Sunday Snippets: A very surprising Sherlock Holmes!

I know everyone is talking about Downton Abbey on PBS but my son suggested I might enjoy the British series Sherlock instead. Currently Netflix has the first 3 episodes available on instant streaming so Mark and I checked it out. Episodes are also scheduled to air today, as well as January 29th.
WOW! Bloody brilliant. Dead brilliant. Smashing.  Benedict Cumberbatch (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) is Sherlock Holmes in this fresh, funny and contemporary adaptation. Martin Freeman - he was Tim in the original British series The Office, Arthur Dent in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and is Bilbo in the upcoming Hobbit films- is Dr. John Watson. He's newly returned from serving in Afghanistan and has a 'psychosomatic' limp. The chemistry between the two characters is sparkling; Holmes is the self-obsessed mad genius; Watson is the solid, sensible sidekick. While constantly irritated by Holmes complete desregard for anyone and everything, Watson is blown away by Holme's mad skills...as are we.
It is just delightful how they've updated the original; while Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Dr. Watson wrote up Holme's adventures in The Gazette, this Watson has a blog. Where Holmes would say "Elementary, my dear Watson" and indulge in a pipe to help him think, this Holmes says "Obviously" and calls Watson, John, and wears 3 nicotine patches at a time. Cell phones, text messages, gps all figure largely and they all work. Watch the first episode A Study in Pink (the original was A Study in Scarlet). It had us grinning ear to ear.
We own several collections of Sherlock Holme's stories; Mark, my resident Conan Doyle expert thought this televised version were the best screen adapatations he'd ever seen. I've seen plenty myself and have to agree. The music is amazing. The production design is as well; you can't miss the outstanding wallpaper! The trailer should give you an idea but really watch an episode and you'll be hooked. Have you seen it? Do you love it too?

Don't forget to enter my Giveway contest to win a free ONE FOR THE MONEY book. Katherine Heigl is Stephanie Plum in the film version coming out on the 27th of this month.