A new Sherlock Holmes TV adaptation seems a lot more exciting than watching Benedict Cumberbatch’s return in Sherlock season 5. After Sherlock Holmes first appeared in print in 1887, he was portrayed for the first time in an audio-visual medium in an 1899 play. This was followed by the character’s first screen appearance in a 1900 Mutoscope film, Sherlock Holmes Baffled. Since then, Sherlock Homes has been portrayed by over 75 actors, holding a world record of being the most portrayed human character in television and film.
Even though so many Sherlock Holmes adaptations exist in film and television, it is hard not to associate the character with a few actors like Jeremy Brett, Robert Downey Jr., Peter Cushing, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Since Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of the character in BBC’s Sherlock became one of the most mainstream depictions of the iconic detective, the actor sustains the benchmark against which other iterations and adaptations are measured. Despite this, a new upcoming Sherlock Holmes TV story seems far more interesting than Benedict Cumbebatch’s season 5 return in BBC’s Sherlock.
A Sherlock Holmes Ghost Story With Kit Harington Is A Great Way To Bring The Character Back
Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock series was great while it lasted. However, now that the likelihood of its return is incredibly low, a Sherlock ghost story with Kit Harrington as its lead seems to be an incredible way to bring the character back to the small screen. The original Sherlock series already walked audiences through the titular character’s adventures of solving mysteries and crimes in modern-day London. By adapting Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story Lot No. 249 in a new ghost story Christmas special, Mark Gatiss will now bring a supernatural twist to Sherlock’s adventures and combine the essential crime drama ingredients of the show’s narrative with some chills and thrills.
Introducing elements of the supernatural to Sherlock‘s core detective stories would not only present an exciting departure from the character’s traditional crime-solving but would also potentially make room for exploring a more personal and vulnerable side of the character. Since Kit Harrington has previously shown immense range with his acting abilities in Game of Thrones and Gunpowder, he seems to be the perfect casting choice for injecting new life into the character’s small-screen portrayal. The Lot No. 249 adaptation will still have to depict Sherlock Holmes’ unparalleled deductive reasoning, but a supernatural reinvention of his crime-solving endeavors will help keep things more refreshing and less trite.
Sherlock Season 5 Shouldn’t Happen – But Movies Or TV Specials Could Be Better
BBC’s Sherlock‘s first two seasons cemented their place among the best adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s works by creating an immersive experience for viewers with their unique portrayal of the titular character’s chain of thought and deductive skills. Both seasons encouraged viewers to become armchair detectives themesleves as they followed Sherlock Holmes and John H. Watson’s adventures. Unfortunately, in an attempt to outperform the first two seasons, seasons 2 and 4 stretched the suspension of disbelief a little too far, proving that the show had outstayed its welcome.
Considering season 3 and 4’s dip in quality, Sherlock seems to be better off without another season. Movies and TV specials like Lot No. 249 would still do justice to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories because they would be able to present some never-seen-before Sherlock Holmes narratives without being held back by the potential plot holes and subpar character beats set by Sherlock‘s third and fourth seasons. Not to mention, new Sherlock movies and TV specials would also feature new actors taking on the titular detective role, offering viewers diverse interpretations of Doyle’s works.
