Ghost Story for Christmas: Lot No. 249, on PBS

Arthur Conan Doyle would probably hate this adaptation of his mummy short story, for the same reason many of his fans will enjoy it. Departing from the original text, it creates a role that is clearly implied to be you-know-who. Of course, he could justifiably complain the annual BBC series, A Ghost Story for Christmas had no business adapting his creepy yarn, because it is about a mummy, not a ghost. Still, maybe screenwriter-director Mark Gatiss might argue a mummy is an undead spirit that loiters malevolently, much like a ghost. Regardless, there is plenty of gothic tweediness in Lot No. 249, which airs tomorrow on Buffalo Public Television (airing a Ghost Story for Christmas, more-or-less for Christmas, as it was originally intended).

Abercrombie Smith is a very smart but not quite genius Oxford medical student, who treats Edward Bellingham, the eccentric Egyptology scholar in the digs next-door for exhaustion, nervous collapse, or really just some kind bizarre trance-like state. Whatever you call it, viewers can tell he has been dabbling in black arts.

Sure enough, soon thereafter, Bellingham’s campus rival is throttled by a mysterious hulking figure. For an Oxford student, Smith puts two and two together relatively quickly, deducing Bellingham has found a way to reawaken and control the mummy he bought at auction—that would be lot number 249. However, before confronting Bellingham, he wishes to “consult” his unnamed friend, a detective hoping to soon move to Bakers Street, who is decidedly not inclined to give credence to the supernatural.

Indeed, the Holmesian references are quite amusing. Gatiss also amps up the gay subtext, which almost feels unnecessary for a story set in the rarified world of elite British public (meaning private) school alumni. Frankly, Mummy makeup technology really hasn’t needed to advance much since Boris Karloff bandaged-up in 1932, so this one looks just as well as most of the ones that came before.

Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four

Unfortunately, Hammer never made a sequel to The Hound of the Baskervilles, but if they had, the grotesque assassins of “The Sign of Four” would have made it a logical choice. For TV, the BBC and director William Sterling played down their defining physical characteristics, which should reassure oversensitive contemporary viewers. Regardless, two colorful ruffians are up to no good in “The Sign of Four,” one of six Sherlock Holmes episodes included in the Cushing Curiosities boxset releasing today.

Ten years ago, Mary Morstan’s father disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Each year since, she has received a mysterious black pearl, apparently representing some sort of blood money. A mysterious letter promises to explain everything, but stipulates no cops. She can only bring two trusted friends. That will be Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.

As fans know, Watson will become more than just a friend to Ms. Morstan. In fact, that is why “The Sign of Four” is one of the better episodes for Nigel Stock, because he finally acts like more of a man playing Watson than a befuddled fuddy-duddy.

It is also a good companion episode to “Hound of the Baskervilles,” because it features a good dog this time around. In fact, Toby, the spaniel-lurcher with a golden nose, is a very good dog and his scene on the scent is one of the episode’s best.

Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles Pts 1 & 2

Terence Fisher’s Hammer-produced The Hound of the Baskervilles is the greatest Sherlock Holmes movie of all time, for two reasons: Peter Cushing as Holmes and Andre Morrel as Dr. Watson. Unfortunately, it was not a hit, so Holmes did not become a Hammer franchise. Happily, Cushing was able to return to the role nine years later for the BBC. That would be the negligent BBC that wiped most of the episode tapes. Seven full episodes survive, six of which are included in the Cushing Curiosities boxset releasing today, including “The Hound of the Baskervilles Parts 1 & 2.”

Cushing is still the perfect Holmes, but sadly Nigel Stock is much closer to Nigel Bruce than Andre Morrel. Unlike so many Watsons, the distinguished Morrel actually inspired confidence in his own right. You could believe he was a practicing medical doctor and a resourceful military veteran, whereas Stock’s Watson is silly old goat. For what its worth, Sir Christopher Lee was probably the best Sir Henry Baskerville in the movie, outshining the snide looking and sounding Gary Raymond. However, David Leland absent-minded portrayal of Dr. Mortimer is more interesting that Francis de Wolff’s pompous film turn.

Regardless, Hugh Leonard’s teleplay scrupulous follows the Conan Doyle source material. Unfortunately, that means Cushing disappears for an extended period, which wasn’t such a problem for Fisher, because he still had Morrel and Lee (and also Ewen Solon from Maigret as Stapleton). Still, it is always fun to watch Cushing deducing with that I’m-smarter-than-you twinkle in his eye.

Miss Sherlock: HBO Asia’s First Japanese Original

There have been Japanese Holmesian figures before, like Detective Conan, but there has never been a consulting detective at #221B who was this stylish. She might also be the brusquest and rudest Sherlock ever. She makes Cumberbatch’s Holmes look like Alan Alda in his whiny, in-touch-with-his-feelings 1970s prime. Of course, that is also why she is so much fun to watch, but her new roommate finds her dashed difficult to live with. That would be Dr. Wato Tachibana, or Wato-san. You had better believe the games afoot in Miss Sherlock, the first production of HBO Asia made available on HBO Go and HBO Now, starting today.

A rough stint volunteering in Syria with a Doctors Without Borders NGO already had Dr. Tachibana questioning her choice of a medical career. Then her mentor Takashi Mizuno is assassinated right before her eyes with some sort of internal explosion. As he is apt to do with a case of any degree of complexity, Inspector Gentaro Reimon summons a consulting detective known simply as Sherlock (a name that everyone finds utterly baffling).

Naturally, Tachibana is appalled by her insensitive treatment of Mizuno’s widow. Yet, the circumstances of the case keep bringing them together. In fact, when Tachibana’s hotel is mysteriously leveled by an explosion, Sherlock’s brother Kento Futaba somewhat impishly invites her to move in with his sister. Why yes, he holds a very hush-hush position within the government. However, he and Sherlock get along better than Mycroft ever did with the Victorian Holmes (one of many tweaks in Miss Sherlock that works quite well).

During the first six episodes, Sherlock and Wato-san investigate mysteries that are mostly separate and discrete, but still seem to share an obscure connection to some sort of hazy criminal cabal. Arguably, the best mysteries involve an apparent incident of vampirism and the disappearance of a newlywed bride, but they are all pretty strong and consistent. However, episodes seven and eight, dive full on into the conspiracy in an overt homage to The Final Problem, the only original Holmes mystery Miss Sherlock explicitly riffs on.

Miss Sherlock has a terrific cast, including many faces fans of Japanese cinema will recognize. Yuko Takeuchi (Creepy, Magnificent Nine) is an absolute blast playing Sherlock, as long as you do not have to live with her. She can out do Cumberbatch’s verbal calculations, while rocking Hermes overcoats. Shihori Kanjiya (Vancouver Asahi, Golden Slumber) provides a resonant humanist center and general rooting interest as Wato-san. Believe it or not, Kenichi (The Inerasable, Unforgiven) Takito’s Inspector Reimon could very well become many fans’ favorite Lestrade. Regardless, he delivers the character’s most redemptive incarnation perhaps ever, even more so than Rupert Graves opposite Cumberbatch.

Yukiyoshi Ozawa (The Forest, Rurouni Kenshin 2 & 3) deserves similar credit for the verve he brings to Futaba, the Mycroft analog, somewhat humanizing him, but adding a bit of roguish attitude. The Moriarty figure is also terrific, but it would be telling to call said mystery person out—even though most fans will be trained to recognize who that might be rather early on. The caliber of the episodic guest stars is also quite high, especially Mahiru Konno and Haruka Kinami, who play Arisa and Yuma Shiina, two dysfunctional sisters embroiled in a plot to steal a potentially lethal chemical compound (and look out for Rinko Kikuchi in episode seven).

The battery of screenwriters does a nice job of modernizing and culturally adapting Conan Doyle, without becoming slavishly beholden to the source material. Yet, they still channel enough of the original spirit to keep fans happy. They also raise the stakes higher than just about any other Holmes homage. Plus, Ken’ichiro Suehiro’s distinctive music amplifies the tension and helps give the series its own identity. There is no question, the series borrows elements from the Cumberbatch Sherlock and Elementary, but Takeuchi makes them her own. Enthusiastically recommended for all Holmesians/Sherlockians as well as fans of Japanese mysteries, Miss Sherlock is now available on HBO Now and HBO Go.

Kew Gardens ’18: The Doctor’s Case

If Sherlock Holmes had been allergic to dogs, the case of The Hound of the Baskervilles could have turned out much differently. However, he just so happens to be deathly allergic to cats—that’s according to Stephen King rather than Conan Doyle. Fortunately, Watson’s powers of observation and deduction will be sufficient to solve this case while Holmes’ watery eyes uncharacteristically fail him. Years later, a much older Watson will look back on those fateful events in James Douglas’s The Doctor’s Case (trailer here), which screens during the 2018 Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema.

Decades ago, Lestrade summoned Holmes and Watson to investigate the murder of Lord Albert Hull, because it appeared to be a truly classic locked room murder case. Ironically, Watson now finds himself back in Hull manor, after it has been transformed into a WWII military hospital, as a patient, no less. Fortunately, the chief of nurses, Captain Norton is a fan of his Holmes stories, so she listens eagerly to Watson’s tale. He did indeed solve the mystery, but he also received an unsettling lesson in human nature.

Although this adaptation of King’s short story started its life as a so-called “Dollar Baby,” it is nearly feature length at sixty-five minutes and features a highly geek notable cast. William B. Davis, the “Cigarette-Smoking Man” in The X-Files is terrific playing against type as the kindly old Watson, whose eyes honest-to-gosh twinkle. He also develops a wonderful rapport with Denise Crosby (Tasha Yar in Star Trek: The Next Generation), who is also quite warm and vigorous as Norton. Michael Coleman (from Once Upon a Time) is similarly earnest and engaging as the young Watson, while J.P. Winslow is suitably high-handed as the slightly incapacitated Holmes.

King himself deserves credit for inventing a somewhat unlikely but still rather clever mystery. Douglas and “co-director” Leonard Pearl maintain a brisk pace while slyly observing and tweaking the conventions of Holmesian mysteries. There is also a stinger that will be pure joy for Holmes fans. It is all quite a jolly entertaining romp that should appeal to fans of King and Doyle alike, but the greatest revelation is the hitherto unseen charm and range of Davis. Very highly recommended, The Doctor’s Case screens this Saturday (8/11) as part of the Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema.

Arthur & George: Conan Doyle Investigates

For Sherlock Holmes fans, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s embrace of spiritualism has always been an embarrassment. However, in the days following his first wife’s death, the great mystery writer also distinguished himself by exposing at least two grave miscarriages of justice, notably including the George Edalji case. The premise is completely true, but Julian Barnes fictionalized treatment cranked up the mystery and intrigue, as Doyle had done from time to time in his own historical fiction. Following in the tradition of two popular incarnations of Sherlock Holmes and the Murder Rooms series featuring Doyle and his mentor Dr. Joseph Bell, the television adaptation of Barnes’ Arthur & George premieres this coming Sunday as part of the current season of Masterpiece on PBS (promo here).

Doyle was always technically faithful to his first wife, even though appearances often suggested otherwise. He was indeed attracted to a Miss Jean Leckie, but still scrupulously respected his marriage vows. Nonetheless, when his wife succumbs to tuberculosis, guilt drags him into a deep funk. Somewhat ironically, the prospect of championing George Edalji’s cause rouses his spirits.

At one time Edalji was an aspiring solicitor, but his life was derailed when he was convicted of a rash of animal mutilations that shocked the provincial village of Great Wyrley. The crimes seemed to be related to a nasty spate of poison-pen letters, whose vitriol were primarily directed at the mixed-race Edalji family. Yet, the constabulary hastily concluded they were all the work of Edalji’s deranged, attention-seeking mind. Although Edalji has already served his sentence in full, he still seeks to clear his name, so he can once again pursue a legal career. Doyle is immediately convinced of the man’s innocence, but his Watsonish personal secretary Alfred Wood is not so sure. Unfortunately, Edalji’s squirrely behavior seems to justify his skepticism.

Martin Clunes is absolutely perfect as Doyle. He is blustery and larger than life, but in a way that suggests confidence and joie de vivre rather than the bumbling shtick of a Bertie Wooster. We can believe he created Holmes and is capable of conducting his own investigations. He also shares some rather earnest and engaging romantically-complicated chemistry with Hattie Morahan’s Leckie. In fact, their relationship subplot is not the empty dead weight you might expect. As Edalji, Arsher Ali is all kinds of awkward and standoffish, contrasting with his sociable benefactor quite effectively.

Veteran television director Stuart Orme realizes several impressively atmospheric sequences and maintains a healthy energy level, but it is a little embarrassing how long it takes Doyle to figure out who really did it, despite said villain’s compulsively suspicious behavior. Nonetheless, watching him apply his Sherlockian principles in practice is good clean fun. The three-part series is a reliably classy period piece with enough social conscience to give it some edge, but not so much that it gets preachy. Recommended for fans of all things Holmesian and Clunes (from Doc Watson), Masterpiece’s Arthur & George airs over the next three Sundays (9/6-9/20) on most PBS stations.

How Sherlock Changed the World: The Literary Godfather of All CSIs

We think of Sherlock Holmes stories as classic mysteries, but they were practically science fiction when they were first released.  Such was the state of forensic science at the time—it simply did not exist.  Various forensic fans pay their respects to the consulting detective in the two-part, one-night special How Sherlock Changed the World (trailer here), which premieres this Tuesday on most PBS stations nationwide.

The first Holmes story came out during the Jack the Ripper investigation, when most of London had concluded most of the city’s coppers were just a pack of dumb thugs—and not without justification.  Crime scenes were not preserved and nobody bothered to give them the once-over for telling information.  Instead, it was round-up the usuals and beat out a confession—a strategy doomed to fail with a serial killer.

The fact that the fictional Holmes served as a catalyst for smarter investigative techniques makes perfect sense, considering how science fiction has always inspired technological breakthroughs.  In the early segments, producer-director Paul Bernays and his expert witnesses make a strong case for Sherlock’s influence on the pioneers of forensic investigation, particularly Edmond Locard, a French Holmes fan who assembled the first legitimate crime lab in 1910.

Eventually, HSCTW settles into a familiar pattern, introducing an investigative avenue prefigured in Doyle’s stories (like toxicology, ballistics, and hair and fiber analysis) and then demonstrating real world applications from the case files of its talking heads, including the sometimes controversial Dr. Henry Lee, probably best known for his work on the notorious “Woodchipper Murder.” Initially a bit of a revelation, the Sherlock tribute largely becomes reasonably diverting comfort viewing for true crime fans.

Obviously, HSCTW was shrewdly programmed to stoke viewer enthusiasm for the upcoming third season of PBS’s Sherlock.  We do indeed see clips from the Cumberbatch show, but most of the points are illustrated with original recreations of Holmes at work.  Granted, clearances can be tricky, but the HSCTW cast lacks the distinctive presence of the many classic screen Holmeses, such as Basil Rathbone, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Jeremy Brett, Patrick Macnee, Tom Baker, Christopher Plummer, or even Ronald Howard.

HSCTW is television viewers can safely dip in and out of.  Nonetheless, it makes a compelling case on behalf of the contributions made to criminal justice by Holmes, as well as his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle.  In fact, it leads one to believe Doyle’s stock is rather undervalued given his post-Sherlock endeavors.  While it has a fair amount of filler, How Sherlock Changed the World also provides some intriguing cultural history.  Recommended as a pleasant distraction for Holmes and CSI fans eagerly anticipating the new season of Sherlock, it airs this Tuesday (12/17) on most PBS affiliates nationwide.

The Contemporary Sherlock Returns

At the end of the first season of Masterpiece’s Sherlock Holmes reboot, the consulting detective came face-to-face with his arch-nemesis, consulting criminal Jim Moriarty.  Now it is time to introduce the femme fatale.  After getting a reprieve from the cliffhanger ending season one, Holmes meets the incomparable Irene Adler in A Scandal in Belgravia, the first of three new episodes making up Sherlock season two, which premieres this Sunday on PBS’s Masterpiece Mystery (promo here).

Rest assured, Moriarty is not done with Holmes.  For the time being though, Holmes is free to solve some very high profile cases, including the recovery of a painting stolen from the American ambassador, titled the Reichenbach Falls.  This will be significant later in season two.  For now, it raises Holmes stature to such a point, the British government requests the detective’s help recovering some sensitive photos of a Royal from the cell phone of dominatrix Adler.  As Homes fans know, this is no ordinary scandalous woman.  Holmes himself has no idea what to make of her, partly because she receives the sleuth in the nude, thereby robbing his keen powers of observation of any details to form deductions from.

Right, where were we? Something about Public Broadcasting?  While always shot from discrete angles, Belgravia is pretty HBO for PBS.  Each previous episode has modernized the Doyle stories in clever ways, but the season two opener takes it to a new level.  As Adler, Lara Pulver is the guest star to beat all guest stars.  Her chemistry with the new Holmes, Benedict Cumberbatch, is appropriately weird but hot.  Frankly, the re-conception of The Hound of the Baskervilles (as The Hounds of Baskerville), which many fans have probably been eagerly anticipating, is something of a let-down by comparison.

In S2E2, there indeed appears to be a hound haunting the moors, but it seems to involve a shadowy government research lab.  Compounding the disappointing clichés, the CIA factors somewhat vaguely in the skullduggery.  On the plus side, a vegan restaurant also seems to be up to no good.  Mostly importantly, it gives Rupert Graves a bit of an opportunity to develop his Inspector Lestrade.  Not a bumbling plodder in the Dennis Hoey-Eddie Marsan tradition, he is a reasonably smart and charismatic fellow.  In fact, Holmes might actually sort of-kind of like the Scotland Yard man, at least as much as he can like anyone who is not Watson or Adler.

As it began, season two ends with one of the series’ best episodes overall.  Making good on his promises, Moriarty returns to wreck havoc on Holmes.  Not content to simply kill his rival, the super-villain sets in motion an elaborate plan to thoroughly discredit the detective first.  The resulting affair takes Holmes to some very dark places—like Luther levels of psychological angst.

Season two is about as cinematic as episodic television gets, particularly Belgravia and Reichenbach, helmed by Paul McGuigan and Toby Haynes, respectively.  Smartly written, the series not only performs a shrewd alchemy on the original Doyle stories, it also plays off the themes of the Billy Wilder’s non-canonical The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes.  Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman’s Watson have plenty of amusing bickering banter, but the way they portray the deepening of the 221B residents friendship is one of the most appealing developments of the show.  Surpassing the first outing, the second season of Sherlock is quite highly recommended, even for casual mystery fans, when it starts this Sunday (5/6) and continuing over the following two weeks (5/13, and 5/20) on most PBS outlets.

The New Sherlock

So many distinctive actors have already played Sherlock Holmes, including the likes of Basil Rathbone, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and Robert Downing, Jr., mystery fans are predisposed to give each new taker a fair crack at the role. Benedict Cumberbatch has an advantage not available to most prospective Holmeses, recreating the role in a modern context. Indeed, he brings the Holmes attitude in spades for the BBC’s Twenty-First Century reboot Sherlock (trailer here), which debuts for American audiences this Sunday on PBS’s Masterpiece Mystery.

Recently returned from his tour of duty in Afghanistan, Dr. John Watson is at loose ends. In need of a job and flat, he accepts a share with a rather eccentric gent with a high opinion of himself. You already know the name and the address. Holmes is still a consulting detective who delights in showing up the long-suffering Detective Inspector Lestrade. However, in today’s London, Holmes’ notoriety spreads via his website rather than the Strand magazine.

The three episode run begins with this Sunday the getting-to-know-you mystery of A Study in Pink. A rash of seemingly unconnected suicides is sweeping London, leaving the police baffled, not even convinced there is a crime to investigate. Of course, Holmes knows better, as he makes clear to the coppers in embarrassing public forums. Supposedly recovering from post-traumatic stress, Dr. Watson is only too willing to jump into the fray with his high-handed roommate, despite the efforts of a shadowy government official to warn him off.

Frankly, the mystery of Pink is weakest of the series, borrowing elements from an old Law & Order episode. However, it sets up the meta-storyline quite effectively, including a tantalizing hint of a malevolent criminal mastermind lurking on the fringes of the action. Indeed, one of the strengths of Sherlock is the manner in which it integrates the Moriarty mythos into the narrative.

Probably Sherlock’s most intriguing case comes in The Blind Banker, combining a modern twist on the locked room mystery with old school ciphers, and the Victorian preoccupation with triads and tongs. Guest star Gemma Chan also makes a strong impression as Soo Lin Yao, an expert in Asian antiquities who most likely holds the key to the mystery, but has gone into hiding for understandable reasons.

In the concluding The Great Game Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman really hit their stride as Holmes and Watson. Their friendship starts to deepen organically, while the stakes increase as Holmes’ shadowy nemesis finally starts to show his hand. There is not much time to chew on the intrigue though as the two race around London solving a diverse series of crimes—a speed sleuthing challenge, if you will.

Picking up considerable momentum as it goes along, Sherlock leaves viewers knowing there will be more to come. Overall, it is a well crafted mystery series, with feature director Patrick McGuigan (Lucky Number Slevin) slickly helming Pink and Game. Cumberbatch is convincingly arrogant in an appropriately entertaining way, while Freeman projects the right salt of the earth decency as Watson, without coming across as a Nigel Bruce bumbler. By and large, the modernization is also smartly realized, making Holmes a creature of texting and the internet just barely on the right side of creepy. However, it just does not sound right to hear him say the “game is on.” Highly entertaining, Sherlock premieres on Masterpiece Mystery this coming Sunday (10/24), continuing on the next two successive Sundays on most PBS outlets nationwide.

Planet Connections: Hound

In Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories, Sherlock Holmes is always well served by his famous mantra: “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.” Yet a grieving Dr. Watson might not want to eliminate the impossible in Hound, John Patrick Bray’s revision of the Hound of the Baskervilles, now playing at the Robert Moss Theater as part of the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity.

Following the outline of Doyle’s original, the eccentric Dr. Mortimer has sought the aid of Sherlock Holmes following the mysterious death of Sir Hugo Baskerville, apparently the result of an ancient family curse. However, the doctor is now a woman with quite a burlesque sense of fashion and a cranial fetish.

The good Dr. Watson is not his usual sidekick self either. As Hound opens, he is in an uncharacteristically metaphysical state of mind, questioning why Holmes, the skeptical rationalist, seemingly rose from the dead after the incident at Reichenbach Falls, while his wife’s death from a prolonged illness is irrevocable. He also seems to have an uncanny Dr. Doolittle ability to talk to dogs, which is going to be useful on this case.

As Holmes, Ryan Knowles (on the night of 6/20) is the embodiment of erudite arrogance. Physically, he brings to mind David Bowie in the role of the famous sleuth, which would actually be pretty good casting. However, this Baskerville case belongs to Dr. Watson, one of the most unfairly belittled characters in mystery fiction. Cavan Hallman fully fleshes him out, conveying his grief, intelligence, and humanity.

Bray’s clever script follows the storyline of Baskerville surprisingly faithfully, yet leads to very different outcomes for its cast of characters at each turn. His philosophical themes are quite intriguing, successfully adding another layer to the familiar Hell Hound tale. While some of the surreal monologues, like those exploring the identity of the largely overlooked housekeeper Mrs. Hudson, take the audience a bit too far out of the story, the strong stage presence of Hound’s Holmes and Watson always reasserts the show’s momentum.

Following her recent production of Go-Go Killers, director Rachel Klein again shows a flair for genre theater, staging Hound in the style of a Victorian vaudeville, complete with title cards for each change of scene, which is not inappropriate to the story. It is an often bizarre but thoughtful take on Baskerville case, which should entertain both casual and diehard Holmes aficionados. Hound runs through Thursday (6/25), with its proceeds going to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network).