Top Telly - Granada TV's Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

This is a British series of Sherlock Holmes adaptations produced by Granada Television between 1984 and 1994 and often available on cable and satellite television channels.

Sherlock Holmes was played by Jeremy Brett and many critics consider his portrayal as the definitive screen version.

Dr Watson was played by David Burke in the first two series and then by Edward Hardwicke in the remaining series. Again care was taken to adhere to the original character from the novels of a thoroughly competent assistant to the great detective.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote 60 Holmes stories and 41 were turned into TV episodes of which there were 36 one-hour shows and 5 feature-length specials. The stories were adapted for television by screenwriter John Hawkesworth.

A full scale Baker Street was created at Granada’s studios close to the famous Coronation Street.

Regular characters included the housekeeper Mrs Hudson who was played by Rosalie Williams, Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard played by Colin Jeavons, Mycroft Holmes played by Charles Gray and Holmes’ nemesis Professor Moriarty played by Eric Porter.

Jeremy Brett was not a well man and even collapsed once during filming. He died of a heart attack in 1995. He was also left-handed and as Holmes was right-handed, a hand double was used for close ups of Holmes writing.

The series was faithful to the books even showing Holmes’ drug addiction and paid close attention to period detail.

The series has been shown in America by Boston broadcaster WGBH and on the Disney Channel. It was also picked up by CBC in Canada. The show has appeared on BBC2 in 2003 to 2005, on Granada Plus and on ITV3. It has also appeared on ITV1.

The complete series appeared on VHS tapes and has been released twice on DVD. The second DVD release being of remastered originals prepared for the BBC2 run.

The list of episodes is:

1984

A Scandal is Bohemia

The Dancing Men

The Naval Treaty

The Solitary Cyclist

The Crooked Man

The Speckled Band

The Blue Carbunkle

1985

The Copper Beeches

The Greek Interpreter

The Norwood Builder

The Resident Patient

The Red-Headed League

The Final Problem

1986

The Empty House

The Abbey Grange

The Musgrave Ritual

The Second Stain

The Man with the Twisted Lip

The Priory School

The Six Napoleons

1987

The Sign of Four

1988

The Devil’s foot

Silver Blaze

Wisteria Lodge

The Bruce-Partington Plans

The Hound of the Baskervilles

1991

The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax

Thor Bridge

Shoscombe Old Place

The Boscombe Valley Mystery

The Illustrious Client

The Creeping Man

1992

The Master Blackmailer

1993

The Last Vampyre

The Eligible Batchelor

1994

The Three Gables

The Dying Detective

The Golden Pince-Nez

The Red Circle

The Mazarin Stone

The Cardboard Box

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Incorporating The Return of Sherlock Holmes, The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

Starring Jeremy Brett, David Burke and Edward Hardwicke