A few years ago I stumbled upon the Granada TV Series on Sherlock Holmes. It starred Jeremy Brett as the Great Detective himself, with David Burke and Edward Hardwicke as his Watson. David Burke starred in the first couple of seasons, then Edward Hardwicke took over. But be it Burke or Hardwicke, the series is perhaps the best made on Holmes, even eclipsing the critically and commercially acclaimed "Sherlock" starring Benedict Cumberbatch and the two films starring Robert Downey Jr. I saw the Cumberbatch series first, and like everyone, was astounded, to say the least, by his acting skills. He was well complimented by Martin Freeman, and the series was a joy to watch. But after the Brett series, it is easy to see from where Cumberbatch has found his inspiration. I have no doubt over his acting skills, but is difficult to imagine that he acted as Holmes without seeing the Brett series at least once. When the world lost Brett, the world lost the man who first introduced the Great Detective to the silver screen, the way he just moulded into Holmes, his eccentricities made me watch the series again and again. When I first recommended the series to a couple of my friends, who too were avid fans of the Cumberbatch series they were delighted to hear about it. But when I told them that the series had been made a couple of decades ago, their faces crumbled. It's not like that. The performances were legendary. Set in typical London of that times, it is hard for me to think of Holmes without thinking of both Brett and Cumberbatch (sorry Robert Downey Jr.) and after seeing the Brett series, not to place Brett just a notch higher than Cumberbatch.
Watson's portrayal, first by Burke and then by Hardwicke is exceptional. They were underrated in a series dripping with the acting prowess of Brett, but they hold their own place. Burke portrays Watson as a cheerful and expressive fellow, whereas Hardwicke brought more seriousness to the role, portraying Watson as attentive, but prone to sarcastic bursts. But both are excellent.
I have had the pleasure to watch this series, and I recommend that you watch it as well.
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