Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of famed fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, spent his retirement studying spiritualism. His interest in a world beyond death and the possibility of clairvoyance was sparked by the loss of his son. This interest soon transformed into a fevered pursuit that cost him a considerable amount of money and companionship. (Notably, his friendship with the magician Harry Houdini, who performed seemingly impossible acts but enjoyed exposing how people were conned at readings and séances, soon fell apart.) But imagine, if Conan Doyle had found a seer who could actually tell him the future. Would he have believed his creation, Sherlock Holmes, would be one of the most legendary characters in literature, a figure of timeless popularity?
Sherlock Holmes got his start as a consulting detective in 1887’s A Study in Scarlet. A resident of 221B Baker Street in London, he was described as an eccentric and brilliant man, whose eye for detail and ability to ascertain what happened at a crime scene from scant clues was unparalleled. This talent, of course, accounts for why his friend and biographer Dr. John Watson, among others, forgive him his brusque and sometimes rude manners.
Over the course of the Sherlock Holmes stories, he repeatedly faces down his greatest foe, Professor James Moriarty, one of the greatest criminal masterminds in literary history. Moriarty is a lot like Holmes, unmatched in his brilliance, but totally uninterested in working toward the greater good. (Unless you’re listening to the Audible Original Moriarty: The Devil's Game, that is. This exciting show dares to explore the possibility that Professor Moriarty, expertly portrayed by The Lord of the Ring's Dominic Monaghan, was actually an innocent man.)
Sherlock Holmes appeared in four novels and 56 short stories by Doyle, but that was only the beginning of his cultural stardom. According to The Guinness World Records, Holmes is the most portrayed literary human character in film and television history. He has been played by some of the biggest names in acting, including Basil Rathbone, Robert Downey Jr., Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Lee, Michael Caine, Jeremy Brett, Ian McKellen, John Barrymore, Christopher Plummer, Will Ferrell, and Peter O'Toole.
Today, there is perhaps no detective more celebrated than Sherlock Holmes in any medium, loved by some even more than Agatha Christie's fan favorite Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. (Speaking of, here's a fun fact—when Christie went missing for 11 days in 1926, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle joined in the search!) There are college courses and exclusive societies dedicated to Sherlock Holmes, including The Baker Street Irregulars, and a host of famous aficionados too. NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is such a huge fan, in fact, that he wrote his own books about Sherlock's brother Mycroft.
With such an array of source material—all of which is now in the public domain—and so many portrayals of Sherlock Holmes, which Sherlock Holmes adaptation is the best? This post exists to help you weed through the hundreds of screen adaptations and discover the most wonderful Sherlock Holmes shows and films, presented in order of their release date. Now come along—the game is afoot!
The Sherlock Holmes film series (1939–1946)
Starring: Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes, Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson
Famed British actor Basil Rathbone was not the first to portray Sherlock on the big screen—that honor went to Clive Brook—but he was considered the best Sherlock Holmes in film portrayals of the 20th century. The 14 big screen black-and-white films with Rathbone, starting with The Hound of the Baskervilles, are also still widely thought to be the best Sherlock Holmes adaptations.
Sherlock Holmes TV Series (1964–1968)
Starring: Douglas Wilmer as Sherlock Holmes (1964–1965), Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes (1968), Nigel Stock as Doctor Watson
This was one of Sherlock's first portrayals on television, with a series of 29 episodes made for the BBC. The series launched with Wilmer as Sherlock in "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," the eighth story in the collection The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Wilmer was replaced by Star Wars's Peter Cushing in 1968, who then appeared in the final 16 episodes.
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1982)
Starring: Tom Baker as Sherlock Holmes, Terence Rigby as Doctor Watson
Tom Baker, who had famously portrayed the fourth Doctor in BBC’s Doctor Who from 1974 until 1981, returned to the screen a year later to play one of the most famous detectives in the world in this four-part miniseries. The Hound of the Baskervilles is the third of the four completed Sherlock Holmes novels, detailing the case of a young heir who hires Holmes to investigate a supposedly cursed estate.
Sherlock Holmes (1984–1994)
Starring: Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes, David Burke (1984–1985) as Dr. John Watson, Edward Hardwicke as Dr. John Watson (1987–1994)
After Tom Baker's portrayal, it wasn't long before Sherlock was brought back to British television. Running for a decade, Sherlock Holmes featured 36 one-hour episodes and five feature-length specials, including The Sign of Four and The Hound of the Baskervilles. Brett's portrayal of the brilliant detective is widely considered by fans and critics to be among the very best. In lists of Sherlock Holmes actors ranked, you will often find Brett near the top.
The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Starring: Vincent Price as Professor Ratigan, Barrie Ingham as Basil, Val Bettin as Dawson.
Inspired by Sherlock Holmes, this is delightful animated Disney film features a brilliant mouse detective named Basil—a nod, of course, to actor Basil Rathbone. Basil lives below the apartments of the great Sherlock Holmes, whose brief appearance is provided by Rathbone himself. He is hired by a young mouse to find her missing toymaker father, who has been kidnapped by the villainous Professor Ratigan, deliciously voiced by the legendary Vincent Price.
Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes (2000)
Starring: Robin Laing as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (in the first episode), Charles Edwards as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (in the remaining four episodes), Ian Richardson as Dr. Joseph Bell
These six BBC episodes are less about the fictional detective and more focused on Holmes's creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, zeroing in on his time as a general practitioner in Southsea. Ian Richardson, who played Sherlock in the 1983 television movie adaptation of The Sign of Four, appears here as Doyle's mentor, Dr. Joseph Bell. This show is an especially interesting watch, as it nods to the foundation for Holmes's companion, Dr. John Watson.
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes, Jude Law as Dr. John Watson
This Sherlock Holmes adaptation, directed by Guy Ritchie, kicked off the Sherlock renaissance of the 21st century. The story line centers on murderer Lord Henry Blackwood, who claims to have supernatural powers on the eve of his execution, and whose order wreaks havoc for London after his death. While not strictly based on any Doyle story, it does incorporate several characters from the Holmes universe, including Irene Adler, Mary Morstan, and Inspector Lestrade. Downey was a huge hit in his vibrant portrayal of Holmes, and the film was also a financial and critical success. It was followed up in 2011 by Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.
Sherlock (2010–2017)
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes, Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson, Andrew Scott as Professor Moriarty
This BBC series totally changed the game. In this Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss creation, one of the very first modern Holmes adaptations, Sherlock lives in present-day London and solves crimes by contemporary means with his assistant, Dr. Watson. Each case is named for an actual Sherlock story, though the details differ substantially. Andrew Scott plays one of the most unsettling, brilliant versions of Professor Moriarty even seen on screen—and steals every scene, which is hard to do with such an exemplary cast. It also makes broader use of Sherlock's brother, Mycroft, who only makes a few appearances in the stories. To date, there have been 13 episodes, with no additional installments planned.
Elementary (2012–2019)
Starring: Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes, Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson
Across the pond, America was treated to another modern Sherlock Holmes adaptation, this time with Sherlock solving cases for the NYPD alongside his rehabilitation companion turned detective partner, Dr. Joan Watson. Miller excelled at playing up Sherlock's tortured brilliance, and the show was particularly notable for how it directly addressed Holmes's substance abuse problems. Acclaimed actor Lucy Liu is simply wonderful as his foil, level-headed and empathetic. Despite being a bit more unconventional than other adaptations, it remains of the best television shows featuring Sherlock Holmes.
Mr. Holmes (2015)
Starring: Ian McKellen as Sherlock Holmes, Laura Linney as Mrs. Munro
This film is a loose adaptation of Doyle’s creations, making liberal use of the character of Sherlock Holmes as it follows him at the end of his life. Battling dementia, Holmes is trying to remember his last case. He is befriended by the son of his housekeeper, who wants him to take on just one more investigation. The legendary McKellen is, unsurprisingly, absolutely perfect in the role of Mr. Holmes.
Enola Holmes (2020)
Starring: Millie Bobby Brown as Enola Holmes, Henry Cavill as Sherlock Holmes, Sam Claflin as Mycroft Holmes
Another twist on Holmes arrives with Enola Holmes. Millie Bobby Brown, of Stranger Things fame, stars as Enola, the teen sister of the detective Sherlock Holmes. She is determined to find their missing mother and prove she is just as brilliant as her older brothers. Enola Holmes is the creation of Nancy Springer, who wrote an ongoing series of books about her, beginning with Case of the Missing Marquess. A second film, Enola Holmes 2, was released last year.
The Irregulars (2021)
Starring: McKell David as Spike, Thaddea Graham as Bea, Henry Lloyd-Hughes as Sherlock Holmes, Royce Pierreson as John Watson
This most recent Sherlock Holmes TV adaptation is not about Sherlock Holmes himself. Instead, it focuses on the Baker Street Irregulars, a ragtag group of street urchins who gather intel and work as spies for the sleuth. While the show, like Doyle's tales, is set in the 19th century, it features supernatural elements not present in the original stories. The Irregulars aired for one season on Netflix to favorable reviews but, sadly, was not renewed for a second season.
