other traditions of the BSI Weekend is the auction in support of the Dr. Watson Fund at the BSI Luncheon Reception. The Watson Fund provides a means of support for those who might not otherwise be able to afford events at the BSI Weekend. It is anonymously administered, and tax-deductible donations are made throughout the year, as well as at the auction and the raffle each year.

This year's raffle prize was donated by Danna Mancini, BSI ("McMurdo") and it was a model of the Bruce-Partington submarine.

But, the real news came after the auction, when Peter Blau decided it was time to hang up his gavel. Except, Peter never used a gavel...

It is difficult to capture all of the activities of the BSI Weekend, due to so many small groups branching out to honor their own traditions, including named events such as ASH Wednesday, Lost in New York with a Bunch of Sherlockians, and the ASH Brunch. Not to mention other events like the Vendors Room, the BSI Reception, and the dozens of planned and unplanned informal gatherings.

A comprehensive report of the events will be in the Spring issue of the Baker Street Journal. Check your subscription to make sure you're on the list. You won't want to miss it.

As ever, the game's afoot!

Happy 172nd Birthday, Sherlock Holmes!

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Tue, 6 Jan 2026 02:21:00 -0500

“your celebrated friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes” [NAVA]

Today is January 6th — and that marks the date on which we traditionally celebrate Sherlock Holmes's birthday.

We say "traditionally," because there is no definitive statement of his actual date of birth in the Canon, but beginning with Christopher Morley, the date of January 6th has become the de facto accepted date for Holmes' birthday. Why? Well, there are a couple of reasons.

Of all of the quotes in the Canon, William Shakespeare was the most oft-quoted author. There is but one Shakespearean play that Holmes quotes twice: Twelfth Night. In The Sign of the Four, Holmes concludes, "All is well that ends well." This is from from Act IV, Scene 4. And in "The Empty House," Holmes states "'Journeys end in lovers meetings,' as the old play says," from Act II, Scene 3.

The reason the date was chosen is that in Christianity, January 6th is the Feast of the Epiphany, or officially the twelfth day of Christmas. I suppose if we were being truly technical about it, the twelfth night of Christmas would fall on January 5th...

[Erik Deckers was technical about it, and wrote a good case for the 5th]

In addition, William S. Baring-Gould in his The Annotated Sherlock Holmes, posited that because Holmes was a little cranky on the morning of January 7th — the date on which The Valley of Fear began — he had a hangover, induced by birthday celebrations the evening prior.

And why 172? Scholars have fixed the year of Sherlock Holmes's birth to 1854 by virtue of a line in "His Last Bow" when he was described as "a tall gaunt man of sixty." And as we know, that story took place in the weeks leading up to the start of World War I in 1914.

Additional Thoughts

In an episode of Trifles, our weekly show where we discuss some of the minutiae in the Sherlock Holmes stories, we cover this in greater detail, and with some additional research material. Do check it out on the podcast streaming service of your choice, the embedded file below, or at ihose.co/trifles210.

Sherlock Holmes: Trifles · Sherlock Holmes's Birthday

And by all means, share the news that today is Sherlock Holmes's birthday. But whatever you do, don't try to throw him a surprise party. It's an exercise in futility.

We hope you'll take a moment and wish Sherlock Holmes a happy birthday in your own way. If you'd like to join in here, please feel free to leave a birthday comment below.

Baker Street Elementary – Resolved

comment@ihearofsherlock.com (Scott Monty & Burt Wolder) — Sun, 4 Jan 2026 10:27:00 -0500

“full of energy and resolution” [GLOR]

January 1st always begins with hope for the New Year: a clean slate is offered up, and it is ours on which to write our intentions for the year. These often take the form of resolutions.

It has been long posited that Sherlock Holmes and John H. Watson met on New Year's Day, 1881, as told in A Study in Scarlet. While there are no dates mentioned in the text, there are clues that lead us to believe this may be the case:

Watson runs into an old friend Stamford at the Criterion Bar; that he was at or outside such an establishment indicates he may have been trying to drown his sorrows (we later learn his brother was an alcoholic, so it's not out of the question that Watson might share some of those habits).
When they find Sherlock Holmes, he is alone in the laboratory. It could indicate that it was a holiday, since he was the only one there.
The entire purpose of Watson looking for a roommate is because he was taking stock of his finances and knew he needed "some less pretentious and less expensive domicile" than his hotel. He tells us: "On the very day that I had come to this conclusion..."
This is anecdotal, but of the 13 appearances of the word "resolute" in the Canon, five of them appear in A Study in Scarlet. Such language must have a deeper meaning, particularly of Watson's and Hope's commitments to making things happen.

Given all of those facts, it is not unlikely that Watson was making a resolution on New Year's Day to change his habits and his lifestyle.

We should be grateful for his commitment to improving himself. That fateful decision has improved the world (or at least the world of Sherlockians).

Let's see who's committed to improving the experience at Baker Street Elementary...

I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Remembering Michael Pennington

“give my little impersonations your kindly praise” [MAZA]

The 80s Sherlock Holmes Renaissance

“and in 1887” [TWIS]

A Holmes Out of Time

“The date being—?” [CREE]

From Holmes to the Napoleon of Crime

“I could not but think what a terrible criminal he would have made” [SIGN]

Related:

Pennington’s Non-Sherlockian Career

“my long professional career” [LION]

The Great Hiatus Reimagined: A New Sherlock Holmes Series Coming in 2027

“Three years had certainly not smoothed the asperities of his temper” [EMPT]

A Cast and Crew of Note

“extends over many nations” [SIGN]

What Happened After Reichenbach?

“It was, indeed, a fearful place” [FINA]

A Crowded Field and a Welcome Addition

“So many have said so, and yet here I am” [THOR]

What May 4 Means for Sherlock Holmes Fans

“It is with a heavy heart that I take up my pen” [FINA]

Sherlockian Road Trip

“come away with me for a week to the Continent.”

Watson Gets Fooled

“In a tingle of fear I was already running down the village street”

Spoiler Alert

“It is with a heavy heart that I take up my pen to write these the last words in which I shall ever record the singular gifts by which my friend Mr. Sherlock Holmes was distinguished.”

The Public Reaction

“in the interests of the public”

May the Fourth Be With You

“no braver man in the regiment” [BLAN]

“May the force be with you, old chap.”

The Star Wars / Sherlock Holmes Connection(s)

Challenge

Baker Street Elementary – Yeah Right

“listen to his not too delicate sarcasms” [SIGN]

Episode 333: 75 Years of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London

“the celebrated Mr. Sherlock Holmes” [SCAN]

Download [Save As] | File size: 62.1 MB, 1:05:59

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Links

Explore more here.

Baker Street Elementary – Monographically Speaking

“Why do you not write them yourself?” [ABBE]

Episode 332: Irregular Chronicles of the Early ’Fifties

“That chronicle of our successes” [NORW]

Download [Save As] | File size: 64.4 MB, 1:05:24

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Links

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Baker Street Elementary – Easter Eggs

“so trivial a matter as cooking an egg” [THOR]

Answers

Episode 331: The Amateur Mendicant Society

“Those were the early days” [VALL]

Download [Save As] | File size: 64.4 MB, 1:05:24

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Baker Street Elementary – Life After Logic

“For the love of Heaven!” [ENGR]

Basil Rathbone at the Oscars

“The credit of the execution is due to Monsieur Oscar” [EMPT]

Transcript

Episode 330: And It Is Always 1895

“A collector of obscure volumes” [EMPT]

Download [Save As] | File size: 64.9 MB, 1:06:24

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Links

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Baker Street Elementary – Motherly Love

“by the honour of your mother” [SIGN]

221B Con Panels Are Up

“it is buzzing like an overturned bee-hive” [BRUC]

From Baker Street to the Big Screen

The Scholarly and the Strange

A Fandom of One’s Own

Special Appearances

Episode 329: The Epilogues of Sherlock Holmes