1 June 2011, Singapore – Three-part British mini-series SHERLOCK will be premiering 6 June 2011, airing Mondays at 9.50pm first and exclusively on AXN Beyond (StarHub TV channel 525). Each thrilling, scary and action-packed episode will be packed into 90 minutes and is co-created by Steven Moffat of Coupling and Mark Gatis of The League of Gentlemen who were behind Doctor Who, and produced by Sue Vertue of Coupling and The Cup.
Originally set in the late 19th century London by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holme’s astute logical reasoning and unyielding faith in forensic science was meant for today’s CSI generation. With his famous war veteran physician sidekick, Dr. John Watson, the legendary duo now solves crime in 2010 London, while keeping to it’s iconic details of the original literature intact.
The young dashing Benedict Cumberbatch from Hawking and Amazing Grace plays Sherlock Holmes who sheds refreshing new light upon the sleuth extraordinaire. Sherlock lives up to his genius reputation in the contemporary world as he can tell a software designer by his tie and an airline pilot by his thumb, while still possessing the unique analytical mind unlike anyone and staves off boredom by solving crimes.
His trusty doctor partner John Watson has been invalided home due to an injury suffering fighting in the still-ongoing Afghanistan war and is played by Martin Freeman of Love Actually and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy. John is dependable and a capable man of action. He brings out the best in Holmes, a self-confessed ‘high-functioning sociopath’.
Modern necessities of the modern world can be seen in the series. While still staying at 221B Baker Street, Sherlock’s pipe now takes the form of multiple nicotine patches for a tough case requiring intense concentration. Sherlock embraces today’s technology from mobile phones, GPS tracking, the internet to forensic analysis.
In the premiering episode, ‘A Study in Pink‘ – a nod to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘A Study in Scarlet’ sees a woman in pink, the fourth victim of a serial killer, murdered in an abandoned house. Inspector Lestrade (Rupert Graves from The Forsyte Saga), the best Scotland Yard has got, knows only one man who can help….
I got to preview the first episode, and nothing could pry me away from it. You could literally see through the way Sherlock thinks in the show with clever theatrics and effects. I am definitely looking forward to watching the next two episodes…
Here’s an interview with Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes)
Q: Why is Holmes such a popular figure right around the globe?
A: He’s such an iconic character. He’s been loved worldwide for the last 120 years. There is something very peculiar and eccentric about him that makes him essentially English and absolutely universal at the same time. He is the most filmed character of all time. It’s a lot to live up to. No pressure, then!
Q: Did you worry to begin with that the idea of transposing Sherlock Holmes from the Victorian era to the modern day might not work?
A: Yes. At first, I thought, ‘Do we need this idea?’ But as soon I read it, I realised we really do need it. It’s too good not to be needed!
Q: Is this a Sherlock for the cyber-age?
A: Absolutely. This Sherlock has ditched the deerstalker and the pipe! It’s not about top hats. It’s about being faithful to the spirit of the books. We want to bring Sherlock out of the fog. This is about honouring what cannot be bettered and expanding on that.
Q: What else is modern about this Sherlock?
A: He’s appealingly flawed. He‘s not some chiselled alpha male who always gets the girl. He comes with a whole load of issues. He’s a misfit who is always hacking people off. He’s an addictive, obsessive personality and the springboard for all the modern detectives with their drink and drug problems. But that’s good – it makes him more three-dimensional. He needs an Achilles heel or else there’s no humanity to him. He can’t be infallible.
Q: Sherlock is also a bit of an action hero in this series. He is more Rambo than Rimbaud, isn’t he?
A: Completely. There’s no Health and Safety about this man! As Sherlock, I’ve been shooting at people, rolling across car bonnets, kicking over barrels of burning oil, and been blown up. I’m normally cast as wan, ethereal, troubled intellectuals and bad lovers. So I’ve loved playing the action hero here!
Q: This series emphasises the closeness of the friendship between Holmes and Watson. So would you describe it as a “bromance”?
A: I don’t know about that – I don’t think it is that ‘rom-com’! [He laughs]. But Sherlock and John are co-dependent. Holmes needs Watson to ground him, and Watson needs Holmes to give him a sense of adventure.
Q: Can you expand on their relationship?
A: There’s great affection between them. One word sums it up: camaraderie. It’s hard-won and it’s not sentimental, but an intimacy grows out of what happens to them in the drama, and by the end they’re completely joined at the hip. Of course, the idea of two young men flat-sharing raises certain questions, which get addressed quite frequently in the series!
Q: Were you at all nervous about being in the shadow of the many great performances of Sherlock in the past – viz, Basil Rathbone, Jeremy Brett, etc?
A: No, I wasn’t intimidated by them. This version is so well thought-out that I didn’t feel scared by comparisons with past Sherlocks. It’s true that it can be hard at times. When you say ‘Watson’ or pick up a magnifying glass for the first time, you feel the weight of 120 years of history. But I feel liberated because I’ve been given a completely blank canvas.
Q: Tell us more.
A: This character is not a re-generation or someone who was Holmes in a previous generation. It’s a completely fresh character. Also, the fact that this is a modern interpretation gets me off the hook. This is very far away from the Victorian Holmes, while retaining the verve of the novels. Despite the very different setting, this is still extremely loyal to the soul of the original.
Q: The detective has an extremely dedicated and vociferous following. Are you concerned that this version by Steven Moffat (Doctor Who) and Mark Gatiss (The League of Gentlemen) might affront the aficionados?
A: No, I’m not worried about the fans’ reaction. I hope we’ve done enough to please the purists, but I’m not going to lose sleep over it. We’re in very good hands with Steven and Mark, two people who are passionate and obsessed with Holmes. Their modernisation absolutely fits with the Holmes of old. They have done a remarkable job in being both faithful to Conan Doyle and utterly fresh and witty.
Q: What would you say to fans apprehensive about what you might be doing with their hero?
A: If people can’t bear to look at Sherlock without his deer-stalker and pipe and raised eyebrow and slicked-back hair, then this is not for them. But this is about the essence of Holmes. In whatever context he finds himself, he’s always going to be an outsider – and that very much translates to the present day.
Q: This Sherlock also dabbles a bit in drugs, doesn’t he?
A: Occasionally. There’s no point ignoring that he’s an addictive, obsessive personality. Unlike Morse or Wallander or Lestrade, he doesn’t drink, but he needs something else to stimulate him when he’s not being excited. People fetish-ise his drug-taking, but he only ever does it to stop himself being bored.
Q: You also played a genius in the acclaimed BBC film, Hawking. What is the appeal of such parts?
A: Who do I play geniuses? You tell me! When I’m away from the set, I feel like a Neanderthal! Maybe it’s because I’m strange-looking!
Q: Finally. Sherlock is co-created by Steven Moffat, the show-runner on Doctor Who, and both shows are filmed at the same studios in Cardiff. Are there any likenesses between the characters of Doctor Who and Sherlock?
A: Matt Smith [the current Doctor Who] is a really good friend of mine, and we sometimes bump into each other at the studio. ‘Sherlock!’ ‘Who!’ But there is no real similarity between the characters. Sherlock lives in the real world. He’s flesh and blood, not a 900-year-old alien. Above all, Sherlock can’t use a sonic screwdriver or time-travel to solve crimes!
Related articles
- Restore Living – Furniture and Great Desserts (superadrianme.com)
- Kylie Aphrodite Live 2011 World Tour comes to Singapore (superadrianme.com)
- Hawaii Five-0 Premieres on AXN 11 April 2011 (superadrianme.com)
- Microsoft Surface Demo on Samsung SUR40 – Touchscreen Evolution (superadrianme.com)
- Microsoft Hosts David Coulthard Meet and Greet Session (superadrianme.com)
Pingback: Men's Fashion Week Singapore Returns To Marina Bay Sands | SUPERADRIANME