Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is famously known to have said “If in 100 years I am only known as the man who invented Sherlock Holmes then I will have considered my life a failure.” In honour of his birthday on May 22nd, we present to you (with some guilt) some of the lesser known on-screen adaptations centred around his most famous creation, Sherlock Holmes.
Sherlock Hound
This is an Italian-Japanese animated series which depicts all the Holmesian characters as anthropomorphic dogs. It also ties in elements of sci-fi and fantasy, making it a real visual treat. Studio Ghibli fans will be interested to know that Hayao Miyazaki helped direct the episodes.
Miss Sherlock
Here’s another Japanese adaptation, though this one is live-action. This is a dynamic television series which introduces the famous detective as a woman. Miss Sherlock is a well-written show that simply and poignantly explores the character of Sherlock, as well as her relationship with her partner-in-solving-crime, Dr Wato.
Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century
A British-American television series in which Sherlock Holmes’ preserved body is regenerated in 22nd century New London. Holmes once again has to fight Moriarty, a clone of his original nemesis. The detective is, of course, accompanied by Dr John Watson, an android which assumes the original Watson’s personality after having read his journals (slightly creepy, but it is the 22nd century).
The Great Mouse Detective
Perhaps Doyle might be not be so irritated by Holmes’ popularity if he knew how many animated adaptations there were going to be of his detective stories? We can only speculate. But there’s something to be said for the soothing effects of animation, especially 2D animation, and it is abundantly clear with this film. This movie brings a rollicking adventure, beautifully comforting visuals, and a very campy Moriarty character voiced by none other than Vincent Price.
By Faustina Paustin