Sherlock: Season 1
July 25, 2010 streaming
BBC's Sherlock launched in 2010 with three feature-length episodes that transplanted Conan Doyle's detective into modern London, replacing telegrams with smartphones and hansom cabs with text messages. Benedict Cumberbatch's Holmes is a self-described 'high-functioning sociopath,' all cold intellect and social contempt, while Martin Freeman's John Watson is a traumatized army veteran who finds purpose in the chaos of Holmes's life. The opening episode, A Study in Pink, establishes the partnership as Watson follows a trail of serial suicides. The Blind Banker pivots to a Chinese smuggling ring, and The Great Game escalates into a series of bomb-based challenges set by an unseen Moriarty. Creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss update the source material with genuine cleverness, not gimmickry, and the show's visual language, text overlays for messages and mind-palace visualizations, became instantly influential.
Cast
Benedict Cumberbatch
Sherlock Holmes
Martin Freeman
John Watson
Una Stubbs
Mrs. Hudson
Rupert Graves
DI Greg Lestrade
Louise Brealey
Molly Hooper
Mark Gatiss
Mycroft Holmes
Andrew Scott
Jim Moriarty
Amanda Abbington
Mary Morstan
Jonathan Aris
Dr Anderson
Vinette Robinson
Sgt Sally Donovan
Tanya Moodie
Ella
Lars Mikkelsen
Charles Magnussen
Lindsay Duncan
Lady Smallwood
Simon Kunz
Sir Edwin
Timothy Carlton
Mr. Holmes
TRAILER
QUOTE
"I'm not a psychopath, I'm a high-functioning sociopath. Do your research."
-- Sherlock Holmes
DID YOU KNOW?
The pilot episode was shot separately as a potential test; the broadcast version was reshot with a higher budget after BBC commissioned a full series.
THE VERDICT
Synthesized from published reviews
Three episodes is all it takes to prove that Sherlock is one of the sharpest adaptations of Conan Doyle ever made. A Study in Pink is a perfect pilot, establishing the Holmes-Watson dynamic with humor and momentum. The Blind Banker is the weak link, but The Great Game delivers a cliffhanger that turned Moriarty into appointment television. Cumberbatch and Freeman are instantly iconic.
GALLERY
VIDEOS
