Sherlock (TV series)

The BBC's present-day Holmes with Benedict Cumberbatch.

Sherlock is a British mystery crime drama television series based on Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss and set in the present day.

Quick Facts

Genre

Crime
Mystery
Comedy drama

Creator

Mark Gatiss; Steven Moffat

Based on

Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Writer

Mark Gatiss
Steven Moffat
Stephen Thompson

Starring

Benedict Cumberbatch; Martin Freeman

Composer

David Arnold; Michael Price

Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Facts from the source article.

Background

Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson. Thirteen episodes were made, in four three-part series broadcast from 2010 to 2017, plus a special shown on 1 January 2016 that is a Victorian-period fantasy resembling the original stories.

Holmes, a consulting detective, solves mysteries in modern-day London with the help of his flatmate Watson, back from military service in Afghanistan, whose blog makes Holmes a reluctant celebrity. His archenemy Jim Moriarty, played by Andrew Scott, is a recurring feature; Louise Brealey plays the pathologist Molly Hooper, Una Stubbs plays the landlady Mrs Hudson, Mark Gatiss plays Holmes's elder brother Mycroft, and Rupert Graves plays Inspector Lestrade.

The BBC produced the series with Hartswood Films, and it was filmed mainly in Cardiff, with North Gower Street in London used for the exterior of 221B Baker Street. In the United States it aired on the PBS anthology series Masterpiece.

The first three series were praised for their writing, acting and directing, though the final series had a mixed reception. The show won three categories at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Lead Actor for Cumberbatch, received a Peabody Award in 2011, and has been sold to 180 territories.