The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Boxed Set Collection)

I have always been a Sherlock Holmes fan, when I was a kid I always loved watching any old "Holmes" movie that would come on the tv. My love of Sherlock Holmes stories kind of laid dormant for many years while I was caught up in working and raising a family but, I have a little more time on my hands these days for such things. When the movie with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law came out the flame was reignited and I haven't been able to get enough Sherlock Holmes since. My first introduction to Jeremy Brett as the master "consulting detective" came when I downloaded a movie called "The Master Blackmailer", I was immediately drawn in and realized that Robert Downey Jr. had based his style of portraying Sherlock Holmes on Brett's style and while I love the way Downey pulled it off, Brett has him beat. Once my passion for Sherlock Holmes stories was reignited I purchased the books with all the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and enjoyed every one of them. Anyone who has enjoyed any of the movies really should give the books a shot, they are really quite enjoyable reading. From there I purchased the other four Movies that Brett made along with costar Edward Hardwicke as Dr John Watson, who does an outstanding job of portraying Watson properly in my opinion. Far too many times we see Watson portrayed as a bumbling idiot in those old movies when he was actually far from it, he doesn't have Holmes' genius but, he is far from an idiot. After I had watched those movies a few times I needed another fix so, I moved on to this first season of the Granada television series and I have to say that it was worth every penny of the purchase price. These stories, (along with the Brett movies), are done very well with regards to staying true to the original stories, which is something we don't see too often when books are made into movies and I, for one, am quite happy when someone gets it right. In this season David Burke plays Watson and while he does a good job he also kind of tends to make Watson a bit of a dummy, not nearly as bad as say, Nigel Bruce, but still, as I said before, Watson was not a dummy. Burke does do an admirable job overall though. I really love Brett's portrayal of Holmes, watching the way he does this series brings the man off the page and onto our screens, I don't think anyone will ever be a better Sherlock Holmes than Jeremy Brett, he fit the role perfectly and he played the role the same. I don't believe anyone will ever do it better. So, if you're a fan of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle tales of Sherlock Holmes then "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Season 1" is a must watch in my humble opinion.

I was delighted to watch this “best-ever” film version of Sherlock Holmes’ detective stories once again after nearly three decades. Thanks to many reviewers’ detailed and thoughtful comments, I feel no need to make additional remarks about superb acting of Jeremy Brett, David Burke, Edward Hardwicke, and so many excellent supporting casts. But I must recognize that we were extraordinarily lucky to have the Granada Television which created one after another exquisite programs such as “Sherlock Holmes,” “The Jewel in the Crown,” “Brideshead Revisited,” etc. I think that the whole production team for “Sherlock Holmes” did fantastic and amazing feats. They recreated a social setting for the peak period of British Empire very effectively and described all details in highly artistic fashion. So this particular version of Sherlock Holmes appears to be a beautiful painting in motion and a great historic record at the same time. I realized that Sherlock Holmes’ detective stories occurred ‘between about 1880 and 1914’ when ‘Holmes would be between 26 years old and 60 years old.’ Indeed the Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, celebrating the 60th anniversary of her accession, took place in 1897. My wife and I purchased the first three volumes and then the remaining two volumes of Sherlock Holmes completing the whole collection in Blu-Ray. Despite negative comments from certain reviewers about several episodes toward the end of program, we enjoyed the entire collection of 41 episodes and tried to revisit some of the original novels from time to time. Although we definitely prefer a “purist” approach for dramatization with word for word, our impression was that liberal interpretation and stretching storylines in a few episodes were done quite tastefully and often in style. I was relieved to learn that some of stretching storylines had nothing to do with failing health of Jeremy Brett near the end of the program. Jeremy Brett’s excellent acting was consistent to the end. I also compiled the list of Directors involved in order to check whether some of stretching storylines of Conan Doyle’s original novels were influenced by excessive zeals of certain Directors. Such speculation turned out to be wrong. For example, Peter Hammond directed a classic episode of The Sign of Four (1987) as well as almost gothic tale of The Eligible Bachelor (1993). Episode List (with Director’s names, Original Air Sequence) >> The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984-1985) << A Scandal In Bohemia (dir. Paul Annett, 1984-a) The Dancing Men (dir. John Bruce, 1984-b) The Naval Treaty (dir. Alan Grint, 1984-c) The Solitary Cyclist (dir. Paul Annett, 1984-d) The Crooked Man (dir. Alan Grint, 1984-e) The Speckled Band (dir. John Bruce, 1984-f) The Blue Carbuncle (dir. David Carson, 1984-g) The Copper Beeches (dir. Paul Annett, 1985-a) The Greek Interpreter (dir. Alan Grint, 1985-b) The Norwood Builder (dir. Ken Grieve, 1985-c) The Resident Patient (dir. David Carson, 1985-d) The Red Headed League (dir. John Bruce, 1985-e) The Final Problem (dir. Alan Grint, 1985-f) >> The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1986-1988) << The Empty House (dir. Howard Baker, 1986-a) The Abbey Grange (dir. Peter Hammond, 1986-e) The Musgrave Ritual (dir. David Carson, 1986-d) The Second Stain (dir. John Bruce, 1986-c) The Man With the Twisted Lip (dir. Patrick Lau, 1986-f) The Priory School (dir. John Madden, 1986-b) The Six Napoleons (dir. David Carson, 1986-g) The Devil s Foot (dir. Ken Hannam, 1988-a) Silver Blaze (dir. Brian Mills, 1988-b) Wisteria Lodge (dir. Peter Hammond, 1988-c) The Bruce Partington Plans (dir. John Gorrie, 1988-d) >> The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes (1991-1993) << The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax (dir. John Madden, 1991-a) The Problem of Thor Bridge (dir. Michael Simpson, 1991-b) Shoscombe Old Place (dir. Patrick Lau, 1991-c) The Boscombe Valley Mystery (dir. June Howson, 1991-d) The Illustrious Client (dir. Tim Sullivan, 1991-e) The Creeping Man (dir. Tim Sullivan, 1991-f) >> The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1994) << The Three Gables (dir. Peter Hammond, 1994-a) The Dying Detective (dir. Sarah Hellings, 1994-b) The Golden Pince-Net (dir. Peter Hammond, 1994-c) The Red Circle (dir. Sarah Hellings, 1994-d) The Mazarin Stone (dir. Peter Hammond, 1994-e) The Cardboard Box (dir. Sarah Hellings, 1994-f) >> The Feature Film Collection of Sherlock Holmes (1987-1993) << The Sign of Four (dir. Peter Hammond, 1987-a) The Hound of the Baskervilles (dir. Brian Mills, 1988-e) The Master Blackmailer (dir. Peter Hammond, 1992-a) The Last Vampyre (dir. Tim Sullivan, 1993-b) The Eligible Bachelor (dir. Peter Hammond, 1993-a)

I've been reading the Sherlock Holmes stories since I was a wee lad of 11. The very first story I ever read was `The Greek Interpreter', then `The Speckled Band'. But I didn't really become an admirer until my late teens, when I bought a volume containing Sidney Paget's incomparable and stunning illustrations of the Master Detective. I was never entirely satisfied with past portrayals with Sherlock Holmes or Dr. Watson. They were either invariably portrayed as overly arrogant (Peter Cushing as Holmes), or as buffoons (Nigel Bruce as Watson). It wasn't until I discovered the work of Jeremy Brett (via an Amazon.com search), that I finally found THE DEFINITIVE portrayal of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson - one that will probably never be surpassed in my lifetime. I was absolutely stunned at every aspect of each and every episode. Their attention to detail - everything from Production Design to the performance of every single actor, is a pitch perfect rendition of Sherlock Holmes adventures, straight from the pages of the Strand Magazine. And Jeremy Brett's very countenance is the exact mirror image of Sidney Paget's drawings - from his distinctive nose to his eloquent and articulate mannerisms. Every single episode in this collection is an absolute classic. Interestingly enough, although they contain two recurring characters, each story has a different tone and atmosphere. `A Scandal in Bohemia' has a delightfully romantic and baroque feel, while `The Speckled Band' has all the tensions and scares of a horror story. But the crowning glory of each and every episode is Jeremy Brett's performance as Sherlock Holmes, and David Burke's rendition of Watson. Burke brings a positive aggression and proactive stance to Watson, that has never been seen in any rendition of the character before or since (with the exception of the always excellent Edward Hardwicke). And Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Holmes is pitch perfect in every single way imaginable - from the tiniest inflection, to the timbre of his voice. The only gripe I have is not with the actual episodes, but the way they were presented on DVD. MPI did a straight video transfer, without any attempt at cleaning up the prints or agumenting the sound. As a result, we have a slightly grainy transfer which would make any DVD purist die of apoplexy, and a flat sounding mono soundtrack, which fails to convey the drama of either the music or sound effects. I have heard reports that the last two collections in the series (Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Case Book of Sherlock Holmes), have received better treatment. Here's hoping. Other than that - these volumes are the greatest renditions of Sherlock Holmes ever committed to celluloid. Forget Rathebone - Jeremy Brett is THE Sherlock Holmes, and David Burke (and Edward Hardwicke) will always be his Watson.

You don't have to be a great mystery enthusiast, nor a lover of crime drama, nor have anything except a sense of adventure and an enjoyment of great acting to love this Sherlock Holmes series. It is not often anymore in today's world that a character seen on television or in the movies can serve as a role model for young minds, but with his emphasis on brains winning where brawn fails, Holmes shows that study and observation and careful deduction can score a much higher reward than bullying and bravado. And Holmes does face his share of bullies and brutes who would like to stop him. With contempt for those who threaten him and courage in the face of vicious thugs who stalk the night, Holmes pursues answers to horrific crimes by taking avenues that others would not dare to follow. From the intimate corners of lavish estates and palaces to the grimiest back alley hell holes he tracks down those who believe they have gotten away with the perfect crime. Always impeccably groomed and handsomely attired, the limber and elegant figure of the man is no slouch when it comes to the unpleasant task of having to dispense with a brute in direct confrontation. Well schooled in self defense, boxing, fencing, and physically energetic, thugs who think they can simply run roughshod over Holmes are suprised to find themselves flat on their backs after trying to assault him. But this is not the way he prefers to resolve matters, nor does he often need to resort to using a revolver, he does not normally carry one, though he shows he will readily do so if the pursuit requires it. The supreme confidence he has in his own resourcefulness coupled with obvious delight he takes in putting sadistic and sinister villains behind bars makes Holmes a figure who defies any sort of commonplace spotlight in the pantheon of the great heroic figures of literature. The acting is brilliant. Though typically his face is the model of placid contemplation, as situations change you see the subtle moods change in his facial features clearly indicating his anger, contempt, concern, shock or mirth but never too much. Jeremy Brett plays the role with humor and graceful, fluid understated changes in his moods. Maintaining control of his emotions most of the time, Holmes clearly has very little patience when it comes to those who do not come to the point and present the facts. He also has little patience for idle time. His mind is busy and loves a challenge, he often laments of there being no suitable challenge to occupy his time. Though he has a standard fee for his services as a private detective, he will often dismiss his fee if he finds a cause sufficient to pursue despite a client's lack of funds. There is not a single drama in the set that should be missed. The video is crisp and brilliant to watch, the audio is fine and the music fits the mood of the series. The period set pieces are also amazing to behold in themselves, a great recreation of a time out of history. Well worth the investment. - Mike S.

Sherlockians everywhere: Jeremy Brett is the Master. If you haven't seen these episodes, or any of the others featuring the late Mr. Brett, you're missing a treat. I was a great fan of Basil Rathbone until I stumbled upon the Brett/Burke duo some dozen years ago. Now I can't imagine anyone else bringing Sherlock Holmes to life. This collection features thirteen great episodes actually based on what Conan Doyle wrote. This is Holmes in all his moody eccenticity, from the mouse coloured dressing gown to the seven percent solution. This is also a Watson I was relieved to see, not the bumbling idiot that Nigel Bruce made him, but a solid reliable citizen with his own sort of intelligence: the perfect foil for a Holmes who pointedly ignores social convention. (Edward Hardwicke took up the role of Watson after this season, but I really prefer David Burke's portrayal.) The translation from page to screen is not exact -- e.g., bits of conversation from "The Sign of Four" appear in "Scandal in Bohemia" -- but there's nothing that came out of the blue. AS far as a DVD collection goes, this is an odd one. The special features are nothing to write home about and the 13 episodes are formatted weirdly onto five discs where 3 or 4 certainly would have done. In some of the early episodes the sound is quite distorted, as if the DVDs were copied from well worn video tapes without the copy being cleaned up in any way. But all of that made no difference to me, because I'm so pleased to have these episodes and be able to watch them any time I want. NOw if only they'd release the rest of the series in DVD sets!

True to the Arthur Conan Doyle stories. Not Holmes in Washington. Not Holmes on a speeding train with five of his adversaries teamed together, explosions, chase scenes, or Holme the acrobat. True, beautiful 19th century Sherlock Holmes, the deductive. Oh, there is some variation. A variation so old that many don't know any other Holmes. Watson is always a bachelor here. No surprise. And detracts not from their otherwise faithful rendition of the pair. You may have heard, Jeremy Brett is the quintessential Holmes. I concur. This was a gift. I've owned these since they first were offered.

Jeremy Brett remains, and probably will remain for a while, the best on-screen Sherlock Holmes, and David Burke was an excellent Dr. Watson. This collection of DVDs contains what you might call a Baker's Street dozen episodes (that means a total of 13) encompassing the range of Sherlockian adventures. Included are several of the most famous Sherlock Holmes stories, including "The Red-Headed League", "The Speckled Band", "A Scandal in Bohemia", and "The Final Problem". The last, of course, started the famous "Great Hiatus" where Conan Doyle had reputedly tired of writing the Holmes stories, and killed the great detective off in order to effectively end the series. It didn't work of course (hopefully I'm not giving anything away here) and the great detective returned later. I really enjoyed this series, with a few provisos. Some of the Conan Doyle stories aren't up to the standard of the stories above. They're still fun, however, in that Brett and Burke are just wonderful playing Holmes and Watson, and the supporting cast is for the most part excellent also. The period is lovingly recreated, though occasionally you can see things in the background down the street from the Baker Street house that don't look exactly like downtown London a hundred years ago. I guess they were on a soundstage outside London in the country somewhere. The soundtrack occasionally warbles where it should sing (the music being the usual problem). Other than these shortcomings, the episodes in this collection are wonderful, and I enjoyed every one.

*****Potential Spoilers Alert***** I was aware of this 1980's take on Sherlock Holmes when it was originally broadcast, but at the time, I had no interest. Never read the books. Fast forward to recent years, and I've seen most of the modern versions of Sherlock Holmes and have enjoyed them enough to give this series a shot, especially in light of all the praise it garnered. Right from the first episode, it's easy to see why this show became so popular, and especially why so much praise was heaped on Jeremy Brett. I still never read the books, but like Benedict Cumberbatch, he's a fascinating actor to watch and hear. This 1980's series took some big chances too - Within a few minutes of the first episode, we are made aware that Holmes has a substance abuse issue. And, it's pretty remarkable that in this pilot, Sherlock Holmes doesn't quite succeed, but is actually outfoxed! The first episode!! He'll undoubtedly come out on top in most of these stories, but right at the start one gets the feeling that he's much more "human" than the way Cumberbatch's Holmes was written. And his relationship with Dr. Watson here gives the sense of a more collaborative, respectful partnership (though still quirky and humorous). Let's face it - Martin Freeman's Watson was written as fawning puppy dog, no matter how badly he was mistreated by Sheryl. Budget-wise, you get the sense they spent more money on some things, and needed to scrimp on others. In the first episode, there's a painting that gets slashed. Take a good look. No big loss, it was one of the things they scrimped on. And the royal who first shows up at the Baker Street flat outfitted in a very dubious disguise, complete with a laughably corny looking eyemask? Scrimped. :) Anyway, the main thing to be aware of is that this IS a good show, but they could only do so much with the Blu Ray transfers. The outdoor shots have tended to be the best for sharpness. The indoor scenes are much more variable - some are tack sharp, some are soft, and if there's a low light scene, more often than not there will be a good amount of grain. Of course, as to be expected, this show is also presented in the old "square" television broadcast ratio, but if you were hoping the picture itself to be modern day Blu-ray quality, you'll most likely be disappointed. I can't imagine the DVDs being abysmal by comparison, yet this is one instance where you may want to save your money or buy this first series on Blu-ray and see if you're happy with the transfers before committing to getting them all on Blu. Still, this is an entertaining vintage tv show that's worth it just for watching Jeremy Brett's mesmerizing performance. :)

I also preferred the Jeremy Brett version of Sherlock Holmes.

One of 5 DVD compilations of the Granada TV series featuring Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes. Being an ardent fan of the Sherlock Holmes cannon, I've seen all the old classics, Basil Rathbone, etc. In my opinion, Jeremy Brett is THE Sherlock Holmes. The entire set is available on DVD, however, I could find only two sources that offer transcriptions to Blue Ray. There is a Japanese site that offers the complete set in one series but it is very expensive. The only other Blue Ray offering I could find is this Spanish Amazon.com site. All of Jeremy Brett's episodes are captured in 5 Blue Ray disks. I do not have anything to compare this Blue Ray series against, i.e. the previously mentioned DVD offering, however, generally speaking, the quality of the transcription is very good. Menus are in Spanish and even after selecting "Ingles" (English) as the preferred language, the titles of the episodes remain in Spanish. If your Spanish isn't very good, and mine is not, you may be confused as to which episode you're watching. In my view, this is a minor quibble because I'm overjoyed to have the series on Blue Ray - at a very affordable prices.

Do not worry English speakers - the full original soundtrack is included on these episodes. The programs may seem to be cramped onto two discs but the picture comes in between 15 and 19 mbs and the quality os very good indeed as is the sound. The menus are naturally in Spanish and dont forget to choose the English Soundtrack from the right of the main menu. Not released in the UK by ITV these are the best versions you can find on domestic video and the blu-ray versions come in very compact cases that take up less shelf space than a regular UK Blu ray box. I can confirm that the Return of and Movies are the same quality and are also recommended.

Arrived on time, in excellent condition (as was advertised), and works as region one discs fine. All episodes are a joy to watch! Thank you.

Truly and utterly delightful. Brett's Holmes is the definitive portrayal. I love Benedict Cumberbatch in the BBC's wonderful Sherlock, but they do play fast and loose with Doyle 's stories, but ITV's sublime tv series is pure Doyle, and each story is faithfully and wonderfully told. Brett wasn't merely playing Sherlock Holmes, he WAS Sherlock Holmes. His committment to the part was extraordinary. There are some great stories, The Copper Beeches, The Adventure Of The Speckled Band and The Blue Carbuncle are my 3 favourites from this set. The Blu Ray - although Spanish - will play in UK Blu Ray players, just switch the audio to English in the menu. The picture quality is stunning and the sound very goof too. There are no special features but for £20 for 13 incredible episodes is a bargin. I must now purchase the other seasons which are also available.