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123-438: " The Blind Banker " is the second episode of the television series Sherlock , first broadcast on BBC One and BBC HD on 1 August 2010. It was written by Stephen Thompson and directed by Euros Lyn . Sherlock is a loose adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle 's Sherlock Holmes stories, set in the modern day. "The Blind Banker" follows Sherlock ( Benedict Cumberbatch ) and John Watson ( Martin Freeman ) as they investigate
246-505: A flatshare at Baker Street in London, and then their investigation into a series of deaths, initially believed to be suicides. Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's older brother, played by Mark Gatiss , also appears for the first time. The episode was first broadcast simultaneously on BBC One and BBC HD on 25 July 2010. The second episode, " The Blind Banker ", was first broadcast on 1 August 2010. Written by Stephen Thompson and directed by Euros Lyn,
369-605: A locked room accessible only by climbing might be an allusion to The Sign of the Four . "The Blind Banker" aired on BBC One on 1 August 2010. Overnight figures showed that the episode had been watched by 6.442 million viewers on BBC One, a 25.6% audience share, while 210,000 watched on BBC HD an hour later. Final consolidated figures rose to 8.07 million, with both BBC One and BBC HD taken into account. The episode received mixed to positive reviews from television critics. Sam Wollaston of The Guardian thought that "The Blind Banker"
492-406: A "moral compass" for Sherlock, who does not always consider the morality and ethics of his actions. Rupert Graves was cast as DI Greg Lestrade. The writers referred to the character as "Inspector Lestrade" during development until Gatiss realised that in contemporary England the character would have the title "Detective Inspector". Moffat and Gatiss pointed out that Lestrade does not appear often in
615-512: A "secret fourth episode", and the television mini-series Apple Tree Yard was a cover for this. The rumour was proven to be false, leading to some controversy within the fandom. The incident would be referenced in the WARS Trading Card Game tie-in series Academy 27 , where the short story Apple Tree Yard references the theory. In January 2014, Moffat stated that a fifth series had been plotted by himself and Gatiss; however, by
738-497: A "terrifying" villain who was introduced as an unnamed villain in episode one. Mary Morstan and Sherlock Holmes both break into Magnussen's office, where, having surprised each other, Mary shoots Sherlock. Later, Holmes deduces that Mary was formerly a secret agent , and reveals this to Watson. Holmes and Watson try to get Magnussen arrested, but their attempt fails, and Holmes shoots Magnussen to stop him from blackmailing Mary Watson. Mycroft arranges that Sherlock will be exiled from
861-447: A 2020 paper that: "The tropes of unassimilable otherness and unfathomable mystery are repackaged into a London Chinatown which is explicitly Orientalist," referring to both the series as a whole and this episode directly. Sherlock (TV series) Sherlock is a British mystery crime drama television series based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 's Sherlock Holmes detective stories. Created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss ,
984-493: A central theme and character" for the series, then found what was "going to be the defining sound of this show". Pieces were often constructed using synthesisers , but the tracks used for the show were recorded using real musicians, Arnold says, to bring the music "to life". Similarly, Price comments that the musicians can adapt their performance of a score by responding to footage from the show. Four series, each consisting of three episodes, have been produced. The first series
1107-426: A cliffhanger and then the thematic things of the three stories, where we were trying to get to and what Sherlock and John's relationship is a little further on. You can't just go back to: 'You have no emotions.' 'I don't care.' You've got to move on somewhere and make sure the other characters have something of a journey too." Paul McGuigan directed the first two episodes, and Doctor Who director Toby Haynes handled
1230-505: A cliffhanger in which Sherlock and Moriarty reach a standoff involving a bomb attached to a vest removed moments earlier from Watson. After the high ratings for "A Study in Pink", the BBC was reportedly eager to produce more episodes. On 10 August 2010, it was confirmed that Sherlock had been renewed for a second series. At the 2011 convention, Gatiss confirmed which stories would be adapted, and that
1353-564: A confrontation between Moriarty and Holmes into these three episodes, but after seeing Scott's audition they realised that they "just had to do a confrontation scene. We had to do a version of the scene in ' The Final Problem ' in which the two archenemies meet each other." The remainder of the regular cast includes Una Stubbs (who has known Cumberbatch since he was four years old, as she had worked with his mother Wanda Ventham ) as Mrs Hudson and co-creator Mark Gatiss as Mycroft Holmes. Vinette Robinson , Jonathan Aris and Louise Brealey play
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#17328510198471476-650: A direct appearance. Holmes mentions Moriarty in five other stories: " The Adventure of the Empty House ", " The Adventure of the Norwood Builder ", " The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter ", " The Adventure of the Illustrious Client ", and " His Last Bow ". Moriarty is a criminal mastermind who uses his intelligence and resources to provide criminals with crime strategies and sometimes protection from
1599-520: A famous paper on the dynamics of an asteroid in his early 20s, and was appointed to a chair partly on the strength of this result. Srinivasa Ramanujan wrote about generalisations of the binomial theorem, and earned a reputation as a genius by writing articles that confounded the best extant mathematicians. Gauss's story was well known in Doyle's time, and Ramanujan's story unfolded at Cambridge from early 1913 to mid 1914; The Valley of Fear , which contains
1722-585: A formidable enemy for the author's fictional detective Sherlock Holmes . He was created primarily as a device by which Doyle could kill Holmes and end the hero's stories. Professor Moriarty first appears in the short story " The Adventure of the Final Problem ", first published in The Strand Magazine in December 1893. He also plays a role in the final Sherlock Holmes novel The Valley of Fear , but without
1845-436: A great charge you get from playing him, because of the volume of words in your head and the speed of thought—you really have to make your connections incredibly fast. He is one step ahead of the audience and of anyone around him with normal intellect. They can't quite fathom where his leaps are taking him." Piers Wenger , head of drama at BBC Cymru Wales , described the series's rendering of Sherlock as "a dynamic superhero in
1968-405: A greater responsibility to include familiar elements of the story than he does when adapting the lesser-known stories. Russell Tovey appeared as Henry Knight, a man whose father was ripped apart by a gigantic hound on Dartmoor 20 years earlier. Directed by McGuigan, the episode was first broadcast on 8 January 2012. The second series concluded with " The Reichenbach Fall ". Steve Thompson wrote
2091-411: A lecture". Moffat turned the character "more Victorian" in the second series, capitalising more on Cumberbatch's "beautiful voice" to make it sound like "he's giving a lecture". In an interview with The Observer , co-creator Mark Gatiss says that they experienced more difficulty finding the right actor to play Dr John Watson than they had for the title character. Producer Sue Vertue said, "Benedict
2214-481: A look behind the scenes at how the special episode was made featuring all the lead cast and crew. By October 2013, a fourth series was commissioned, with scripts planned. Moffat told The Telegraph in January 2014, "we're all keen to continue", but said it had been difficult to co-ordinate the lead actors' schedules. Filming began on 4 April 2016 at Pinewood Studio Wales , and lasted until 5 August. In May 2016 it
2337-426: A man who now describes himself as 'a high-functioning sociopath '." The Guardian says that Cumberbatch "has a reputation for playing odd, brilliant men very well, and his Holmes is cold, techie, slightly Aspergerish ". Following the second series's opening episode, Sarah Crompton, for The Telegraph , asserts that "Cumberbatch is utterly credible as a man who lives entirely in his cerebellum with little regard for
2460-413: A modern twist: narrow-leg trousers and a two-button, slim-cut jacket. I also went for slim-cut shirts and a sweeping coat for all the action scenes—it looks great against the London skyline." The writers say that they did not want to force modernity onto the story. There were some creative challenges, such as the decision to include the sign "221B" on Holmes's front door. Gatiss and Moffat reflect that in
2583-451: A modern world, an arrogant, genius sleuth driven by a desire to prove himself cleverer than the perpetrator and the police—everyone in fact". Addressing changing social attitudes and broadcasting regulations, Cumberbatch's Holmes replaced the pipe with multiple nicotine patches . The writers believed that Sherlock should not talk like "a completely modern person", says Moffat, but were initially intent that "he never sounded like he's giving
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#17328510198472706-415: A much respected work titled The Dynamics of an Asteroid . After he becomes the subject of unspecified "dark rumours" in the university town, he is compelled to resign his teaching post and leave the area. He moves to London, where he establishes himself as an "army coach", a private tutor to officers preparing for exams. He becomes a consulting criminal mastermind for various London gangs and criminals (it
2829-424: A murder. A policeman who interviewed Moriarty tells Holmes that the professor has a painting by Jean-Baptiste Greuze hanging on his office wall. Learning this, Holmes mentions the great value of another painting by the same artist, pointing out such works could not have been purchased on a university professor's salary. The work referred to is La jeune fille à l'agneau ; which some commentators have described as
2952-426: A prequel to the third series. The synopsis for the episode reads, "Sherlock has been gone for two years. But someone isn't quite convinced that he's dead." The 'someone' turns out to be Anderson , the forensics technician from series one and two, who has lost his job due to his obsessive conviction that Sherlock still lives. He had a long-standing mistrust of Sherlock, yet is one of the few people who believe Sherlock
3075-402: A primary psychopath according to Business Insider , thereby allowing more opportunity or ambiguity for traits of empathy. According to Screen Rant and a PhD thesis from De Montfort University , Cumberbatch's Sherlock is more anti-social and cruel to people around him compared to Doyle's character, which makes him more disliked by policemen who use his services. Cumberbatch said, "There's
3198-577: A pun by Doyle on a famous Thomas Gainsborough painting, the Portrait of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire , which was taken from the Thomas Agnew and Sons art gallery. The gallery believed Adam Worth (the criminal who helped inspire Doyle to create Moriarty) was responsible, but was unable to prove the claim. Holmes mentions Moriarty in five other stories: " The Adventure of the Empty House " (the immediate sequel to "The Final Problem"), " The Adventure of
3321-782: A reluctant celebrity with the press reporting on his cases and eccentric personal life. Both ordinary people and the British government ask for his help. Although the series depicts a variety of crimes and perpetrators, Holmes's conflict with his archenemy Jim Moriarty ( Andrew Scott ) is a recurring feature. Molly Hooper ( Louise Brealey ), a pathologist at Barts Hospital , occasionally assists Holmes in his cases. Other recurring roles include Una Stubbs as Mrs Hudson , Holmes and Watson's landlady, and series co-creator Mark Gatiss as Holmes's elder brother Mycroft . Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Sherlock Holmes fans with experience of adapting or using Victorian literature for television, devised
3444-470: A score of 88/100, based on 22 reviews. The first series holds a 93% rating at critical aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes , the second holds a 94% rating, and the third series has a 91% approval rating. The fourth series holds a rating of 56%. The first episode rated highly on the Appreciation Index . The Observer said the show was "a cross between Withnail and I and The Bourne Ultimatum , there
3567-521: A series of Sherlock was commissioned, Gatiss would take over the duties of executive producer so that Moffat could concentrate on producing Doctor Who . Moffat and Vertue became interested in casting Cumberbatch as the title character after watching his performance in the 2007 film Atonement . The actor was cast after reading the script for the creative team. The part is modelled as a charismatic secondary psychopath or "High functioning sociopath" as Sherlock self-describes, unlike Doyle's rendering as
3690-423: A series of ciphers representing numbers in an ancient Chinese numeral system which have been left by a Chinese smuggling ring who are intent to kill to retrieve an item one of them stole. It attracted 8.07 million viewers on BBC One and BBC HD. Critical reception was generally positive, though some reviewers felt it was inferior to the first episode. The episode was also criticised for its orientalist clichés. At
3813-565: A similar fashion. For this reason, the later novel The Valley of Fear features Moriarty as an active villain but is specified to take place before the events of "The Final Problem". As established in Doyle's canon, Moriarty first gains recognition at the age of 21 for writing " a treatise upon the Binomial Theorem ", which leads to his being awarded the Mathematical Chair at one of England's smaller universities. Moriarty later authors
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3936-428: A single, vast, and subtle criminal organisation. After investigation, he has uncovered Professor Moriarty as a mastermind who provides strategy and protection to criminals in exchange for obedience and a share in their profits. Moriarty realizes Holmes is aware of his operation and confronts him in person, threatening death if Holmes interferes any further. Holmes describes Moriarty's physical appearance to Watson, saying
4059-523: A special episode broadcast between the third and fourth series. Filming began on 5 January 2015 and wrapped on 10 February 2015. Moffat confirmed the episode is set in Victorian London, saying, "The special is its own thing. We wouldn't have done the story we're doing, and the way we're doing it, if we didn't have this special. It's not part of the run of three episodes. So we had this to do it … It's kind of in its own little bubble." In October 2015,
4182-527: A speeding horse-drawn vehicle . He is also responsible for stage-managing the death of Birdy Edwards, making it appear the man was lost overboard while sailing to South Africa. Moriarty is highly ruthless, shown by his steadfast vow to Sherlock Holmes that "if you are clever enough to bring destruction upon me, rest assured that I shall do as much to you". Moriarty is categorised by Holmes as an extremely powerful criminal mastermind adept at committing any atrocity to perfection without losing any sleep over it. It
4305-435: A strong female character into the mix — only to be wasted on damsel-in-distress duties. We can only hope creator Steven Moffat will bring her back for the second run". IGN 's Chris Tilly rated the episode 7 out of 10, describing it as "a lacklustre effort that fails to do justice to that smart and sophisticated start". He praised Lyn's directing and the character developments, especially of Watson, but Lestrade did not appear and
4428-465: A tongue-in-cheek article in 1989 in which he assesses Moriarty's contributions to mathematics and gives a detailed description of Moriarty's background, including a statement that Moriarty was born in Ireland (an idea based on the fact that the surname is Irish in origin). The 2005 pastiche novel Sherlock Holmes: The Unauthorized Biography also reports that Moriarty was born in Ireland, and states that he
4551-410: A weapon later used by the professor's employee/acolyte Colonel Moran . It closely resembles a cane, allows easy concealment, is capable of firing revolver bullets at long range, and makes very little noise when fired, making it ideal for criminal sniping . Moriarty also has a marked preference for organising lethal "accidents" to befall his targets. His attempts to kill Holmes include falling masonry and
4674-419: Is "never a completely shut door" and noted his interest in returning to the programme should the material be of sufficient quality. The show received critical acclaim: the first three series each received positive reviews, while the fourth has received mixed reviews. Series one holds a Metacritic score of 85/100, based on 17 reviews, and series two scored 91/100, based on 24 reviews, while series three holds
4797-425: Is alive, and is seen throughout the episode trying to convince Lestrade. Anderson tracks him via various mysterious events, from Tibet to New Delhi to Germany, in which Sherlock seems to be involved and points out that the incidents are getting progressively closer to London. After the end of the final episode of the second series, Moffat and Gatiss both announced on Twitter that a third series had been commissioned at
4920-418: Is also a hint of Doctor Who about the drama; hardly surprising, since it has been written and created by Doctor Who writers Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat." The Guardian ' s Dan Martin said, "It's early days, but the first of three 90-minute movies, 'A Study in Pink', is brilliantly promising. It has the finesse of Spooks but is indisputably Sherlock Holmes. The deduction sequences are ingenious, and
5043-512: Is an ancient Irish name as is Moran , the surname of Moriarty's henchman, Sebastian Moran . Doyle himself was of Irish Catholic descent, educated at Stonyhurst College , although he abandoned his family's religious tradition, neither marrying nor raising his children in the Catholic faith, nor cleaving to any politics that his ethnic background might presuppose. Doyle is known to have used his experiences at Stonyhurst as inspiration for details of
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5166-690: Is assisted in his mystery solving by his flatmate , friend and companion, Dr John Watson ( Martin Freeman ), who has returned from military service in Afghanistan with the Royal Army Medical Corps . Although Metropolitan Police Service Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade ( Rupert Graves ) and others are suspicious of Holmes at first, over time, his exceptional intellect and bold powers of observation persuade them of his value. In part through Watson's blog documenting their adventures, Holmes becomes
5289-658: Is averred that surviving Jesuit priests at the preparatory school Hodder Place , Stonyhurst , instantly recognised the physical description of Moriarty as that of the Rev. Thomas Kay, SJ, Prefect of Discipline, under whose authority Doyle fell as a wayward pupil. According to this hypothesis, Doyle as a private joke has Inspector MacDonald describe Moriarty: "He'd have made a grand meenister with his thin face and grey hair and his solemn-like way of talking." The model which Doyle himself cited (through Sherlock Holmes) in The Valley of Fear
5412-624: Is both a colonel and station master) or two brothers (one a colonel and the other a station master); he added that he considered the presence of two siblings more likely, and suggested that all three brothers were named James. Writer Leslie S. Klinger suggested that Professor Moriarty has an older brother named Colonel James Moriarty in addition to an unnamed younger brother. According to Klinger, writer Ian McQueen proposed that Moriarty does not actually have any brothers, while Sherlockian John Bennett Shaw suggested, like Starrett, that there are three Moriarty brothers, all named James. " Moriarty "
5535-450: Is empty and snoops around, where he finds an intruder; a brief fight ensues, but the attacker flees. At the museum, they then discover the same symbols on a statue. Then, with the help of graffiti artist "Raz", Sherlock and John find more symbols graffitied on a wall and struggle to decode the message. Back at the museum, Holmes surprises Soo Lin in hiding, who explains the code is linked to the criminal ring "Black Lotus Tong ", of which she
5658-593: Is married to Moffat, encouraged Moffat and Gatiss to develop the project themselves before another creative team had the same idea. Moffat and Gatiss invited Stephen Thompson to write for the series in September 2008. Gatiss has criticised recent television adaptations of the Conan Doyle stories as "too reverential and too slow", aiming instead to be as irreverent to the canon as the 1930s and 1940s films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce , which were mostly set in
5781-404: Is not an idiot, although it's true that Conan Doyle always took the piss out of him", said Gatiss. "But only an idiot would surround himself with idiots." Moffat said that Freeman is "the sort of opposite of Benedict in everything except the amount of talent... Martin finds a sort of poetry in the ordinary man. I love the fastidious realism of everything he does." Freeman describes his character as
5904-609: Is produced by the British network BBC , along with Hartswood Films , with Moffat, Gatiss, Sue Vertue and Rebecca Eaton serving as executive producers. The series is supported by the American station WGBH-TV Boston for its Masterpiece anthology series on PBS , where it also airs in the United States. The series is filmed primarily in Cardiff , Wales . North Gower Street in London
6027-419: Is revealed to be Greg in "The Hounds of Baskerville". Andrew Scott made his first appearance as Jim Moriarty in "The Great Game". Moffat said, "We knew what we wanted to do with Moriarty from the very beginning. Moriarty is usually a rather dull, rather posh villain so we thought someone who was genuinely properly frightening. Someone who's an absolute psycho." Moffat and Gatiss were originally not going to put
6150-424: Is stated in "The Final Problem" that Moriarty does not directly participate in the activities he plans, but only orchestrates the events or provides the plans that will lead to a successful crime. What makes Moriarty so dangerous is his extremely cunning intellect: He is a man of good birth and excellent education, endowed by nature with a phenomenal mathematical faculty. [...] But the man had hereditary tendencies of
6273-458: Is the London arch-criminal of the 18th century, Jonathan Wild . He mentions this when seeking to compare Moriarty to a real-world character that Inspector Alec MacDonald might know, but it is in vain as MacDonald is not so well read as Holmes. T. S. Eliot 's character Macavity the Mystery Cat is based on Moriarty. Author Timothy Zahn 's fictional Star Wars warlord Nuso Esva is also based on
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#17328510198476396-547: Is the same as that of his purported brother. In the 1914 novel The Valley of Fear (written after the preceding two stories, but set earlier), Holmes says of Professor Moriarty: "He is unmarried. His younger brother is a station master in the west of England." In Sherlock Holmes: A Drama in Four Acts , an 1899 stage play, of which Doyle was a co-author, the villain is named Professor Robert Moriarty. Writer Vincent Starrett suggested that Moriarty could have one brother (who
6519-455: Is uncertain if he was already doing this before leaving his teaching post). When multiple plans of his are hampered or undone by Sherlock Holmes, Moriarty targets the consulting detective. Multiple pastiches and other works outside of Doyle's stories purport to provide additional information about Moriarty's background. John F. Bowers, a lecturer in mathematics at the University of Leeds , wrote
6642-452: Is used for exterior shots of Holmes's and Watson's 221B Baker Street residence. Sherlock 's first three series received praise for the quality of the writing, acting, and directing. The final series had a mixed reception. The programme has been nominated for numerous awards including Emmys , BAFTAs and a Golden Globe , winning several awards across a variety of categories prior to its final series. The show won in three categories at
6765-418: The 66th Primetime Emmy Awards including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Cumberbatch, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Freeman and Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special for Moffat. Two years later, it won Outstanding Television Movie . In addition, the show was also honoured with a Peabody Award in 2011. The third series became
6888-590: The Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland . Moffat felt that he and co-creator Gatiss had outdone Conan Doyle in their version of Holmes's fall and Moffat added that, in that much-discussed sequence, there was still "a clue everybody's missed". BBC One premiered a seven-minute Sherlock mini-episode over the 2013 Christmas period entitled " Many Happy Returns ". The episode is available via BBC iPlayer , BBC Red Button service, and BBC's YouTube channel, and acts as
7011-497: The BBC's planned Cardiff Bay "drama village". Production of the first two series was based at Upper Boat Studios , where Doctor Who had been produced. Cardiff was more economical than in London, with some good matches for parts of London. Some architecture could not be faked, so location shooting in the English capital was necessary. The location shots for 221B Baker Street were filmed at 187 North Gower Street – Baker Street
7134-564: The Holmes series; among his contemporaries at the school were two boys surnamed Moriarty. ln addition to the master criminal Adam Worth , there has been speculation among astronomers and Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts that Doyle based his fictional character Moriarty on the Canadian-American astronomer Simon Newcomb . Newcomb was revered as a multitalented genius, with a special mastery of mathematics, and he had become internationally famous in
7257-668: The Irish literary and political community in London. She suggests that Moriarty, Ireland's Napoleon, represents the Fenian threat at the heart of the British Empire. O'Connor Power studied at St Jarlath's Diocesan College in Tuam, County Galway. In his third and last year he was Professor of Humanities. As an ex-professor, the Fenian leader successfully made a bid for a Westminster seat in County Mayo. It
7380-528: The National Antiquities Museum, Chinese pottery expert Soo Lin Yao sees something frightening and disappears. Meanwhile, Sherlock takes John to a high-powered international finance house. There, Sebastian Wilkes, an old university acquaintance of Sherlock's, asks for help. A break-in occurred in which a seemingly meaningless pair of symbols were spray-painted onto a portrait of a banker. Sherlock realises it
7503-406: The Norwood Builder ", " The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter ", " The Adventure of the Illustrious Client ", and " His Last Bow " (the final adventure in Holmes's canon timeline, taking place years after he has officially retired). Doctor Watson , even when narrating, never meets Moriarty (only getting distant glimpses of him in "The Final Problem") and relies upon Holmes to relate accounts of
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#17328510198477626-578: The UK's most watched drama series since 2001. Sherlock has been sold to 180 territories. All of the series have been released on DVD and Blu-ray , alongside tie-in editions of selected original Conan Doyle books and an original soundtrack composed by David Arnold and Michael Price . In January 2014, the show launched its official mobile app called Sherlock: The Network . Sherlock depicts "consulting detective" Sherlock Holmes ( Benedict Cumberbatch ) solving various mysteries in modern-day London. Holmes
7749-475: The United Kingdom instead of being tried for murder. As Sherlock's plane takes off, every video screen in London broadcasts the image of Moriarty, and Sherlock is recalled to deal with the crisis associated with Moriarty's potential return. The third series aired in the United States on PBS over a period of three weeks, airing late January to early February 2014. On 2 July 2014, it was announced there would be
7872-486: The camera phone of Irene Adler ( Lara Pulver ), a ruthless and brilliant dominatrix who also trades in classified information extracted from her rich and powerful clients. Mark Gatiss wrote " The Hounds of Baskerville ", which investigates the strange activities at a military base. Aware that The Hound of the Baskervilles , first published in 1902, was one of the most famous of Conan Doyle's original stories, Gatiss felt
7995-593: The comment about maths so abstruse that no one could criticise it, was published in September 1914. Irish mathematician Des MacHale has suggested George Boole may have been a model for Moriarty. Jane Stanford, in That Irishman , suggests that Doyle borrowed some of the traits and background of the Fenian John O'Connor Power for his portrayal of Moriarty. In Moriarty Unmasked: Conan Doyle and an Anglo-Irish Quarrel , 2017, Stanford explores Doyle's relationship with
8118-655: The concept of the series. Moffat had previously adapted the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for the 2007 series Jekyll , while Gatiss had written the Dickensian Doctor Who episode " The Unquiet Dead ". Moffat and Gatiss, both Doctor Who writers, discussed plans for a Holmes adaptation during their numerous train journeys to Cardiff where Doctor Who production is based. While they were in Monte Carlo for an awards ceremony, producer Sue Vertue , who
8241-414: The creative team said that the BBC were "very happy" with the pilot but asked them to change the format. Critic Mark Lawson observes that the pilot that was on air was "substantially expanded and rewritten, and completely reimagined in look, pace and sound". In July 2009, the BBC drama department announced plans for three 90-minute episodes, to be broadcast in 2010. Moffat had previously announced that if
8364-420: The criminal believes in phrenology . Holmes ignores the threat and delivers appropriate evidence to the police so Moriarty and those who operate his network will face justice in a few days. Knowing the mastermind and his trusted lieutenants intend to kill him before they hide or are arrested, Holmes flees to Switzerland, and Watson joins him. The mastermind follows, his pursuit ending when he confronts Holmes at
8487-417: The detective's feud with the criminal. Doyle is inconsistent on Watson's familiarity with Moriarty. In "The Final Problem", Watson tells Holmes he has never heard of Moriarty, while in "The Valley of Fear", set earlier on, Watson already knows of him as "the famous scientific criminal." In "The Empty House", Holmes says Moriarty commissioned a powerful air gun from a blind German mechanic surnamed von Herder,
8610-533: The episode depicts Holmes being hired by an old university acquaintance to investigate a mysterious break-in at a bank in the City of London . The first series concluded with " The Great Game ", first broadcast on 8 August 2010. The episode introduces the archenemy character, James Moriarty (played by Andrew Scott) to the series, who sets Holmes deadlines to solve a series of apparently unrelated cases. Written by Mark Gatiss and directed by McGuigan, "The Great Game" ends with
8733-514: The episode takes the concept of coded messages from " The Adventure of the Dancing Men " (using pictorial messages), a story feature directly referenced later, in the series 4 episode The Final Problem . Alan Kistler of Newsarama has pointed out other potential inspirations such as the use in The Valley of Fear of a code "based on a book that many people would own." A murder victim found inside
8856-426: The episode, which was directed by Toby Haynes, who had previously directed many of Moffat's Doctor Who episodes. First broadcast on 15 January 2012, the episode follows Moriarty's plot to discredit and kill Sherlock Holmes, concluding with Holmes appearing to die by suicide. The episode was inspired by Conan Doyle's story "The Final Problem", in which Holmes and Moriarty are presumed to have fallen to their deaths from
8979-522: The episode. Laurie Penny , writing for The New Statesman , stated she was "tired of stories about clever white men", and characterised the plot as "booga-wooga yellow peril exotic chinky slaughter emporium". Kayti Burt, writing for Collider , rated the episode an eighth-best middle of the pack for the series, but noted its "seriously lazy Orientalism." Jaine Chemmachery, a lecturer in Postcolonial Literatures at Sorbonne University , wrote in
9102-400: The first and third episodes and Euros Lyn directed the second. The three episodes were filmed in reverse order of their broadcast. Gatiss says that they wanted to "fetishise modern London in the way that the period versions fetishise Victorian London". Production was based at Hartswood Films' Cardiff production unit, Hartswood Films West, which was opened in late 2009 to take advantage of
9225-467: The first time the series has aired on the same day in the UK and US. The fourth series began airing on BBC One and PBS on 1 January 2017 and concluded on 15 January 2017. The first episode, " A Study in Pink ", loosely based upon the first Sherlock Holmes novel A Study in Scarlet , was written by Moffat and directed by Paul McGuigan. The story depicts the introduction of Sherlock to John, and them entering
9348-441: The flat used as Holmes's residence, reported a sharp rise in new customers who recognised it from the show. Costumes for the pilot were designed by BAFTA Cymru award-winning costume designer Ray Holman. Cumberbatch wore a £1,000 Belstaff coat in the series. Sarah Arthur, the series's costume designer, explained how she achieved the detective's look: "Holmes wouldn't have any interest in fashion so I went for classic suits with
9471-421: The idea of putting text messages on the screen instead of having cut-away shots of a hand holding the phone. The producers found it difficult to coordinate the schedules of the principal players and Moffat and Gatiss for a second series. Cumberbatch and Freeman both worked on the 2012 film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , and Moffat continued as Doctor Who ' s showrunner and head writer. In response to
9594-506: The last one. The second series of three 90-minute episodes was initially planned to air in late 2011, but was delayed until early January 2012. " A Scandal in Belgravia ", written by Steven Moffat and directed by Paul McGuigan, was first broadcast on 1 January 2012. Loosely based on "A Scandal in Bohemia", the episode depicts Holmes's quest to retrieve compromising photos of a minor royal held on
9717-490: The law, all in exchange for a fee or a cut of profit. Holmes likens Moriarty to a spider at the centre of a web and calls him the " Napoleon of crime", a phrase Doyle lifted from a Scotland Yard inspector referring to Adam Worth , a real-life criminal mastermind and one of the individuals upon whom the character of Moriarty was based. Despite appearing only twice in Doyle's original stories, later adaptations and pastiches have given Moriarty greater prominence, often using him as
9840-414: The main antagonist, and treated him as Sherlock Holmes' archenemy . Professor Moriarty's first appearance occurred in the 1893 short story " The Adventure of the Final Problem " (set in 1891). The story features consulting detective Sherlock Holmes revealing to his friend and biographer Doctor Watson that for years now he has suspected many seemingly isolated crimes to actually all be the machinations of
9963-483: The manner in which you [Holmes] have grappled with this case." Nevertheless, he makes numerous attempts upon Holmes's life through his agents. He shows a fiery disposition, becoming enraged when his plans are thwarted, resulting in his being placed "in positive danger of losing my liberty". While personally pursuing Holmes at a train station, he furiously elbows aside passengers, heedless of whether this draws attention to himself. Doyle's original motive in creating Moriarty
10086-418: The modern world the door would only display the number of the house, and there would be doorbells for each flat. The full house number is so iconic that they felt unable to change it. The writers also decided that the lead characters would address each other by their first names, rather than the traditional Holmes and Watson. This was also reflected in the title of the series. Director Paul McGuigan came up with
10209-492: The most diabolical kind. A criminal strain ran in his blood, which, instead of being modified, was increased and rendered infinitely more dangerous by his extraordinary mental powers. [...] He is the Napoleon of crime, Watson. He is the organiser of half that is evil and of nearly all that is undetected in this great city... Holmes echoes and expounds this sentiment in The Valley of Fear , stating: The greatest schemer of all time,
10332-407: The night going through the first two victims' books, trying to find the solution. John's first day at work does not go well, but Sarah covers for him, and they organise to go out on a date. Sherlock arranges tickets to a travelling Chinese circus . While John and Sarah enjoy the classic escapology and acrobatics acts, Sherlock snoops around backstage and is attacked, but with Sarah and John's help,
10455-636: The organizer of every devilry, the controlling brain of the underworld, a brain which might have made or marred the destiny of nations—that's the man! But so aloof is he from general suspicion, so immune from criticism, so admirable in his management and self-effacement, that for those very words that you have uttered he could hale you to a court and emerge with your year's pension as a solatium for his wounded character. [...] Foulmouthed doctor and slandered professor—such would be your respective roles! That's genius, Watson. Moriarty respects Holmes's intelligence, stating: "It has been an intellectual treat for me to see
10578-453: The pilot prove to be successful. The first version of the pilot—reported by The Guardian to have cost £800,000—led to rumours within the BBC and wider media that Sherlock was a potential disaster. The BBC decided not to transmit the pilot, requesting a reshoot and a total of three 90-minute episodes. The original pilot was included on the DVD of the first series. During the audio commentary,
10701-400: The plot "fails to fully engage, the story feeling like 60-minutes of material dragged out over 90". Over the first few years (2017–2022) after the series first aired, assessments ranking the 13 episodes of the series against each other placed this episode 11th or 12th on their lists. Retrospective criticism also focused on gender politics, racial stereotypes and a patronizing Orientalism in
10824-519: The plot is classic Moffat intricacy." Tom Sutcliffe for The Independent wrote, " Sherlock is a triumph, witty and knowing, without ever undercutting the flair and dazzle of the original. It understands that Holmes isn't really about plot but about charisma ... Flagrantly unfaithful to the original in some respects, Sherlock is wonderfully loyal to it in every way that matters." The lead actors were commended. Critic Victoria Thorpe said, "Freeman's dependable, capable Watson unlocks this modern Holmes,
10947-404: The primary detective in the second episode, "The Hounds of Baskerville". The cast and production team were more confident during the second series's production following the positive audience and critical reaction to the first series. The theme and incidental music were composed by David Arnold and Michael Price . Arnold explains that he and Price worked with the producers to "come up with
11070-470: The professor is extremely tall and thin, clean-shaven, pale, and ascetic-looking. He has a forehead that "domes out in a white curve", deeply sunken eyes, and shoulders that are "rounded from much study". His face protrudes forward and is always slowly oscillating from side to side "in a curiously reptilian fashion". Holmes mentions that during their meeting, Moriarty remarked in surprise, "You have less frontal development than I should have expected," indicating
11193-588: The professor; in fact, if each consonant and vowel of the character's name is replaced with the consonants and vowels before them in the Latin alphabet , "Nuso Esva" becomes "Moriarty." A Sherlockian society was formed by noted Sherlockian John Bennett Shaw called "The Brothers Three of Moriarty", in honour of Professor Moriarty and his two brothers. The group held annual dinners in Moriarty, New Mexico . The action movie " The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen " (2003) has
11316-633: The recurring roles of Sergeant Sally Donovan, Philip Anderson and Molly Hooper, respectively. Amanda Abbington , Freeman's then-real life partner, plays Mary Morstan , Watson's girlfriend and eventual wife. In series three, Wanda Ventham and Timothy Carlton , Cumberbatch's actual parents, are introduced as Sherlock and Mycroft's parents. Guest appearances included Phil Davis as Jefferson Hope, Paul Chequer as DI Dimmock, Zoe Telford as Sarah, Gemma Chan as Soo Lin Yao, John Sessions as Kenny Prince, Haydn Gwynne as Miss Wenceslas, Deborah Moore as one of Moriarty's victims and Peter Davison as
11439-421: The release of the fourth series in January 2017, they had not yet decided whether to produce it. Cumberbatch and Moffat in particular have expressed interest in continuing at some point in the future, but there are no immediate plans. Moffat also stated that due to the conflicting schedules of Cumberbatch and Freeman, a potential fifth series is still up in the air. Freeman has expressed the opinion that Sherlock
11562-458: The same mysterious symbols painted on a shelf. John, seeking financial security, obtains a job as locum at a local surgery run by Dr. Sarah Sawyer. Later, Sherlock and John discover a link between the two men; both had just returned from China, and both went to an oriental curio shop, " The Lucky Cat ". There, Holmes learns that the symbols are ancient Chinese Hangzhou numerals (correctly Suzhou numerals). Sherlock notices that Soo Lin's flat
11685-419: The same time as series two, and a part of the resolution to "The Reichenbach Fall" was filmed concurrently with series two. Without revealing whether Moriarty also faked his own death at the end of series two, Moffat suggested that Moriarty will not feature heavily in future series of Sherlock . " The Empty Hearse ", written by Mark Gatiss and directed by Jeremy Lovering, is the first episode of Series 3 and
11808-410: The show stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson . Thirteen episodes have been produced, with four three-part series airing from 2010 to 2017 and a special episode that aired on 1 January 2016. The series is set in the present day in which it aired. The one-off special features a Victorian-period fantasy resembling the original Holmes stories. Sherlock
11931-477: The stories and is quite inconsistently portrayed in them. They decided to go with the version that appeared in " The Adventure of the Six Napoleons ": a man who is frustrated by Holmes but admires him, and whom Holmes considers as the best person at Scotland Yard . Several candidates took a comedic tack in their auditions, but the creative team preferred the gravitas that Graves brought to the role. His first name
12054-434: The then-contemporary interwar era. Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock uses modern technology, such as texting, the internet and GPS to solve crimes. Paul McGuigan , who directed two episodes of Sherlock , says that this is in keeping with Conan Doyle's character, pointing out that "[i]n the books he would use any device possible and he was always in the lab doing experiments. It's just a modern day version of it. He will use
12177-436: The three escape. While Sherlock continues to search for the solution to the book cipher, John and Sarah are kidnapped; John is mistaken for Sherlock by the villains, who want him to reveal the location of the missing "treasure" in return for Sarah's life. Fortunately, Sherlock cracks the code using an A-Z London Street Atlas guide, and rescues John and Sarah. He also realises the elusive "treasure" has been in plain sight all
12300-438: The time pressure, The Guardian asserted, the series "features reworkings of three of Conan Doyle's most recognised tales". Gatiss says that there had been an argument for producing these tales over three years, but Moffat explained that they rejected "deferred pleasure". The relationship between Holmes and Watson developed during the second series, with Watson being less amazed by Sherlock's deductive abilities; Watson acted as
12423-585: The time: A jade hairpin belonging to the Chinese royal family, worn by van Coon's secretary/mistress Amanda, who had received it as a gift from van Coon. However, Shan, the Black Lotus Tong's leader, escapes and contacts a person via online "chat" identified only by the initial " M " who had helped the gang to get a foothold in London. The episode ends a moment before a sniper shoots Shan after "M" types that Shan will not fail again. According to Moffat,
12546-451: The title of the episode was announced. It was broadcast on 1 January 2016 at 9:00 pm local time on BBC One in the UK, and on PBS in the US. The episode was simulcast in British cinemas on 1 January, and was shown on 5 and 6 January 2016 in selected cinemas throughout the US. Exclusive bonus material in the cinema presentation included a guided tour of 221B Baker Street from Steven Moffat and
12669-460: The tools that are available to him today in order to find things out." The update maintains various elements of the original stories, such as the Baker Street address and Holmes's adversary Moriarty. Some of these elements are transposed to the present day: for example, Martin Freeman's Watson has returned from military service in Afghanistan . While discussing the fact that the original Watson
12792-590: The top of the Reichenbach Falls . Watson does not witness the confrontation but arrives later to find signs of hand-to-hand combat occurring at the cliff edge near the waterfall, indicating the battle ended with both men falling to their deaths. Watson also finds a goodbye note left behind by Holmes that Moriarty allowed him to write before their battle. Moriarty plays a direct role in only one other Holmes story, The Valley of Fear (1914), set before "The Final Problem" but written afterwards. In The Valley of Fear , Holmes attempts to prevent Moriarty's men from committing
12915-415: The villain is referred to only as "Professor Moriarty". Watson mentions no forename but does refer to the name of another family member when he writes of "the recent letters in which Colonel James Moriarty defends the memory of his brother". In " The Adventure of the Empty House " (1903), Holmes refers to Moriarty as "Professor James Moriarty". This is the only time Moriarty is given a first name, and oddly, it
13038-414: The voice-over in the planetarium. Series two's " A Scandal in Belgravia " featured Lara Pulver as Irene Adler , while " The Hounds of Baskerville " featured Russell Tovey as Henry Knight. In the final episode of series two, the role of Rufus Bruhl was played by Edward Holtom, while Katherine Parkinson played journalist Kitty Riley. The first episode of series three featured Derren Brown . The show
13161-495: The wedding reception and the story is told through flashbacks. The episode title is inspired by The Sign of the Four and was first broadcast on 5 January 2014. The final episode " His Last Vow " was first broadcast on 12 January 2014, on BBC One , and written by Steven Moffat, directed by Nick Hurran and is based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's " The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton ". This case leads Sherlock into conflict with Charles Augustus Magnussen ( Lars Mikkelsen ),
13284-452: The world outside, mak[ing] Sherlock the perfect depiction of Holmes for our times". David Weigand of the SF Gate called Cumberbatch "A Sherlock for the 21st century." Jace Lacob of BuzzFeed wrote, "Back from the dead and better than ever." Professor Moriarty Professor James Moriarty is a fictional character and criminal mastermind created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to be
13407-405: The writers of the first series would each write an episode for series two. Acknowledging that " A Scandal in Bohemia ", " The Hound of the Baskervilles " and " The Final Problem " are amongst the best-known Holmes stories, Gatiss explained, "We knew after having a successful first run that the natural order would be to do three of the most famous [stories]." "There's the question of how to go out on
13530-416: The years before Doyle began writing his stories. More to the point, Newcomb had earned a reputation for spite and malice, apparently seeking to destroy the careers and reputations of rival scientists. Moriarty may have been inspired in part by two real-world mathematicians. If the characterisations of Moriarty's academic papers are reversed, they describe real mathematical events. Carl Friedrich Gauss wrote
13653-491: Was a message meant for one man – Edward van Coon of the Hong Kong desk – who has not come to work. Sherlock breaks into van Coon's locked flat and finds him dead. The police, under Detective Inspector Dimmock, regard it as a suicide, though Sherlock sees it as murder. Soon, journalist Brian Lukis (Howard Coggins) is killed inside his locked flat. Sherlock and John investigate, and in a library where Lukis had been, they find
13776-412: Was announced that Toby Jones had been cast as a villain from Sherlock Holmes lore. The fourth series premiered on 1 January 2017, with " The Six Thatchers ". The second episode " The Lying Detective " aired on 8 January 2017; the last episode " The Final Problem " aired on 15 January 2017. During the production of the fourth series, many Sherlock fans erroneously believed that the series would have
13899-428: Was better than the series opener, calling the plot "more satisfying ... clearer and more self-contained". He particularly praised the relationship between Sherlock and Watson. Radio Times reviewer David Butcher wrote that the episode "didn't have the scripting pizzazz of the others, but it did have one big advantage: Zoe Telford . She played a love interest for Martin Freeman's Dr Watson and briefly threatened to bring
14022-435: Was employed as a professor by Durham University . According to the 2020 audio drama Sherlock Holmes: The Voice of Treason , written by George Mann and Cavan Scott , Moriarty was a professor at Stonyhurst College (where Arthur Conan Doyle was educated and knew two students with the surname Moriarty). The stories give contradictory indications about Moriarty's family. In his first appearance in " The Final Problem " (1893),
14145-600: Was evidently his intention to kill Holmes off. "The Final Problem" was intended to be exactly what its title says; Doyle sought to sweeten the pill by letting Holmes go in a blaze of glory, having rid the world of a criminal so powerful and dangerous that any further task would be trivial in comparison (as Holmes says in the story itself). Eventually, however, public pressure and financial troubles impelled Doyle to bring Holmes back. While Doyle conceded to revealing that Holmes did not die during "The Final Problem" (as Watson mistakenly concludes), he chose not to undo Moriarty's death in
14268-575: Was first broadcast on 1 January 2014. Inspired by " The Adventure of the Empty House " by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle , the episode follows Sherlock Holmes's return to London and reunion with John Watson, and their subsequent solving of an underground terrorist network. The episode achieved an official rating of 12.72 million viewers, making it the highest rated drama episode shown on UK television in 2014 . In " The Sign of Three ", written by Stephen Thompson, Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat , Watson and Mary Morstan get married. The episode takes place during
14391-401: Was impractical because of heavy traffic, and the number of things labelled "Sherlock Holmes", which would need to be disguised. Executive producer Beryl Vertue explains how it was important to design the entirety of Sherlock's flat as a contemporary set, yet still convey his eccentricity. He would not, she says, live somewhere "too suburban" or "too modern". Speedy's, the sandwich shop below
14514-579: Was initially broadcast in July and August 2010 on the BBC, later premiering on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States in October 2010. A second series of three episodes was first broadcast in the UK in January 2012, and then in the US during May 2012. The third series premiered in the UK on 1 January 2014 and in the US on 19 January 2014. The series has been sold to 180 territories. A special episode premiered on 1 January 2016, on BBC One and PBS, marking
14637-610: Was invalided home after serving in the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–80), Gatiss realised that "[i]t is the same war now, I thought. The same unwinnable war". Sherlock was announced as a single 60-minute drama production at the Edinburgh International Television Festival in August 2008, with broadcast set for mid- to late 2009. The intention was to produce a series of six 60-minute episodes should
14760-446: Was once a member. Unfortunately, before she can fully decode the message, she is killed by her brother, another criminal gang member. Sherlock realises Van Coon and Lukis were members of the Tong, involved in smuggling valuable antiquities to sell in London. They were killed because one of them stole something. Sherlock knows the message is in the form of a book cipher , and he and John spend
14883-480: Was produced by Hartswood Films for BBC Wales, while BBC Worldwide also provided co-production funding. Production was also co-produced by PBS , a network of public-service broadcasters in the United States, for WGBH-TV 's Masterpiece Mystery! strand. Filming of the pilot episode, written by Moffat and directed by Coky Giedroyc , commenced in January 2009. The first set of three episodes entered production 12 months later, in January 2010. Paul McGuigan directed
15006-526: Was rejected for being too "barmy", as the producers required someone "straighter" for Watson. Shortly after, Moffat cast Smith as the Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who . The writers said that Freeman's casting developed the way in which Cumberbatch played Holmes. The theme of friendship appealed to both Gatiss and Moffat. Gatiss asserted the importance of achieving the correct tone for the character. "Watson
15129-435: Was the only person we actually saw for [the part of] Sherlock... Once Benedict was there it was really just making sure we got the chemistry for John [Watson]—and I think you get it as soon as they come into the room, you can see that they work together". Several actors auditioned for the part of Watson, and Martin Freeman eventually took the role. Steven Moffat said that Matt Smith was the first to audition unsuccessfully. He
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