Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson

Long unavailable because of rights issues, 'Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson' was the second Sheldon Reynolds series featuring the great detective. The first time featured Ronald Howard as a young and earnest Holmes with H Marion Crawford as a sturdy Watson; this version has similar casting with Geoffrey Whitehead youthful (but more sardonic than Howard) and Donald Pickering the perfect partner as Watson.

Like the 1950s series, Lestrade is a bit of a comedy sidekick, this time played by Patrick Newell (Mother from The Avengers). While he collaborates with Holmes and Watson they do enjoy getting the better of him.

Most stories in this series are pastiche rather than adaptations of Doyle tales; however there is a sterling 'Speckled Band' and versions of stories we first saw Howard/Crawford tackle, like 'The Baker Street Nursemaids'. Whitehead does aim at the more cerebral side of Holmes, and his darkness - something you'd never expect the chirpy Howard to do. I would have liked to see this actor in more straight versions true to Doyle.

This series, produced and broadcast in 1979-80, is a remake of a 39-episode series from the same producer, Sheldon Reynolds, which was done in the early 1950's. Many of the episodes are repeats, and all are very well conceived and produced. The production was done in Poland, but some fine English actors were brought in, many of whom went on to have stellar careers. All of the acting is very well done.

The settings and costumes, however, are sensational. Apparently no expense was spared to fill the screen with authentic, interesting, and lovely period pieces. Time and again I was most charmed to see the palaces, the parks, the ballrooms, the props, and indeed everything that went in to make this show sparkle.

A special comment should go to the star: the brave actor who joined a long distinguished pantheon of Sherlocks. Mr Whitehead is an underplayer, much removed from the near-bombastic Jeremy Brett. His Holmes, in fact, takes some getting used to. But he is assured, masterful, and shows brilliance; and he provides an interesting take on our hero. Not my favorite, but an interesting one and he's a good story teller.

After searching for the series for several years, I found a German set, which includes some scenes tipped in in German even though I selected the English sound track. The explanation was that these were scenes which had never been broadcast in English before, though the series seems to have appeared in Britain in 1979-80. I assume that means it was also presented on German television, but I understand it disappeared for many years due to copyright issues.

The listing here is missing one episode "Murder on a Midsummer's Eve", but all of the episodes are difficult to find. Geoffrey Whitehead is one of the more ruthless incarnations of Holmes, particularly in the darker episodes, but he can take advantage of the humorous scripts as well. Donald Pickering is one of the better Watsons -- you can believe he's been a military man from his bearing and his athletic build -- and he comes across as intelligent and capable, if occasionally astonished or bewildered by Holmes's more brilliant strokes of genius. There's a certain dry humor shared between the two of them, as well, which brightens the opening and closing sequences of several episodes.

Unfortunately, these Sherlock Holmes stories are shortchanged as they are only half-hour (in fact, a few minutes less). It's difficult to do a truly mysterious mystery in that length of time as it's usually obvious who the culprit is--in fairness, they won't introduce a new character in the last five minutes. It's a shame, as the series (largely not based on Arthur Conan Doyle) shows promise, without all the shouting from its forebear, the Howard/Holmes series, which they probably did back then to compensate for shoddy early TV sound equipment.

The casting makes this series worth watching for the Holmes compleatist. Before the Brett/Holmes series cranked up a few years after this one, Holmes TV shows and movies were weak either in Holmes (Roger Moore? Robert Stephens? Good actors, yes, but . . .) or (more often) Watson (with notable exceptions like Colin Blakely or, like him or hate him, the cuddly Nigel Bruce) or (most likely) Lestrade. While no one touches the early Brett/Holmes episodes, they were Canon. These mostly "made-up" tales are a different animal altogether.

Patrick Newell ("Mother" on "The Avengers," who went on to feature in one of the tip-top early Brett/Holmes episodes) is a more than adequate Lestrade, if a little too slow for comic effect.

Donald Pickering is a first rate Watson and his name must not be overlooked in the Pantheon of Watsons.

This time around the weak link is Geoffrey Whitehead as Holmes. He's tall and gaunt but his voice, which I've heard without offense on numerous BBC radio shows (try "Rigor Mortis" for one) is too high and slight for Holmes fans accustomed to the more careful or sharper voices of, say, Rathbone, Gielgud, Hobbes or Brett. His Holmes, IMHO, lacks authority. But if you disagree I won't be offended.

Also, since the Brett/Holmes revolution was still in the offing, Whitehead is lumbered with the deerstalker cap, cape and pipe in downtown London. Don't get me wrong, that look was what enticed me to read Holmes stories in the first place, and half a century on I still wear my own deerstalkers with pride. And the casual (i.e., non-obsessive) Holmes-watcher won't care. I have a cousin enjoying a more modern Holmes series who never heard of Jeremy Brett, and he's my age.

Just be aware that while Newell and Pickering are just fine, Whitehead, whatever you think of his tone, plays an unreconstructed Holmes.

One delightful thing is the pizzicato incidental music. Violin music is a must for Holmes shows and I wonder why I've never heard that sort of background playing before. And though Arthur Conan Doyle's stories could be bleak, these episodes have scattered touches of humor. I just wish the episodes had more elbow room to develop.

Sheldon Reynolds remade his 1954 television series, this time with Polish and Italian staff behind the cameras. This series is played with less humor and more earnestness, but I find it less appealing. I generally prefer my Holmes played straight, but the earlier version with Ronald Howard grew on me. Some of the episodes in that series went over the top with the humor, but for the most part they were charming in their own way. Howard was an interesting Holmes, more personable than the character is usually played, with an impish humor. In any case, I quickly accepted and identified Howard as Holmes and his Howard Marion- Crawford as his partner Watcon. In this series, however, even though it sticks to my preferred dramatic reading, the actors just don't fill out the parts for me. Watson's role as a straight man can be filled fairly easily, but Geoffrey Whitehead just never convinces me that he's Holmes. I'm four episodes into the series, and there is still nothing to the role that sticks in my mind as Holmes. I've also listened to the BBC4 radio plays featuring Clive Merrison, and I immediately accepted Merrison's voice as Holmes. Writing these words, I barely remember what Whitehead sounds like.

To understand my disappointment with this series, I would recommend watching the original 1954 version of The Case of Harry Crooker and this version. In the original, the escape artist is a whirlwind of anarchic amusement. In the 1980 version, which is a direct copy, not so much. The copy seems bloodless in comparison.

For all my disappointment with the series, I still am watching the episodes. mediocre Holmes is better than no Holmes at all. So if you love Holmes, look for these on Youtube.