The BBC's Complete Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes: Clive Merrison
Dr. Watson: Michael Williams
Writer: Bert Coules
Years: 1989-1998

Summary:

Over a period of nine years, Bert Coules adapted and recorded the complete Sherlock Holmes Canon for radio. He would be the only writer to accomplish this feat (in any medium), and both Clive Merrison and Michael Williams would be the only actors to portray Holmes and Watson in each of the original stories. The series itself is epic; the adaptation so realistic that most herald it as the pinnacle of Sherlock Holmes radio adaptations.

Overall:

In short, this series exceeds brilliance. It is, without a doubt, the most definitive Sherlock Holmes radio adaptation to date. In fact, it is quite doubtful that such a feat should be attempted again, for Coules managed to obtain perfection, making the need for additional radio dramatizations obsolete.

The stories themselves remain quite true to Canon, though at times Coules does deviate. This deviation, however, is quite warranted, for Coules manages, through artful storytelling, to fill in the holes Watson's original stories so often contained. Coules manages this by expanding upon popular Sherlockian theories, making this series somewhat 'family' friendly, for there are many inside jokes which only learned Sherlockians will recognize (though it is highly unlikely that this will distract the casual listener).

A lot of precision went into the making of these plays. The stories themselves are all exceptionally well researched, the attention to detail in recreating them quite apparent. The plays stay quite true to the era, too, the listener instantly transported to Victorian London (indeed, I spent a good portion of my time listening to this series during my morning cycling commute, and often found myself drifting away from the swarm of early morning traffic: to date I have six scars that I can attribute to this series, all of which my own fault, for it is entirely too difficult to avoid getting hit by traffic when one is no longer aware of the existence of cars).

It is obvious, too, that this series was quite well funded. The recordings are crystal-clear; the props (i.e. sound effects) incredibly realistic. There is so much enthusiasm surrounding this series that one instantly gets the impression that, in addition to money, a lot of love and passion went into making this series. Truly it shows in everything; in every episode, every line, every scene. In short, the series is brilliant, because those that were involved in its making made it so. Their love for Sherlock Holmes became our love for Sherlock Holmes; and a more fitting tribute we could not desire.

Characters:

With any adaptation, part of what makes an adaptation so endearing is its case. This remains quite true for Coules' series, for the cast are, without a doubt (especially given the visual limitations of radio) what make this series work.

Clive Merrison as Sherlock Holmes

I will first confess that it did take me some time to warm up to Merrison's version of Holmes. So used was I to Rathbone's Holmes, or Brett's Holmes, that it was hard to see an alternate take on the Great Detective.

Merrison does give us an alternate view on Holmes, and now, looking back, I believe that his interpretation of the character may be the one that is closer to Canon. His Holmes is rude. His Holmes is selfish. His Holmes is preoccupied by his own projects (be they chemistry experiments or cases). His Holmes is, in short, the Holmes of Canon.

His Holmes, too, is quite endearing, for beneath the cold exterior that calls to mind a machine rather than a man, there is the man; a man filled with uncertainty and insecurity. Merrison gives us this Holmes; shows us glimpses so that we can deduce his existence. In short, Merrison presents what is quite possibly the most three-dimensional version of Holmes to date. And he does all of this with only his voice.

Michael Williams as Dr. Watson

Within moments of hearing Williams portrayal Watson, I knew, the moment I next pick up Canon and turn to a story, it will be his voice that I hear. He is, without a doubt, the quintessential Watson.

His Watson is the Watson of Canon. He is strong, and steady; reliable and dependable. His is intelligent and perfectly suited to the role of Holmes' partner and biographer. Watson is the ideal Victorian gentleman. Williams makes me believe this.

Best of all, perhaps, Williams Watson is realistic. He feels like a real person. We get to know this Watson, to appreciate this Watson, and, indeed, to love this Watson. It is always a relief to find a Watson worthy of standing at Holmes' side; in Williams' case, we needed to find a Holmes worthy of standing at Watson's side.

Other Noteworthy Characters

Unlike many television adaptations, Coules' radio dramatizations did not necessarily employ the same supporting cast (indeed, there were two Lestrades and four Mrs. Hudsons). As such, rather than examine the actors involved, we will instead examine the characters themselves.

The Scotland Yarders

Because Coules' adaptations follow Canon (almost to the letter), there is quite the mix of Scotland Yard Inspectors (unlike most film and television adaptations which showcase only Lestrade). Coules remained quite true to the canonical interpretations of Scotland Yard (and her inspectors). Lestrade, for example, is an intelligent, ambitious fellow, not quite as smart as Holmes, but more than capable of performing his job (again, a deviation from most adaptations which paint Lestrade as a complete idiot). The same can be said for any inspector; each carrying his own strengths and weakness, depending on Doyle's word.

Mrs. Hudson

Sadly, this role was somewhat reduced in this series (tragic considering one of the actresses chosen to play Mrs. Hudson was none other than Dame Judi Dench). Mrs. Hudson does appear on the on and off occasion, but she is reduced to single lines, mostly to answer Holmes' questions or complain of Holmes' mess. While I would have liked to have seen her role increased (much like Granada had done), I must confess that her role was handled with grace and dignity. A shame, though, that she appeared so infrequently.

Mycroft

I must confess; I was initially quite disappointed with the casting of Mycroft. He began entirely too soft-spoken and seemed quite weak against Merrison's decisive (and cold) Holmes. This quickly changed, and by his second appearance I was really quite taken with John Hartley's performance. His presence seemed to fill the room (and this despite my being outside), the sense of commanding authority one would expect in Mycroft perfectly fulfilled.

Moriarty

Perhaps above and beyond any other character, Moriarty is utterly brilliant. He is played by Michael Pennington, and a more fitting Moriarty could not have been found. Every single line of dialogue rings true, Pennington conveying the perfect master criminal. Indeed, he gave me shivers.

Mary Watson, nee Morstan

I must confess, usually I block Mary's existence from my mind, choosing instead to focus on Holmes and Watson. That is impossible to do in this adaptation, for Mary is, quite simply, a fantastically engaging character. Coules did the impossible here and actually made me like Mary. I felt for Mary. I cared for Mary. And I think that speaks for itself.

Jean Watson

It is important to note that Coules subscribes to the theory that Watson had two wives. This second wife has been created by Coules, and given a fairly substantial role. She is quite realistic, and quite amusing at times (perhaps even more amusing is that her presence only serves to increase the homoerotic subtext between Holmes and Watson). I am certain a few individuals may resent her inclusion in this adaptation, but I assure you her presence, while noticeable, does not in the least distract from these stories.

Slash:

While we will examine the subtext of each individual episode, it is important to note that this is, by far, the slashiest adaptation of any variety I have seen/heard/read to date. Perhaps it is in the adapting of Canon, or perhaps simply the chemistry between Merrison and Williams; whatever it is, Coules' series made this slasher giddy with glee. Indeed, any adaptation which includes the line:

[Mary] accused me of marrying her under the false pretense that while all the world believed she held my heart, in reality it belonged to Holmes.

Must be considered slash-friendly.

Episodes:

As Coules adapted each of the stories in the order in which they were written, they are presented here in the same manner.

The Complete Sherlock Holmes

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

A Scandal in Bohemia
The Red-Headed League
A Case of Identity
The Boscombe Valley Mystery
The Five Orange Pips
The Man with the Twisted Lip
The Blue Carbuncle
The Speckled Band
The Engineer's Thumb
The Noble Bachelor
The Beryl Coronet
The Copper Beeches

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

Silver Blaze
The Yellow Face
The Stockbroker's Clerk
The 'Gloria Scott'
The Musgrave Ritual
The Reigate Squires
The Crooked Man
The Resident Patient
The Greek Interpreter
The Naval Treaty
The Final Problem

The Return of Sherlock Holmes

The Empty House
The Norwood Builder
The Dancing Men
The Solitary Cyclist
The Priory School
Black Peter
Charles Augustus Milverton
The Six Napoleons
The Three Students
The Golden Pince-Nez
The Missing Three-Quarter
The Abbey Grange
The Second Stain

His Last Bow

Wisteria Lodge
The Cardboard Box
The Red Circle
The Bruce-Partington Plans
The Dying Detective
Lady Frances Carfax
The Devil's Foot
His Last Bow

The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes

The Illustrious Client
The Blanched Soldier
The Mazarin Stone
The Three Gables
The Sussex Vampyre
The Three Garridebs
Thor Bridge
The Creeping Man
The Lion's Mane
The Veiled Lodger
Shoscombe Old Place
The Retired Colourman

The Novels

A Study in Scarlet
The Sign of the Four
The Valley of Fear
The Hound of the Baskervilles

Conclusion:

The epic adaptation of the complete Canon should be enough to convince any Holmes fan to invest time and money in this series. On the off chance that it is not, I will simply say that Coules' series is, by far, one of the greatest (in not the greatest) adaptations I have ever absorbed (in any medium). Truly this is something every Holmes fan should listen to, twice. Merrison and Williams become Holmes and Watson, their voices lingering in my head, making me long for the cold darkness of winter so that I might curl up next to the fire and crack open my annotated copy of Canon. This series is award worthy, Coules' brilliance shining throughout each of the fifty-six stories and every single one of the four novels. A fitting tribute to Canon, and completely worthy of five out of five pipes.