Holmes Alone

Sherlocks: Rathbone, Brett, Rowe and Basil

I blame my mother. She's the one who got me hooked on Sherlock Holmes. Not that I mind. It all started when we watched 1939's Basil Rathbone movie series on "The Late Late Show." Now I have to watch (and inevitably enjoy) just about every incarnation of the super sleuth that comes along. And while Sherlock is constantly updated to fit the times, he has somehow managed to stay Sherlock Holmes.

Not surprisingly, after decades old black & white movies on late night TV, the public yearned for a fresher take on the iconic character. In the 1980s, PBS brought us a darker version with Jeremy Brett's "Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." While Stephen Spielberg introduced a teenaged version in "Young Sherlock Holmes." Even Disney got into the game with "The Great Mouse Detective" (though technically, he was Basil of Baker Street).

And though Sherlock has never really been off the air, he and his stalwart partner, Dr. Watson continue to grow in popularity. We probably have Robert Downey Jr.'s 2009 and 2011 films to thank for this. Though the movies recast Sherlock as a modern-style action hero (and strayed greatly from the source material), they still proved that Sherlock still has an audience.

Lucy Lu and Jonny Lee Miller

CBS's "Elementary" is coming up on its fourth season and is one of my favorite shows currently on TV. When it first premiered, I was excited about Jonny Lee Miller (ABC's excellent Eli Stone) as the daring detective, but felt skeptical about their choosing Lucy Lu as a female Dr. Watson. Nothing against Ms. Lu, I just thought it smacked of unnecessary "modernism." I was also a little concerned that they were foregoing any of the original stories to create all new mysteries for him to solve. What they did create is, in essence, another CBS procedural drama (e.g. CSI: Fill-in-the-Blank), but the writing and acting are much, much better. The mysteries are challenging and original. And the relationship between Holmes and Watson is honest, complicated, compelling and - thank goodness - without a hint of sexual tension. They're both smart and capable but each with their own approach and techniques to solving a mystery. And it's great to see Aiden Quinn in the plum role of Captain Gregson.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman

As great as "Elementary" is, there aren't many shows I look forward to as much as BBC's "Sherlock." Shown in the U.S. on PBS' Masterpiece Mystery, each episode is really a movie-length adaptations of a classic Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story. The series also features the UK's most in-demand actors, Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek: Into Darkness) and Martin Freeman (The Hobbit). Set in modern London, this series (also heading to its fourth season) also strays from the source material, but remains true to its heart. For instance, in "The Hound of the Baskervilles" the reason why the hounds are created and how they manifest depart greatly from the original story. But how the events test Sherlock's bravery is still intact. We also get to see how the mind of the detective works thanks to whiz-bang television techniques. But the biggest departure from Doyle's creation is that these are more character-driven stories. Watson in particular has been fleshed out with a more critical back story and his caustic and caring connection to Holmes is explored in humorous and touching ways. The villains in this version are particularly dark, daring and ruthless. This Moriarity is more than a match for Sherlock and toys with him (as he does with the world) for sheer amusement.

Finally, I couldn't be more excited than I am for "Mr. Holmes" starring Ian McKellen (X-Men, Lord of the Rings) coming to theaters July 2015. This time, we're treated to a retired Sherlock Holmes grappling with an unsolved case - and facing a failing memory. From the trailers I've seen, this will be a more human and fallible Holmes than we've ever seen. And Sir Ian's performance looks both exciting and touching.

Now, I'm left wondering just how many more versions of Sherlock Holmes the public will be willing to accept? It's a mystery to me. And one I'm more than willing to watch... as long as Sherlock Holmes is on the case.