Some readers of this blog may have noticed that it has been something of a BBC Sherlock-free zone. While the rest of the Sherlock Holmes blogosphere and Twitterverse have been consumed with Season Three, Baker Street Beat has taken no notice.
Frankly, I'm just not much of a TV and movie guy. I'd rather read. I've seen all of the Sherlock episodes, but I wasn't in any hurry about it. I've only seen one episode of Elementary, the pilot.
Since I'm clearly in the minority among Sherlockians, however, many of you will find great interest in The Immortals: An Unauthorized Guide to Sherlock and Elementary (MX Publishing, 2013). In a brief couple of hundred pages, Mathew J. Ellitott -- himself the author of numerous Holmes works -- applies humor, discernment, and knowledge to his analysis of all of the programs that appeared through the 2012-2013 TV season.
In addition to giving a plot summary of each episode, Elliott also provides:
- Holmes's notable moments,
- Watson's notable moments,
- Notable moments of the police regulars,
- Identification of material drawn from the Canon,
- Sex and romantic relationships,
- Drug references,
- Comedic moments,
- Logical inconsistencies.
I also commend to your attention Benedict Cumberbatch in Transition: An Unauthorized Performance Biography (MX Publishing, 2013) by popular culture writer Lynnette Porter. For anyone interested in Cumberbatch not just as Sherlock Holmes but as a marvelous actor (See Star Trek: Into the Darkness for proof), this is the book to have.
I agree with you Dan in that reading the Canon makes you apply your own imaginative processes. I quite like Sherlock as a pastiche but my favourite series is the Granada one featuring Jeremy Brett. I think this got the nearest to what I imagined things should be.
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