The first production company in the world to dramatise all sixty of Conan Doyle's stories with the same two lead actors throughout. Twenty years. One landmark series.
The BBC was the first production company in the world to dramatise all sixty of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories with the same two actors in the lead roles throughout. This is a celebration of those shows.
This unique project employed ten writers, four producer-directors, dozens of technicians and hundreds of actors. From the first episode to the last it spanned over twenty years.
In 1987 freelance writer Bert Coules approached the BBC with the proposal to dramatise Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles. It was given the go-ahead as a two-part serial with Roger Rees and Crawford Logan as Holmes and Watson.
The show went down well with the public and press. Coules suggested doing two more novels. The BBC agreed but insisted on recasting — Clive Merrison and Michael Williams were offered the roles.
When A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of the Four were also a success, Coules proposed a six-part series of the best short adventures. The BBC had other ideas: they would produce the entire canon — fifty-six short stories and four novels — the first time it had ever been done in any medium with the same two actors in the leads.
The project launched in January 1991 and ran for nine years, attracting large audiences and guest stars of the calibre of Dame Judi Dench, Brian Blessed and Sir Donald Sinden.
Four further series of brand new mysteries followed, with Andrew Sachs taking over as Watson after the untimely death of Michael Williams. The new shows were based on Conan Doyle's tantalising throwaway references to cases he never wrote up in full — culminating in the strange affair of the politician, the lighthouse and the trained cormorant.
The series called for an actor who could make the iconic central figure a believably real person — not the infallible supersleuth of some presentations. The detective's knife-edge swings of mood had to be conveyed purely with the voice.
Merrison's long career has encompassed radio, TV, cinema and stage. Television appearances include Doctor Who, Miss Marple and Peep Show; films include Firefox, The English Patient and The History Boys.
"He vocally exploits the paradox of Holmes: at his coldest in small talk, but when the brain is engaged he takes on a sensual purr."
— Plays and Players"Merrison succeeds in making Holmes a living, breathing human being. He captures all the strengths and weaknesses of the character."
— AmazonIt was central to the series to present Watson as Doyle wrote him: not a bumbler but an intelligent, principled, romantic man of action. The shows were stories of a partnership and friendship — casting Watson was as important as casting Holmes.
Williams had a range extending from farce to Shakespearean tragedy, including a beloved role in ITV's A Fine Romance alongside his wife Judi Dench.
"Michael kicked the blimpish old buffer into the archives. He could not hit a false emotional note for toffee."
— Clive MerrisonBest remembered as Manuel in Fawlty Towers, Andrew Sachs took over as Watson in the Further Adventures. His long career spanned stage, film, radio and television.
"Sachs' Watson is quietly assured, thoughtful, courteously charming and wryly humorous… a self-confident man, modest and above all, likeable."
— Roger Johnson, Sherlock magazine"I started out thinking of bumbling old Nigel Bruce but Patrick put me right. He told me 'Just say the words' — best advice ever."
— Andrew SachsContent drawn from merrisonholmes.com. Audio streamed from the Internet Archive.