Sherlock

"Sherlock" is a BBC mini-series which is based on the books of the Scottish writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and released in 2010. I have been a fan of Sherlock Holmes from a very young age and my first reaction upon hearing of a modern TV remake was "oh, they are so going to screw this".I was a bit skeptical. However, I am glad to account that, unlike so many other TV adaptations and especially ones that modernize, I found it humorous, clever and above all, entertaining. I think it is always a bit doubtful and tricky when a 19th-century series or film is modernized and most of the time it doesn't work, especially if it is familiar and liked but I was very very impressed. I was extremely delighted with its considerable pedigree and they included a large number of references and flashbacks for the more avid fan, e.g. the use of scratches around a person's mobile phone charger port to indicate a drunkard rather than a pocket watches winding keyhole. I imagine many were annoyed by this and as I can see from the ratings many did not care for it at all, but for me, it was simply excellent and well deserving of a ten out of ten.

On screen appears a lanky young fellow in a trench coat, getting high on nicotine who I am supposed to believe is Sherlock Holmes? This was, as far from my best pipe smoking, deer hunting cap wearing the image of Holmes, as it could be. I rolled my eyes-this is going to be witty. But then in one swift sequence," the lanky young Holmes" in his first meeting with John Watson describes him, his profession, his relationship with his brother and his brother's marital status-all by one look at his cell phone (that's right his cell phone). BANG! I was hooked. This is Sherlock Holmes at his best.

The essence of Sherlock is so, so good in this series. Holmes is not about the Victorian costumes and the environment in which the riddles unfold. It is all about bringing the experience of the world of Sherlock and the events that make the stories the defining mystery novels of so many generations. And Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss' take on Conan Doyle's master detective captures the soul of Sherlock Holmes brilliantly. The stories are essentially the same (the first episode-A Study in Pink is a take on A Study in Scarlet-the first Holmes novel) but given a twist. This twist is what shows the duo's exemplary creativity. The modern outlook does not take away anything from the essence of Sherlock Holmes- it embraces it. The three ninety minute episodes breeze past you at a breath and making you yearn for more. The episodes have distinctly dark and brutal events but are also filled with moments of humor that make the experience completely satisfying. It makes the viewer think like a detective.

This is an absolute must for everyone that enjoys watching mystery, crime and drama series.

Recommendation: Highly Recommended.