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Movie:		8.0
Picture:		7.0
Sound:		9.0
Extras:		8.0
Score:		8.0

Director(s):	Antony Kearey • Viktors Ritelis
Writer(s):	Arthur Conan Doyle, Giles Cooper
Starring:	Nigel Stock • Peter Cushing
Genre:	Mystery
Release Date:	December 15, 2009

List Price:	DVD - $14.99
Amazon:

When I think of Sherlock Holmes and his dear Watson (just how dear is still its own mystery), I have a very clear image in my head (despite never having read any of the books or stories, and never having watched anything based on the two until now — such is their presence in popular culture): a tall, lanky, maybe even a bit gaunt figure with a pipe and calculating eyes, accompanied by a short, slightly squat, slightly bumbling man. (Picture an amalgamation of James, Sirius, and Lupin from the Harry Potter series, being trailed by Wormtail.)

The 1960s BBC imagining of the adventures of Holmes and Watson gets it pretty dead on. Peter Cushing as Holmes is perhaps a bit pristine, stuffy even, at times, but for the most part, fits the bill of what most people imagine as Holmes.

Out of the 29 episodes of the series, only six are available today. All from the second season, which aired in 1968, three years after the premiere season, they star Cushing as the revered detective and Nigel Stock as Watson. (Stock appeared in all 29 episodes.)

Like many other BBC series, this collection is fairly engaging and likely to keep your interest, though there’s a twinge of dullness that may just be a result of the way it’s filmed. (BBC shows often seem flat and muted, to me at least.)

The collection includes:

“A Study in Scarlet” - Holmes, in the process of solving a murder, reveals a feud between Salt Lake City and the Mormon community.

Both parts of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” - Holmes must discover the truth behind the mystery of the titular pup.

“The Boscombe Valley Mystery” - After a man is found bludgeoned, his son becomes the primary suspect.

“The Sign of Four” - Following the disappearance of her father, a woman begins receiving a series of valuable pearls — but from whom?

And a Christmas special, “The Blue Carbuncle” - There’s a goose, a Christmas Club, and a carbuncle (which, for the show’s purpose is a rare gem, but is also the name for a hideous abscess).

The release of the DVD coincides with that of the latest incarnation of London’s favorite sleuth. Guy Ritchie’s aptly-titled, fashionable feature Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes and Jude Law as Watson, illustrates the pair’s abrupt evolution from mild-mannered chaps to somewhat dreamy badasses sure to keep Victorian bosoms heaving.

DVD Bonus Features:

Disc three also features the documentary “Sherlock Holmes: The Great Detective,” an interesting look at how Holmes blew up to become such an epic presence. Clocking in at 50 minutes, this A&E-produced Biography special focuses on both Holmes and his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It highlights Doyle’s early writings, and the inception of his most famous character. Keeping with the tradition of Watson’s narration, much of Holmes’ life is revealed by his trusty sidekick, who regales guests in a dramatization of a dinner party.

Because Sherlock Holmes is such a well-developed persona, and his creator incorporated into his stories so much of the real world and current events, Holmes is often spoken of as though he’s a real person. On top of his skills and intelligence, he’s given believable problems. We learn about Holmes’ drug addiction, and his virtual lack of romance in any sense. (Robert Downey Jr.'s seems a bit more...wild, based on the trailer, and even has something of a girlfriend, abling fans to truly believe for a moment that Holmes and Watson actually were just roommates.) This documentary is presented in such a way that you might forget it’s about a fictional being.