After having watched five of the six episodes of the flagship BBC drama, “Sherlock”, Jacqui and I have come to the conclusion that it’s a bit shit. Sure, it looks good and “the best thing about it is the relationship between Holmes and Watson” (or so everyone keeps telling me)…..but, but, but the plots are rubbish and if you want to watch a buddy movie try “The Odd Couple” or something similar. The more far-fetched the plots become the more my heart sinks as a once-promising programme gets caught in the trap that almost every UK TV drama falls into. When Holmes is in London solving a string of murders and bantering with the Met the whole thing is harder, more taut, more tense, more convincing (albeit within the universe of the TV show). When the scene shifts to Dartmoor and Holmes manages to get into a high security military base with his brother’s ID card and, guesses the base commander’s password and puts Watson through a small experiment while he sits in a control room playing tiger sounds down a microphone….the whole thing starts to feel like an episode of Scooby Doo. Why am I wasting my time writing this? I’m not really sure, but it’s partly because I’m a Holmes fan of old and because I wanted to like it, but mainly because everyone I’ve mentioned it to has been banging on about how amazing it is. “The best thing I’ve seen on telly for years”, “I’m so excited; the last episode of Sherlock is on tonight and it’s getting really good”. Have these people never seen The Wire, Treme, Mad Men, The Killing, Game of Thrones….even Luther? Treme 3 and Game of Thrones 2 are coming later this year; can’t wait. In the meantime we’re about to start watching The Spiral. It’s been highly recommended. Now, we’ve been here before though haven’t we?

After having watched five of the six episodes of the flagship BBC drama, “Sherlock”, Jacqui and I have come to the conclusion that it’s a bit shit. Sure, it looks good and “the best thing about it is the relationship between Holmes and Watson” (or so everyone keeps telling me)…..but, but, but the plots are rubbish and if you want to watch a buddy movie try “The Odd Couple” or something similar. The more far-fetched the plots become the more my heart sinks as a once-promising programme gets caught in the trap that almost every UK TV drama falls into. When Holmes is in London solving a string of murders and bantering with the Met the whole thing is harder, more taut, more tense, more convincing (albeit within the universe of the TV show). When the scene shifts to Dartmoor and Holmes manages to get into a high security military base with his brother’s ID card and, guesses the base commander’s password and puts Watson through a small experiment while he sits in a control room playing tiger sounds down a microphone….the whole thing starts to feel like an episode of Scooby Doo.

Why am I wasting my time writing this? I’m not really sure, but it’s partly because I’m a Holmes fan of old and because I wanted to like it, but mainly because everyone I’ve mentioned it to has been banging on about how amazing it is. “The best thing I’ve seen on telly for years”, “I’m so excited; the last episode of Sherlock is on tonight and it’s getting really good”. Have these people never seen The Wire, Treme, Mad Men, The Killing, Game of Thrones….even Luther?

Treme 3 and Game of Thrones 2 are coming later this year; can’t wait. In the meantime we’re about to start watching The Spiral. It’s been highly recommended. Now, we’ve been here before though haven’t we?

  1. leontaylor-photo said: I’m with you Ed - started ok, then went t@ts up by episode 5
  2. edwenn posted this